NATURLAND - VERBAND FUR OKOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU EV

Their core work

Naturland is one of Germany's largest organic farming associations, setting organic certification standards and supporting farmers in transitioning to and improving organic production. In H2020 projects, they contribute practical organic farming expertise — from crop breeding and fruit growing to livestock husbandry — acting as a bridge between research and the farming community. They run demonstration networks, facilitate knowledge transfer among organic producers, and help validate research innovations under real farm conditions across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2018-2019), Naturland focused heavily on farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange, demonstration networks, and advisory systems (AKIS) — essentially building the infrastructure for organic knowledge sharing. Their later projects (2021 onward) shifted toward more technical and systemic topics: meat quality and authenticity, ecosystem restoration, and IoT-enabled production systems. This evolution suggests a move from pure knowledge brokering toward deeper engagement with product quality, environmental restoration, and digital tools in organic agriculture.

Naturland is expanding beyond organic certification and knowledge transfer into environmental restoration and food quality assurance — positioning them for Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork consortia.

How they like to work

Naturland mostly joins consortia as a participant or third party rather than leading them, with only one coordination role (BIOFRUITNET). Their 184 unique partners across 30 countries indicate a broad, well-connected network rather than a tight cluster of repeat collaborators. This makes them an accessible partner — they bring organic sector credibility and a large farmer network without demanding project leadership, fitting well into large research-driven consortia that need a practical organic farming voice.

With 184 unique consortium partners across 30 countries, Naturland has one of the widest collaboration networks you'd expect from a farming association. Their reach spans most of Europe, reflecting the pan-European nature of organic farming policy and practice.

What sets them apart

Naturland is not a university or research institute — they are a practitioner organization representing thousands of organic farmers, which gives them direct access to real-world farm operations and market channels that researchers typically lack. Their dual role as an organic certification body and an active R&D participant means they can both validate innovations on working farms and influence organic standards based on research outcomes. For consortium builders, this combination of grassroots farmer reach and EU project experience is difficult to replicate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BIOFRUITNET
  Their only coordination role (EUR 272,688) — built pan-European knowledge networks specifically for organic fruit growers, their core mission in action.
• ECOBREED
  Largest participation budget (EUR 243,420) in a 6-year project tackling organic crop breeding across four major crops — shows deep technical engagement beyond knowledge brokering.
• MERLIN
  Marks a strategic expansion into ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions, signaling new directions beyond traditional organic farming.