INTRODUCTION

1. CREATION OF ANETWORK FOR APPLICATION OF A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACHTOSUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN BULGARIA AND ROMANIA1ST MEETING Rousse 18-21 May 2008R.A. I degree Dr. Atanas Zdravkov AtanasovInstitute of Agriculture and Seed Science “Obraztsov Chiflik”-Rousse

2. INTRODUCTION • The project is part of the bilateral projects program at Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria and Romania. • The project started at 23 January 2008 and will end at 23 January 2010. • The participating countries are the following: • Institute of Agriculture and Seed Sciences “Obraztsov Chiflik” – Rousse- Bulgaria • University of Rousse – “Angel Kunchev”- Bulgaria • Institute of Food Bioresources – Bucharest - Romania

3. OBJECTIVES • The mine aim of this project is to enhance the access, participation, and integration of two new members countries Bulgaria and Romania in a common research Bio Farming network (BFN). • The overall objective of the BFN is throughmodern information and communication technologies to organize the users into different professional groups in a creative and productive consortium for applying of multi-disciplinary approach to stable development and management of the organic agriculture in the region.

4. RESEARCH PLAN • Collecting information about the methods, tools, and technologies used in educational, research, consultative, and practical organizations from the partner countries in the area of the organic agriculture. • Preparing an on-line questionnaire with the profiles of the members from the partner countries to extend this database with the human resources involved in the organic agriculture; • Creating a trilingual (Bulgarian-Romanian-English) terminological dictionary and e-library in the organic agriculture. • Uploading this initial database on the BFN server. • Organizing management meetings together with training workshops on a rotation principle starting from Bulgaria. • Uploading an intelligent multimedia environment of tools for basic knowledge testing of all professional groups involved in OA. Conducting a virtual round table;

5. RESEARCH PLAN • Uploading an intelligent multimedia environment of tools for training in dynamic systems for the needs of the researchers and organic farmers. Conducting a virtual round table; • Uploading and using WINDOWS-based applications for management and marketing in OF. Conducting a virtual round table; • Developing WINDOWS-based applications for technological management of manual and mechanical processes in OF and its uploading on the BF network server. Conducting a virtual round table; • Development of a electronic market with common database and a set of information and communication services for the consumers, producers, and manufacturers for kind and quantity of the supplied and demanded products;

6. RESEARCH PLAN • Specifying a bottom-up research methodology for stable development and management of the OF in the Bulgaria and Romania and publishing it and other current project results. • Examination requirements for certification of organic herbs in partner countries; • Marketing study regarding organic herbs and aromatic plants;Tests (analysis of organic herbs); • Monitoring of the chain of organic herbs and aromatic plants;Dissemination activities due to the participation at differentconferences • Organization of an international conference on the problems in the OA together with the final project meeting in Bulgaria.

7. EXPECTING RESULTS • Creation of a trilingual network of institutions and members involved the organic agriculture, with questionnaire, dictionary, library, and knowledge base on the BFN server. • Specifying a bottom-up methodology for stable development and management of the organic farms in Bulgaria and Romania. • Application on web-based an intelligent multimedia environments, and WINDOWS-based tasks developed of the scientific group for knowledge testing, improvement of knowledge base, practical skills, and skills for decision making of different professional groups. • Developing an WINDOWS-based application for technological management of manual and mechanical processes in organic farms.

8. EXPECTING RESULTS • Creation of an electronic market. • Preparing of collaborative scientific publications in specialized international journals and reports on the specialized international conferences. • Organization of annual an international conference on the problems in the organic agriculture.

9. ACTION FOR FIRST YEAR • Preparatory phase for creating the bio-farm network (BFN) • Establishing the consortium structure and strategy. • Collecting information from the partner countries. • Creating the profiles of the members. • Preparing a trilinguall terminological dictionary and e-library. • Uploading this initial database on the BF network. • Project meeting in Bulgaria. • Developing a Quality Assurance System for BFN. • Analysis of the methods and tools for knowledge testing. • Conducting a virtual round table. • Analysis of the methods for teaching basic knowledge • Conducting a virtual round table. • Analysis of the methods for acquiring the practical skills. • Conducting a virtual round table. • Analysis of the methods for decision making. • Project meeting in Romania.

10. ACTION FOR SECOND YEAR • Training for a multi-disciplinary approach to design. • Training for a multi-disciplinary approach management. • Creating an electronic market of the BF production. • Management meeting in Bulgaria with training activities. • Management meeting in Romania with training activities. • Development, implementation, experimentation of programs. • Management meeting in Bulgaria with applications activities. • Management meeting in Romania with applications activities. • Evaluating and disseminating project results. • Evaluation the current results at the end of each project activity • Evaluation the final results of the project. • Statistical processing and analysis of the training results. • Organizing an international conferences on the problems in OA • Periodical publishing the achieved results. • Preparing the final report of the project. • Planning the future activities of consortium. • Organizing the final project meeting in Bulgaria.