Sustainable agricultural and food systems Organic farming and food production: organic value chains in Lower Saxony as an example

In the north-west of Lower Saxony, for example, the Blue Land project is building regional organic value chains that additionally protect drinking water. The aim of this three-year project is to develop regional organic value chains with drinking water protection as an added benefit. In order to provide better long-term protection of high-quality groundwater as a resource for the drinking water supply, the Oldenburg and East Frisian Water Association (OOWV) aims to increase the proportion of organically farmed land within its drinking water catchments. Despite a multitude of activities and efforts in recent years, the proportion of organically farmed land is higher outside the Association’s drinking water catchments than inside. An expert opinion funded by the State of Lower Saxony showed that local farmers are reluctant to convert to organic as they see few opportunities to sell their products. Processors and retailers, by contrast, often complained about the lack of local organic inputs to increase their production and marketing. The study therefore clearly revealed the lack of communication among market players in the region.

With support from the Blue Land project, the development of regional organic value chains for locally relevant products – grain and milk – is initiated and coordinated, based on the introduction of an organic value chain management system. Stakeholders are networked and the processes connecting them are supportively managed by a coordination team. The work on value chains and on the marketing of organic products, with water protection as an added benefit, is intended to increase the proportion of organically farmed land in the drinking water catchments.