NIHORT is focused on enhancing appreciation, production and utilisation of tropical fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants and spices in Nigeria.  The Institute is conducting organic agriculture research in several areas, including comparative studies between conventional and organic fruit and vegetable production.

The Program’s mission is to educate producers, consumers and policy makers in the research activities in organic agriculture. The Program engages in both research and extension at its Neely-Kinyon Research and Demonstration Farm. Comparison studies are ongoing, with specific areas of focus on yield studies, pest and disease control, soil management, cover crops, and horticulture. 

The Rainman Landcare Foundation demonstrates and teaches ecologically sound agricultural production methods and effective management and use of Africa’s scarce water resources. It supports the organisation of organic farmers into effective groups, helps them to develop markets, and has assisted in the establishment of independent organic certification agencies. It encourages young people to become organic farmers.

FiBL is committed to the international development of organic agriculture through research and knowledge transfer.  Based in Switzerland, FiBL has international offices in Germany and Austria and partners with organizations around the world.  The Institute has eight research divisions: Horticultural Sciences, Entomology, Animal Health, Animal Husbandry, Food Quality and Safety, Plant Protection and Biodiversity, Socio-economics and Soil Sciences.

The Rodale Institute is a US-based non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and well-being of people and the planet through organic agriculture research and training.  Most famous for the Farming Systems Trial®, a long running comparison trial on organic and conventional farming techniques, Rodale now engages in a variety of studies that focus on yield, soil fertility, pest and disease management and opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

The Scale Effects in Alternative Agricultural Systems (SCALE) analysis project within SPRU is aimed at studying the effects of alternative methods of agricultural cultivation, such as organic farming, and the factors that drive their adoption.  The project compares organic and conventional farms and researches bird, invertebrate and plant biodiversity; soil physical properties; ease of soil working; water infiltration rates; soil erosion among others.

Country: Costa Rica

Geographical coverage: Regional

Research Centres: Economics, Markets, Trade, Humid and Sub-Humid Agro-Ecosystem, Seeds and Breeds

Resource Concentrations: Agroforestry, Comparative Studies, Livestock, Pastures, Pest/Disease Management

Type of Institution: organic research

CATIE is a joint endeavour between the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Sciences and the Costa Rican Government.  Its mission is to contribute to rural poverty reduction by promoting competitive and sustainable agriculture and natural resource management through higher education, research and technical cooperation.  CAITE has more than 70 research and development project that fit into the following thematic groups: Cacao; Livestock and Environmental Management; Musa; Plant Genetic Resources; Center for Competiveness of Eco-enterprises; Agroecology; Coffee; Forests, Protected Areas and Biodiversity; Global Change; Watershed; and Socio-economics of Environmental Goods and services.

CATIE has an agroecological thematic group that works on research in organic agricultural systems. research areas are: Comparative trials of systems, biological pest control, soil quality, organic fertilizers and biodiversity. 

The work in organic production is not limited to research, but also to promotion and training, as well as an active participation in national and international organic movements to promote projects and enterprises that promote this type of activity with the other actors within the sector. 
 

AVRDC is a non-governmental, non-profit agricultural research institute based in Taiwan, with regional offices throughout Africa and Asia.  The Centre has 6 hectares under organic production for research.  Research is largely focused on comparative studies of different varieties of pak-choi, sweet corn and rice (for features such as mortality and fresh biomass production) and an effectiveness evaluation of green manure species.  In addition, the Centre has established field boundaries to protect against pesticide drift and a small agroforestry plot for research on intercropping of tropical fruit trees and vegetables.