"We are more agile at the EU level"

Since 2011, Dóra Drexler has been the Director of the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture ÖMKi, which is part of the FiBL group. She is also the Vice President of IFOAM Organics Europe, the European branch of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

Organic farming still has a rather difficult standing in Hungary. Under what circumstances was ÖMKi founded in 2011?

In the early 2010s, the Pancivis Foundation from Liechtenstein was initially looking for ways to subtly promote research and organic farming in Hungary. FiBL Switzerland, then under the direction of Urs Niggli, was commissioned to initiate the project. I responded to a vacancy for the operational management of the project.

You had completed a doctorate in landscape planning in Munich. But until then you had little experience with agriculture. How did you convince people?

It was clear that a project like this needed strong representation, a face behind it. The expectations and ambitions were high, which showed in the generous initial funding. In 2011, the European Organic Congress was held in Hungary and our country held the Presidency of the Council of the EU. This brought attention to the country and organic farming; however, this platform also had to be actively used. In addition, the ÖMKi initially faced strong opposition within the Hungarian organic sector. Urs Niggli knew that a director in such an environment had to have a positive demeanour as well as media and communication skills. I applied for the position together with Zsolt Kanyó, who later switched to the Hungarian organic inspection body. Our proposals on how we wanted to advance research in terms of content and organisation were probably convincing.

Although the incentive for its foundation did not come from farmers themselves, ÖMKi focussed on practice research and close cooperation with farms from the very beginning. Why was that?

In preparation, I spent six months at FiBL in Frick before ÖMKi was founded so that I could familiarise myself with the ideas, the place and the people. I was able to work in various groups, following the principle of learning by doing. In terms of the practice-oriented way of ÖMKi, we closely followed the working methods of FiBL Switzerland, because it was clear that organic agriculture in Hungary also needs a close exchange between research and practice. Thanks to the secure funding, we were able to build up on-farm research in the first five or six years. In the beginning, we organised community building, invited organic farmers to workshops, discussed and searched together for the most pressing issues in organic farming.

ÖMKi employs over 40 people, works with more than 100 farms in an on-farm network and is currently involved in 20 major EU research projects. ÖMKi is deemed a success...

We are now also coordinating and managing an entire project with "BOOST4BIOEAST". In fact, we have been experiencing strong growth for several years now, but we also needed that. Between 2017 and 2022, the Pancivis Foundation gradually withdrew, as was agreed. With the help of colleagues from FiBL, we sought to participate in EU projects relatively early on. Since 2019, however, we have received the majority of our funding from the National Rural Network. These are funds that are made available to the member states by the EU and must be used in the respective country.

ÖMKi was initially strongly modelled after FiBL Switzerland. However, despite the similar way of thinking and working, ÖMKi has continued to develop independently. What is the contact and relationship like today?

We are in contact through joint meetings and also through FiBL Europe, where all the heads of the national FiBL institutes are on the board. And of course, we work together on various EU projects. However, the fact that Switzerland is not part of the EU does influence our relationship. It is interesting for us to see that we have advantages in certain areas. We are a relatively small institute from a so-called Eastern European country. We offer different perspectives and opportunities, which are definitely in demand in the European research context. At the level of EU strategy development, we are at the forefront, for example in the "Partnership on Agroecology" project, which is about setting up a European living lab and a network for agroecology. We are somewhat more agile in this area as an EU institute. However, we would like to have more concrete overlaps with FiBL Switzerland. Personally, I am very grateful for the contacts I have maintained with various people there since 2010. I see a lot of potential for collaboration in the areas of value chains, plant protection, soil research and livestock.

In the podcast "FiBL Focus" from 29 September 2023, Urs Niggli talks about how dedicating yourself entirely to an institute can negatively impact your family life. You are also considered tireless in your commitment to ÖMKi. How do you see yourself in this situation?

I certainly share Urs' passion for the work. However, there are certainly also low points when you become critical. Are you good enough as a mother? As an institute director? At the beginning of my career, all that mattered to me was a top performance. Now I'm 42 and I think I just have to be good enough. That doesn't mean mediocre, but it also doesn't mean being the best in everything. However, I have always had great colleagues who allow me to do a good job and still manage everything.

What are your wishes for FiBL Switzerland for the next 50 years?

For the next 50 years, I wish FiBL Switzerland continued visionary goals and many passionate colleagues who pursue them. But I also wish it resounding research results and developments for more sustainable food systems.

Interview: Jeremias Lütold, FiBL

This is a shortened version of an interview that appeared in issue 10/23 of the Bioaktuell magazine. It is available as a PDF in German, French and Italian.

Further information

Links

• orgprints.org: Interview in the Bioaktuell magazine 10/23 (in German)
• orgprints.org: Interview in the Bioaktuell magazine 10/23 (in French)
• orgprints.org: Interview in the Bioaktuell magazine 10/23 (in Italian)