PhilRice is a national research institute attached to the Philippine Department of Agriculture.  The Institute functions to plan, undertake, and coordinate a national research and development program for rice-based farming systems and to coordinate the national network of rice research and development stations.  Research at PhilRice is divided into four major programs and twenty-four sub-projects.  The major programs include: irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, knowledge management and promotion, and impact and policy research.  Some of the sub-projects themes are variety, tillage and crop establishment, water management, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management and harvesting.

TOAM is the registered association of organic producers in Tanzania.  Its mission is to coordinate and facilitate stakeholders’ initiatives in tapping the potential of organic agriculture to improve livelihoods.  It provides organic producers with information, facilitates market linkages, and creates awareness on organic standards and technical back-stopping.

A group of agricultural training centres in Madagascar have as part of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Madagascar initiative joined to provide different kinds of training related to organic agriculture. The training centres are: CHAMP-ECOLE, TAOEZAKA, ZOMA and TAF – agro-eco-tourist centre.

SRI promotes the spread of the System of Rice Intensification in Madagascar. It is structured around several simple techniques: early replanting of rice seedlings, replanting on a grid and partial drying of rice paddies. SRI is entirely organic.

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. 
 

The University of Agriculture, Abeokuta aims to promote agricultural education and services for agricultural development and attainment of self-sufficiency in food and fibre. The University has established a Working Group on organic agriculture that undertakes research and capacity building in organic agriculture. Current research projects study the effects of compost and soil fertility-building schemes, as well as the effect of crop rotation schemes on the severity of pests and diseases. Information about these research endeavours is not currently available on the University webpage

UF-CTA’s mission is to conduct research to improve the sustainability of agricultural productivity and natural resource management; to protect and restore natural ecosystems threatened by agricultural activities to prevent loss of biodiversity; and to improve the quality of life for people living in humid tropical and subtropical regions.  Research at UF-CTA includes work on invasive species, the conservation of genetic resources and biodiversity, the effects of climate change, sustainability of tropical agriculture, food security and nutrition, and food technology and safety. 

University of Ghana was established as a university in 1961. It has a school of agriculture and three agricultural research centres. Despite the fact that UG does not have a specific organic research centre, it has participated in several research projects on organic and low input agriculture. The soil science department has been working on carbon sequestration and biodiversity of microbial populations in tropical soils. UG runs a project on co-compost in rain-fed peri-urban agriculture and are preparing a continuation of organically fortified co-compost. Moreover much work has been done on N-cycling through leguminous crops.

VEERU is a research and training centre in veterinary epidemiology and livestock economics.  The Organic Livestock Research Group (OLRG) within VEERU carries out research to identify animal health and welfare constraints and research needs within organic livestock production.  Current studies focus on milk production characteristics and fertility in organic dairy cows.  Also, OLRG coordinated an EU-funded action project, Network for Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture (NAHWOA). 

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.