Degrowth & Agriculture – Resilient food production and distribution

Resilient food production and distribution.

Bogoria Górna, Poland, March, 18-22, 2015.

Bogoria Górna is a small village in the Mazovia region. We will work there with the Transformacja Foundation which is a group of ecologists starting a new permaculture farm.

Wednesday the 18th of March from the morning until afternoon we will organize meetings at Warsaw food initiatives counting that you will be arriving the whole morning.

The place:

The place of the course is about an hour from Warsaw by train (that we will take together at Warsaw Central Station around 4-5 p.m.to Łowicz, a nearby town) plus around 20 min by minibus that we will rent to take you all from the Łowicz station to Bogoria. Than on Sunday at noon or not very early morning we will organize a collective transport from the place of the course to the Łowicz station where you can get the train to Warsaw and than the train home or any transport to the Chopin airport or to Modlin airport.

The subject:

The subject of the course taking place in Poland is an alternative food production and distribution in the degrowth context. The course will address the following topics: a critique of industrial agriculture, an overview of possible alternatives such as local and organic production, cooperatives, Community Supported Agriculture, and a critical analysis of the functioning and results of these alternatives.

Aims of the course:

• The participants will gain a basic knowledge about degrowth: the roots, theory and practices.

• The participants will be able to relate the degrowth theory to a critique of industrial agriculture and alternative forms of food production and distribution.

• The participants can name the fundamentals of a degrowth critique of industrial agriculture and the regional and international policies connected to it.

• The participants can name basic degrowth arguments that support an alternative food production and distribution and related problems:

• principles and social and economic aspects of cooperativism,

• principles and social and economic aspects of agricultural production,

• pros and cons of organic agriculture,

• pros and cons of local food production.

Methodology:

During the course we will use interactive learning methods in accordance with the degrowth principles of non-hierarchic structures, spirit of equality, democracy and participation.

• The participants are an important source of knowledge and trainers should take advantage of that.

• Resources and workshop methodologies that encourage linking alternative food production and distribution with a degrowth mindset.

• The “head, heart and hands” approach combinig three types of experiences:

• reflecting, analysing, discussing,

• experiencing and expressing feeling to convert knowledge into something personal,

• learning through practice together with communities practicing degrowth

• A continuous reflection on the process of learning.

Check the course community space for more infos.

Course in organised by: Kultury Swiata Foudation