"We are still finding it difficult to bridge the gap"

Markus Hausammann has been a member of FiBL Switzerland’s Foundation Council since 2016. He runs an ÖLN farm in Langrickenbach in the canton of Thurgau (ÖLN = proof of ecological performance, minimum standard for Swiss agriculture). He was a member of the National Council for the Swiss People's Party (SVP) from 2011 to 2019, and previously on both the municipal and cantonal councils. He was President of the Thurgau Agriculture Association from 2010 to 2020.

As a former SVP National Councillor and active organic farmer, you are not necessarily the first person one would expect to be on the FiBL Foundation Council - how did this come about?

The Foundation Council at the time appointed me to this position. As a moderate SVP member, I often found myself in a bridge-building role anyway, so this new position was tailor-made for me.

How do you find working on the FiBL Foundation Council and what is the collaboration with the institute's operational management like?

Working on the FiBL Foundation Council is challenging for me, but always very pleasant and focussed. However, the universally recognised goals, such as advancing organic agriculture and establishing FiBL on the “research market” with unique selling points, provide plenty of food for discussion.

It is rumoured that FiBL's basic funding from the federal government is now firmly anchored, not least thanks to your efforts - how difficult was it to achieve this?

As a member of the "farmers' group", I was able to convince enough members of the centre-right majority on the Council of the necessity of our institute's work. The left wing of the council was already on board in terms of ideas. I also benefited from the fact that, as a member of the Finance Committee, I was always involved in the budget process at an early stage and was therefore able to put forward my concerns to the committee. However, FiBL will continue to be called upon to justify this financial support to Parliament through its outstanding work.

One of FiBL's major goals is to ensure that practitioners benefit from research results quickly - from your farming perspective, where is this working well?

FiBL benefits from the fact that - in contrast to the state research institute - most of its research work is carried out on various practical farms throughout Switzerland. The advisors working at FiBL also make it possible to pass on new findings directly to organic farmers without any detours.

Where are there still deficits in this respect?

We are still finding it difficult to use FiBL research results to bridge the gap with farms that work according to IP (integrated production) or ÖLN. However, as these label organisations live above all from their unique selling points, I believe it is primarily the responsibility of us practitioners to pick up the most relevant information everywhere, regardless of ideology. Agridea, the agricultural advisory centre of the cantonal specialist agencies, and the cantonal advisory services already provides us with unbiased support, and would be invited to collaborate further.

Are there specific fields of activity that FiBL should focus on even more in the next 50 years?

If we don't want to encourage further dependence on state subsidies, it is imperative that organic farming methods become more efficient and effective. For me, the breeding of resistant crops and the testing of efficient and affordable cultivation techniques are at the forefront of this. We will not be able to avoid prioritising these issues in terms of budget.

Many IP and ÖLN farms use organic methods to some extent - will this development intensify?

Yes, of course, especially as the methods become more efficient and effective...