Practical knowledge about intercropping in organic systems available

Scientists and local actors from across Europe are investigating intercropping’s benefits for soil health, fertiliser use, weed and disease control as well as product quality. They are looking into suitable machinery, innovative food processing techniques, and new market avenues for various products from intercropping systems. This happens in the scope of the IntercropVALUES project which, in parallel, is also running 13 co-innovation case studies developing local and innovative agri-food chains based on intercropping practices.

The 13 co-innovation case studies (CICS) have different focal points across different areas:

• Five on organic agriculture: CICS#4 France, CICS#5 Germany, CICS#11 Italy and CICS#13 Switzerland and CICS#3 UK.
• Eight cover mixed farming practices (organic and conventional): CICS #1 Denmark, CICS #2 Sweden, CICS #7 La Réunion,  CICS #8 Spain,  CICS#10 France, CICS#9 Serbia, CICS#6 Greece, and CICS#12 Mozambique.

 

Read the first practical recommendations from the co-innovation case studies and practice abstracts about intercropping in organic systems:

• Growing organic faba bean and wheat for food, Switzerland.
• Intercropping wheat and pea for on-farm pasta production, Serbia.
• Reducing risk of grain legume production through intercropping in temperate climates, Sweden.
• Interplay©: a support tool to help novice farmers choose cereal-legume intercrops, France.
• Marketing organic intercropped rapeseed oil, UK.
• Control of the parasitic weed Dodder in buck wheat or lentil cultivation through intercropping with linseed in Central Italy, Italy.

All these and more practice-oriented materials are available here on the IntercropVALUES project website.

IntercropValuES is a multi-disciplinary and multi-actor project, bringing together scientists and local actor of the agri-food chain. 27 participants, 15 countries and 3 continents from a wide diversity of organisations and stakeholders. IFOAM Organics Europe represents the organic movement.

Follow the project on www.intercropvalues.eu, X, Facebook & LinkedIn and learn about intercropping and the IntercropVALUES project.