•         Promoting organic agriculture in Romania;

•         Strengthen the Association through new members;

•         Educate the decision making authorities of the major problems of organic agriculture in Romania, and offer some concrete proposals to support organic farmers;

•         Creation of the Fagaras Bioterra branch;

•         Promote the Bioterra Association imagine in Romania and in Europe, increase of its prestige and credibility;

•         Grants accepted (Open Society Foundation, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Peace Corps, Civil Society Development Foundation), conventions and partnerships to assist in acquiring financial resources; 

•         Collaborations with NGOs from this country and abroad, including agro tourism associations, for the promote of bio farms as a viable business in rural areas;  

•         Publish the activities of the Association;

•         Organize the VII^th Conference of Organic Farmers of Romania;

 

Activities promoting organic agriculture 

 

–        Sinca Nouã on 10 March, 20 participants;

–        Apahida, 14 March, 32 farmers;

–        Câmpia Turzii, 17 March, 31 participants;

–        Cluj Napoca at Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine University, 22 March, 32 farmers  

–        Cluj Napoca at Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine University, 23 March, 15 participants;  

–        Cluj Napoca at Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine University, 7 April, 33 farmers;

–        Tusnad, 27 April, 20 farmers;

–        Sinca Noua, 29 April, 80 farmers.

–        Cãmãrasu, 5 May, 35 de farmers

–        Sãlard 15 Julie, 33 participants

–        Fãgãras, 4 August, 27 de farmers

–        Sãlard, 8 September, 25 farmers.

The themes at seminaries varied, including the following:

-          General information about organic agriculture; 

-          Organic methods in vegetable culture

-          Organic animal technology  

-          Fertilization on organic farms  

-          Urine collection basins & their role on the organic farm 

-          Conversion to organic agriculture 

-          Inspection and certification 

-          Sawdust compost

During the DEFRA collaboration project two demonstrative plots were established, one in Santimreu, county Bihor at Nagy farm on a 1 hectare area. At the same time the use of the diluted urine for organic fertilizer was promoted and explained.      

For the same project five basins for the collection of diluted urine were built.

During January-March agricultural internships to Switzerland and Austria were organized.   

–        Two people were sent to Eferding in Austria to gain agricultural experience, 

–        12 individuals went in Switzerland to internships on organic farms.  

During September 2006 was signed a financial contract between the Payment and Contract Office PHARE and Organic Farmers Association of Romania Bioterra for an amount of 41845 Euro for the project „Workforce occupation through the promote of the organic agriculture”. The project objective is to adopt and implement the communitarian aquis in the social- economical development field.   

In the frame work of the project have been foreseen 10 seminaries from which had already been realized 4 with 125 participants: 

-    Santiob 25 participants

-    Oradea 13 participants

-    Zalau 63 participants

-    Gilau 24 participants

Also was organize the participation of 12 organic farmers, members of the Association, at the International Faire for organic agriculture BioFach from Nurnberg, Germany.

In February in collaboration with Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation start the project „Organic Agriculture – solution for the environment pollution”. In the frame work of this project have been made 3 seminars at:  

-    Rascruci – 14 participants

-    Lunca de Jos – 31 participants

-    Balan – 11 participants

The project objective is to inform the farmers regarding the good agricultural practices with focalize over the waste valuation as fertilizers through the compost method through seminars and practical demonstrations. 

In the frame work of the program “Assistance for Small Projects” organized by Peace Corps in Romania and USAID was developed the project “Apuseni Highlands Visitor Information Service for Seven Romanian Villages of Cluj County” through informative, maps and post cards.

 

11. During 21-22 October was organized the 7th Bioterra Conference at Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine University at Cluj Napoca with the topic „No, to the Geneticaly Modified Organisms in Organic Agriculture” where were present almost 300 participants : farmers, procesors, politicmen, trainers from country and from abroad. In the first day of the Conference took place plenary meetings where spook personalitiesfrom the agriculture field from country and from abroad; this have been follow by disscutions in the frame work of workgroups, the approached topics were:

– section 1: GMO in plants culture;

– section 2: GMO in animals growing;

– section 3: Alimentary products and GMO. 

On the second day of the conference a presentation of the discussions and conclusions of the three workshops was offered by the moderators. Likewise, some solutions were proposed to minimize the possible risks of the introduction of GMOs in agriculture.

