It all started with the Biodynamic Research Conference (BDRC) in 2021, the second conference of its kind, to bring together academic, participatory, and practical research under the motto "growing beyond resilience". More than 90 papers on current global research in biodynamic agriculture were presented in a digital format. Following BDRC 2021, it was planned to publish selected contributions in the form of a special issue of a renowned scientific journal. However, this did not come about, in part due to reservations about the formal and content-related quality of individual contributions. During follow-up discussions, it became apparent that there was a need from several sides to increase the quality of research on biodynamic agriculture. This gave rise to the idea of founding the "Biodynamic Research Platform".

In the course of 2022, this original idea crystallised into a collaboration between the BFDI, the Forschungsring in Germany and the Section for Agriculture in Switzerland. In autumn 2022, two online meetings took place to which researchers from all over the world who were thematically involved in biodynamic agriculture were invited. During these meetings, the needs of the researchers for such a platform were discussed, as well as how these needs differ according to geographical circumstances or professional functions, and how a mutual exchange and effective support could be achieved. Finally, all participants were invited to meet on-site in Dornach, Switzerland, during the Agricultural Conference 2023 to jointly launch the "Biodynamic Research Platform".

The launch event on 03.02.2023 was well attended with over 30 participants from all over the world as well as some media representatives. The organisers gave an overview of the origins and function of the research platform. Afterwards, there was room for some comments from the audience and short interviews.

The Biodynamic Research Platform aims to provide a professional network to build and share expertise among researchers. The primary research topics are agriculture and nutrition, where possible involving practising farmers and considering geographical and socio-cultural conditions. A lively exchange should be made possible on the questions of how exactly biodynamic agriculture works, what research work currently exists on individual topics, and how additional work can be organised and coordinated. With the help of a worldwide network, it should also be made easier for students and young researchers in particular to enter the field, gain an overview of the current state of research, and receive suggestions concerning formal requirements, high-quality methodology and a robust statistical evaluation of data. A concrete first goal of the research platform is the organisation of an online colloquium, in which participants will be able to present and discuss ongoing as well as already published research work and engage thematically with other researchers.

The project management of the Biodynamic Research Platform is carried out by the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum. Lukas Maschek is the main contact person. Contact address: biodynamic.researchnoSpam@goetheanum.ch