FEMFiP

Federation of European Mycorrhizal Fungi Producers

FEMFip is a European organisation comprising an interest group of companies or legal entities producing and/or developing mycorrhizal fungi technology, membership of which is on a voluntary basis.

Mission Statement

FEMFiP will promote the application of mycorrhizal fungi in plant production systems in forestry, agriculture and horticulture in Europe.

Aims

The aims of FEMFiP are to support companies and other entities involved in the production and/or de v eloping products based on mycorrhizal fungi across Europe. Particular aims are to achieve and maintain the highest standards of inoculum quality. This will be done by educational and training programmes aimed at promoting using of mycorrhizal fungi as a technology suitable for sustainable agriculture, forestry, horticulture, landscaping etc. Methods for evaluating the quality of inocula will be standardized and certification programme for producers will be introduced. The procedures for compliance will be developed in collaboration with its members and administered throuch the offices of an independent laboratory. FEMFiP aims to participate to the discussions for establishment of recistretion procedures of products based on beneficial rhizospheric microorganism being prepared by European Committee.

FEMFiP Press Release

European commercial producers of Mycorrhizal fungi collaborate to maintain product quality standards

Seven European producers and one distributor of inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi sold in the commercial world have formed a federation called FEMFiP (Federation of European Mycorrhizal Fungi Producers) aimed at maintaining high standards for these products in Europe.

These fungi are being sold across Europe and in North America now and are becoming widely accepted as viable ‘natural’ elements in the production of healthy plants in horticulture, agriculture, forestry and landscaping sectors.

A formal agreement was signed in Pruhonice in the Czech Republic on 6th of June, 2003 where the founding companies agreed to regularly exchange products for testing and to meet up twice a year to discuss issues relevant to the industry.

The founding chairman Dr. M Vosátka said “This idea came from discussions held within a forum of mycorrhizal researchers within a EU project (COST 8.38) in recent years and that network of mycorrhizal scientists has helped provide the venues for FEMFiP to grow from an idea into reality. "

Dr. J Dodd (PlantWorks Ltd) said “With the increasing need for truly sustainable solutions to plant growth problems the use of these fungi in the UK has been increasing exponentially in the landscaping and more recently in the Hobby Garden market. We have agreed to maintain a high quality standard for our products so that customers will be reassured by the FEMFiP association that the product contains what it says on the label”

Dr. Michel de Rougemont (MYCOSYM AG) added, "Professional users await impeccable product performances. Mycorrhiza fungi producers must prove that their offer meets these high expectations. In the world of natural biological products a professional approach as taken by FEMFiP members is indispensable to establish and maintain the reputation of the new mycorrhiza technology."

The FEMFiP members agreed that at the first step is going to be the selection of a mutually acceptable methodology for product quality testing with the aim that independent scientific laboratories may be able to perform these tests in the future. It may also be possible that a FEMFiP kite mark of appropriate quality will be awarded to those products conforming to the testing procedures. Other longer-term aims will concentrate on creating a voice to encourage these fungal products to become more widely accepted and employed in plant production systems.

Federation of European Mycorrhizal Fungi Producers (FEMFiP)
Official address: FEMFiP, 756 02 Huslenky 193, Czech Republic
E-mail: ; WWW: http://www.femfip.com  
 

 NOTES:

1. List of the 8 FEMFiP Members June, 2003. 
 

Members database download

2. Managing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for improving soil quality and plant health in agriculture - COST 8.38 Action (co-operation of scientific laboratories a network programme supported by European Commission)

Chairman: Silvio Gianinazzi

The Action involves 23 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom. The period of validity of the Action is from 25/ 11/ 98 to 24/ 11/ 04. One-year extention has been requested.

www.inra.fr/Internet/Centres/Dijon/cost/cost838/

Aims:

The main objective of the Action is to gain pre- competitive theoretical and applied knowledge essential for the use of AM fungi in improving plant health and fitness, production of high quality food and in conservation of natural resources.

This will be reached by:
·  understanding the role of AM fungi in sustainable crop production
·  understanding and improving biological balance of microorganisms in the rhizosphere of AM plants: the  mycorrhizosphere
·  analyzing the genetic, physiological, cellular and molecular basis of the functioning AM symbiosis
·  establishing technologies for AM inoculum production
·  developing regulatory guidelines for the application of AM technology.

The expected benefits will be an increase in the efficiency of crop production, reduction of agrochemical inputs, and an evaluation of the safety and bioethical aspects in relation to public acceptability. This will accelerate the development of technology in an area where Europe has become pre- eminent in terms of research. The exploitation of this research base is best accomplished through a dialogue between scientists and end- users and this will be facilitated by this existing COST Action.

Memorandum download

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