During the “Organizational Changes” portion of the program Bioterra members approved the following proposals:

3. Approved the formation of the Bioterra Fagaras Branch and the start of the     foundation of the other three branches at Constanta, Mures and Techirghiol .

 

12.   In the framework of the activities of promoting the organic agriculture financed by  Chrisliche Ostmision  were realized seminaries in the following locations:

-    Cernesti 29 participants

-    Lunca de Jos 15 participants

-    Frumoasa 9 participants

-    Mihaileni 17 participants

-    Pauleni 20 participants

 

 

In this year Bioterra Association develop various activities which bring it in the first plan acting to its recognize in national level and also international, between which:  

•                     3–5 February – Bioterra delegates participated in Hungary at the yearly meeting of the Biokultúra Egyesület Organization, partner organization of Bioterra in many common projects.

•                     16-19 February – Bioterra delegates - Ioan Dross and Ioan Rotar – participated in Germany at Nurnenberg at the International Organic Trade Fair BioFach.

•                     9–12 March – a group of four members of Bioterra participated in Hungary, at Veszprém, at a program of conferences about environment protection.

•                     25–26 March – a group of 30 persons participated at the exhibition and the instruction organized at Debrecen by foundation „Hajdúsági Civil Központ és Adattár Alapítvány”, a partner organization of Bioterra in many planed and developed projects.

•                     During 16-20 May the 12^th edition of the International Fair for Agriculture, Food Industry and Packing – AGRARIA, took place in Cluj Napoca. Along with the main organizers our Association participated in the preparation and the development of this prestigious exhibit.

•                     In 16 May, on the occasion of “Romania day”, the president of Bioterra, Prof. Dr. Cornel Man presented “Organic agriculture - option for the durable development and environment protection”. On the 19^th of May the head staff of Bioterra participated in a meeting with the theme “The Chances of Organic Agriculture in the European Union”. Attending were many important political dignitaries of the country.

•                     As a follow up to last year’s great success, this year Bioterra again organized “The Organic Salon”, where participate 14 Romanian firms that are active in organic agriculture and one from Hungary.

•                     During 7-10 June the National Fair with international participation Expoagroutil at Mamaia took place and there professor Cornel Man, president of Bioterra, coordinated the symposium with the theme “Growing agricultural products competitively and safely”.

•                     In July and August in collaboration with the Armenian Organization Green Lane under the auspices of the project Assistance for Organic Agriculture in Addressing the Conservation of the Environment and Human Health visit for the exchange of experiences in Romania and Armenia took place. Representatives from the field of organic agriculture of the two countries participated and as well as delegates from Hungary, Bulgaria and Moldavia Republic. 

•                     During 13^th -16^th of September a Bioterra delegation participated in the Conference “Partnership in Organic Agriculture and Food Safety” which took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, presenting a scientific research paper and interesting facts about Bioterra and organic agriculture in Romania. 

•                     At the same time as the Sofia conference an International Organic Fair was held in Cluj Napoca, Eco Life-Eco Zone, where, along with Bioterra 42 firms from this country and from abroad participated.  

•                     During 21-23 September a delegate from Bioterra took part at the International Avalon Meeting, in Prague, Czech Republic with the theme of a “National Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming”. 

•           From 8-12 November at Bucharest took place the 11 edition of the international exibiton for products and aliments from agriculture, zootechny and alimentation fields IndAgra.  At the saloon “Ecoagriculture” participated with exhibition stand firms affiliate to Bioterra: Stupina Onea, Farmacia Naturii, Veterinar Serv, Cortina Bioprod, Asociaţia Valea Asăului, and the Organism for Inspection and Certification Ecoinspect SRL.

•           During 15-18 February took place at Nurnberg in to the exibitional center Messe Nurnberg International the international faire „BIOFACH 2007“, the most prestigious exibitional manifestation from the world in the organic agriculture field. With the financial support from PHARE and Avalon Network the Bioterra Association director had the opportunity to participate at this manifestation near with 11 members of the Association. In the framework of the activities Bioterra members exibit organic products obtained at their own farms and had the occasion to learn valuable information about methodes of production and marketing of the organic products from abroad, in the same time from the disscutions with the others participants and from the seminaries and round tables.    

 

•           In the frame work of the program Organic Farming Methods for Controlling Farm Waste and Compost supported by DEFRA, a book entitled “Sawdust Compost” was published.

