Organic farming sounds clean, but it still relies on some ugly inputs — copper sprays that poison soil, synthetic vitamins for livestock, peat dug from bogs, and plastic mulch that never breaks down. This project brought together 26 research groups across 12 countries to find real alternatives that actually work on the farm. They tested copper-free plant protection, antibiotic-free animal care, and peat-free growing media, then modeled what it would take for the whole organic sector to phase out these problem inputs. Think of it as a practical playbook for making organic farming truly organic.
Organic agriculture still depends on inputs that undermine its own principles — copper fungicides that accumulate in soil, synthetic vitamins and antibiotics in livestock, peat extraction that destroys wetlands, and plastic mulch that pollutes fields. As EU regulations tighten and consumers demand truly clean organic products, farmers and input suppliers face growing pressure to find workable replacements. Companies in the organic supply chain need scientifically validated alternatives before regulatory deadlines force costly last-minute changes.
The project produced 53 deliverables across three main areas: copper and mineral oil alternatives for plant protection (PLANT), synthetic vitamin and antibiotic alternatives plus novel bedding for livestock (LIVESTOCK), and peat, plastic mulch, and animal-derived fertilizer replacements for soil management (SOIL). Key outputs include design scenarios for phasing out contentious inputs and stakeholder dissemination reports with practical transition guidance.
If you are a biocontrol company looking for the next generation of copper-free fungicides — this project tested and validated specific plant protection alternatives across multiple European climates with 26 partner organizations. Their results identify which copper replacements perform reliably in real field conditions, giving you a shortcut to formulation development backed by EUR 4,091,526 in public research.
If you are a growing media company under pressure to eliminate peat — this project developed and assessed peat-free alternatives for organic production systems. With regulatory bans on peat extraction accelerating across Europe, their research from 12 countries gives you tested formulations and sustainability data to bring peat-free products to market faster.
If you are a feed additive company seeking alternatives to synthetic vitamins and antibiotics for organic livestock — this project researched natural vitamin sources and novel animal bedding materials validated under organic certification rules. Their 53 deliverables include practical livestock management approaches tested by researchers and farmers together across Europe.
The project was publicly funded under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action (EUR 4,091,526). Research results are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and farmer-facing materials. Specific licensing terms would depend on whether any partner filed IP protection on individual formulations — contact the coordinator at Coventry University for details.
The project focused on research validation across multiple European climates and farming systems with 26 partners in 12 countries. The deliverables include phase-out scenarios and design models rather than commercial production lines. Scaling would require further product development and certification work with an industrial partner.
As a publicly funded RIA project coordinated by Coventry University, core research findings are published openly. Based on available project data, no specific patents are mentioned, but individual technical solutions (e.g., copper-alternative formulations) may have IP considerations. Direct inquiry to the consortium is recommended.
The project was specifically designed to work within and advance EU organic regulations. Their phase-out scenarios model how to transition within the existing organic certification system. The research directly addresses inputs that are already under regulatory scrutiny in the organic sector.
The project ran from May 2018 to October 2022 and produced design scenarios for user-centric organic production systems. Implementation timelines would vary by input type — replacing plastic mulch is faster than reformulating copper-based crop protection. The stakeholder dissemination reports include practical transition guidance.
Testing involved 11 universities and 15 multi-actor partners across 9 EU and 3 associated countries. The consortium spanned the UK, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and Switzerland, covering diverse European growing conditions and farming systems.
The 26-partner consortium across 12 countries is heavily academic — 11 universities and 8 research organizations with zero dedicated industry partners and only 2 SMEs. This means deep scientific rigor but a clear gap in commercial translation. For a business looking to use these results, you would be entering at the ground floor: strong research backing but no established commercialization pathway. The coordinator, Coventry University in the UK, led this as a pure research effort. Any company wanting to turn these alternatives into products would need to partner directly with the research teams and invest in development, certification, and scale-up — but would benefit from EUR 4,091,526 worth of publicly funded groundwork.
Coventry University (UK) — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the project lead's contact details
Want to explore licensing copper alternatives, peat-free substrates, or antibiotic-free livestock solutions from this project? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right research team and handle the introduction.
