Agroecology Schools Training in Italy: Europe and Central Asia

In May 2022 AgroPermaLab members participated in the international training of Eastern European and Central Asian Agroecology Schools. The gathering took place on BioBagnolese Farm & Agroturismo near Rome, Italy, and was facilitated co-jointly by Schola-Campesina and supported by the FAO.

The 2022 Agroecology schools’ trainings aimed at strengthening the network of organisations working on Agroecology in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Balkans and Central Asia, and build a common voice from our different local contexts where agroecology -invisibly- makes our local food systems resilient and strong. The current situation of war in Eastern Europe and tensions throughout the region forces us to give a peace perspective to this activity and build bridges and deep connections amongst our organizations and people, across borders and conflictual interests.

The training is organised in the framework of the activities planned with FAO European office (based in Budapest, Hungary) “Strengthening civil society organisations linked to food production in the targeted countries” and is part of the activities between Schola Campesina, AgroPermaLab and approximately 20 other organisations.

TRAINING SESSIONS

  • Public event on “Farmer’s knowledge as peace building tool. International agroecology schools meeting”;
  • Farm visit Biobagnolese and local variety Artichok catalog field;
  • Agroecology schools methodology: How to set up?
  • The role of agroecology schools in the new food security emergencies related to shocks (pandemia, war, …);
  • Updates on global governance and international issues (FAO, UNDROP, …)
  • Farmer-led digital tool for knowledge sharing;
  • Seed saving sharing of experiences and agricultural biodiversity in the region;
  • Make a better use of data on smallholders farmers;
  • Nyéleni 3: the role of the agroecology network in the region;
  • Dinner – Exchange with the European group of agroecology schools (BAG project);
  • Theatre of the Oppressed;
  • and others.

AGROECOLOGY SCHOOLS

What do we talk about? Agroecology schools are the place where knowledge is shared within communities led by grassroots organisations on a diversity of topics determined by the local context. It can be either in the formal or informal educational system, in a solid structure or without walls. They tend to have the following features:

  • They are based on local needs and realities;
  • They are based on local knowledge and open knowledge access ecosystems;
  • They are based on horizontal learning processes;
  • They use the Dialogue of different types of knowledge (food producers, academia, activists, …);
  • Include Participatory Action Research (research with practice, determined by community needs)
  • They use emancipation pedagogy aimed at “democratic awakening” of citizens;
  • They are aimed at transforming society and strengthening social organizations;

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TRAINING PARTICIPANTS

OrganisationCountry
1ElkanaGeorgia
2Alica FoundationBosnia and Herzegovina
3ZZ Eko-IlindenNorth Macedonia
4Gradina MoldoveiMoldova
5Gradina MoldoveiMoldova
6Knowledge platform  – Agro Development and rural innovation (KP – AD&RI)Ukraine
7Albanian Network for Rural DevelopmentAlbania
8Nomadic Livestock Keepers DPFKyrgyzstan
9IndigenousRussia
10Cifti-SenTurkey
11TomirisTajikistan
12Agency of Development Initiatives Kyrgyzstan
13Zher Ana–AstanaKazakhstan
14Mohira BonuUzbekistan
15Local extensionistKosovo
16FAO REUHungary
17FAO REUHungary
18AGRO-PERMA-LABPoland
19Parmaculture org.Ukraine
20EcoRuralisRomania
21Hungarian agroecology networkHungary
22JengalabItaly
24Schola CampesinaItaly
25Schola CampesinaFrance
26Schola CampesinaIran
27Schola CampesinaItaly / Brazil