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Over 100 letters of intent were submitted for the recent call for research ideas for the next national organic science initiative, Organic Science Cluster II (OSCII).

OSCII is managed and coordinated by the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) in the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture in collaboration with the Organic Federation of Canada as the industry applicant and under the guidance of a national Steering Committee within Canada’s Organic Value Chain Roundtable.

OACC Director Dr. Andy Hammermeister indicates that the proposed research spans most of agriculture, ranging from studies in soil management, crop breeding and production and pest control for crops grown across Canada to environmental, market, social sciences, value adding and food processing research. New research initiatives in organic aquaculture and ornamental horticulture (even Christmas trees) have also been proposed. The letters of intent list over 270 collaborating researchers spanning 59 government (12), university (22) and industry institutions or organizations (25).

The list includes 95 AAFC researchers from research stations right across Canada. Now the Steering Committee, chaired by Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture’s Dr. Derek Lynch, will review the letters of intent to make sure they fit with the organic sector’s strategic priorities before moving on to the full proposal stage. This initiative has clearly demonstrated a shift in researcher interest in low input, sustainable agricultural systems that fit under a regulated production system driven by consumer demand. For more information about the science of organic agriculture visit: .