HRH The Prince of Wales today (Tuesday, October 13) officially opened the new Aberdeen University Centre for Organic Agriculture (AUCOA) - the first of its kind in Britain. The Centre has been developed with major financial support from Tesco plc.
The Prince said that he hoped that the establishment of the Centre would send a message of support to farmers. It was not just a case of economics, organic farming offers a wide range of environmental benefits and the University should be proud of its role in promoting organic agriculture, he added.
Crowds gathered to welcome Prince Charles when he arrived at King’s College, Old Aberdeen, at 11am. He was met by Lord Provost Margaret Farquhar and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen Richard Ellis, who introduced him to the Chancellor of the University, Lord Wilson of Tillyorn and the Principal, Professor C Duncan Rice.
The new Centre draws on the expertise of two departments in the University, the Department of Plant and Soil Science and the Department of Agriculture, and has been launched to help satisfy the ever increasing public demand for organic products throughout Europe and the need to develop organic agriculture in the UK. As a result, AUCOA was given the financial go-ahead in February when supermarket chain Tesco pledged £250,000 support over the next four years. Their support has helped to secure further funding by the Ministry of Agriculture, the European Union, growers and service industries worth a total of £5.5million.
The Prince was taken to the King’s College Conference Centre where he met Lord Sewel, the Scottish Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, and Mr John Gardiner, Chairman of Tesco plc. He then toured an exhibition illustrating the work and research currently being undertaken by the Centre. The tour was conducted by Professor Ken Killham, Head of the Department of Plant and Soil Science, and Dr Carlo Leifert, Director of AUCOA, who explained the work of the Centre and introduced the Prince to other members of staff involved in the project. Tesco Commercial Director Mr Andrew Batty and Buying Manager for Organics Mr Andrew Sellick explained the role of Tesco within the project and the benefits of this unique partnership between the retailer, the University and agriculture community.
Dr Leifert explained to the Prince that the initiative is the first partnership of its kind between the primary agricultural sector, a university and a UK retailer. Organic agriculture is an industry which has obtained very little research and development support until recently, and AUCOA aims to fill this gap by providing fundamental and strategic research support to the rapidly expanding industry, he added. AUCOA will also support the teaching of the first BSc (Hons) degree in Organic Agriculture in the UK, which will be launched by the University next year.
The Prince also took time to chat to Inverurie Academy pupils Susan Black, Natasha Clarke, Amanda Watkins, and their teacher Jenny Young. The three girls have all chosen to study organic agriculture as part of their Sixth Year Studies Biology course and have approached staff at the Centre for assistance in doing their projects.
The collaboration between the University and growers involved in AUCOA was highlighted when Prince Charles met local vegetable growers Mr William Rose, and Mr Ray Brown, Sales and Managing Director of Howegarden, Auchterless, near Turriff, as well as Dr Mark Brown of the University.
Professor Rice then invited the Prince to say a few words and officially open the Centre by unveiling a plaque. Professor Ken Killham, Head of the Department of Plant and Soil Science said he was delighted that Prince Charles has taken such an enthusiastic interest in the University’s new Centre for Organic Agriculture.
“The Centre capitalises on the unique blend of skills available in the Departments of Plant and Soil Science and Agriculture at Aberdeen University. Organic agriculture represents a priority for the University in terms of research, teaching and technology transfer.”
Mr John Gardiner, Chairman of Tesco, said: “Customer demand for organically-grown products is increasing at a dramatic rate. Already, Tesco customers spend £40million on organic products each year and the figure is rising. Our aim is to increase the supply of quality home-grown organic foods and help new and existing farmers in this fast developing market. As the principal founding sponsor of the AUCOA, we hope to help boost knowledge in the industry and contribute to vital advancements in organic agriculture in the UK.”
University Principal Professor C Duncan Rice said: “The Centre is another example of how the University of Aberdeen is leading the way in Britain in a vitally important field of research. The financial partnership which has made our work possible is a model for the future."
University Chancellor Lord Wilson of Tillyorn added: “This is indeed a proud day for the University and in particular for the staff in the departments most closely involved in AUCOA. In these days when food quality and safety are issues of international concern, the Centre’s research will prove invaluable in the pursuit of quality produce.”
Further information: Alison Ramsay, University of Aberdeen Press Officer, on (01224) 273778 Photographs of the event will also be available on request from the Press Office.
BACKGROUND
Aberdeen University Centre for Organic Agriculture
What is organic agriculture?
The main principle of organic agriculture is that only land which has been managed without synthetic chemical fertilisers and pesticides for 2-3 years can be used for the production of organic produce and animal feed. In Europe, the exact definition of ‘organic’ production (in some countries ‘biological’ is used as a synonym) depends to some extent on rules of individual producer organisations, but most organic farming systems omit the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. Most organic organisations also aim for sustainable agricultural production systems which integrate agricultural crop and animal production into the ecological cycles present in natural environments. Most importantly, they omit the use of agricultural practices which result in ‘unnatural’ treatment of animals, waste and residue accumulation and the loss of soil structure and fertility.
Why is a centre of this kind needed?
Concern about pesticide residues in food and the negative environmental impact of excessive mineral fertilisation have resulted in an increased demand for ‘organic’ agricultural products. Most organic production in the UK comes from relatively small farms. Products are generally more expensive and many farms rely on direct marketing of organic products to a dedicated local consumer. Public concern about the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture has resulted in an increased consumption of organic food throughout Europe. In Britain, producers have been unable, so far, to meet the ever-increasing demand for cheaper, high quality organic products. Only 0.3% of the growing area in the UK is currently managed organically, while 70% of organic products sold in our shops are imported. The Aberdeen University Centre for Organic Agriculture (AUCOA) has been established by the University of Aberdeen, with financial backing from Tesco and others to develop the methods and organisational structures to successfully scale-up organic crop and animal production and to provide research and development support.
What are the principal aims and objectives of AUCOA?
The new centre, integrated into the Faculty of Science and Engineering, will work in close collaboration with Tesco, UK growers and service industries. The aim will be to support organic production systems to optimise current organic production systems for specific crops through agronomic research at the farm level and develop the technologies required to overcome specific problems in organic productions systems through a combination of laboratory research and field evaluation by a team of researchers and associated research institutions. Developing the methods and organisational structures to successfully scale-up organic crop and animal production is one of the greatest challenges for farmers, growers, food retailers and institutions providing research and development support for UK agriculture and horticulture.
What are the main research and development objectives of AUCOA?
The development of integrated biological, mechanical, rotational and biotechnological strategies for weed, pest and disease control. The development of organic fertilisation strategies. Development of alternatives to antibiotics and chemicals for prevention of gastroenteritis and other diseases in farm animals using preventative husbandry, nutritional and probiotic strategies. The development of a producer co-operative to allow centralised support for logistics, research and development, processing and marketing.
What makes the University of Aberdeen the ideal location for the centre?
The University’s Department of Agriculture is one of the longest-established and highest-rated in the UK. The Department has a close association with the Scottish Agricultural College and has concentrated research in the areas of sustainable crop and animal production and agricultural economics. The Department of Plant and Soil Science is unique in terms of status in the UK. The department has a long-standing record in fundamental aspects of soil physics, chemistry and biology and has more recently applied its expertise to pollution and environmental research.