Train the Trainers Program
in Latin America

The Latin American Train the Trainers program has completed its first year of activities. This pilot training project aims to expand and strengthen the biodynamic movement throughout Latin America. More than 140 people across 11 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela) participated throughout the year in various online sessions and regional face-to-face sessions. The project coordinators and the participants marked this important milestone by reflecting on the first cycle of collaborative work.

One of the main objectives of this first year was to lay the foundations for a holistic training in biodynamic agriculture. To this end, a methodological framework using a holistic approach was developed and put into practice during the year. The framework is deeply rooted in the anthroposophical understanding of the processes involved in adult learning, and it seeks to engage the thinking, feeling and willing capacities of human beings in the biodynamic training experience. The guiding beliefs underlying this holistic approach to training assert that when biodynamics is experienced with the whole being, it becomes much more than a farming method, but a path of inner transformation and development.

In the effort to work on the development of the trainer, several key working sessions were held with Latin American expert trainers. These included the practice of Goethean Observation by Vincent Geerts from Mexico and Speech Training with Alicia Silveira from Argentina. While Fernando Silveira and Simon Blaser from Brazil worked with the group on key aspects of Group Dynamics.

There were several final reflections from the participants of this pilot year of training. There was a unanimous feeling that this course has enhanced the development of biodynamics in Latin America and that it has strengthened the bonds of collaboration and communication between the participating countries. Within countries, team bonds were strengthened, and teamwork was valued over the figure of the individual trainer. In the countries that have not yet formed an association, participants highlighted the trust generated among peers and the potentiality of forming a group for further collaboration and work. Overall, participants acknowledged that the lived experiences and the tools delivered have been useful for their self-development and confidence, no matter how far they were along their path as trainers in biodynamics.

The familiarity among participants from different countries and the common language facilitated the implementation of the project and involvement of participants. However, the diversity of local contexts and above all the great differences in the existing training programs in biodynamics in each country became evident and were decisive in projecting a second year with a greater focus on addressing local needs and interests, especially in those countries that do not yet have established training programs.  The details of how this second year will be approached are still being discussed by the coordinating group. What is clear is the strong desire to continue building a Latin American Community of Trainers on the basis of collaboration and support networks; a community of trainers working together to spread and strengthen of the biodynamic movement in Latin America.

The work of this second year of training will be shared among the Latin American participants and the entire international community during the local Training Congress to be organized by the International Federation in four regions worldwide (Africa, Asia and Oceania, Europe, and Latin America). The work of this training initiative, including the theoretical foundations, methodological frameworks and concrete examples of training exercises will be compiled and shared with the entire international community in a Training Manual currently being developed by the Federation.

For more information, please contact Paz Bernaschina at: paz.bernaschina@demeter.net.

The deadline for application is now extended to 20 March 2022.

If you wish to submit an application, please fill in the application form available here, and send it to the relevant committee coordinator: 

• Advisory, Research and Training – with the ART Committee: petra.derkzen@demeter.net  
• Marketing – with the International Marketing Committee: katja.assmann@demeter.net
• Organization development – with the Membership Committee: clara.behr@demeter.net

 

Training session on AMR
Feedback & Resources

On 16 March a training session on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and livestock farming took place. Among other things, we explored the connection of AMR to livestock systems, as well as using animal welfare, homeopathy and evidence-based veterinary medicine to reduce the impact on AMR from the agricultural sector. 

Dr. Petra Weiermayer, a leading veterinary expert on homeopathy and evidence-based medicine was our guest speaker. She explained how homeopathic treatments in livestock can reduce the contribution of the agricultural sector to AMR as well as the importance of the ‘One Health Approach’, which unifies human, animal, and environmental health.
 
Here is the link to the briefing paper we recently published on the subject (available in English and Spanish, soon also in German): https://demeter.net/briefing-paper-antimicrobial-resistance/. You will also find the presentation of the event here. 
 
You will find below some additional resources on the topic:

• AMR and its Animal-Human-Environmental Connections: Woodhouse et al. (2015).
• Documentation of mis- and overuse of antibiotics on industrial farms: Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics (2014)
• Research showing that prevalence of AMR is considerably lower in organic farms compared to conventional farms
  • Van Wagenberg et al. (2017)
  • Schwaiger et al. (2010)
  • Moon et al. (2019)
  • BVL (2016)
• Research connecting the importance of animal welfare, animal health, and lower antibiotic usage
  • Österberg et al. (2016)
  • Bella-Paul (2018)

For any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at: assistant.eu@demeter.net.

In their contribution to the new Goetheanum TV series "Anthroposophy – an extension of science?” Ueli Hurter and Lin Bautze describe the challenges that our agriculture and food system face nowadays and what solutions biodynamic agriculture can provide.

Here is the Link to the video.

