InnOBreed CASE STUDY - Research Organisation for Fruit production, GRAB, France

Created in 1979, Grab is a non-profit organisation led by farmers and dedicated to research in organic farming. The main objectives of the organisation are the following:Improving organic techniques and systems, especially in vegetables, fruits and grapevine growing.Disseminating the knowledge produced and innovations to all farmers. Grab is the main French research organisation for organic production. The team of 16 people works on various topics such as cultivar assessment, functionalbiodiversity, agroforestry, plant protection, soil fertility… Most of the research is achieved on farmers plots. One of Grab’s priorities deals with the research of fruit cultivars with low susceptibility to pests and diseases and adapted to their Mediterranean territory. Mediterranean cultivars, either native to the region or grown there in the past, are often poorly known by farmers, newcomers or advisors, especially when it comes to theirsusceptibility to disease and pests. However, these cultivars have been adapted and may still be better adapted to climate and soil characteristics. Grab works on mainsouthern fruit species such as apple, peach, apricot, almond… This fruit heritage is maintained with no inputs (or in organic farming for some species), in the Maison de la Biodiversité "la Thomassine" of the “Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon”, in Manosque in France. Varieties are evaluated in this unique place (for further information, please follow the links below).