Safe Agriculture
Twelve years ago, the network 'Unser Land' started with the sustainable and local production of bread in a village in Germany called Fürstenfeldbruck. The bread that was sold was made of organic wheat that was grown way by local farmers. The grain was grinded by a local miller and the bread was baked in a local bakery. In the whole production process no artificial chemicals were used. Today, twelve years after the start of the 'Unser Land' project, over a hundred products with the 'Unser Land' mark are being sold in the Bavaria region. Unser Land is a successful cooperation of over 200 farmers, bakers, butchers, supermarkets, churches and citizen's organizations. Together they offer locally produced organic products and promote sustainable rural development in the region. The network started with the production and sales of just one bread in one village - now it stimulates biodiversity and organic agriculture and the local economy on a regional level.
In this era, rural areas are threatened by processes like globalization and the industrialization of food production. The quality of the soil declines because of the intensification of agriculture, landscapes are being reshaped and many people leave for the cities because they cannot find a suitable job in the countryside. Initiatives like the 'Unser Land' network call a halt to these negative trends. They promote a respectful attitude towards the environment, stimulate biodiversity and social cohesion in rural areas and create possibilities for employment.
WECF strives to improve the quality of life in rural areas – both in Europe as in the Caucasus and Central Asia. To do this, WECF learns from networks such as Unser Land and spreads innovative ideas about rural development, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity in her network. WECF uses training sessions, visits and publications to transfer knowledge and experiences between various partner organizations.
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