•           The brochure “Guide for the Combat of Weeds in Organic Agriculture” was published.

•           The republishing of several titles of interest to organic farmers including: 

•           There have been four issues of Bioterra magazine published. 

      A great success for 2006 is the adhere at Association of 180 persons in comparison with 2005 when were only 85. The surface own by the new members is 13629 ha .

 In August 2006, at Fagaras another Bioterra branch was founded, under the direction of a board of directors led by rule by Mr. Lucian Blaga, Jr. We wish much good luck to this new branch with many opportunities for success in this area.

 

Herein above we note a few of our activities and successes of the period. They are due to the efforts made by many of you and I want to notice in specially the contribution bring by Misters Martin Schutz, Tim Hulings, Nagy Miklos and Bodiş Andrei..  

In this past year we have had an increase in the subscriptions of Bioterra magazine, too, and we report an increase in the number of members who have paid the yearly fee, even if this number is still small

The efforts made to create an organic market were not sufficiently successful, and there is still much work to be done in this direction.

The small quantity of consumer information regarding the benefits of organic products is a significant problem facing the sustainable development of an organic market in Romania.    

In the action plan for 2007 we will address these problems and new objectives.  

Both the executive director and I assume the responsibility for some uncompleted tasks and we are open for your suggestions for future Association activities and improvements to help develop organic agriculture in Romania.

With the occasion of this meeting, we bring warm thanks for the support and fruitful collaboration to all those who see us with knowing eyes:

 

·        Agriculture, Forest and Rural Development Ministry – National Agency for Organic Products, advisor Teodora Aldescu;

·        National Agency of Agricultural Advisory – the most important collaborator for seminar organization and the publishing and dissemination of the Bioterra magazine in the country;

·        National Federation for Organic Agriculture, President Dr. Eng. Ion Toncea;

·        County Offices for Agricultural Advisory from Cluj, Alba, Salaj, Constanta, Mures, Suceava, Bistrita-Nasaud, Maramures, Sibiu, Covasna, Brasov etc. for their successful collaboration;

·        To all our collaborators on the developed and developing projects, and in the same time, to the finance supporters of the projects;  

·        To all Bioterra members;

·        To all our followers who give us trust in that what we do is useful;

·        To all our collaborators from Europe with whom we join forces in the best of conditions. 

There are favorable appreciations regarding our activities which encourage us, but we can not pass over the unsuccessful:  

-   Uncertainty for the follow period, because of the changing which take place at Agricultural an Rural Development Ministry, National Agency for Advisory in Agriculture and Agricultural Directions levels

-   Limited financial resources for Bioterra magasine publication; 

-   The absence of a secure market for the organic products; 

-   The limited time dediacted to the consumers information regarding the benefits of the organic alimentation;   

In the Activities Plan for 2007 are approched a few objectives which to improuve or even to eliminate this unsucces, in the framework of the projects which are developed and of the project which are propsed for founding. 

Together with the executive director Albert Imre, we assume all the responsability for some unsucces and we wait your sugestions, proposals for our future activity.  

With the occasion of the meeting, we bring warm thanks for the support and fruitful collaboration to all , with the following notices:

 

-         Mr. Eng.. Albert Imre  exemplar involvement in all the activities; 

-         Mr. Martin Schutz for the support he give to Bioterra

-         Mr. Tim Hulings for the activity he make at Bioterra office and for his participation to the national and international fairs and exhibitions;   

-         Mr. Willy Schuster, for his support for the Bioterra Conference and because he represent Bioterra Association at Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry at the seminar addresed to the Geneticaly Modified Organisms.   

-         Mr. Vicepresident Nagy Miklos  for his involve into the well development of our activities;

-         Mr. eng. Bodis Andrei for the coordination of the projects and Bioterra magasine, participation at seminars and trainings; 

-         Mrs. eng. Lorincz Piroska and Mr. Eng.. Szeredai Laszlo for the well colaboration;

-         Misters Gherman Nicolae, Faragau Victor, Popa Nicolae, Ratiu Ioan, Popute Gheorghe for the special involvement into the well development of our activities and for the promoting of Bioterra Association; 

-         Also we must notice the effort of the persons employ at Association, or of our colaborators from country and from abroad, whos number increase. 

 

  Preşedinte,

 Prof. Dr. CORNEL MAN