The Section for Agriculture publishes the key findings from current studies on biodynamic topics on its website twice a month. A study conducted by Edita Juknevičienė et al. (2021) confirms the positive effect of the biodynamic preparations horn manure and horn silica on the growth and flesh quality of pumpkins. The full study can be found here.

News from China
 

On January 8, Demeter China Association invited Mr. Ding Wei, who is the authorized inspector in China, to give an online Demeter Standards 2022 training for the members of DCA. 45 biodynamic farmers participated the training.
 

 

From January 25 to February 5, Demeter China Association, in cooperation with Warmth Health Community in China, Taiwan Threefold Living Studio, and Malaysia BD Agri-culture Academy, organized an online Biodynamic Agriculture Conference in Chinese-Chinese speaking areas. Ms. Nadia Fan was our simultaneous interpreter.
 

News from Colombia

During the second week of December, the team of ABD Colombia and the KVP project met in the new offices near Armenia. It was a special week of togetherness after such a long time of working through videocalls. The three most important activities were;

• the inauguration of the office and training space on Finca La Esmeralda,
• evaluation of the projects of ABD Colombia of the past year and defining activities and budgets for 2022 and
• integration of new team members and team building.

All team members responsible for an area prepared and presented a detailed evaluation of projects, activities, results and impact. What happened in 2021 in terms of training, advisory, certification, market development, marketing and communication, organisational development and administration? This exercise gave a good base for a more condensed presentation of the results to the members of ABD Colombia during the inaugural weekend of 10 and 11 of December, when the new “headquarters” of ABD Colombia were blessed.

The inauguration took place in very wet and cold circumstances – in general it was an extremely wet year which has caused a lot of pressure in agriculture due to high levels of humidity. The members who could come, were invited to sense into the “being” of ABD Colombia; what characterises this being? What is emerging? Beautiful touching descriptions appeared. As a foundation stone, a clay pot was filled with visions, wishes and dreams for the future, together with tokens such as little bits of the preparations. The Foundation Stone meditation was read while the clay pot was buried in the earth around the space which will be used for training.

We also visited a few new members of ABD Colombia, not far from the place where the association is now located in the region Quindio. We learned about how macadamia nuts grow (picture) and saw beautiful farms with mainly coffee and other additional crops or activities. What surprised me is to hear from several farmers that they had already read through the Preparation Plant Cultivation manual just released in Spanish! I even came across a beautiful piece of pottery, as a gift to the inauguration of the association, with the drawings of the preparation plants of Jean Michel Florin !
 

Petra Derkzen and Thomas Schmid

Foundation of the non-profit association for the promotion of
biodynamic agriculture in Romania


Board members: Dan Botez, Cristina Bühler, Marius Gabor, with Richard Bühler (2nd from left) and Reto Ingold r.
 

On 8 September 2021, the members of the new Romanian association held a celebration in Port Cetate. The meeting took place in Mircea Dinescu's famous cultural harbour on the banks of the Danube. The newly elected board, the leaders of the certified farms and many interested people came to the 2-day event with presentations on biodynamic agriculture, the formation of producer groups and the Danube Soy Initiative. The second day was organised as an open day and the spraying of biodynamic preparations on the farm of host Cristina Bühler, Terra Nostra, Bailesti. In the afternoon of the second day, the first meeting of the association took place in Bailesti.
 
All those involved, the board, those interested in conversion and the supporters of the association, agreed that the founding of the association was an important step in the development of biodynamic agriculture in Romania. The many interested project leaders now receive reliable information in Romanian.  They are now brought directly together with the relevant bodies (BFDI, inspection bodies, advisors). However, the association does not only want to support exports, but also projects for the development of the local market. Although the general population is still not very sensitive to the issue of organic agriculture, there are more and more people who are asking for food that is produced in a particularly sustainable way. Many critical consumers, when asked, want to support the biodynamic movement and would buy such products.

Three biodynamic projects in Romania are briefly presented here:
 
Domeniul Bogdan, Constanza
Bogdan Mihalcea and his team are passionate winegrowers near the Black Sea. They make wonderful wines with local varieties and particularly innovative cellar methods. Domeniul Bogdan is about 120 ha of vineyards in a hilly area with wonderful dark loess soils. Biodynamic preparations form the basis of their quality strategy.
 
Ovidiu Luculescu, Suceava
12 ha of Sea Buckthorn orchard with additional processing has been certified this year. Ovidiu Luculescu is a professional berry specialist and produces a wonderful vitamin rich and healthy raw material for juices, concentrates, spreads and marmalades.
 
Terra Nostra, Bailesti
Cristina Bühler has built up a farm in her hometown with great commitment. In an area that is firmly in the hands of the conventional agricultural industry, she has dedicated a 60-hectare parcel of beautiful black soil to biodynamic farming. After the conversion years with alfalfa, she is planning to produce in the future polenta-maize, legumes such as soy, lentils and chickpeas, but also other crops and herbs such as mustard, caraway, fennel, etc. of the best quality.
 
