Hort2thefuture was presented at a workshop for EU-funded research and innovation on organic farming taking place in Brussels from 17 to 18 June 2025. Matthew Gorton introduced the project at the event for European Commission staff and representatives of EU-funded research and innovation initiatives. The workshop aimed to gather policy feedback on projects and identify future research and innovation needs concerning organic farming.
Hort2thefuture seeks to develop novel products and behavioural change for more sustainable horticulture, both in organic and conventional production systems. The presentation focused on organic production systems, which are in line with the European Union’s Action for Organic Production goal to develop alternatives to contentious inputs and other plant protection products. In fact, it directly fits with Hort2thefuture’s work on developing low cost and scalable alternatives to peat as a growing media, and efforts to replace and reduce mineral fertilizer applications.
The presentation also included Hort2thefuture’s work on improving soil structure and soil compaction, highlighting promising early results for novel irrigation water oxygenation technologies to enhance crop development in conditions of soil compaction and/or limited soil oxygen availability.
Hort2thefuture’s development of a sustainability indicator app, led by Arijit De, was also featured, as well as work on developing a grower sustainability canvas to help growers implement more sustainable practices. The canvas draws on insights from the behavioral change literature and a large-scale systematic review led by Cezara Nicoara.
The audience was particularly interested in the analysis of the fryd app’s gardening forums, led by Xinyi Wang. The research identified widespread confusion amongst Europe’s amateur gardeners about the term “organic”, often conflating , organic waste and certified organic. The analysis also highlighted concerns that some marketing terms and labels could be misleading to consumers.
The workshop underscored the vital need for collaboration and networking between EU-funded projects and policymakers, with insightful presentations from initiatives such as Climate Farm Demo, OrganicAdviceNetwork, and OrganicTargets4EU.