Performing Department
Integrative Biology
Non Technical Summary
The primary goal of this conference is to bring together a diverse group of organic stakeholders toimprove the dissemination and adoption of scientific research aimed at overcoming commonchallenges to organic production. The conference will accomplish this goal by addressing potentialcommunication pitfalls while providing a venue for scientists, farmers, policymakers and organicstakeholders to assess the state of research communication and barriers that constrain diversestakeholders from utilizing research results and adopting new technologies. Sessions will includeworkshops on focused case studies to evaluate research and communication on specific agronomictopics as well as discussions and panels to assess (1) attributes that make research useful to farmers,(2) how to improve stakeholder involvement in the development of research priorities, (3) how toincrease communication among scientists and policymakers, (4) extension and resource availabilityand (5) the merits and shortfalls of current organic agriculture research funding. The conferencewill culminate with discussions to synthesize information presented at the conference andrecommendations will be developed for improving communication among groups. Participants willinclude farmers, scientists, industry members, and key policy makers. The conference will be heldin Washington, D.C. during the spring of 2017, in conjunction with the Organic Trade Association'sPolicy Conference and Farmer's Advisory Council Summit, which are attended by organic farmersfrom small and large farms, distributors, researchers, leading and emerging organic brands, retailersand policymakers. Proceedings will be made available through The Organic Center and published by eOrganic.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Goals / Objectives
The primary goal of this conference is to address constraints in organic production including barriers to increasing adoption of organic practices and expanding organic acreage. In an effort to achieve this broader goal we will bring together a diverse group of organic stakeholders to improve the dissemination and adoption of scientific research aimed at overcoming common challenges to organic production.While scientists are increasingly conducting research and developing new methods to address the diversity of obstacles faced by organic farmers, research results are often slow to reach growers, and farmers can be hesitant to adopt new methods and technologies. The need for improved research dissemination and utilization also extends to policymakers. Agricultural issues are debated by legislators and translated into policy by executive agencies. Scientific data are needed at every step to develop meaningful regulations, yet communication among scientists and policymakers is lacking. As a result, policymakers may not have access to existing information, and scientists may not be aware of knowledge gaps that need to be filled.Barriers to the dissemination and adoption of scientific research results are likely occurring on a number of levels.Due to a lack of clear communication channels, researchers may not be fully aware of priorities relevant to organic and transitioning farmers or policymakers, and research results may not be translated into actionable recommendations: Clear lines of communication among scientists, farmers and policymakers are necessary to ensure that existing solutions and tools are reaching their target audiences, and to ensure that researchers are aware of challenges that require research and innovation. Furthermore, if pertinent research is completed but the results are not presented in a manner that is accessible to non-scientists, relevant information may remain underutilized by farmers and policymakers.Researchers may not be disseminating research results through the best channels to reach organic farmers or policymakers: New funding initiatives for organic agriculture research, such as the OREI, are expected to encourage researchers that have traditionally focused on conventional farming systems to enter the realm of organic agriculture research. While this shift is generally positive, research suggests that conventional and organic growers are likely to utilize different resources to obtain information. Additionally, policymakers are often not included as target audiences for research dissemination. Accordingly, it is imperative that researchers are not simply incorporating outreach and education plans into their research programs but that they are disseminating research through appropriate outlets to ensure that results reach those whom they were intended to benefit.Existing outlets for research dissemination are not sufficient to meet the needs of organic farmers: Many educators, cooperative extension agents and USDA personnel who do not work with organic producers regularly lack a basic understanding of organic agricultural practices, the needs of organic and sustainable farmers, or existing research aimed at addressing those needs. Furthermore, existing resources for organic and sustainable farmers are scarce across many parts of the country. For instance, the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) funds only one organic specialist for the entire U.S.Organic agriculture research funding programs may not consistently prioritize research most needed by organic producers: Organic producers must understand and rely on complex biological processes that occur over long time periods. Even when scientific interests and producer needs are in sync, the majority of research funding is restricted to short-term experiments using reductionist approaches. While these strategies are common in conventional agriculture research, they may not be ideal for sustainable and organic systems, which require more holistic methodology. Similarly, because organic farming relies on an understanding of biological processes that vary based on localized factors including topography, soil chemistry and climate, research results from one area or crop may not translate to others.The Organic Confluences Conference will address each of these potential communication pitfalls through panels, case studies and discussions, while providing a venue for scientists, farmers, policymakers and organic stakeholders to assess the state of research communication and barriers that constrain diverse stakeholders from utilizing research results and adopting new technologies.Conference participants will include organic and transitioning farmers, scientists, extension agents, industry members and key policy influencers. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C., on May 2-3, 2017, in conjunction with the Organic Trade Association's Policy Conference and Farmer's Advisory Council Summit, which are attended by organic farmers from small and large farms, distributors, researchers, leading and emerging organic brands, retailers and policymakers.
Project Methods
The Organic Confluences Conference will bring together up to 120 participants and will be highly interactive. Conference programing will take a multifaceted approach to addressing barriers to effective research communication and utilization. Day One will focus on in-depth assessments of multiple case studies covering a variety of topics that will be determined by our Advisory Committee. Example topics could include No/low till techniques, increasing biodiversity on farms, and food safety/manure wait times. Stakeholders will assess the importance of the research topic for organic growers, whether or not the research led to reasonable and actionable recommendations, how the information was disseminated outside of the academic community, and the degree to which the information or recommendations are being utilized or adopted. Day Two will draw on conclusions from Day One, and will expand the discussion to include panels and roundtable discussions to assess (1) attributes that make research useful to farmers, (2) how to improve stakeholder involvement in the development of research priorities, (3) how to increase communication among scientists and policymakers, (4) extension and resource availability and (5) the merits and shortfalls of current organic agriculture research funding. The conference will culminate with discussions to synthesize information presented at the conference and recommendations will be developed for improving communication among groups in order to ensure that relevant research is being conducted, that results are being appropriately disseminated, and that stakeholders have access to and are utilizing research results and technologies.The conference will employ a Core Planning Team to take on the administrative tasks of conference planning. The Core Planning Team will be responsible for organizing the program. It will lead session planning, facilitator recruitment, development of special topics, identification of keynote speakers, and development of guidelines for soliciting submissions and presentation approval. The Core Planning Team will meet via conference call on a regular basis and will seek input from the General Advisory Committee throughout the planning process. The General Advisory Committee will also help identify potential speakers, review paper submissions and disseminate outreach materials.The Organic Center will be responsible for all logistical arrangements including organizing meetings, coordinating with participants and stakeholders, creating print material, writing and disseminating press releases and social media outreach and acting as the main contact for any inquiries regarding the conference. The conference will be held at the USDA Conference Facility at Patriots Plaza III in Washington, D.C.