February 2020 - ORGANIKO LIFE+

Α) Identity of the project

Description/Aim

It is generally accepted that organic farming favors environmental sustainability but there is no clear evidence whether it may also improve climate indicators (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions). There is also no clear scientific evidence that organic food is associated with better health status. The ORGANIKO LIFE + project placed particular emphasis on actions that mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture, the environment and human beings. The main objective of the project was to highlight the comparative advantages of organic farming and products against these conventional ones.
The following indicators were used to highlight these advantages:

• Climate change mitigation efficiency
• Agronomic and environmental quality
• Biomarkers of exposures to pesticides and biomarkers of oxidative stress/inflammation in relation to systematic consumption of organic food by children

Β) Best Practices

• Project findings were discussed in the Parliament of Cyprus in early April 2018 in the form of a parliamentary question from members of the House on the impact of the project. These conclusions, as well as the findings of ORGANIKO LIFE + were presented to a European Parliament event in Brussels in May 2018, in the presence of five MEPs, who were briefed on the results of the project. The progress and results of the project have also been discussed with key stakeholders in Italy, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, national agencies FEDERBIO, AIAB and international organizations FAO, IFOAM, and EFSA whose headquarters are in Italy.
• In situ nitrous oxide emissions measurements were established in barley production systems. The lower emissions for nitrous oxide are expected to reduce national emission costs by € 2.270,000 per year (calculated by the Ministry of Agriculture). The results of the project will be able to be transferred to areas of the EU and the wider region of the Mediterranean that have similar climatic conditions to those of Cyprus.
• The two-day international conference CLIMATICO 2019, April 11-12, focused on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, food and public health, giving special emphasis on the Mediterranean region. Participants registered in the conference from various countries, such as Serbia, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Italy and Cyprus. The Cyprus Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Costas Kadis stressed in his speech that Cyprus is already affected by climate change, mainly due to phenomena such as high temperatures, prolonged droughts and extreme weather events. This is expected to have a significant negative impact on agriculture and food production, as well as the degradation of water and soil resources, he added, while welcoming the Ministry's support in efforts to promote innovation for a better environment while ensuring a sustainable agricultural development. He also congratulated the organizers of the conference, stating that it is the epitome of the efforts of research teams and government departments involved in the ORGANIKO LIFE+ project.
• The project team has contributed to discussions about integrating organic food products into the recently revised Green Public Procurement Plan for Cyprus, in particular for schools, by incorporating a new rule requiring primary school authorities to include specific organic products in the canteen menus.
• The Declaration on School Nutrition was delivered by the participants at the project team's December 2018 event at the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK). The signatories were technical individuals coming from universities, government agencies, associations and unions of schools, seeking the support and promotion of targeted actions to effectively promote the health and well-being of children in primary and secondary education. Some of the suggestions were: (a) Revising canteen contracts and upgrading the operation of canteen Supervisory Committees in each school (b) Compulsory parenting training for nutrition and exercise through the Parents' Association (c) Convert all primary schools to whole day schools offering lunch that promotes healthy eating (d) Establishment of a holistic approach to nutrition and health.
• The project findings have been adopted by innovative initiatives at the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK), such as the TEPAK Green Bureau and the Work-Life Balancing Committee. The Green Bureau participated as co-organizer in two short-chain organic markets that were organized by the project team at TEPAK.
• The Public Procurement Directorate has made a significant step towards implementing the Green Public Procurement policy with the agreement it signed with suppliers / producers of organic food. In a recent letter (26 March 2018) to the Directors-General of the three Ministries (Education and Culture, Health and Defense), the list of regulated organic products was presented and recommended as the above-mentioned ministries purchase organic food or on the basis of regulated list or through competitive tenders. The ORGANIKO LIFE + consortium welcomed the agreement as the project team has made various efforts in recent years in this direction, such as meetings with stakeholders, information seminars and short-chain organic market systems at the university.
• The project team submitted a proposal for the EU Biological Innovations 2017 call entitled "The organic way of life starts in primary school". This proposal was among the runner up applications and the jury found it promising. The EU TP Organics platform presented it at the Innovation Arena on its website (http://tporganics.eu/organic-lifestyle-starts-at-primary-school/).
• The Cyprus Cabinet of Ministers in February 2019 approved programs to tackle childhood obesity. The ORGANIKO LIFE + project team welcomed this decision which is very much in line with the results and recommendations of the project team. The proposed measures are in the right direction and will require constant monitoring and evaluation for more effective implementation of intervention measures for children in Cyprus.

C) Results

1. National Advisory Plan
   ORGANIKO LIFE + has submitted an action plan to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, proposing sustainable actions and measures that significantly improve the existing "National Action Plan for the Development of Organic Agriculture" of the Republic of Cyprus. The purpose of the Action Plan is to help update and implement more effective policies for the development of the organic farming sector in Cyprus. The Ministry has accepted this plan and its implementation plan will be discussed shortly.

2. Organic agriculture and climate
   The project team improved organic farming practices protocols for apple and barley cultivation adapted to the climate and soils of Cyprus (you can find them on the project website).
   -The findings of the Institute for Agricultural Research during the project indicated that the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural ecosystems in Cyprus has been overestimated, and consequently the estimated costs for the Republic of Cyprus.
   -The application of composted materials and the appropriate crop rotation design resulted in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in organic farming systems without reducing productivity.

3. Organic nutrition and health
   The results of a randomized clinical trial in Cyprus on "Organic Nutrition and Child Health" were published in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE (http://bit.ly/2QZOXXY). The experimental results of the ORGANIKO survey showed:
   -Τhe benefit of organic nutrition in significantly reducing the chemical burden of pesticides
   -Significantly lower levels of oxidative stress / inflammatory biomarkers due to the reduction of pesticide loading in children aged 10-12 years in Cyprus.

4. Upward trend in the organic food market
   Consumer surveys (2016 and 2019) showed that consumers are interested in organic products, but are skeptical about their quality and authenticity. Nevertheless, there seems to be a slow but dynamic development for the organic market in the Republic of Cyprus, probably due to EU and national policies promoting organic farming, and the ORGANIKO LIFE+ project has an important role to play with numerous events and campaigns that promoted organic farming and its products.