European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding

The European Consortium for Organic plant breeding (ECO-PB), founded 20th April 2001 in Driebergen (NL), pursues

• providing a platform for discussion and exchange of knowledge and experiences.
• the initiation, support of organic plant breeding programmes,
• the development of scientific concepts of an organic plant breeding
• the provision of independent, competent expertise to develop standard setting with respect to organic plant breeding

The European Consortium for Organic plant breeding (ECO-PB)

• commits itself to the principles of organic agriculture as laid down in the IFOAM Basic Standards and EU Regulation (EEC) 2092/91
• is member of IFOAM International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
• offers full membership to all organisations that are actively and predominantly engaged in the development and promotion of organic plant breeding or organic agriculture
• offers supporting membership to all persons and organisations predominantly engaged in organic agriculture and complying with the objectives of the association
• carries out meetings on organic plant breeding issues
• works out a sound concept based on principles of organic agriculture as a basis for organic plant breeding
• sets up organic variety trials on cereal and vegetable crops in different countries in Europe to study how they perform under different conditions
• sets up research projects on organic plant breeding
• raises funds for projects and ECO-PB's work
• providing discussion paper on plant breeding issues to support the decision making process

Membership subscription

Full Members

• Association Biologisch-Dynamischer Pflanzenzüchter (D)
• Bingenheim Saatgut AG (D) 
• Danish Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding
• Elm Farm Research Center (UK) 
• Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (CH, D)
• Institut Technique de l'Agricluture Biologique (F) 
• Louis Bolk Instituut (NL) 
• Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, University of Newcastle (UK) 
• Stichting Zaadgoed (NL) 
• Vitalis Biologische Zaden B.V. (NL)

Associate Members

• Bart Vosselmann, de Bolster (NL)
• Reseau Smences Paysannes (F)
• Beat Boller, Agroscope FAL (CH)
• Prof. Dirk Reheul, University of Gent (BE)
• Weijland Bram, Bejo (NL)
• Dr. Franziska Löschenberger, Saatzucht Donau (AT)
• Prof. Maria Finckh, University Kassel (D)
• Aina Kokare, State Priekuli Plant breeding institute (LV)
• Dominique Desclaux, INRA - UE DIASCOPE Domaine de Melgueil (F)
• Prof. Gunter Backes, University of Kassel (D)

• Messmer Monika (Department of Crop Sciences)

• Arncken-Karutz Christine (Department of Crop Sciences)
• Hohmann Pierre (Departement für Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften)
• Lazzaro Mariateresa (Department of Crop Sciences)

FiBL is a founding member of ECO-PB and holds presently presidency

• Plant Breeding (Department of Crop Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)