It takes a village: An introductory webinar on establishing an organic district
Many organic actors from around the world aspire to emulate organic villages and bio-districts. These geographical areas are quite special. They are proof of what happens when producers, community members, local authorities, tour operators and local stakeholders band together.
The Cilento Bio-district in the Campania region in Italy, for example, spans over 3,000 square kilometres, 37 municipalities. Since its establishment, the local economy got a boost as consumers bought local. The bottom-up approach in Cilento also showed how farmers can influence policy and stir it towards a sustainable and inclusive path.
But how does one even begin to establish a bio-district? And what does it take to sustain it?
On 27 March at 1 p.m. CET, IFOAM – Organics International will host a webinar exploring the story of a bio-district, how it was initiated, the challenges it faced, and how the initiative continues to thrive today.
Aina Calafat Rogers, a resident of a bio-district and member of the International Network of Eco Regions (IN.N.E.R.), will also join to talk about how bio-districts are built on a community level. Te-Chun Chen, Naturland International Development and Strategy Coordinator and IN.N.E.R. global ambassador, will moderate the webinar.
The webinar is designed to help organic actors who want to emulate bio-districts and provide inspirations that can be implemented in their localities. Some of the topics that will be discussed are:
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How are territorial food systems such as bio-districts initiated and how are they sustained?
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How has the establishment of the bio-district changed the local economy and the social and political environment of the area?
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What are the challenges in sustaining a bio-district or similar local initiatives?
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In some areas in Spain, community building and education, especially of children, play a big part in the creation of bio-district. Why did INNER implement this approach and what are the impacts of this approach?
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How can organic actors from non-EU countries initiate an organic district?
Please note that the views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the stand of IFOAM – Organics International.