Prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska Warsaw University of Life Sciences ...

Prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska
Rembia kowska
Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Division of Organic Foodstuffs
e-mai mail: l:
ewa_rembialkowska@sggw.pl

Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Division of Organic Foodstuffs
Head of Division: prof. prof.
Ewa Rembiałkowska
Rembia kowska
Division employees: 1 professor, 3 senior researchers, 2 post-docs, post docs, 3 technical
assistants and 3 PhD students
Short description of the main research directions:
Quality of the organically produced crops (vegetables,
potatoes, fruits) - nutritive, storage and sensory values
Potential impact of the organically produced food on animal
and human health

Multifunctional rural development in environmentally sensitive
areas
Organic farming in Poland - functioning, legal rules and its
perspectives in the light of European Union
Agricultural landscape and biodiversity – the role of organic
farming

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF
THE COUNTRYSIDE BASED ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
MEANS
□ Attractive agricultural landscape based on small and medium organic
farms
□ Biodiversity of plants through the restitution of old trees and fruit
shrub cultivars
□ Biodiversity of animals through the restitution of old animal breeds
(cows, horses, pigs, geese, ducks, hens)
□ Local food
□ Open demonstrative farms, farm gate sales
□ Local processing of food (household production of cheese, meat, pasta,
fruit and vegetable processed products)

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF
THE COUNTRYSIDE BASED ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
MEANS
□ Local, small restaurants and guest houses offering organic food
□ Groups of producers
□ Local markets and organic fairs
□ Local ecological events: harvest home festivals, open days, apple tree
days
□ Restitution of local culture: paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles,
blacksmiths, other crafts, performances on musical instruments,
dances, songs

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF
THE COUNTRYSIDE BASED ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
MEANS
ECO-AGROTOURISM/ Tourist farms
□ Expresses multifunctional rural development through organic farming,
tourism and integrated developmet
□ Increases the attractiveness of the region
□ Strenghtens synergies between environment, its protection and economy
□ Makes possible to use renewable energy sources or to save energy in the
households, to apply the „low carbon economy” on the level of the citizen
□ There is high potential of the agrotourism development nowadays and its
importance
□ It makes its offer wider i.e. through the educational paths

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF
THE COUNTRY BASED ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MEANS:
lively, active agricultural region
preserving cultural
traditions of the region
diversified tourist offer
increasing the export
of goods and services
preserving clean environment
and agricultural landscape
high quality food
flow of native and
foreign tourists
diversified and higher income
of people living in rural areas
improvement of economics
in the region

Infrastructure
We have a high-tech analytical laboratory: HPLC,
spectrophotometer, dry-freezer, freezer, dryer, cooling room
We closely cooperate with the accredited sensory lab and
experimental rat lab
We conduct many food analyses, especially plant analyses – several
bio compounds and vitamins. We can also conduct sensory evaluations
and rat experiments
In our Competence Centre of Organic and Multifunctional
Agriculture we offer advisory services in the filed of organic farming,
agro-tourism and other multifunctional activities of rural citizens

Cooperation with other countries:
☺ Division has signed 25 bilateral Socrates agreements with
different agricultural universities in European Union. Every
year at least 30 students are sent to these Universities within the
framework of the Socrates programme. Students from these
Universities are also coming to Poland
☺ Division is an active partner of ENOAT (European Network
of Organic Agriculture Teachers)

Division is an active member of FQH (Food Quality and
Health Association)
Division is an active member of ISOFAR (The
International Society of Organic Agriculture Research)
Division is an active member of IFOAM (International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements)

Participation in the European Union programme programmes
SIMOCA (Setting up and implementation of sustainable and
multifunctional rural development model based on organic and
competitive agriculture) 2003-2006 within the Interreg III B CADSES
programme. Coordinated by CIHEAM-IAMB (International Centre for
Advanced Mediterranean Studies) in Bari/ Italy
Polish coordinator: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska
IRENE (Innovative Rural Development Strategy Based On Local And
Trans-National Economical Networks) 2005-2008 within the Interreg III
B CADSES programme. Coordinated by CIHEAM-IAMB (International
Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Studies) in Bari/ Italy
Polish coordinator: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska

SIMOCA (Setting up and implementation of sustainable and
multifunctional rural development model based on organic and
competitive agriculture) – main achievements
Opening of the Competence Center of Organic and Multifunctional Center at WULS and in
Brodnicki Landscape Park (the project’s pilot area in Poland)
Restitution of old apple trees cultivars
Conducting research on taste and nutritional value of fruit came from old apple trees cultivars
SWOT analysis of the Brodnicki Landscape Park
Botanical inventorying of the project’s pilot area in Poland
Srategy of the European rural areas’ development
Trainings for farmers and pupils: how to develop iniciatives of the local community that will
contribute to the shaping of the rural areas and enhancing of their attractivness and
competitiveness i.e.agrotourism, how to become an organic farmer
Edition of leaflets, billboards and posters

IRENE (Innovative Rural Development Strategy Based On Local
And Trans-National Economical Networks)- main achievements
Service Center of the IRENE Project (information, promotion services, training services,
monitoring and information services for trans-national co-operation funding and legal
services)
Organic food direct sale promotion activities
Trainings for farmers and pupils as well as demonstartions and workshops in organic farms
TV and radio promotion activities
Organization and participation in organic festives and exhibitions
Local economical networks analysis
Creation of the trans-national network
Local and trans-national networks promotion activities

Participation in the European Union programme programmes
QualityLowInputFood (Improving quality and safety and
reduction of cost in the European organic and “low input” food
supply chains) within 6th EU Framework, nr 506358, 1 IV 2004 – 28
II 2009. Coordination: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
WP 2.3.2. manager: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska

Small projects:
DEARs.net (European Networking to strengthen Agriculture
and Rural Development enhancing skills) 1 X 2006 – 30 IX 2008.
Leonardo da Vinci II Programme - Measure Transnational Network
(NT). Leader: Sviluppo Marche, Italy
Polish coordinator: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska
Mobile Information Centre: Agriculture & Environment. 1 VI
2007 – 31 V 2008. EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-
GENERAL FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT. Leader: Provincia di Milano (Province of Milan),
Italy
Polish coordinator: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska

Participation in Polish scientific programme
programmes
“Evaluation of the nutritive, sensory and processing values of the
selected vegetables from the organic and conventional
production”
Project financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development in 2006 - 2007
Project leader: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska

Participation in Polish implementation programme
programmes
“Development of organic farming in Mazovian province”
Financed by the Marshall Office of the Mazovian province and
National Fund for Enviromental Protection in years 2001 - 2007
Programme initiator and consultant: prof. Ewa Rembiałkowska

Main scientific achievements
Product quality
We found that organically produced plant foods had
higher content of desirable anti - carcinogenic
compounds such as polyphenolic substances, in that
flavonoids, vitamin C and some carotenoids as luteine
and beta carotene

We found that the processing technology didn’t diminish the
differences in favor of the organic crops. The apple puree
still contained more bioactive compounds than the
conventional puree when produced from the organically
grown apples; the same with the frozen tomatoes and
marinated pepper

Main scientific achievements
Human and animal health
We found that women eating
systematically organic foods had
better lifestyle and better physical
and mental state
We found that organically fed rats had more active immune
system, probably potentially more capable to fight against
inflammations (a hypothesis)

Main scientific achievements
Environment
We found that some parameters of biodiversity and landscape
quality were better in the organic farms compared to the
conventional farms (birds and bats populations, species and
cultivars of the cultivated plants, landscape heterogeneity)

Main implementation achievements
Several projects developing the organic farming in different
Polish regions: southern Poland (Podhale region), middle
Poland (Sieradz County and Mazovia), northern Poland (
Narwianski National Park), western Poland ( Brodnicki
Landscape Park)
Establishment of the Competence Centre of the Organic and
Multifunctional Agriculture at Warsaw Agricultural University

Main implementation achievements
Establishment of the Competence Centre of the Organic and
Multifunctional Agriculture at Brodnicki Landscape Park
Co-organization of the annual Ecological Festive in Brodnica
Town in July
Co -organization of the Polish Ecological Forum (informal
association of Polish scientists and stakeholders active in
organic farming)

Thank you for attention