The Progressive Farming Trust Ltd

Who we are

The Organic Research Centre (ORC) is the UK’s leading independent research centre for the development of organic/agroecological food production and land management solutions to key global issues including climate change, soil and biodiversity conservation, and food security. Established in 1980 by David Astor, the Progressive Farming Trust Ltd., ORC’s parent educational charity, has continued to pursue the visionary sustainability goals of its founders.

ORC’s vision is a world which meets the nutritional needs of current and future generations with safe, affordable, high quality food, produced in a way that sustains and enhances the natural environment, and ensures the health and wellbeing of all.

The Organic Research Centre works, nationally and internationally, to:

• research and develop practical, sustainable land management and food production systems based on organic and agro-ecological principles
• foster knowledge exchange with and between current and future producers, food businesses and related professionals
• influence policy and public debates on the future of food and farming based on sound evidence

Our team of 30+ staff researches, develops, provides and demonstrates solutions and investigates appropriate technologies for production, processing, distribution and marketing of food.  We believe we can develop a genuinely sustainable, equitable and healthy food system based on production methods that husband finite resources and enhance biodiversity. We disseminate information through participatory farmer engagement, adviser training and accreditation services, producer conferences and courses, website, articles and policy papers, scientific papers and publications and the production of a regular journal - the ORC Bulletin.  The organisation is based on Elm Farm, an 85 hectare (210 acre), fully converted organic farm.

Our work is organised in eight programmes: plant breeding for resilience; soil fertility and cropping systems; agroforestry systems; livestock systems; environment, sustainability and health; organic business and markets; knowledge exchange and communication; and policy development and advocacy.