Perspective for farmers, traders and consumers

Elsewhere in this book, experiments are described which compare organically grown products with conventionally grown products. The next steps will be to interpret these differences in terms of their effects on human health and finding ways of improving crop quality in the production phase. This will require a coherent concept of food quality, a concept in which food quality is more than the sum of exterior characteristics some specific health components and the absence of harmful contaminants. Moreover, we need a concept that connects the different phases of plant growth to properties of the harvested product and to human or animal health. The IQC can meet these requirements. 

Bloksma J and Huber M (2002), Life Processes in Crops On growth Differentiation, publication FQH-02, Driebergen, Louis Bolk Instituut, downloadable from www.louisbolk.nl. 

Bloksma J, Northolt M, Huber M, Jansonius P J and Zanen M (2004), Parameters for Apple Quality and the Development of the Inner Quality Concept 2001-2003, publication FQH-03, Louis Bolk Instituut, Driebergen, downloadable from www.louisbolk.nl. 

Busscher N, Kahl J, Huber M, Andersen J O, Mergardt G, Doesburg P, Paulsen M, Kretschmer S, de Weerd A and Meier-Ploeger A (2004), Validation and Standardization of the Biocrystallization Method Development of a Complementary Test to Assess Qualitative Features of Agricultural and Food Products, Triangle report Nr. 1, University Kassel, Louis Bolk Instituut and Biodynamic Research Association Denmark. 

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