IOBC-WPRS

Structure and Members

The Commission consists of 5 members who have good insight and experience in concepts and operation of IP programmes and organisations. There is close co-operation with specialists of the crop specific WPRS working groups.

Aim

The Commission establishes and maintaines on behalf of IOBCwprs a conceptual frame of Integrated production (IP), ranging from the basic concept to practical implementation on farm level. The general objectives are the definition and updating of IP principles and general technical IP-guidelines and of crop specific IP guidelines. The Commission operates on behalf of IOBC an endorsement procedure for IP-organisations wishing to have their programmes and organisations analysed, evaluated and possibly endorsed by IOBC if the defined IOBC principles and standards are achieved.

Activities

At its regular meetings, the Commission examines IP guidelines drafted and submitted by the WPRS working groups or ad hoc expert panels convened by the Commission and puts them into effect after evaluation. Applications for endorsement submitted by regional IP-organisations are evaluated following defined procedures. Endorsed organisations are examined annually. The principles, concepts, guidelines and characteristics of the implementation of IP programmes in practice are reviewed at regular intervals of 5 years. A common project with the WG "Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms" in order to produce a database of the available information on the effects of pesticides on beneficial organisms is currently being developed.

Achievements

All publications and information relevant to Integrated Production are available on internet (see chapter IP & IPM, Documents for download). The concepts, principles and general technical guidelines for Integrated Production were first published in 1993 in the major languages of the WPRS region and were updated in 1999 and 2004. They serve as a basic document as to concepts and standards. Crop specific IOBC guidelines have been established and published for Pome fruits (2008, 4th edition), Stone fruits (2003, 2nd edition), Grapes (2007, 3rd edition), Arable crops (1997), Soft fruits (2007, 2nd edition), Olives (2002), field vegetables (2004) and citrus (2004). They are published in several languages, including Greek, Hungarian, Polish or Arabic, depending on the guideline.
Three growers IP-associations are at present endorsed. They are located in Spain (since 1998), France (since 2000) and USA (since 2001). Given the world-wide interest in the IOBC approach to Integrated Production, the Commission was given the mandate to carry out endorsements outside the WPRS area.
In recent years, the Commission provided EU organisations and NGOs with technical expertise on IP concepts and their practical implementation.

Recent publications:

Twenty years of Integrated Production in Europe. IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 21(1) 1998. 41 pp.
Integrated Production: Principles and Technical Guidelines (3rd edition). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 27(2) 2004 (pdf), 50 pp.
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Olives. IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 25(4) 2002 (pdf).
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Stone Fruits (2nd edition). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 26(7) 2003 (pdf)
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Field Grown Vegetables. IOBC Technical Guideline III (1st edition). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 28(5) 2005 (pdf)
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Grapes (3rd edition 2007). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 46, 2009 (pdf, restricted for members)
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Pome Fruits (4th edition 2008). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 47, 2009 (pdf, restricted for members)
Guidelines for Integrated Production of Soft Fruits (2nd edition 2007). IOBC-WPRS Bulletin 48, 2009 (pdf, restricted for members)

History

The history of Integrated Production in Europe and of the Commission’s activities has been described in the IOBC publication Integrated Production in Europe: 20 years after the declaration of Ovrannaz.
Edited by: E.F. Boller, J. Avilla, J.P. Gendrier, E. Jörg & C. Malavolta. 41 pp. IOBC WPRS Bull. Vol. 21(1) 1998. ISBN 92-9067-095-9. The Commission can look back on a tradition and leadership in Integrated Production starting in 1976 by the Declaration of Ovrannaz. In 1977 the General Assembly of IOBC-WPRS decided to establish the "Commission pour la Valorisation de la Production Intégrée" with M. Baggiolini (Switzerland) as first president. IOBC established in 1978 a second unit ("Comité international pour la valorisation des productions intégrées") that handled under the direction of J.Thiault (France) the first IOBC endorsements that led to recognition of 2 fruit growers’ organisations (GALTI in Switzerland and COVAPI in France) in the late 1970s. The Commission continued its activities especially in the field of pome fruit production until 1987 with the following presidents: J.P. Bassino (France) 1981-1984 and A.Stäubli (Switzerland) 1984-1987.The Commission was re-activated by IOBC in 1990 as "Commission on IP-Guidelines and Endorsement" with a new mandate (see objectives) and was chaired by A. El Titi (1991 - 1995), E.F. Boller (1996-2001), J. Avilla E.F. (2002-2008), and C. Malavolta (since 2009).