A cura di MIUR - Direzione Generale per il coordinamento la promozione e la valorizzazione della ricerca, Ministry of Education, University and Research, Directorate General for Research Coordination, Promotion and Valorization. This is probably due to lack of communication about organic food products and little attention addressed to consumers. Firstly, it minimizes farmer suicides by reducing their dependence on farming inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. Italy has been investing in organic farming, that is considered a pillar to environmental and food sustainable development, since the very beginning, by showing long-sightedness with regard to current European agricultural policies. Secondly, it helps provide healthy food for the society… “In the spontaneous flora, we find the main parasites of our vegetables but also their natural enemies. With regard to agroecology, the efforts are addressed to maximize the reduction of external “inputs” in agriculture, by using interactions between animals and plants – the so-called “functional biodiversity” – to protect cultivations. An event organized in Rome by the Bio and Agri-Food Sciences Department of the National Research Council (CNR-DISBA), in cooperation with the Council for Research and Experimentation in Agriculture (CRA), the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic of Bari (CIHEAM-IAMB) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) AgriBioMediterraneo. This warning opened the 2nd National Congress RIRAB – the Italian Network for Research in Organic Agriculture – entitled “Contribution by Organic Farming to new agri-food policies: the role of research and innovation”. But to address research in this direction, it is necessary to encourage the progress of scientific knowledge, with appropriate research and innovation programmes that should involve the entire “organic” production chain. For any civilization to prosper, agriculture has to be healthy and sustainable. Sustainability in agriculture requires us to find methods of farming that will continue on in a regenerative cycle that is beneficial to the environment, and to people as well. Moreover, our country ranks first among European countries in the export of organic products in Europe and the Italian organic food companies account for near a third of all organic food companies in Europe, with about 50 thousand national players in this sector” explained Mauro Gamboni, President of RIRAB. Organic farming is the future Organic agriculture is a developing sector that can contribute to sustainable social and economic development in our country . This system challenges the … “Agriculture, and in particular organic farming, is one of the pillars around which the Ministry will invest in the next few years under the Research National Programme, by closely cooperating with the Regions in order to exploit available resources at best” said Emanuele Fidora, Director General for Coordination and Development of Research, MIUR), during his speach at the congress. And today, Italy is still ranking among the first countries worldwide in the commercialization of organic products. On the one hand, by encouraging the growth of sustainable organic productions on our territories, and on the other, by focusing on consumers and trade, in order to increase the competitiveness of our products. Organic market gardeners Frank and Josje have more than 25 years experience in studying sustainable farming systems and are part of an organization called CSA – or Community Supported Agriculture. Organic agriculture is a developing sector that can contribute to sustainable social and economic development in our country. However, Italian citizens spend on average 28 euro/yearly for organic food products only: a remarkably lower percentage compared to the average expenditure in other European countries. “It is necessary to well integrate the actions for organic farming development and the objectives of Europe 2020 strategies” declared Antonio Di Giulio, Head of Unit in the European Commission's Research and Innovation Directorate-General. But to address research in this direction, it is necessary to encourage the progress of scientific knowledge, with appropriate research and innovation programmes that should involve the entire “organic” production chain. There are three objectives to organic farming. “In Italy, we have 3% of the surface cultivated with organic products  worldwide and 10% in Europe. We need to focus on promoting organic agriculture and agricultural practices that are stress-free, violence-free, and chemical-free. If we learn how to manage cultivations at best we can find natural solutions to protect our plants and our products” explained Luca Conte of the Experiential Itinerant Organic Farming School, by showing a number of examples of how to “use” the ecosystem to our advantage. Therefore, experimental research of new solutions aimed at protecting harvests are essential to foster advances in organic farming and these elements are validly supported by the new research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, and by the new National Research Programme (PNR), currently being defined by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR).