Battle of regenerative farmers in Australia is an interesting one to follow. They overexploited the lands and basically put their livelihood in danger.
Now they are using very different methods and trying to spread their system far, educating other farmers. They do encounter huge resistance, how do you tell someone who has been doing it in one way for 30 years that his way is totally wrong?
I encountered that same thing in Croatia, including my own family. That’s why I always try to find the best examples of those practices. Show them and explain why they can work in X region too.
What is your name?
prof. Dubravka Skunca, PhD, DSc
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
As a LCA Leader at GreenProtein project (BBI JU, Horizon 2020, European Commission) I am in charge of the environmental assessment of the entire patented process of RuBisCO protein extraction and isolation from sugar beet leaves in demo plant in Dinteloord, Netherlands www.greenproteinproject.eu
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
I am in charge of life cycle assessment (LCA) for every project that I undertake and it helps in achieving sustainability, since LCA identifies environmental hotspots in food production process and GWP, ED, AP, EP, OLD and LU are being calculated.
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
More initiatives should be implemented, as Serbia is not yet member of the EU.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
Yes, I am interested.
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Nice to e-meet you @Dubravka, welcome to the event - as you can see here we have already started to get to know participants’ views in order to better prepare for Friday.
I understand that you are Serbian, but working in the NL? or working remotely from Serbia?
We just received an important testimonial from an organisation leader in Serbia who working to support local farming and believes big agri businesses are not the solution, and instead we should all go back to practicing traditional farming, with a view on regenerative agriculture. And that local farmers should get more government support to actually access agricultural funding, because currently it’s only accessed by very few. Curious what is your opinion when it comes to the ways forward for Serbia?
Here is the post:
What is your name?
Miloš Konjović
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
I took a part in several projects considering CO2 removal from air, sustainable agricultural development, and reducing industrial environmental impact
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
Sometimes, lack of understanding and cooperation willingness
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
Not really, though it’s been promised for future period
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
I could introduce and present you to some opportunities and possibilities in agriculture
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What is your name?
Margarita Lysenkova
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
GRI initiated a project under the GRI Sector Program to develop a GRI Sector Standard for agriculture and fishing.
The aim of this project is to identify and describe the significant impacts and stakeholder concerns for the agriculture and fishing sector from a sustainable development perspective, which will serve as a foundation for increased transparency and more consistent reporting from organizations in the sector.
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
How to make the reporting model robust
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
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What is your name?
Ewa
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
Until recently, for 2 and half years I coordinated the European Agricultural Policy Program in Heinrich Boell Foundation; within this program I kicked-started the Living Earth Coalition (koalicjazywaziemia.pl; a coalition of variuos organizations that campaign for more sustainable agricultural policy in Poland and EU). I also organizaed debates, prepared publications (eg.Atlas rolny. Dokąd zmierza europejska polityka rolna. | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Biuro Regionalne Europa Centralna; Polska, Warszawa ) and ran projects - all meant to make people aware of the importance of of Common Agricultural Policy and stimulate debate and engagement around its reform. Information about those activities is avalable in the articles here: https://pl.boell.org/pl/taxonomy/term/3629/articles?page=%2C0
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
In my work described above I was engaged in building a coalition of organizations that would get involved in campaigning and education arounf CAP. NGOs active in cities quickly got involved but it was much more difficult to engage farmers and their organizations. I think a big challenge is how to find a common language between “city activists”, NGOs and farmers, people working in the countryside and how to connect them into a common platform that would seek more sustainable solutions in agriculture policies, law and practices.
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
The government is not really supporting real sustainable and organic agriculture.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
not yet, maybe when I get to know the EdgeRyders and your activities better.
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What is your name?
Raluca
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
Women in Tech - Women in Tech Cluj
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Work and employment
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
I found it difficult to work in sustainability-related jobs as they are not mainstream.
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
I believe that the Romanian government does not sustain enough green economy.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
Maybe we could do something together with Women in Tech. Only next year, as we have all events planned until January.
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Dear @noemi, nice to meet you, too. I am university professor in Serbia and I work at EU project based in Netherlands, as well as for EIT Food as RIS Council Region Representative. Because of the COVID-19 my travel is limited and I now work remotely from Serbia.
My comment on the text: To make farmers stop using herbicides and pesticides we need to show them which benefits they will have if they stop the usage and if they will be able to expand their business and export their food.
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hello @margolys! Thank you for the registration to our event, hope it will be useful for you for the networking and wait for your input during the webinar.
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welcome to EdgeRyders, @EwaJ-L! Thank you for the interesting online conversation during our call, it threw some light on the political background of the current negotiations in agriculture. The link to the webinar will be sent via email.
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Thank you for the registration to our event @miloskonjovic82. Lack of mutual understanding and cooperation is very much the topic in Poland. As well as fighting CO2 contamination. Could you share names of these projects? The link to the webinar will be sent via email. Hope it will be useful for you for the networking!
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Very interesting point. Is there any example of Serbian businesses exporting in this way @Dubravka?
A question also for @Vladb who, from what I understand, is involved in farming… What made you not use pesticides and what would be the arguments for your peers who would like to maybe access more support and advice to grow their business without compromising on quality? or to even subside, as it is often the case with small farmers.
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What is your name?
Sebastian
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
produce and deliver food locally while repurposing abandoned buildings in the urban landscape.
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
lack of affordable land. Difficulty to get food locally and to know the producers.
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
there are grants but is it hard to accede them. Also they are meant mainly for bigger producers.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
i think i will understand after the participation to this 1st event
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Hi @UrbanFunghi, welcome to our small corner of the world 
I’m Noemi, one of the hosts for the session,
Curious: where are you based and do you already have a project to work with funghi?
Myself, I’ve become quite fond of funghi because I am running a project with funghi fermentation, and my partner has long been working with funghi as material for construction, design, and so on.
What would you like to discover at the session?
Feel free to also comment on other people’s remarks here and in 2 other conversations we are having:
- Event Invitation - Sustainable Agriculture and Food
- Local food will be priceless. How do we fight big agribusinesses and talk to farmers to produce in traditional ways? One of the points here is like you say, that grants go to bigger agri businesses!
What is your name?
Justyna
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
Coalition Living Earth
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
the problem of the lack of public awareness of the impact of agriculture on human and animal health and the state of the environment
lack of political will to change the existing agricultural and food policy system
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
not helping
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
Changing the food system
Welfare of farm animals and its impact on environmental protection
Food quality - which agriculture to promote as a consumer
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Thank you for the registration to our event @Justin. It is great that Koalicja Żywa Ziemia will participate in the webinar! Hope it will be useful for you for the networking and sharing your understanding of the practical problems for sustainable agriculture in Poland.
What is your name?
Patrick Andrews
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
I have been interested in sustainable agriculture for many years. I am not involved in a project but might be one day.
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Work and employment
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
Accessing good quality local food
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
Not helping - the UK government is blinded by big business and cannot see how harmful current approaches to agriculture are.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
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What is your name?
Irene
Are you part of a project or an organisation? What does the project/organisation do, and why?
I’m a PhD researcher in organizational studies focusing on error narratives and resilience in organizations. ATM trying to find my ways between a pretty conventional faculty, (mostly and preferably offline) environmental and social justice activism and mastering herbology and the production of herbal plants for various uses.
Let’s get to know each other. Which of the following topics is the most relevant to you?
Sustainability in agriculture or food
Think about the topic… and tell us: What is a practical problem that you have in your work/projects or personal life?
I’m interested in settling within a community that aims at food sovereignty beyond my occasional volunteering in urban agroecology projects and woofing. I’m rather thinking about co-living, co-housing ad I’m interested in investigating what it means to be a farmer & service (knowledge) worker at the same time & how work should be re-organized / downsized for our (& the planet) well being and resilience. I’m also interested in understanding the urban / rural divide: which kind of territories can be self-reliant and different experiences in experimenting with size of communities and type of engagement from different members.
How is your government helping this, or not helping?
I’m not fully informed but on top of some districts and agroecological projects around my city (Brussels), I cannot think of a real ‘ambitious’ funding / support scheme for food sovereignty in my region.
Are you interested to co-host an event with EdgeRyders in the next months? If so, do you have ideas to engage others near you to participate?
Not quite so far but I may after this session? 
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Long time no seeing Patrick, good to have you back! And for diversity, it’s nice to have concerned citizens bringing in your own viewpoints !
Is there perhaps some public supported initiatives that you trust, albeit in your local community? And also: do you see people demanding more quality food?
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Very interesting point @irene_1! Some of us have been talking a lot about the need to ‘educate’ farmers to stick to traditional farming, write funding proposals, build their own community of support and local circuits (very interesting conversation here). But in my opinion, it rests on the image of the farmer we now have, an ageing population and less younger people in rural areas. What is this mixed role that you are talking about, how did you come to this idea ?
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