In February 2018, Edgeryders allowed me to go to the Open Village in Sidi Kaouiki, just near Essaouira, in Morocco.
various ideas and projects were on the line, but in the end, I’ve been there to check in reality some thoughts I had written on my blog.
Thoughts and reflexions about local food, food cycles, direct and short-circuits cycles.
I’ve learned a lot, in two days. Enough to fade the frustration to not be able to stay longer and go deeper in the topic of our quest.
This short film tries to say it all, and announces a (bigger) project to be released before summer. (click on the picture to access the video on Peertube)
Here is a previous written story-telling of my 2 days there :
**[2 DAYS AT THE OPEN VILLAGE](https://edgeryders.eu/t/2-days-at-the-open-village-my-journey-between-sidi-kaouiki-and-essaouira-morocco-2018/8073)**
This short film has been shot and recorded with a smartphone.
the music is specifically composed and produced by [Will Galland](https://quietdawn.bandcamp.com/).
Alberto gave me the chance to watch some parts of the movie and it was nicely made! You’re gifted!
It allows us to see what are the conditions in a village of Marocco and it’s sad to know there are not a lot of local agriculture and they depend to Essaouira, Agadir (and importation also)
I’m really convinced that the solution lies in autonomy, of food, resources and health also…
Poverty could be avoided in doing some improvements in this, and I guess it’s an unending circle.
Here in Europe (especially in Belgium), I guess (for most of us), we don’t realize how the chance we have and that some of them in this village doesn’t have. Nothing is granted, at the end.
@oliiive , thanks for the feedback as well.
I see your point, but if you don’t mind, I would like to share my vision of the thing, because it’s slightly different than what you say in your comment.
First of all, I’m not in capacity to say if the people in Sidi Kaouiki have to get their food from Essaouira. I didn’t have the time to check that. but what i can say is that there are some sheeps/goats little herds in Sidi Kaouiki, wich means there is local farming activity somehow. Is there any self sufficient or partially sufficient food growing farm in the village? I don’t know. It could be possible though.
We could be impressed by the rural activities and what it offers in terms of self sufficiency, here in europe but anywhere on the planet.
So I’m not sad for them. I’m more curious than sad. Here in Europe and in France, we have many words, and actually a whole semantic, to describe local food cycles: locavore, short-circuits (circuits-courts in french), direct and local, etc etc. There? In Morocco for instance? I don’t think this semantic applies. Does that mean that they’re not into this kind of movement, naturally or not? I do’nt know. I doubt it.
Here in Europe (especially in Belgium), I guess (for most of us), we don’t realize how the chance we have and that some of them in this village doesn’t have.
Well, actually, are we that much lucky? We are more than ever overwhelmed under the power of supermarkets and big industrial distribution of overprocessed food. And as you can check in my film, the only thing I found related to food that is industrial in the medina in Essaouira was milk based products. Fruits? Vegetables? Meat? Pastries and breads? Fishes? All sold unprocessed and “fresh” by/in little shops.
So I don’t know what to say… I think what you say, and even what I think, should be checked on location with a real, and long, study of such questions.
But I’m definitely not feeling bad for the people in Sidi Kaouiki and Essaouira.They probably have solutions that we don’t have… And the other way around
Beautiful stuff @gregoiremarty. I love the framing of birth of a food cycle research in terms of how a short stay in Sidi K has unleashed a nuanced reflection and practice around your work in local food cycles. I have to admit that I watched this eating my own home-made sourdough, in a gesture of solidarity for the inter-connectedness of food security, food autonomy, slow food et al. Feels good
Will share more thoughts on your thread about how your study has evolved into LOCAMAP.
Shout out to @yannick and @natalia_skoczylas - think you may find this video interesting!
just the thing i’m working on the moment, thanks for the share. how to create sustainable food cycles not only in a first one (fresh ), but in a second (fermentation to just name one method ) and even third one (compost mainly) There is so much work on an educational level to retrain people to look at food in that way and not simply: processed food - bin. I think these are challenges as big in places where food supply is small (like the villages you are mentioning) so they can be economical more independent and places like belgium where it is more an ecological education.
I’m working this week on a dossier to create a coop based on fermented methods with different product creators, a bio market and a fleet of bikes. Would love to have feedback if you are interested @gregoiremarty .
hi @natalia_skoczylas, and thank you for this !
it might interest me, clearly! though i’ll have to clear my schedule at the most hectic period of the year for me (I’m a cheesemonger, the crazyness of November and December at the shop is out of any statistics ahah!).
I’ll check deeper but this is definitely the kind of residencies I’m looking for. So if by any chances you come across another one, feel free to tell me
Thank youuuuu !
](https://peertube.mastodon.host/videos/watch/32492ee3-e6aa-4141-a3fa-1e7935770b6b)
) and even third one (compost mainly) There is so much work on an educational level to retrain people to look at food in that way and not simply: processed food - bin. I think these are challenges as big in places where food supply is small (like the villages you are mentioning) so they can be economical more independent and places like belgium where it is more an ecological education.
