Our Themes
Bioregions
Bioregions are regions working to upscale organic farming practices substantially beyond the current state of the art (e.g., by adopting an action plan and setting a target for a substantial increase in organic farmland and/or the number of organic farmers in the next 10 years). We initiated this theme in 2021 at our international conference on organic farming. Since then, we have implemented a series of awareness-raising and policy-related projects to stimulate the Greidhoeke in Friesland (NL) to evolve into a bioregion. We have also developed a unique methodology for assessing the impact of a bioregion.
Organic farming
We are proud to be among European organic farming pioneers. Since its commencement in 1991, Avalon has advocated and promoted organic farming. Through numerous projects, we have helped spread the organic farming concept & practice and strengthen the organic farming movement, research, education, extension, inspection/certification, and organic food markets in over 20 countries, notably in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. Our founder has been appointed an IFOAM ambassador in recognition of his pioneering role and outstanding contribution to the international organic farming community & movement. Avalon’s Executive Director is the first European with an MSc. in organic farming and his PhD. assessed the environmental and economic consequences of total conversion to organic farming.
Agri-environment
Avalon has been a frontrunner in promoting EU agri-environment measures and payments. It has designed numerous national and pilot agri-environmental schemes to protect soil, water, air, and biodiversity. It also advised on the institutional settings needed to implement agri-environment programmes and prepared related administrative procedures. Avalon introduced the concept and designed the first agri-environment programmes in the eleven EU New Member States and three EU candidate countries.
Agri-environment
True cost accounting
We have developed a unique methodology to assess the true costs and true price of food and farming. We tested this approach in three Dutch Provinces: Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe − regions with one of the world's most sophisticated and advanced agricultural production systems. Our approach assesses the real added value of farming and farm-upstream sectors. It is a value that is “cleaned”, i.e. corrected for “hidden” costs and benefits arising from the creation of gross added value by these sectors. Hidden costs and benefits comprise environmental costs and benefits and public investments for agricultural subsidies. Using various environmental accounting methods, we can monetise the environmental damage to air, climate, water and soil. This damage affects human health and ecosystem services and imposes costs on society. We express it in a virtual currency called Futuro, while the real added value is expressed in Puro ("purified” Euro).
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