Author and photos: Reto Ingold, Wanderschule, honorary member of the association

Tasting zone at ProWein
Germany


 

Long-standing fears of GMO contamination in wild environments come true

For many years, countless environmental groups have warned about the dangers of genetically engineered plants and animals contaminating the natural environment. These fears have now been substantiated: Brazilian researchers have published a paper that evidences the escape and even successful reproduction of a GM-aquarium fish from a fish farm in to the wild. As such, this presents the first known case of a genetically engineered animal breeding in the wild.

The fish has a gene inserted from the jellyfish family to make it fluorescent, hence its trademarked name of the ‘Glofish’. The escape and reproductive activities of the fish have unknown consequences for freshwater systems in Brazil as well as the local marine biodiversity. For instance, the fluorescence-endowing genes could enter the genetic streams of native fish, making them more visible to predators. Further, the transgenic fish sexually mature very early which allows them to reproduce more and spread faster. The invaders feed on a diversified diet of native insects, algae, and zooplankton, potentially pushing the local food chain out of balance.

Other countries such as Canada have allowed the sale of the Glofish in their territories. Activist groups, such as Nature Canada, warn that “the escape of Glofish should be a big wake-up call for Canadian regulators”.

These new developments in Brazil show that it is impossible to completely control and secure the breeding of GMOs in safe, shielded environments, and that fears about their eventual escape from anti-GMO advocates are legitimate and must be taken seriously. GMOs need to be strictly regulated and separated from wild environments to avoid catastrophic effects on ecosystems around the world.

For a more elaborate explanation of the Federations’ stance against GMOs, please check out the recently published leaflet here.

For any questions or comments, please contact Clara Behr at: clara.behr@demeter.net.

Biodynamic Association Certification UK is looking for a Food Processing Certification & Project Officer to join its team

Summary
We are a recognised organic control body providing organic and biodynamic (Demeter) certification for over 300 licensees in the UK. Biodynamic and organic agriculture are ways of cultivating the earth and producing food that are based on environmentally regenerative, socially responsible and economically moral principles. Our Demeter and organic processing certification schemes are designed to provide assurance that the high quality and standards of the food produced in this way is maintained throughout its processing. We are looking for somebody who is interested in biodynamic, organic and sustainable food and farming. It is essential that the candidate is self-motivated and enjoys working effectively in a small team.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience
Certification and Project Officers are required to have detailed knowledge of the UK Demeter Standards and the Organic Regulations. This will have been obtained through previous experience in biodynamic, organic or sustainable certification systems. Certification and Project Officers should hold a degree in a relevant field (food science & technology or similar). However, equivalent experience is also acceptable and training will be provided.
The position requires excellent IT skills, including Excel, Word and Outlook and the ability to work independently, make sound impartial decisions on certification matters, and to communicate effectively with other members of staff.

Salary & working hours
The role is based in our Stroud, UK office. The starting salary is £21,500 pro rata 0.8 FTE (4 days per week). Working hours can be flexible which we are happy to discuss. It is expected that this role could increase towards a full time position in the near future.

Overview of responsibilities
The Certification and Project Officer provides expertise within the Certification Office with regard to all matters concerning biodynamic & organic food processing, packing and trading. The role is primarily focused on the review of reports and certifying licensees for compliance with applicable standards.
Certification and Project Officers also engage on assigned development projects according to directions given by the Certification Board and certification manager.
Key tasks are as follows

• Review inspection reports for compliance to Demeter and Organic Standards.
• Make impartial certification decisions as outlined in the BDA Certification operating procedures.
• Correspondence with our processing, packing and trader licensees with regards to our standards, certification requirements and their inspection reports/certification.
• Maintain licensee information and certified products on the database.
• Review initial applications and produce accurate application reports.
• Dealing with enquiries from potential and existing licensees regarding certification requirements and standards for biodynamic and/or organic food processing and trading.
• Liaising with inspectors and providing feedback regarding reports.
• Administration of import and export procedures.
• Participation in the on-going process of assessing and revising Demeter and Organic Standards in the UK and with The Biodynamic Federation. Attending Standards Committee meetings as required.
• Development of the certification system with regards to food processing – revision and development of assessment forms, procedures and documentation.
• Liaison with other Organic Certification Bodies including representing BDA Certification at the Certification Bodies Technical Working Group (CBTWG).
• Liaison with DEFRA and other public sector bodies where necessary.
• Provide input into consultations from various stakeholder bodies as requested.
• Training inspectors and other certification officers as appropriate.
• Participation in workshops and events.
• Participation and research in development projects.
• Website and social media updating
• Any other administrative, statistical and research tasks that arise. 

More news from the Federation on our website and social media: