<figure><img src="image_261.png" /></figure>

MOVEMENT

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EDUCATION

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PRACTICE

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LIVING LAB

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SCIENCE

<figure><img src="image_266.png" /></figure>

http://www.ba.undp.org

INITIATIVE N°3 – UNDP BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

# UNDP BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina on issues that relate to agroecology at a national level for at least 15 years, with a country-wide geographical scope. With headquarters in the city of Sarajevo, it functions as a formal, private institution cooperating with government partners and a network of other development agencies and national NGOs.

A major source of its budget is European Union funds. In this country's context, UNDP was chosen as a movement for its role in developing and implementing mission-driven work at a national scale. It also works with policymakers to promote the implementation of initiatives that enable long-term, systemic change. Even though UNDP's work does not involve grassroots mobilisation, it does respond to a social problem, namely a vacuum of appropriate expertise of public institutions in the country in areas related to agroecology, a lack of support on the ground, and extremely limited public funding.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Main goals:** community and farming development, farming innovation, linkages between producers and consumers, lobbying, landscape and environmental conservation, education and training and market access

* **Founded in:** 1996

* **Type of organisation:** International NGO

* **Farming sectors:** arable, livestock, fruits, vegetables, wine and diversification activities (e.g., mushrooms, medicinal herbs)

* **Scale of the organisation:** national

Four main programmes that intersect with agroecology are led by UNDP, each lasting several years and operating primarily with EU funds: EU4Agri<fnref n="42" /> and EU4Business<fnref n="43" />, which are complemented by two further EU Recovery projects. All together, they have a budget of approximately 34 million euros. All four initiatives focus on economic circularity, increasing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by focusing on improving its sustainability, and strengthening and diversifying the rural economy. They include various aspects of technical assistance, strengthening institutional frameworks, know-how, and institutional partners, and work to develop strategic frameworks and policies for the country looking towards the EU Green Deal as an overall guiding document to align with EU strategic frameworks. One of the programmes also focuses on regenerative agriculture. UNDP's leading programme, EU4AGRI, invests in primary production and processing capacities to strengthen market efficiency and strengthen advisory and extension services for the purpose of knowledge sharing and skills development.

UNDP does not use the term "agroecology" in this country's context, but it does engage in work that relates to agroecological issues, such as protecting the environment, especially biodiversity, supporting short value chains, and providing support to businesses with green commitments. It also deals with the cross-cutting issue of gender in the agricultural sector. It supports the agroecological principles of diversity, synergies, efficiency, recycling, resilience, human and social values, responsible governance, and circular economy.

<footnote n="42">⁴² https://eu4agri.ba/en/</footnote>

<footnote n="43">⁴³ https://eu4business.eu/</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_267.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 2:** Agricultural specialists at work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Source: UNDP – EU4AGRI.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_268.png" /></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

It was not possible to identify the presence of authentically agroecological movements in the country, and an over-reliance on international NGOs to take up movement-like work. Therefore, the work of UNDP may be considered as filling an important temporary role in the absence of national/local movements. UNDP's actions might also be seen as potentially laying a foundation or framework that would enable local movements to develop in the future.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

<figure><img src="image_269.png" /></figure>

**EDUCATION:** Most of the country's farms are small in size, which is a challenge for market competitiveness, but they provide other market, community, and environmental opportunities. UNDP is training smallholder farmers to improve small-scale production, move away from unsustainable use of chemicals, and follow international standards. It is also offering support for organic practices.

<figure><img src="image_270.png" /></figure>

**ENERGY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT:** UNDP has funded several projects regarding installing renewable energy sources on farms, e.g., solar panels for production facilities, reducing and recycling waste.

<figure><img src="image_271.png" /></figure>

**NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:** Natural resources in the country represent a key opportunity for marketing agroecological products nationally and abroad, and UNDP is investing and training in this area.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

<figure><img src="image_272.png" /></figure>

**EDUCATION:** People are often reluctant to adapt new practices, methods and technologies unless they are shown to be successful with on-the-ground examples.

<figure><img src="image_273.png" /></figure>

**GOVERNANCE:** The agricultural sector in the country is highly politicised, which influences policy-making, limits national-level coordination, and impairs progress in this sector.

<figure><img src="image_274.png" /></figure>

**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** The majority of local consumers are not willing to pay more for organic products, which is a disincentive for producers to go towards organic farming.
<figure><img src="image_275.png" /></figure>

PRACTICE

<figure><img src="image_276.png" /></figure>

EDUCATION

<figure><img src="image_277.png" /></figure>

LIVING LAB

<figure><img src="image_278.png" /></figure>

SCIENCE

<figure><img src="image_279.png" /></figure>

MOVEMENT

INITIATIVE N°4 – EKOJASMINA

<figure><img src="image_280.png" /></figure>

eko
JASMINA

INSTAGRAM: @eko.jasmina

EKOJASMINA

EkoJasmina is a small-scale business in the city of Mostar, founded six years ago by one local woman, now cooperating with her family and 70 people (12 families) from the area in agricultural production. EkoJasmina produces and distributes fresh, organic vegetables and fruit, primarily in and around Mostar, but also across the country. It also has a small store in Mostar, in addition to other sales channels (e.g., via social media).

Currently, EkoJasmina produces 70-80 different types of organic vegetables. Taking advantage of farmland both in the Mediterranean climate and in the more temperate nearby mountains, they also have more than 3,000 fruit trees including plums, apples, cherries, pears, nectarines, peaches, and apricots. The farm team is also engaged in informal education and community-building, including among those employees who are from diverse backgrounds in an area which is otherwise considered to be segregated.

KEY FEATURES

* **Agroecological practices concerned:** input reduction, soil health, biodiversity and economic diversification

* **Founded in:** 2015

* **Farming sectors concerned:** horticulture (vegetables and fruit)

* **Lead organisation:** EkoJasmina

* **Number of stakeholders involved:** more than 70

* **Scale of the initiative:** local

Though not formally a farmer association or cooperative (there appear to be limited examples of active, formal organic or agroecological cooperatives in the country), they could be considered a grassroots cooperative in some aspects. This is especially the case since they want to have direct and fair relations with customers and employees, and also in terms of how they view their future community ambitions.

EkoJasmina began by finding a niche market. The business started on social media with a survey of people in the community to find out what they need in terms of food, and the business plan was organised accordingly. Parents were ready to support the initiative, allowing them to quickly form a social media group with 5,000 followers and start arranging production and deliveries immediately. EkoJasmina built trust with local customers over a couple of years by taking orders via social media and by doing synchronous deliveries to a central point in town. When the store opened in Mostar, growth continued and they are now trying to find ways to keep up with the high demand.

EkoJasmina today trains others in organic farming through direct learning on the farm. Likewise, through direct sales and connecting with people personally, EkoJasmina tries to inform and educate consumers and the wider community about ecological production. Though the word "agroecology" is not regularly used by EkoJasmina to describe their approach and products, agroecological principles in practices are taking place, mainly through the forms of input reduction, protection of soil health and biodiversity, and economic diversification. EkoJasmina more often uses other words like organic farming and ecological agriculture. They are in the process of becoming organically certified in BiH.
Other than the community customers who are the main source of ongoing support for the business, some financial help has come from private investors, mainly from the USA. USAID also bought them agricultural material such as the most emission-reduced tractor available. However, so far, they have received no support from the state. Due to a perceived lack of relevant networks in the country, EkoJasmina is not part of a formal collaboration or cooperative. In the future, EkoJasmina plans to set up a special sales system for local farmers who want to transition to organic. During the transition period, they aim to help them manage production. In addition, they want the whole village (Višići) to become eco-producers. The team is also overcoming political divisions through co-working and celebrating all religious holidays (Islamic, Serbian Orthodox, Catholic) together. They also aim to be the first plastic-free shop in the country, and have already taken steps in this direction.

<figure><img src="image_281.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_282.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 3:** EkoJasmina's founder presents some of their eco-friendly farm products. Source: EkoJasmina.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

EkoJasmina built a sustainable, fair, organic business based on direct relationships in the community, and has also influenced and educated its networks, especially local farmers and consumers. The business is a living example of how to creatively and successfully build and implement an agroecological practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the participation of local stakeholders. It also illustrates what the barriers to starting up and succeeding in this challenging country context are, and where community support is important.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

<figure><img src="image_283.png" /></figure>

**COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR COLLECTIVE:** EkoJasmina perceives itself as having a fair relationship with employees. They try to promote mutual care, involvement in decision making, good wages (double the market wage) among employees, and aim to structure the work equitably, according to individual capacities. They also have direct relationships and sales with consumers, welcoming feedback and offering products suited to the needs of the community.

<figure><img src="image_284.png" /></figure>

**EDUCATION:** EkoJasmina's approach to its community of growers and the community at large is building local skills and knowledge in organic agriculture.

<figure><img src="image_285.png" /></figure>

**NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:** EkoJasmina avoids the use of chemicals, and thus protects pollinators and the overall ecosystem.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

<figure><img src="image_286.png" /></figure>

**ENERGY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT:** There is a lack of sources for alternative packaging materials in the country, slowing down EkoJasmina's ambitions to become the first plastic-free shop in BiH.

<figure><img src="image_287.png" /></figure>

**SOCIETY AND EQUITY:** EkoJasmina is interested in working with collective projects and networks, but there are a lack of opportunities.

<figure><img src="image_288.png" /></figure>

**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** 70-80% of the initiative's revenue goes to the state through taxes instead of being reinvested in production, without any important state financial or other support in return.
<figure><img src="image_289.png" /></figure>

PRACTICE

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MOVEMENT

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LIVING LAB

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SCIENCE

<figure><img src="image_293.png" /></figure>

EDUCATION

<figure><img src="image_294.png" /></figure>

Facebook: @Zabacpovrce

## INITIATIVE N°5 – ŽABAC POVRĆE

# ŽABAC POVRĆE

Žabac Povrće is a small, family-run farming operation dedicated to vegetable production and selling located in Gradiška. The production is organised and based on environmentally responsible methods using tools and techniques from permaculture and other similar approaches. Žabac is now entering its fifth year of operation. Its main motivation and goals are to produce healthy food, learn through practice and act as a demonstration site. Žabac Povrće sells their produce directly and one of its aims is to contribute to create a network connecting themselves and end-users. Žabac Povrće is a member of an organisation of organic producers on a municipal level.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Agroecological practices concerned:** zero inorganic chemicals used

* **Founded in:** 2018

* **Farming sectors concerned:** vegetable production

* **Leading organisation:** Žabac Povrće

* **Scale of the initiative:** local

Up until now, their only funding was derived from sales of the produce, plus briefly through a grant from CARITAS to favour employment. At the moment, the farm is mostly run by three people.

The farm is based on ecological principles, employing biodynamic and permaculture techniques. They do not use the term "agroecology" itself, but the concepts utilised and overall approach does match with the approaches and principles of agroecology.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

The demonstration network Erbse/Bohne involved many stakeholders and showed the importance of increasing the share of beans and peas. The project aim was to analyse the impact of including legumes in crop rotations (in terms of yield, financial gain, reduction of pesticides, etc.) and to disseminate the obtained knowledge.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

<figure><img src="image_295.png" /></figure>

**COOPERATION:** Their approach utilises a short distribution market, as their produce is sold and delivered personally and directly via social media and communication applications.

<figure><img src="image_296.png" /></figure>

**HEALTH:** This initiative uses techniques/practices that avoid contamination of soil, water and air (e.g., biological pesticides, organic manure, pest nets), while trying to have the smallest possible negative influence on local biodiversity and the ecosystem, including the soil.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

<figure><img src="image_297.png" /></figure>

EU COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR COLLECTIVE: The major issue at the moment is achieving and assuring profitability. The current legislative landscape is among the main reasons why profitability is harder to reach, especially for farmers who employ an agroecological approach (e.g., a lot of useful organic pest repelling products are still illegal to import). The current subsidy system in BiH favours industrially grown products which attracts consumers who, for the most part, have relatively low purchasing power.
<figure><img src="image_298.png" /></figure>

SCIENCE

<figure><img src="image_299.png" /></figure>

EDUCATION

<figure><img src="image_300.png" /></figure>

PRACTICE

<figure><img src="image_301.png" /></figure>

MOVEMENT

<figure><img src="image_302.png" /></figure>

LIVING LAB

INITIATIVE N°6 – SMART WATER

SMART WATER

PROMOTING SMART AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

http://www.smartwater-project.eu/

# SMART WATER
## PROMOTING SMART AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT IN BIH

The Smartwater project officially started in January 2021, and will last until the end of 2023. The project "aims to boost adoption of smart water management techniques in BiH agriculture, in order to address issues like climate change and drought that prevent national agriculture improvement". The lead partner is the University of Banja Luka, and among the activities and outputs is the promotion of twinning activities with other international organisations and reinforcing networking, research, science, and technology cooperation. Overall, the initiative will involve up to 100 experts across six partners from different countries. Of great importance is the capacity development of their staff, especially younger employees, as well as networking with farmers, experts and other stakeholders. The financing comes from the European Commission, via the Horizon 2020 programme.

Field research in BiH will be on the introduction of corn irrigation, as this crop is traditionally not irrigated in BiH, and using remote-sensing smart technology to enable farmers to sustainably manage and reduce water and other inputs (e.g., fertilisers). The project is related to agroecology in terms of its emphasis on input reduction and wise use of resources, albeit the key phrase used is "ecological efficiency".

## KEY FEATURES

* **Main goals:** to support and enhance the adoption of smart water management techniques in BiH agriculture in order to enhance climate change adaptation in agriculture

* **Started:** 2021

* **Main topics:** water management, capacity raising, sensing technologies, climate change adaptation in agriculture

* **Lead organisation:** University of Banja Luka

* **Type of actors involved:** scientists, farmers, local stakeholders.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

Banja Luka's Agricultural Faculty uses scientific approaches to enhance sustainability in agriculture, and could be a suitable partner for future initiatives and further interlinkages with agroecology.
## 5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

The term "agroecology" is not well-known in BiH and is primarily recognised only within science and higher education, but even there only to a very low degree. However, in each activity category investigated, many approaches and guiding principles that relate to agroecology, particularly around environmental protection and sustainability, could be found. Thus a foundation for the further development of agroecology seems to be present, even if weak in its current state. Other than a lack of knowledge and recognition of the term and the concept, rural out-migration, the ageing of villages and rural population, and brain drain were mentioned across sectors as some of the strongest barriers to the development of agroecology in the country, along with a lack of sufficient financing and other forms of support in science, education and training, and production. Other frequently mentioned barriers are producer preconceptions on the low cost-effectiveness and success rate of agroecological practices, and a complicated political context which affects relevant policies. In this respect, corruption was also mentioned several times. Grassroots movements and living labs associated with agroecology appear to be absent or weak, with an over-reliance on international NGOs as change-making actors.

BiH is perceived by most key informants and interviewees from initiatives to be far behind other European countries, not only in terms of agroecological developments, but also for organic agriculture. Associations of small, ecologically-oriented producers operate mostly informally and among close-knit communities and groups. There appear to be few examples of established producer-consumer cooperatives (none of which were available for interview), even if cooperative or solidarity modes of exchange may exist informally.

BiH is highly rural and most rural households produce food even if they are not earning from it, which may offer hidden advantages for the future of agroecology in the country. Furthermore, the country is perceived by interviewees to have a great potential for the development of agroecology, insofar as it is perceived to be rich in predisposing biophysical conditions and natural resources. Promoting agroecology through successful living examples, both at the farm level and association/cooperative level, seems to be the most important factor in increasing awareness, understanding, and increasing the number of initiatives. Furthermore, increasing grassroots motivation and capacity to articulate and sustain movements and form cooperative endeavours appears key in rooting agroecology at the ground level and scaling it up, rather than relying on international NGOs. However, in the meantime, these NGOs may be in the strongest position to spread knowledge about agroecology and organise and finance training. However, this runs the further risk of dependency on short-term funding which is usually tied to transnational policies and priorities, as well as dependency on external actors who are not rooted in communities in the long term. Domestic organic and eco-producer cooperatives and associations are important in this regard. Finally, legislative and budget changes are needed to support and scale-up agroecology in practice, science, education and training. Further research and action on agroecology might focus on both established and informal producer groups and the communities and consumer networks in which they are embedded, as they could be strengthened and regarded as a platform for further developments.
Further exacerbating the situation on the policy side is that sustainable agricultural development, like many other topics, is highly politicised. This limits national-level coordination and impairs progress. On the side of the farmers and the rural population, the development of local, grassroots movements outside the frame of international civil society organisations may be further limited by the heavy emigration from BiH, especially from rural areas (II-06). Currently, the backbone of the practice activity category appears to be strongly motivated individuals, quite often driven by principles and curiosity. All the interviewees have expressed the opinion that agroecology has the potential to further develop in BiH thanks to the resources provided by the region's environmental and climatic factors and to the potentials of high-quality, sustainable food exports if such farming was grown to a larger scale.

The interviewees recognise a lack of media coverage on agroecological issues and the weak state of overall knowledge exchange and uptake within science and between science and other spheres. Scientists do, however, view themselves as playing a role in bridging those gaps, and view strong empirical results as key for uptake in society, especially among the farming community.

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thank you to all the participants of this study for your time, expertise and inspiring engagement in the different initiatives. Thanks also go to the reviewers who helped enrich this document.

The authors are thankful to Jessica Donham for proofreading this report.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No101000478.

## REFERENCES

Agroecology Europe, 2020. Agroecology initiatives in Europe. https://www.agroecology-europe.org/mapping-of-agroecology-initiatives-in-eu/. 232 pages.

Balogh, L., Katalin, R., Balazs, B., 2020. Mapping agroecology in Hungary. https://www.agroecology-europe.org/mapping-agroecology-initiatives-hungary/

Carey, H.F., Richmond, O.P., 2003. Mitigating conflict: The role of NGOs. Routledge, London, England. 192 pages.

CERAI, 2019. CERAI - Sistemas alimentarios territorializados en España 100 iniciativas locales para una alimentación responsable y sostenible.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 2021. Family Farming Knowledge Platform: Bosnia and Herzegovina. http://www.fao.org/family-farming/countries/BIH/en/ (retrieved August 2021) & https://www.fao.org/family-farming/countries/en/ (retrieved March 2022).

Lernoud, J., Willer, H., 2019. Statistics, Organic Agricultural Land. In Willer, H., Lernoud, J. (Eds.), The world of organic agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM Organics International. Frick, Switzerland and Bonn, Germany, pp. 43-86.

Mujčinović, A., Nikolić, A., Uzunović, M, 2017. Small scale organic farmers – source of growth in the Bosnia and Herzegovina agri-food sector. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference "Strategies for the Agri-Food Sector and Rural Areas – Dilemmas of Development", Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, National Research Institute, Stary Licheń, Poland, pp. 19-21.

Puška, A., Pamucar, D., Stojanovic, I., Cavallaro, F., Kaklauskas, A., Mardani, A., 2021. Examination of the sustainable rural tourism potential of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina using a fuzzy approach based on group decision making. Sustainability 13(2), 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020583

Šeremešić, S., Jovovic, Ž., Jug, D., Djikic, M., Mirha, Dolijanović, Z, Bavec, F., Jordanovska, S., Bavec, M., Đurđević, B. & Jug, I, 2021. Agroecology in the West Balkans: pathway of development and future perspectives. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 45, 1-33.

Wezel, A., Casagrande, M., Celette, F., Vian, J.-F., Ferrer, A., Peigné, J., 2014. Agroecological practices for sustainable agriculture. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 34, 1-20.

Wezel, A., Soldat, V., 2009. A quantitative and qualitative historical analysis of the scientific discipline of agroecology. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 7, 3-18.
MAPPING AGROECOLOGY IN
BULGARIA

**AUTHOR:** Ralitsa Shentova, Agroecology Europe.

**CONTRIBUTOR:** Gloriya Marinova, Agroecology Europe.

**EXTERNAL REVIEWER:** Vladislav H. Popov, Agricultural University of Plovdiv.

**REVIEWERS:** Baptiste Grard and Alexander Wezel, ISARA; Vasileios Gkisakis, ELGO-DIMITRA.

**TO CITE:** Shentova R., Marinova G. (2023). Mapping agroecology in Bulgaria. In: Wezel, A., Grard, B. and Gkisakis, V. (eds). Mapping agroecology in Europe. Country Reports Series, Vol. 1, ISARA, Lyon, France; Agroecology Europe, Corbais, Belgium.

<figure><img src="image_303.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_304.png" /></figure>

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No101000478.

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.

More information about the H2020-Agroecology for Europe project can be found here: www.ae4eu.eu

<figure><img src="image_305.png" /></figure>
BULGARIA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Agroecology in Bulgaria is largely understood as a set of practices at the farm level. Before the term came into wider use through the Rural Development Programmes of the European Union, it was introduced by academia such as the Agricultural University of Plovdiv and the University of Forestry in Sofia. In Bulgarian policies, the word "агроекология", which would literally translate as 'agroecology', is used when translating 'agri-environment' from English. Thus, agroecology in the country mostly refers to the payments which farmers receive to voluntarily adopt agri-environmental measures as a part of the aforementioned programmes.

The development of agroecology in Bulgaria gained momentum in the 1990s and early 2000s. By then, scientific institutions were familiar with the term, conducting research and teaching the subject. Various NGOs and movements were also working on promoting alternative agricultural methods, particularly organic agriculture. Currently, agroecology is promoted by movements that focus on organic agriculture, biodiversity protection, preserving traditional varieties, and shortening the link between consumers and producers. Further, financial support for agroecology comes only from subsidies related to the Rural Development Programmes' agri-environment measures at the farm level (larger introduction of nitrogen-fixing crops, anti-erosion measures, crop rotations, grassing the inter-rows of orchards, protein crops, organic farming, support for water-living birds, etc.). Most of these, however, lack monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. This contributes to the public's lack of understanding of their impact, and an attitude of mistrust regarding their implementation and the quality of the products. As a consequence, the term 'agroecology' has a negative connotation for the general public and farmers. Local demand for non-conventional produce is low and public procurement contracts are still granted to conventional food.

These are all reasons why many farmers and producers are reluctant to formally engage in alternative forms of agriculture or be associated with the term 'agroecology', even if they follow its practices and principles in their work. Usually smaller, family-owned farms use different agroecological practices, whereas many of the subsidies for agri-environmental measures go to larger farms. Farmer cooperatives and networks around agroecology are uncommon and civil society actors often lead agroecological initiatives. Within the scientific field, Bulgarian institutes have been actively participating in European research projects related to the topic. Further, outside of formal educational programmes at universities and vocational schools,
farmers, and practitioners can obtain knowledge on agroecology via courses by foundations or centres for vocational training. Transdisciplinary projects related to agroecology also exist, but none of them are developed as living labs, although this concept is gaining more support recently.

Building capacity, raising awareness, developing transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and strengthening local markets for non-conventional produce to ensure a more resilient economic environment for farmers and producers, are needed in order to overcome the main challenges related to agroecology, which this research identified. This could be achieved by preparing a robust policy framework for integrated multi-level governance, which could also outline specific objectives and define budgets. The desire to shift towards a more sustainable agriculture is present within Bulgaria, especially within civil society movements, but it is clear that there needs to be more stable support from state institutions, and local and regional governments, which is focused on long-term goals.
BULGARIA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (IN BULGARIAN)

България, агроекологията е разбирана като набор от практики, които се извършват от земеделци. Преду понятието да навлезе в по-широка употреба чрез програмите за развитие на селските райони на Европейския съюз, то първоначално се използва в академичните среди, например от Аграрния университет в Пловдив и Лесотехническия университет в София. Значението на термина „агроекология” предимно се свързва с плащанията, които се отпускат на земеделски стопани за изпълнението на агроекологични мерки от гореспоменатите програми.

Развитието на агроекологията в България набира скорост в края на 20-ти и началото на 21-ви век. Позната е като дисциплина в научните среди още от 80-те години, когато се провеждат научни изследвания и преподаване по темата. През 90-те, различни неправителствени организации и движения започват популяризирането на алтернативни земеделски практики, особено биологичното земеделие. Понастоящем агроекологията се насърчава чрез дейностите на движения и организации, които се фокусират върху биоземеделие, запазване на традиционните сортове, скъсяване на връзката между производителите и потребителите и опазването на биоразнообразието. Подпомагането за агроекология идва само от субсидиите за мерките по програмите за развитие на селските райони. Повечето мерки обаче нямат механизми за наблюдение и оценка. Това допринася за липса на доверие в изпълнението им, в качеството на неконвенционалните земеделски продукти, както и липса на разбиране на смисъла от такива мерки. По тези причини, понятието „агроекология” има негативна конотация. Местният пазар за подобни продукти е малък, а обществените поръчки все още се възлагат на производители, които практикуват конвенционално земеделие.

Това са някои от причините, поради които производителите не се заемат с алтернативни методи на земеделие и избягват термина „агроекология”, дори и да следват агроекологични практики и принципи. Обикновено по-малки, семейни стопанства практикуват агроекология, а много от субсидиите отиват при по-големи производители. Мрежи и кооперативи на агроекологични земеделци са рядко срещани. Агроекологични инициативи често са водени от гражданското общество. По отношение на агроекологията в науката, български институти са активни в европейски проекти по темата. Освен в университети и професионални училища, знания за агроекология могат да бъдат придобити и чрез курсове от фондации или центрове за професионално обучение. Съществуват трансдисциплинарни проекти, свързани с агроекологията, които не са напълно развити като живи лаборатории, но тази идея набира популярност.

За справяне с основните предизвикателства пред развитието на агроекологията в страната са нужни изграждане на капацитет, повишаване на осведомеността, разработване на прозрачни механизми за мониторинг и оценка и укрепване на местния пазар на неконвенционални земеделски продукти, за да се осигури по-сигурна икономическа среда за производителите. Това изисква подготвянето на политическа рамка за интегрирано многостепенно управление, в която са описани ясни цели и има определен бюджет за тях. Налице е желанието за преминаване към по-устойчиво земеделие, особено в гражданското общество, но това проучване показва, че трябва да има по-стабилно подпомагане от държавните институции, както и местните и регионалните власти, което да е съсредоточено върху дългосрочни цели.

<footnote n="44">⁴⁴ На английски съществува разлика между agroecology и agri-environment, като agri-environmental се използва за мерките по програмите за развитие на селските райони, докато agroecology (което би било по-близък превод на „агроекология”) има по-широко значение (описано във Wezel et al., 2009).</footnote>
# 1. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The information regarding key informants in Bulgaria are summarised in Table 1.

<table><caption>**Table 1:** List of key informants in Bulgaria.</caption><thead><tr><th>Key informant nº</th><th>Type of organisation</th><th>Main sector of involvement</th><th colspan="3">ACTIVITY CATEGORY CONCERNED</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>NGO / Research - university</td><td>Rural development</td><td>People</td><td>Discussion</td><td>People</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>NGO</td><td>Organic agriculture</td><td>People</td><td>Discussion</td><td>House</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Research - university</td><td>Agroecology</td><td>Lab</td><td>Discussion</td><td>House</td></tr></tbody></table>

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# 2. CONTEXT

Before the Second World War, land ownership in Bulgaria was fragmented - most farms were small and produced largely for their own consumption. The political and socioeconomic changes that followed meant that by 1989 agriculture consisted predominantly of large-scale mechanised farms organised into cooperatives that produced for national consumption, as well as export (Meurs and Bogushev, 2008). The focus was on modernization and the implementation of current scientific models (Marinova and Nenovsky, 2020). At the time, there were many active agricultural institutes working to make agriculture more efficient, by doing activities such as breeding and studying new crop varieties (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). A small fraction (14% in 1987) of land, mainly in the mountainous regions of central and southwest Bulgaria, remained unowned by the state. In that period, rural households were allocated plots that could be farmed to supplement their salaries. From 1989 onwards, after the redistribution of property rights, the share of agricultural land owned by individuals increased (Meurs and Bogushev, 2008). However, due to the quick and disorganised transformation of the agricultural sector, labour-intensive and value adding activities (such as animal breeding and fruit and vegetable cultures), and family farms have been disappearing ever since (Velikov, 2013). The overall amount of land utilised for agriculture fell significantly at this time. After the transition, the vast majority of land owners continued subsistence farming within about half a hectare of their land, and rented or sold the rest to share-holding companies, cooperatives, or other farmers (Meurs and Bogushev, 2008). In 2017, 1.5% of Bulgarian farms managed over 82% of the useful agricultural surface (Defourny, 2017). In mountainous regions with no prior mechanised grain production, land is still mostly utilised by small family farms (Meurs and Bogushev, 2008).

From 1989 onwards, the understanding and use of the term 'agroecology' in the country increased. Agroecology practice was, and is, oriented toward reducing the negative environmental impacts from agricultural intensification and learning about the benefits of extensive agriculture (Kirechev, 2012). (BGR-KI-3, Table 1). In academia, the understanding of agroecology as an analysis of agroecosystems in 'connection' with different aspects of the environment, including human activity, has existed for many years (BGR-KI-3, Table 1). This can be seen in the work of the Agricultural University in Plovdiv, south central Bulgaria, from that time period.
The concept of agroecology entered policymaking spheres after 2000, when agroecological measures began to be implemented as a part of rural development programmes (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-3, Table 1; Moudrý et al., 2018). In Bulgarian policies, the term which literally translates to 'agroecology' ("агроекология") is often used when translating what we understand as 'agri-environment' in English (BGR-KI-1, Table 1). Thus, the current overall understanding of agroecology in the country is that it refers to the agri-environmental measures which are included in these programmes (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-3, Table 1). These measures include conservation, sustainable use and development of genetic resources in agriculture, and sustainable management of agricultural lands in proximity to natural areas (Kirechev, 2012). In addition, the adoption of agri-environmental measures is linked with the development of organic agriculture in Bulgaria. Many equate the term agroecology with organic agriculture (Moudrý et al., 2018). There are overlaps in these principles, but this may also be due to the fact that policies related to both were introduced at approximately the same time. Further, organisations which worked on promoting these practices (described further under the movement activity category) started in the 1990s by advocating for organic agriculture.

When it comes to policies related to agroecology, the first relevant legislation was the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD), which was established by the European Union to support countries in Central and Eastern Europe with structural adjustment issues in their agricultural sectors and rural areas (SAPARD<fnref n="45" />). In the SAPARD programme period 2000-2006, Bulgaria implemented a National Agriculture and Rural Development Plan (NARDP) with measures that supported organic agriculture for fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs, fodder crops, the protection of four heritage livestock breeds, the sustainable management of areas close to natural meadows, pastures, and wetlands, and the maintenance and implementation of anti-erosion practices (Kirechev, 2012). However, these measures came into action only in the final year of the program and only four pilot projects were realised (Kirechev, 2012). During the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in the period that followed (2007-2013), the National Plan for Development of Organic Farming (NPDOF) and the National Agri-Environmental Programme (NAEP) – which uses the word that in Bulgarian literally translates to ‘agroecology’ – were implemented. The main goals outlined in NPDOF were the development of a market for organic produce (both local and for export), research and training opportunities, certification and control systems, and legislation to support the organic sector, as well as to increase the amount of land that is farmed organically. (Republic of Bulgaria, 2006). The NAEP was implemented under the agri-environmental payment measures of the RDP and focused on payments to farmers who adopt measures on a voluntary basis (Republic of Bulgaria, 2011). It was largely based on the SAPARD agri-environmental measures (Kirechev, 2012). Thus, the areas of focus in the RDP programme period of 2007-2013 included organic agriculture for all types of crops and beekeeping, the protection of 27 heritage breeds, mountain herding, restoration and sustainable management of high value nature farmland areas, soil erosion control, crop rotation and maintenance of traditional orchards (Kirechev, 2012; Republic of Bulgaria, 2011). Payments to farmers as a part of the NAEP were launched in 2008 and continued to increase, with 58% more in 2011 compared to 2008 (FAO, 2016). Lastly, under the RDP of 2014-2020, the measures that are considered relevant for agroecology are Measure 10 ‘Agroecology and climate’ and 11 ‘Organic Farming’ (Moudrý et al., 2018). These measures are continuations of the agri-environmental payments of the previous RDP (Republic of Bulgaria, 2015). The RDP period of 2014-2020 is also the first time EU legislation used the English term ‘agroecology’. Since the early 2000s, rapid development in organic farming, especially for crops more than livestock, has been observed in Bulgaria. Its growth, in part, is seen as a response to an increase in subsidised crops and exports to other European countries (Dimitrov and Ivanova, 2017).

<footnote n="45">⁴⁵ https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/policy/glossary/terms/sapard_en</footnote>
Various NGOs, foundations and informal associations support agroecology and develop projects related to its different aspects for all stakeholders, while the main beneficiaries of agri-environmental payments are farmers. In order to receive such subsidies, farmers are required to have relevant qualifications, such as having attended an agricultural vocational school, university (Moudrý et al., 2018). Agroecological policy is administered by the Ministry of Environment and Water; the State Fund's 'Agricultural' programme; the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry department's 'Rural Development', 'Crop Production', and 'Organic Production' programmes; and the National Agricultural Advisory Service (Moudrý et al., 2018). The National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS)<fnref n="46" /> is part of the Agricultural Academy and provides free advice, training, and other services for the implementation of agroecological measures.

## Practice and public perceptions

There is a rather insufficient understanding of the benefits of applying agroecological practices. Key informants suggest that the study programmes in many agricultural institutes are not up to date with sustainability matters or the latest technologies (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Thus, the level of knowledge of the National Agricultural Advisory Service consultants on agroecology seems to be insufficient and any existing links they have with agribusiness may affect their advisory services (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). There is a general shortage of skilled employees and workers, both in scientific institutions and working in the field, which is largely due to a lack of state funding into such activities and the industry has particularly low wages (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Farmers, especially older ones, prefer to continue farming in the ways they are familiar with (BGR-KI-3, Table 1). According to a key informant, the aforementioned issues and gaps exist because of ill-defined or insufficient funding for capacity-building and education (BGR-KI-2, Table 1).

There is also a general lack of transparent monitoring and evaluation in many agri-environmental measures due to the absence of defined indicators and goals (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Measures that do have some form of monitoring and evaluation, such as the preservation of heritage livestock, can be considered successful (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). On the other hand, the benefits of measures such as those related to preserving natural areas on agricultural lands are unclear (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Perhaps, this is due to the general belief that exists in Bulgaria that there is corruption and a waste of resources wherever subsidies are involved (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Moreover, the state's efforts to promote agricultural goods which are produced in non-conventional ways on the local market are vastly insufficient, and public procurement contracts continue to be granted to conventionally produced foods (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Scholars have observed this for organic products, and although local demand is slowly increasing (Agapieva, 2015; Dimitrov and Ivanova, 2017), most of these products are still destined for export (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry, 2021). Overall, there is a lack of awareness and mistrust among the public about the quality of non-conventional agricultural products and the demand remains very low.

For these reasons, some producers who implement agroecological principles are not keen to be associated with the term 'agroecology' due to its connotation to subsidies (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Further, many producers that engage in such practices are too small to receive such payments due to the bureaucracy and numerous regulations attached to them (BGR-KI-1, Table 1). Agroecology is not a driving concept for them, as they employ other related concepts and terms (e.g. permaculture, short food supply chains, organic agriculture). Lastly, since the market demand for organic and agroecological produce is still small, farmer practices are strongly motivated by the presence of subsidies.

<footnote n="46">⁴⁶ https://www.naas.government.bg/en</footnote>
A vast amount of subsidies continue to go to large farms, most of which are located in Dobruja (Danube plain) and Southern Bulgaria (Thracian plain) (BGR-KI-2 & BGR-KI-3, Table 1). On the other hand, agroecological practices can be found in regions with more preserved natural areas (e.g. the central Balkan mountains). This is due to the fact that these areas maintained traditional methods of production and agriculture was not widely mechanised (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Agroecological practices can also be found around larger cities such as Sofia, Varna, Burgas, and Plovdiv, likely due to the fact that there is a higher demand for alternative ways of consumption and production (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Due to all of these factors, among the general public, as well as farmers and producers, there is a lack of understanding of what agroecology entails and, even more so, why it is important.

# 3. CURRENT SITUATION OF AGROECOLOGY

## 3.1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

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When Bulgaria was a socialist republic, agricultural education and science were actively supported by the state and focused on modernisation. Today, agriculture-related institutes and schools remain, but the curricula of many are outdated. For example, teaching about agricultural machinery which is no longer in use or the lack of discussions around sustainable agriculture (BGR-KI-2, Table 1).

The Agricultural University in Plovdiv was the first university where courses connected to agroecology were offered as part of bachelor and master degree programmes (Moudrý et al., 2018). The Agroecological Centre at the University<fnref n="47" /> was established in 1987 in order to carry out research, training activities and to work with researchers, farmers, and consumers to help the development of organic agriculture and agroecology in Bulgaria. The Faculty of Agronomy at the University of Forestry in Sofia (west of Bulgaria) includes agroecology in the 'General agriculture' course, which is included in the 'Agronomy' and 'Plant Protection' bachelor programmes<fnref n="48" />, and there is even a 'Special agroecology' course<fnref n="49" />. Other institutions include agroecology in their general agriculture courses or offer agroecology training in their centres for continued education, which are supporting units of the universities or centres for professional education (Moudrý et al., 2018). For example, in 2019, the Agricultural Academy offered a course in agroecology at its Vocational Training Centre (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry, 2020). The Agricultural Academy also runs demonstration sites and carries out workshops in the field of agroecology (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry, 2021).

Apart from public institutions, the foundation BIOSELENA, which works on the development of organic agriculture in Bulgaria, has a Centre for Professional Training (licensed by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training) that includes courses in agroecology and organic agriculture. There are also other centres for vocational training which offer qualifications in agroecology (e.g. Harmonia<fnref n="50" />).

In conclusion, educational and training activities in agroecology exist in formal academic institutions, through vocational training centres and in other organisations. The understanding of agroecology in most training remains at the field, farm, and agroecosystem scale.

<footnote n="47">⁴⁷ https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/</footnote>

<footnote n="48">⁴⁸ https://ltu.bg/en/faculty-of-agronomy/departments/agriculture-and-herbology/classes/3479-%D1%BB-general-agriculture-a,-pp</footnote>

<footnote n="49">⁴⁹ https://ltu.bg/en/faculty-of-agronomy/departments/agriculture-and-herbology/classes/3500-%D1%BB-special-agroecology-cp</footnote>

<footnote n="50">⁵⁰ Harmonia, n.d. Licensed Specialties - https://www.harmonia1.com/en/article/licensed-specialties</footnote>
## 3.2. LIVING LAB

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The concept of living labs is novel in Bulgaria, which is why there are currently no active agricultural living labs. However, the concept is gaining popularity and the creation of a living lab is currently being discussed at the Agricultural University of Plovdiv. Moreover, the Agroecological Centre at the university has elements of a living lab, although they do not identify as one. Besides being part of a research institution and offering training for students and farmers, the Centre also accommodates field trials for companies to test new biological fertilisers, bio-pesticides, and new crop varieties better adapted to climate change. These results are then showcased to farmers as part of the Centre's goal of being a demonstration, education, practice, and research site. Therefore, the Centre's work is transdisciplinary and is increasingly engaging with stakeholders and providing additional activities. However, it is still more a demonstration and education site than a living lab.

## 3.3. MOVEMENT

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In Bulgaria, agroecology – as it is largely understood as a set of practices at the farm level – is intertwined with movements which deal with environmental protection or extensive agriculture (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-3, Table 1). Therefore, while there are individual farmers and producers who employ agroecological production methods, they are normally not organised in networks or part of movements.

On the other hand, organisations that represent movements which are not directly in the agri-food sector have worked to promote agroecology in various ways. For example, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds are involved in raising awareness about, and supporting producers with, agri-environmental measures, as well as the conservation of high value nature areas. Another example is the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation which works on biodiversity conservation, with producers and farmer markets.

Up until the turn of the century, there was still no legislative support for organic agriculture, so the pioneering work of a few NGOs played a key role in the sector's development. Those included the BIOSELENA Foundation, ECOFARM Association for Organic Agriculture, and the AGROLINK Association (Karov, 2016).

The movements whose activities cover the entire food system and illustrate agroecological principles usually have a different focus or use different terms, such as organic agriculture, fairness and connectivity between producer and consumer, extensive agriculture, or biodiversity protection. BIOSELENA, for example, is a foundation which aims to contribute to the development of organic and sustainable agriculture through advocacy and training, covering a wide array of topics relevant for agroecology. Their work, and that of other movements described later in this report, has included actions related to food systems such as recurring weekly farmer markets, promoting interconnectivity between different stakeholders, and aiming to create a network. Therefore, these movements have been promoting agroecology at the scale of the whole food system, even though not necessarily using the term.
3.4. PRACTICE

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Agroecology is practised mostly by smaller producers, usually individual or family farms (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Studies show that a tradition of small-scale gardening has played, and still plays, an important role to ensure sufficient food supply and security. In fact, this type of subsistence farming has actually increased with the transition to a market economy (Di Falco et al., 2010). However, national policies, privatisation laws, and economic crises have been removing social safety nets from farmers and decreasing their flexibility to engage in such activities (Di Falco et al., 2010). Therefore, as mentioned above, farmer activities are strongly motivated by the presence of subsidies. Moreover, current subsidies are considered inadequate for new farmers who want to test and implement agroecological practices, which involve a period of trial and error and require a level of economic safety. Moreover, the state generally does not grant public procurement contracts to produce made in non-conventional ways, such as through organic agriculture (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Although some smaller producers who follow agroecological principles have been able to continue their activities, many have done so by targeting market niches and focusing on specialised products (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Thus, agroecological practices are not popular and are seen as a niche among the general public, as well as by farmers and producers.

When it comes to farmer organisations and consumer-producer relations, initiatives such as community-supported agriculture and cooperatives have not been successful and are not widespread (BGR-KI-1, Table 1). For the latter, the idea of cooperatives has a strong state character due to their existence during the years of socialism, and are understood as something that came from the USSR (Marinova and Nenovsky, 2020). This understanding may still be present, leading to the rejection of cooperatives in the post-communist period (Marinova and Nenovsky, 2020).

Many agroecological initiatives are civil-society-led and informal, and often lack structure, coordination, and movement towards a common goal<fnref n="51" />. When it comes to agroecological practices beyond the farm level, they also face challenges as local governments lack the understanding of the importance and positive impacts of agroecological initiatives (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). Thus, support for initiatives such as farmer markets is limited, and their support with one administration may change with the next one.

Among practitioners, agroecology is mainly seen as a set of farming practices and linked to agri-environmental measures coming from EU legislation (BGR-KI-1 & BGR-KI-3, Table 1). However, there are initiatives which do not employ the term but support agroecological practices and principles at various parts of the food system, as the initiatives described later in the report will illustrate.

<footnote n="51">⁵¹ For example, a key informant cited a Facebook group on no-till agriculture where people exchange experience and information. However, upon inspecting the group, it was not very active: engagement over the past year seemed negligible with the exception of a few irrelevant posts and advertisements.</footnote>
3.5. SCIENCE

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Thus far, research programmes related to agroecology in Bulgaria have been part of European projects and have not conducted analyses at the country level (BGR-KI-3, Table 1). Agroecological research has addressed mostly environmental issues and practices at the farm level.

There are a few primary institutions which conduct relevant research: the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection (ISSAPP) 'Nikola Pushkarov' (under the Agricultural Academy); the Agricultural University of Plovdiv; and the University of Forestry in Sofia (Moudrý et al., 2018). There are also other institutes that are part of the Agricultural Academy which are not directly involved in agroecology related activities but participate in relevant European and transnational projects. For example, the Fruit Growing Institute in Plovdiv which participates in the DOMINO<sup>52</sup> project; the Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute in General Toshevo; the Experimental Station for Soybean in Pavlikeni; the Institute of Forage Crops in Pleven, which are members of the Bulgarian Legumes Network and participate in the project Legumes Translated<sup>53</sup>; and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research which participate in the STACCATO<sup>54</sup> project. In 2020, researchers from the Agricultural Academy were involved in the development of 42 research projects focusing on soil resources, agroecosystems, climate change mitigation, and technology and innovation in conventional and organic farming (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry, 2021).

Overall, there are few larger research projects targeting agroecology in the country (Moudrý et al., 2018). The project 'Sustaining agricultural change through ecological engineering' (STACCATO, 2014-2018) is a significant recent example which included regional level analyses (BGR-KI-3, Table 1). Moreover, there is the national research programme 'Healthy Foods for a Strong Bio-economy and Quality of Life' from the Ministry of Education and Science<sup>55</sup>.

In terms of research communication, there are two main conferences linked with agroecology: 'Ecological Problems of Agriculture' Conference, (AGROECO'93) which was held every two years from 1993 until 2009, and whose proceedings were published by the University of Plovdiv in their 'Scientific works' (Moudrý et al., 2018); and ISSAPP holds the annual international conference 'Ecology and Agrotechnologies - Fundamental Science and Practical Implementation', which discusses relevant content and publishes their proceedings, although they do not explicitly refer to agroecology.

<footnote n="52">⁵² https://www.era-learn.eu/network-information/networks/core-organic-cofund/core-organic-call-2016/innovative-orchard-management-enhances-soil-fertility-biodiversity-and-economic-sustainability</footnote>

<footnote n="53">⁵³ https://www.legumestranslated.eu/bulgarian-legumes-network</footnote>

<footnote n="54">⁵⁴ https://www.era-learn.eu/network-information/networks/biodiversa2/promoting-synergies-and-reducing-trade-offs-between-food-supply-biodiversity-and-ecosystems-services-joint-call-between-biodivers-and-facce-jpi/sustaining-agricultural-change-through-ecological-engineering-and-optimal-use-of-natural-resources</footnote>

<footnote n="55">⁵⁵ http://www.nnp-food.au-plovdiv.bg/en/</footnote>
<table><caption>**Table 3:** Additional initiatives, cases and examples in the country - not included in this report.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE NAME</th><th rowspan="2">SCALE</th><th rowspan="2">TYPE OF STRUCTURE</th><th rowspan="2">AIM</th><th colspan="5">ACTIVITY CATEGORIES</th></tr><tr><th>EDUCATION & RESEARCH</th><th>LIVING LAB</th><th>MOVEMENT</th><th>PRACTICE</th><th>SCIENCE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Society for Territorial and Environmental Prosperity<br>Сдружение за териториален и екологичен просперитет - СТЕП</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Supporting sustainable rural development through research and trainings</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>National Research Program "Healthy foods for a strong bioeconomy and quality of life"<br>Националната научна програма „Здравословни храни за силна биоэкономика и качество на живот“</td><td>National</td><td>Ministry of Education and Science</td><td>Identifying models and technologies for the production of healthy foods for a strong regional bioeconomy</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pendara<br>Пендара</td><td>National</td><td>Initiative coordinated by LocalFood.bg</td><td>Support the development of local food business initiatives</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>LocalFood.bg</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Improve the business environment for small farmers and producers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Green Balkans<br>Зелени Балкани</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Nature conservation, restoration, and sustainable management</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ecocentric Foundation<br>Фондация „Екоцентрик“</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Providing non-formal education for sustainable development</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bulgarian Organic Products Association<br>Българска Асоциация Биопродукти</td><td>National</td><td>Farmer organisation</td><td>Supporting organic farmers and promoting organic agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The University of Agribusiness and Rural Development<br>Висше училище по агробизнес и развитие на регионите</td><td>National</td><td>University</td><td>Providing trainings and education in rural development and agribusiness</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AgroBiolnstitute<br>АгробиоИнститут</td><td>National</td><td>University</td><td>Conducting research in bioeconomy and crop diversity</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>University of Forestry</td><td>National</td><td>University</td><td>Conducting research and education in the field of forestry</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE NAME</th><th rowspan="2">SCALE</th><th rowspan="2">TYPE OF STRUCTURE</th><th rowspan="2">AIM</th><th colspan="5">ACTIVITY CATEGORIES</th></tr><tr><th>EDUCATION & RESEARCH</th><th>LIVING LAB</th><th>MOVEMENT</th><th>PRACTICE</th><th>SCIENCE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation<br>Фондация „Ура Гора“</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Increasing recognition of the opportunities and benefits of protected areas</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Association of Agroecological Farm Producers<br>Служение „Селище Зелено Училище“</td><td>National</td><td>NGO (Farmers' Association)</td><td>Supporting farmers in implementing agroecological practices</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ura Gora ("Hurray for the Forest") Foundation<br>ионите</td><td>Local</td><td>2-4 family farms in an eco-community</td><td>Practising and promoting permaculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Green School Village<br>Служение на Българските Производители на Биопродукти</td><td>Local</td><td>NGO</td><td>Promoting permaculture and natural building</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Association of the Bulgarian Producers of Bioproducts (SBPB)<br>Добруджанско аграрно и бизнес училище</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Protecting the interests of organic producers on national and EU levels</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dobrudzha Agrarian and Business School<br>Селскостопанска академип</td><td>National</td><td>Research and education centre</td><td>Providing vocational training and research in business and sustainable rural development</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Agricultural Academy<br>ионите</td><td>National</td><td>University</td><td>Conducting research and providing services related to agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AGROLINK<br>Служение „АГРОЛИНК“</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Facilitating a network to develop and support organic farming</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds<br>Българско дружество за защита на птиците</td><td>National</td><td>Civil society organisation</td><td>Supporting the protection of birds and their habitats</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Botanica Life Foundation<br>Фондация „Ботаника лайф“</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Advancing youth participation in sustainable agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AlterAgro Festival<br>Фестивал „Алтер Агро“</td><td>National</td><td>Civil Society and local government</td><td>Promoting alternative agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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MOVEMENT

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https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/центрове-и-звена/
агроекологичен-център

INITIATIVE N°1 – AGROECOLOGICAL CENTRE

# AGROECOLOGICAL CENTRE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF PLOVDIV

Created in 1989, **the Agroecological Centre at the Agricultural University (AU), Plovdiv**, is a field site which performs activities related to the organisation and implementation of research, training, and projects in the fields of organic farming, agroecology, and environmental protection. Their main goal is to conduct applied research, offer training and other educational programmes to various stakeholders, and demonstrate how agroecological methods work, all with the aim to promote organic agriculture and agroecology.

Training varies in length and is offered to different stakeholders such as farmers, farmer organisations, agri-food enterprises, and public institutions. These are held through various channels and programmes, for example, the course on organic agriculture (which consists of a few hours of instruction completed within 10 days) includes not only theory but also practise days on the fields of the Agroecological Center. Students from

other study programmes at AU, also go to the site for the practical part of their studies. Additionally, the centre conducts workshops and programmes for schoolchildren, and rents their base to farmer associations, organic fertiliser companies or other relevant organisations to demonstrate trials of how their products work. Through these demonstrations, they facilitate connections and discussions between stakeholders. Activities within the centre's programmes focused on providing a holistic understanding of agroecosystems and have covered topics related to agroecological practices, arable crops, livestock, horticulture, permanent crops, and the transition towards agroecology and organic agriculture. They also teach detailed knowledge on insect-plant relations for establishing effective monitoring for natural pest control. Finally, mechanisation in farming is also included to increase knowledge about different machines and their best use for sustainable cropping and soil management.

The concept of agroecology and organic farming is at the heart of the initiative with a focus on practices and techniques that conserve and favour soil fertility; promote efficient water management; avoid contamination of soil, water, and air; increase natural biodiversity; and protect ecosystems. A further goal is to demonstrate that agroecological practices can be as productive as conventional agriculture, in order to convince farmers to adopt them.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Type of education and training:** workshops and activities promoting agroecology

* **Main topic:** agroecological practices

* **Training duration:** varied length

* **Type of legal entity:** university

* **Accessible to:** farmers, farmer organisations, agri-food enterprises, and public institutions
The Agroecological Centre is a member of international and national networks such as IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), SCAR (Standing Committee on Agricultural Research of the European Commission), and has collaborated with other relevant stakeholders, such as the Avalon Foundation (the Netherlands), Bulgarian Bioproducts Association, BIOSELENA Foundation, and Bulgarian Association for Plant Protection.

The centre wants to be a leading example for how sustainable agriculture can be realised in practice, and where everyone who is interested – be it researchers or farmers or members of the public – can visit demonstration sites, and learn about the practices and sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture.

<figure><img src="image_356.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 1:** Field of the agroecological centre. Source: https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/центрове-и-звена/агроекологичен-център.</figcaption></figure>

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## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

The Agroecological Centre demonstrates that it is key to combine practice and theory, and to show (future) farmers and people who work with the land, what sustainable agriculture looks like. In this way, they can be equipped with the experiential knowledge to recognise what is happening in agroecosystems and how to best manage them. The centre works with different stakeholders and has a farm-to-fork outlook. A main strength is that the centre examines the entire agroecosystem, focusing on things such as natural pest control (so entomology and insect-plant relations are also considered).
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EDUCATION

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MOVEMENT

INITIATIVE №2 – SOFERA

SOFERA

SOFERA is an association which was founded in 2018 by experts from various fields related to environment and agriculture, as well as educators and therapists. SOFERA operates a biodynamic farm currently occupying over 2 ha of land and organises educational activities for children (especially children with disabilities), and promotes social inclusion through social farming (also known as 'green care') and sustainable agriculture. They are located in the village of Ilindentsi in south-western Bulgaria. Currently, the organisation has over 120 members, mostly 25 families and their children.

The association started as an initiative motivated by educational activities for children; however, it offers a community-supported agriculture programme through which members get seasonal vegetables from the farm and uses biodynamic farming methods. Such methods include

diversified crop rotations and composting. The vegetables are grown from organic seeds which they preserve each year. Their seeds include both traditional varieties (sourced from the Kokopelli Association and the civil-society-led Seeds Festival (described later under the 'practice' activity category) and 'exotic' plants in order to focus on plant diversity. They also have orchards (which are primarily made of popular regional varieties) flower and herb gardens, and arable crops. Farm animals are also integrated, with rabbits, goats and different breeds of chickens which are raised free-range. Overall, SOFERA touches upon the topics of arable crops, horticulture, permanent crops, sustainable food systems, and livestock production. The word 'agroecology' is thus far not really used by the initiative, but the key concepts of agroecology are applied.

The educational programmes for 7-14 year old children aim to nurture a connection with the earth, a holistic way of thinking, and an understanding of sustainable resource use. They use the principles of the Waldorf and Steiner methods of teaching, focusing on engaging the children to work with their hands and senses first, and introducing concepts and theory later. One of SOFERA's main activities is a gardening programme organised in collaboration with the Waldorf School Prof. Nikolay Raynov in Sofia. This programme is based on hosting three consecutive camps at the farm during autumn (when the soil is prepared), spring (when the planting is done), and summer (when yields are collected). Another main activity are therapeutic educational camps for children with developmental disabilities. Engaging in gardening activities and interacting with the farm animals were found to have therapeutic and educational effects, encouraging play, confidence, and teaching responsibility. SOFERA's activities are funded through annual membership fees – there are three different types of membership, which gives members access to the educational programmes – as well as donations, and the activities related to the community-supported agriculture basket scheme. Their scope is national since children from around the country attend the camps.

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СОФЕРА

СОЦИАЛНА ОБУЧИТЕЛНА ФЕРМА

https://www.sofera.org

KEY FEATURES

* **Type of education and training:** gardening and therapeutic camps

* **Main topic:** biodynamic and social agriculture

* **Training duration:** varied in length

* **Type of legal entity:** association

* **Accessible to:** families and their children
The Association also collaborates with national and international networks. They welcome volunteers from ecological associations, private training centres and schools in the region, and private therapy practices. For example, they hosted students from the Sofia-based youth NGO Green Association for two days where the students learned about biodynamic farm practices and preparing compost.

In the future, SOFERA plans to have all of their agricultural land cultivated using biodynamic agriculture methods, and for the fruits and vegetables grown and sold by the farm to provide all the funding required for the training the association hosts. Their vision is that the children participating in their programmes are empowered to be active members of society, making their own decisions and boldly following their chosen life paths. SOFERA is also looking to collaborate with companies, organisations and individuals who offer services or products related to biodynamic and organic farming, including social farming, as well as Waldorf and health pedagogy.

<figure><img src="image_364.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 2:** (left) Children visiting the grounds of SOFERA's biodynamic farm; (right) Produce for sale from a farmers' market event and in the community-supported agriculture basket scheme. Source: SOFERA.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

This initiative is unique, as it combines sustainable methods of agriculture with societal goals through green care. One of their strengths is that multidisciplinary teams work on their projects and that the environmental and the social aspects of the programmes are developed equally well. The practical orientation of learning through experiencing, coupled with the creation of a safe environment, is innovative in the context of teaching in Bulgaria. This approach – especially the camps that follow farming seasons and activities – more clearly illustrate to the children how we can produce food and care about the environment through our actions.
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BIОСЕЛЕНА
ФОНДАЦИЯ
ЗА БИОЛОГИЧНО
ЗЕМЕДЕЛИЕ

https://bioselena.com

INITIATIVE №3 – FOUNDATION FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

# FOUNDATION FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE BIOSELENA

The main aim of the foundation **BIOSELENA** is to contribute to the development of organic and sustainable agriculture through advocacy and lobbying in order to provide political support and effective access for stakeholders to European and national programs. In particular, their mission is to:

1) Aid the development of regulations and measures supporting the production and consumption of organic food.

2) Provide consulting and training to organic farmers and processors, introducing innovation throughout the food chain.

3) Support and promote short food supply chains, ensuring improved access to organic and artisanal products in local markers.

4) Help increase the incomes of farmers in Bulgaria's mountain regions, while promoting sustainable natural resource use.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Main goal:** promoting the development of sustainable agriculture

* **Founded in:** 1997

* **Farming sectors:** livestock, horticultural arable crops

* **Type of organisation:** foundation

* **Scale of the organisation:** national

The foundation was established in 1997 by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Switzerland as a part of the project 'Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Central Balkan Mountains'. Although it started off as a Swiss organisation, over time it became Bulgarian-governed. There are seven employees currently at BIOSELENA<fnref n="56" />. The foundation's funding is entirely project-based, and the scope of their activities is national. The general themes of the projects are organic and sustainable agriculture, which encompass many of the elements of agroecology, although the term itself is directly mentioned. Their activities have focused on the promotion of biodiversity, soil health, traditional production methods, food waste reduction, short food supply chains and renewable energy. A result of the project 'For the Balkan and the People' was developing standards for and registering the label 'Made on the farm' ("Произведено във фермата") for sustainably produced products. One of their recurring activities is a weekly farmers market in the centre of Sofia, showcasing the produce of farmers and small producers who follow traditional Bulgarian recipes. BIOSELENA's projects thus far have covered arable crops, horticulture, and the livestock sectors. The foundation works with different stakeholders along the food system – including consumers (especially in their work related to food waste) – but engaging with farmers and producers is a priority. This is done through training events, by participating in national and regional events to showcase project results, and through informational brochures. They also have a Centre for Professional Training in Agroecology and Organic agriculture licensed by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training.

Since 1998, the foundation has been a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), and since 2011, the IFOAM-EU Group. They are also a supporting member of Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese & Dairy Producers European Network (FACE). Moreover, they are partners

<footnote n="56">⁵⁶ https://bioselena.com/%d0%b7%d0%b0-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%81/%d0%b5%d0%ba%d0%b8%d0%bf/</footnote>
with other local and international organisations, such as the Bulgarian Organic Products Association, the Agricultural University in Plovdiv, WWF-Danube's Carpathian Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, HRANKOOP, the Norwegian Cooperation and Development Programme – INNOVATION NORWAY, and others<fnref n="57" />.

In the future, BIOSELENA will continue to organise the farmers market, participate in projects, assist and consult with farmers and producers, as well as lobbying for legislation that supports sustainable agriculture.

<figure><img src="image_371.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 3:** (left) The pilot edition of BIOSELENA's weekly farmers' market, June 2017. Source: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1223386167773304&type=3 (right) Demonstration of techniques for dealing with invasive species, organised by BIOSELENA. 21 November 2019. Source: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2342797255832184&type=3.</figcaption></figure>

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## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

BIOSELENA's main strength is that through their work, they have addressed different parts of the issue of creating more sustainable food systems - going from farm to fork through training, facilitating demonstration sites, participating in festivals and events, and lobbying decision-makers. For example, they have provided training for farmers in organic agriculture, introduced renewable energies to dairy farms, supported short food supply chains, as well as raised awareness about food waste among consumers.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**COOPERATION:** They have shown active participation in collective projects and networks at local and European levels. Their partners include both local and international organisations and stakeholders, and are well-known to other organisations in their field. BIOSELENA is a member of IFOAM and FACE.

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**EDUCATION:** Their programmes provide training on a variety of aspects related to sustainable agriculture, including energy and waste management. The foundation has hosted not only farmer training but also training of trainers to ensure capacity-building continues in the long term.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR**

**ECONOMICS:**

A key limitation is linked to funding: they rely entirely on the projects they participate in. For this reason, sustaining their work with long-term perspectives is challenging.

<footnote n="57">⁵⁷ https://bioselena.com/en/%d0%b7%d0%b0-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%81/membership-in-other-organizations/</footnote>
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INITIATIVE N°4 – HRANKOOP

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ХРАН
КООП

https://www.hrankoop.com

HRANKOOP

HRANKOOP is a cooperative whose main aim is to promote and develop socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable food systems. There are five full-time employees, and a few part-time employees helping with farmers markets. There are up to 80 full members, around 30 of which are producers and farmers, while the rest are their customers. The cooperative includes 60-70 associate members who are producers who attend farmers markets. Producers and farmers set their own prices. Around 150 people have employment in relation to HRANKOOP, and over 90 families are fully supported by their activities.

KEY FEATURES

* Main goal: food sovereignty

* Founded in: 2010

* Farming sectors: all

* Type of organisation: civil society organisation - cooperative

* Scale of the organisation: local and national

The cooperative started in 2010 as an informal civil society group of people who wanted to buy food from local producers. Their first large campaign saved 10 tonnes of organic lentils after a producer lost a contract, and through the campaign all of the lentils were sold. After that, they grew steadily, and producers began to contact them. The cooperative is at the core of their activities, and it includes a platform where customers pre-order from farmers for weekly deliveries and where members communicate for making decisions on their work. They also organise weekly farmers markets (which are more festivals-like events, as they include workshops and other activities). These markets are their most visible activity and have been organised in various cities, featuring hundreds of producers.

Since 2016, HRANKOOP has also developed shops. They had a shop, located in a mall, selling goods from local farmers. However, it could not be economically sustained. A shop they have for natural cosmetics, on the other hand, is still in operation.

Another of HRANKOOP's key activities is quality control: they set aside 5% of their annual budget for a guarantee system with a set of rules they have developed for producers to comply with. A team regularly visits both new and old farms to monitor these rules through activities such as lab testing for pesticides and nitrates. They also focus on solidarity actions, which are voluntary activities to help farmers (e.g. fruit picking, ploughing), and educational campaigns on other food system topics (e.g. food waste, urban agriculture). Many of their producers are just starting in the agricultural industry and their farmers markets help them grow.

HRANKOOP's activities are funded mainly from membership fees, but they get occasional sponsorship from other sources too. Their scope is national and local - farmers from various places sell at their markets and the markets improve the economy of the entire area in which they are located. In terms of collaborations, they regard local governments as their key partners since they are the ones who should consider the health and development of their communities. They also work and co-organise events with other organisations.
The term agroecology is so far not used, but through their activities they promote agroecological principles (e.g. facilitate local production distribution channels, strengthen producer-consumer relations, create community development and food sovereignty, engage in awareness building for sustainable food systems and promote sustainable farming though the guarantee system).

For their future development, they aim to facilitate the creation of farmers markets in every regional city (28 in total) and to have a network of markets and cooperatives. A major task they are still working on is to convince local governments of the value of such initiatives.

Moreover, they want to be active in supporting and promoting urban agriculture, expanding on the idea of a cooperative supermarket, and creating a demonstration site for biodynamic agriculture with educational programmes for farmers.

<figure><img src="image_382.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 4:** HRANKOOP's farmers' market at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the center of Sofia. Source: HRANKOOP.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

A main strength of HRANKOOP is their commitment to transparency and how they uphold the values that the cooperative is centred around – food sovereignty and encouraging a committed relationship between producers and consumers – combining theory with practice. They strongly advocate that farmers markets are the natural way for how consumer-producer relations should look like. They have developed and enacted their own guarantee system for the products of their farmers and producers.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**COOPERATION:** At the core of their activity is the cooperative which promotes synergies and collaboration between actors of the food chain, enabling a direct relationship between consumers and producers.

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** The initiative sustains itself, participating farmers set their own prices, and they practise social solidarity principles as they are a cooperative. Farmers and producers from the respective regions are supported through HRANKOOP's work and entire areas where markets are set up thrive.

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**GOVERNANCE:** All decisions in the cooperative are made in a horizontal and participatory manner. They also aim to work with municipalities and connect different actors. They want to have farmer markets in every regional city and recognise how these markets can revive places that are socio-economically underdeveloped (as some of their markets have done).

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**GOVERNANCE:** There are no legal mechanisms in place to sustainably stimulate farmers markets in Bulgaria. As a result, a main challenge faced by HRANKOOP is related to the lack of support from local governments. Any changes that occur in a local governments' administration can mean that existing support for markets can decrease or disappear completely. This uncertainty discourages farmers from selling at farmers markets.
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PRACTICE

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LIVING LAB

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SCIENCE

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EDUCATION

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@KurtovoKonareFest

Фестивал на чушката, домата, традиционните храни и заняти
(Куртово Конаре Фест)"

INITIATIVE N°5 – KURTOVO KONARE FEST

KURTOVO KONARE FEST

**Kurtovo Konare Fest**, the 'Festival of the pepper, tomato, traditional foods and crafts', is a three-day annual festival organised by the local community centre of the village of Kurtovo Konare (Stamboliyski municipality, Plovdiv region). It aims to support local producers, preserve and raise awareness about traditional crop varieties and crafts, and promote cooperation between institutions and communities. There are around 30 stalls at the festival, 20 of them from producers and the rest from craftspeople - contributing to approximately 500 participants per day.

The village of Kurtovo Konare has a tradition for farming peppers, tomatoes, and was the first in Bulgaria to cultivate certain varieties of vegetables. However, its former agricultural fame had faded, and livelihoods were at risk, so the local community came up with the idea of an annual festival to revive the village and preserve its traditions. The first festival took place in 2009.

The term 'agroecology' is not really used by the festival but some agroecological principles and practices are addressed which include: their support for species diversity and small-scale food producers; connecting producers and consumers; and building a food system based on the culture, identity, and traditions of local communities.

The festival is funded by the Stamboliyski municipality, the Kurtovo Konare local government, donations, and participation in EU programmes. Attending the festival is free of charge and organisers supply food to the participants. The festival visitors come from around the country and even abroad. It includes not only food and craft stalls, but also a cultural programme with workshops (e.g. how to make lyutenitsa – a traditional pepper and vegetable spread), entertainment, and activities for children. Famous Bulgarian performers, professional dance ensembles, and international artists have participated in the festival. The community centre prides itself on providing a festival which is also a key cultural event for the municipality, while promoting local foods and crafts.

In terms of network participation, the Kurtovo Konare community centre is a convivium of the organisation Slow Food. Other organisations, regional and national, are participants in the festival. The community centre has received awards for the impact the festival has had and they have gone to present their work at other events and organisations. They are the only (or among the very few) Bulgarian villages that actively takes part in projects at a European level as a partner.

KEY FEATURES

* Main goal: preserving traditional varieties

* Founded in: 2009

* Farming sectors: all

* Type of organisation: civil society - community center

* Scale of the organisation: regional
The organisers are optimistic for the future development of Kurtovo Konare Fest, as the festival has become a tradition. The community centre aims to have more cooperation and exchanges, as well as to create the infrastructure for a donation fund which is active throughout the year. This would enable them access to funding the festival, independent of local government grants.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

This initiative demonstrates how an active local community can power bottom-up initiatives that create traditions and can thus revive regional economies. In this case, the support from the local and regional government was also of key importance for sustaining the festival throughout the years. This highlights that cooperation between different stakeholders – civil society, local administration, as well as farmers, producers, and local craftspeople – can make a significant change for the livelihoods of many and bring life back to rural communities. This also demonstrates an initiative that was proactive and successfully made use of available funding at the European and national level.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**TRADITIONAL FOOD AND HERITAGE**

**CONSERVATION:** Through the festival, traditional tomato and pepper varieties are promoted and marketed. Traditional knowledge and gastronomic cultures are also preserved though stalls selling local products and hosting relevant workshops. They provide the space for creating and strengthening networks for knowledge exchange.

<figure><img src="image_394.png" /></figure>

**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** By

promoting a variety of traditional local crafts and products, the festival has been key in supporting producers in the region and contributing to the local economy.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

<figure><img src="image_395.png" /></figure>

**COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR**

**COLLECTIVE:** The festival is free thus, there is no income from the activity which does not allow for savings and/or reinvestment in it. Their sources for funding come through local governments, programmes, and donations.
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INITIATIVE №6 – SEEDS FESTIVAL

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НЕПОВОСНА ДЕСТИВНА НА
СЕМЕНАТА

• ЗБЕГНИЯТ ОТБОР НА БЪЛГАРИЯ •

Facebook: @seedsfestivalbg

SEEDS FESTIVAL

The annual one or two-day **Seeds Festival** (also known as the Independent Festival of Seeds or the Festival for the free exchange of seeds, seedlings and saplings) aims to enable the free exchange of the seeds of traditional crop varieties and to provide a platform for the simultaneous exchange of ideas related to more sustainable and nature-connected lifestyles. Up to 1000 people from all over Bulgaria and abroad attend the festival annually.

Since 2012, the Seeds Festival has facilitated the exchange of seeds and saplings of heirloom varieties. When they were starting out, the festival organisers travelled to villages all over the country in order to connect with farmers who still preserve traditional varieties and collect seeds. The approach is inclusive: people coming to exchange seeds do not need to be farmers, anyone can come and participate. Moreover, they can participate in the festival without needing to exchange seeds at all. There is an associated Facebook group called the Independent Bulgarian Seed

Bank where members can continue the seed exchange and share relevant information throughout the year. The event itself takes place in an outdoor venue on the outskirts of the town of Elin Pelin (Sofia region).

The festival is organised by the civil society group 'Green Team' which is run by volunteers. The Green Team is not a legal entity but have been active in organising events and activities related to environmental protection and sustainable development since 2007. They do not explicitly use the term agroecology but support agroecological principles and the practices of preserving heirloom varieties, promoting biodiversity, facilitating the exchange of knowledge between different actors, and increasing connectivity between food and culture, and producers and consumers.

The festival mainly focuses on horticulture through vegetable, herb and flower seeds. The free seed exchange is at the core of the festival, but there are also seminars and workshops led by other organisations and individuals in topics related to sustainable living, as well as concerts, activities for children, and a few stalls for handmade crafts. The festival is free of charge and essential costs are covered through donations gathered at the festival. It relies on volunteer work and the free participation of speakers. The Green Team of Bulgaria have connected with similar initiatives or organisations, such as the Peliti Seed Festival organisers in Greece and the Association Kokopelli in France.

The aspirations for the future of the Seeds Festival are that it continues to grow, attracting more diverse participants from Bulgaria and abroad such as young people, farmers, artists, and scientists. The aim is that it becomes a more popular tribune for independent thought and that more people from the general public can attend and be exposed to alternative ideas and lifestyles that are conscious about natural resource use. The organisers hope to continue to facilitate the exchange of traditional seeds, along with the stories of their origin communities, as well as ideas which are also 'seeds' that people can plant in each other's minds.

KEY FEATURES

* **Agroecological practices concerned:** preserving traditional varieties

* **Founded in:** 2012

* **Leading organisation:** Green Team of Bulgaria

* **Farming sector concerned:** horticulture

* **Number of stakeholders involved:** up to 1000 festival visitors

* **Scale of the initiative:** local and national
## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

This festival is a good illustration of how a bottom-up initiative can unite people of very different backgrounds around the same goal to grow naturally and become a force for change without any support from state and local governments. A particularly interesting feature of the festival is that it has been running and expanding for almost a decade, solely based on voluntary efforts. The Seeds Festival has also been successful in connecting people and ideas – the inclusive and collaborative character of the festival is evident in various parts. Awareness-raising is an important part of the initiative, as well as training around different topics through workshops, seminars, and lectures which the festival provides a platform for. Thus, the initiative is a great example of a platform for knowledge sharing and exchange among stakeholders.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR COLLECTIVE:** Promoting a non-monetary economy is a key element of the festival, as the goal is to connect people and promote a different way of relating to one another and nature. Selling seeds is not something they endorse.

<figure><img src="image_403.png" /></figure>

**TRADITIONAL FOOD AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION:** Promoting traditional seed varieties and knowledge are main goals of the festival. They also create space to meet, exchange and strengthen knowledge.

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**COOPERATION:** They have an inclusive approach to everyone who comes to the festival and aim to create the space for the sharing of ideas all around the topic of sustainable living and connecting to nature. People coming to exchange seeds do not need to be farmers.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** There is a scarcity of resources, time and funds in particular. All Green Team members are volunteers, which means they usually have other, full-time work, making the organising of the festival challenging. The fact that the Green Team is not a legal entity means they cannot apply for certain support and funding through programmes and projects. These limitations can bring uncertainties and limits to how much they can invest.

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**COOPERATION:** Another challenge stems from the fact that they are not a legal entity – because they are an entirely volunteer-led operation, they are not able to participate actively in collective projects or programmes.
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# BALKAN ECOLOGY PROJECT

**Balkan Ecology Project** is a permaculture-inspired grassroots project located in the town Shipka, central Bulgaria. They are a demonstration and educational site on 7.8ha, with 0.7ha devoted to farming. They host courses and events throughout the year, and manage a forest garden and plant nursery. Their aim is to develop and promote practices that provide nutritious, affordable food while enhancing biodiversity.

The project started in 2010, and is family-run with four core team members. They began by developing productive ecological gardens and sharing what they were learning. They have a plant nursery and market garden from which people can order crops, and offer consultancy and design services, educational courses, and share information from their polycultural experiments. They also practise land stewardship by strategically purchasing scattered plots of land to protect large areas from intensive farming.

In 2014, they started recording the inputs and outputs from their garden annual polycultures, and in 2015, the data from a newly established market garden. All descriptions and results of their studies, as well as step-by-step replicable models for food growers in similar climatic zones, are included on a dedicated website<fnref n="59" />.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Agroecological practices concerned:** conserving traditional varieties, input reduction, practices for soil health and sustainable land and resource governance

* **Founded in:** 2010

* **Leading organisation:** family farm

* **Farming sector concerned:** horticulture (vegetables), permanent crops, forestry

* **Number of stakeholders involved:** team members (farmers)

* **Scale of the initiative:** local and national

The Balkan Ecology Project offers an online 20-weeks course on Regenerative Landscape Design and a four-day Design and Build a Forest Garden course. These training activities focus on sharing knowledge through action and experiential learning, as well as through dialogue and reflection. Their work is mainly linked to horticulture (vegetables), permanent crops, and forestry.

They are funded through profits from their crop sales, garden produce, training, and recently received funding from a European project. The scope of their activities is both local (the project has a large focus on helping the local community), national, and potentially international, as their research results and online course are in English and can be accessed from anywhere. Moreover, their Facebook page is followed by over 9000 users from all over the world<fnref n="60" />.

Balkan Ecology Project use the term agroecology in their work but it is not central – it is linked with the other concepts they use such as permaculture and regenerative agriculture. They support the development and adoption of agroecological practices and sustainable food systems through researching, designing, and implementing systems on the ground; sharing all aspects of their work; disseminating results freely (including opening their sites for the public to visit); providing education and training; and growing, selling, and promoting the use of plants and plant communities that have high ecological and nutritional value.

<footnote n="59">⁵⁹ https://www.thepolycultureproject.com/annual-polyculture-results.html</footnote>

<footnote n="60">⁶⁰ https://www.facebook.com/balkanecologyproject/</footnote>
The Balkan Ecology Project collaborates with other farmers in order to share information and plants from their bio nursery. For the European Solidarity Corps project, they work with teachers from the Green School Village<fnref n="61" /> who provide a 72-hours Permaculture Design course. For their future development, the project would like to create an edible park and visitor centre showcasing a world-class example of Regenerative Landscape Design, which is freely open to all. They would also like to collaborate with researchers to improve the quality of the experimental information they provide.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

An interesting feature of Balkan Ecology Project is how they have been doing research based on their own practice, documenting their activities step-by-step and freely sharing their findings. This is another way – other than the courses that they organise – that they provide specific knowledge to other farmers or interested individuals, caring about the environmental conditions of the region. The fact that the information is in English has made it accessible to people in other parts of the world.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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### NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:

They engage in a diversity of practices on their land to conserve natural resources and biodiversity. They share information and results from their practices on their blog with other stakeholders.

<figure><img src="image_413.png" /></figure>

### TRADITIONAL FOOD AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION:
At the project's nursery, they have a collection of seeds native to the Balkan region, which people can order through their website. In this way, they are conserving and promoting these traditional varieties.

<figure><img src="image_414.png" /></figure>

**EDUCATION:** They freely share information based on their experiences and courses which address the specific needs and challenges of local growers.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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### SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR

**ECONOMICS:** Balkan Ecology Project's main challenges stem from limited finances.

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**EDUCATION:** The fact that the information and courses are in English may present a barrier for local farmers to access them.

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ https://greenschoolvillage.org/?lang=en</footnote>
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SCIENCE

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LIVING LAB

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PRACTICE

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MOVEMENT

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EDUCATION

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http://www.issapp-pushkarov.org/en
Институт по почвознание, агротехнологии
и защита на растенията (ИПАЗР)
„Никола Пушкаров“

INITIATIVE N°8 – INSTITUTE OF SOIL SCIENCE

INSTITUTE OF SOIL SCIENCE,
AGROTECHNOLOGIES AND PLANT
PROTECTION "NIKOLA POUSHKAROV"

Initiated in 1947, the **Institute of Soil Science, Agro Technologies and Plant Protection (ISSAPP) 'Nikola Pouskarov'** is part of the Agricultural Academy and

supports the state to implement agrarian policies under the Common Agricultural Policy. It administers research in the field of soil science, mechanisation, and plant protection. Its department on Agricultural Chemistry, Agri-Environment and Farming Systems aims to develop, research, and test methods for analysing soil-water-plant systems, as well as technologies to improve soil fertility and identifying good practices. A focus of their research is the utilisation of waste products and bioresources, including organic waste, wastewater sludge, organic fertilisers, composts, and biochar. They also monitor environmental quality and work with farmers to promote sustainable agriculture. 14 researchers currently work at the institute<fnref n="62" />.

At the moment, it has five departments, a lab complex, and 22 field experimental bases across the country. The Agricultural Chemistry, Agri-Environment and Farming Systems Department has existed since the institute was established. In the Bulgarian title of the department, the 'Agri-Environment' is 'Агроекология' which would literally translate as 'Agroecology'.

Due to the topic of the institute, farm-level practices that promote soil health seem to be at the core of their work and understanding of agroecology. They primarily conduct

agrochemical analyses for soil quality, testing different types of fertilisers regarding plant requirements. They perform this research for farmers, companies, treatment plants, and the Ministry of Environment and Water. The scientific disciplines involved in their work are agronomy, ecology, and plant science; and their scope is national. The department's activities have been funded through projects and programmes by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The department of Agricultural Chemistry, Agri-Environment and Farming Systems supports agroecology's development by testing practices for improved soil health at their field sites, researching and promoting more integrated (soil-water-plant systems) approaches for farming.

KEY FEATURES

* **Main goal:** research and test practices and technologies for improved soil-water-plant systems

* **Founded in:** 1947

* **Main topics:** agroecological practices, arable crops, horticulture

* **Leading organisation:** agricultural Academy

* **Type of actors involved:** government, farmers and companies, researchers

* **Funded by:** Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry - Agricultural Academy - Ministry of Education and Science - Ministry of Environment and Water

<footnote n="62">⁶² http://www.issapp-pushkarov.org/agrohimiya-agroekologiya-i-sistemi-na-zemedelie</footnote>
In the future, the Agricultural Chemistry, Agri-Environment and Farming Systems department is focused on promoting the utilisation of plant residues and other organic matter in various forms as fertiliser to improve soil health. They also hope to increase knowledge on the various systems for cultivation of different soil types, crops, and agro-technical means for weed control.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

The department's work illustrates that it is key to improve the understanding of interactions in the soil, including plant physiology (for different crops), environmental conditions, and fertiliser modes of actions. Something that stands out is their focus on finding innovative methods to recycle and utilise organic waste into fertiliser in ways that are efficient and fit plant requirements.

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ https://greenschoolvillage.org/?lang=en</footnote>
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INITIATIVE №9 – AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY - PLOVDIV

AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITY PLOVDIV

The **Agricultural University** (AU) is a public university in Plovdiv, central-south Bulgaria, established in 1945. Its goals include providing students with theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and nurturing an entrepreneurial approach in them; conducting fundamental and applied research geared towards agricultural practice; promoting a responsible attitude towards agriculture as a provider of public services, including climate change adaptation and mitigation; and to highlight the preservation and development of traditional products and production methods.

The university is among the first in Bulgaria to be engaged in agroecology. The Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology was founded in 1983 with plant and environmental protection as its primary focus areas. There are eight full-time professors, 17 associate professors, 14 assistant professors, and seven experts and specialists that make up the faculty<fnref n="63" />. In 1987 the Agroecological Centre was established. In 1993, the university organised the 'Ecological Problems of Agriculture' (AGROECO'93) conference in collaboration with the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria. Its aim was to connect science and practice stakeholders and,

in this way, further the development of agroecology and organic agriculture. In 1999-2001, researchers at AU worked with the Association for organic agriculture ECOFARM on a project on agri-environmental measures in Central and Eastern Europe, developing pilot schemes and supporting the government in preparing a plan for implementing agri-environmental measures<fnref n="64" />. Since then, AU has been involved in various projects on the topic of sustainable agriculture and innovation in food systems.

Their main topics of focus include agroecology and biodiversity, bioeconomy, climate change and sustainable agriculture, and agroecological approaches for sustainable mechanised production of fruit and rootstocks. Agroecology seems to be one of the key concepts in AU's research and education. In teaching, the concept is taught as an "ecology of food systems". The main topics in the study programmes include agroecological practices, arable crops, horticulture, sustainable food systems, rural development, transition towards agroecology. AU supports the development of agroecology both through their teaching programmes and researchers' involvement in national and international projects on relevant topics.

The university collaborates with farmers, NGOs, business, and governmental agencies. AU is one of the two EIT Food<fnref n="65" /> hubs in Bulgaria thus acting as a catalyst for partnerships that aim to increase knowledge and skills uptake by stakeholders in the agri-food sector.

KEY FEATURES

* **Main goal:** conducting research and providing education on agriculture

* **Founded in:** 1983 (Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology)

* **Main topics:** agroecological practices, arable crops, horticulture, sustainable food systems, rural development, transition towards agroecology

* **Leading organisation:** university

* **Type of actors involved:** researchers

* **Funded by:** state, tuition fees, donations, EU programmes

<footnote n="63">⁶³ https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/факултети-и-департаменти/факултет-по-растителна-защита-и-агроекология</footnote>

<footnote n="64">⁶⁴ http://nauchnitrudove.au-plovdiv.bg/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/01_02_2016.pdf</footnote>

<footnote n="65">⁶⁵ https://www.eitfood.eu/in-your-country/country/bulgaria</footnote>
AU's research strategy for 2018-2030 highlights a focus on digitalisation and automated technologies for precision agriculture, production of safe and healthy food, adaptation of crops to climate change, and sustainable development. Through their work on these, AU aims to provide a contribution to the sustainable and smart growth of agriculture, tourism, and rural development.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

AU Plovdiv has a transdisciplinary approach both when it comes to research and teaching, which is exemplified in the establishment and work of the Agroecological Centre. Their engagement with other stakeholders and active participation in international projects have enabled the university to improve their expertise and gain a good reputation beyond the country borders.

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ https://greenschoolvillage.org/?lang=en</footnote>
## 5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

The concept of agroecology in Bulgaria entered the policy sphere in the 1990s due to the Rural Development Programmes, although it has been known in academia for some time before that. The term became known to farmers and producers in relation to the agri-environmental payments, which were part of the aforementioned programmes, in the 2000s. Agroecology is thus linked to these payments, which lack transparent monitoring and evaluation measures, contributing to a lack of awareness of their impacts among the general public and farmers themselves. While the term agroecology is not widely used outside agri-environmental measures, initiatives exist that promote agroecological principles.

The primary challenges found within these initiatives are mainly related to funding and institutional support. Further, due to the lack of awareness on the positive impacts of non-conventional agriculture, the local market for it is small. Moreover, public procurement contracts have not been granted to such produce. Consequently, farmers are reliant on subsidies and agroecological initiatives, including research projects (largely on project-based funding). EU legislation has been instrumental for kick-starting change and setting agendas. However, for sustainable change to occur, institutional support is key and needs to be embedded within national policies in a way where implementation continues regardless of changes in administrations, on all levels. Initiatives which were supported by local governments (e.g. Festival of pepper, tomato, traditional foods and crafts) grew steadily but others (e.g. HRANKOOP) met challenges in continuing their work due to changes in local administration. Key informants highlighted how important it is for the government to define budgets specifically for the activities that promote agroecology and send a clear message of support (BGR-KI-2, Table 1). This was the case especially when it comes to building capacity and raising awareness among stakeholders. Key informants also questioned whether introducing the term 'agroecology' is necessary, as it can add confusion and be seen simply as another buzzword "imported" from the EU - they suggested focusing on practices themselves (BGR-KI-1, Table 1).

Increasing the understanding of environmental issues, the meaning and positive impacts of agroecology, and facilitating collaborations between actors in the food system and beyond, will continue to nurture the development of agroecology in the country. This research showed that there is a willingness among various stakeholders to make a change and initiatives have been demonstrating the benefits to all those, as well as the wider community. However, it is clear that there needs to be more sustainable support from state institutions, and local and regional governments, with a focus on long-term goals.
ABBREVIATION

AU: Agricultural University (Plovdiv)

FACE: Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese & Dairy Producers European Network

FiBL: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture

IFOAM: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

ISSAPP: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection

NAAS: National Agricultural Advisory Service

NAEP: National Agri-Environmental Programme

NARDP: National Agriculture and Rural Development Plan

NPDOF: National Plan for Development of Organic Farming

RDP: Rural Development Programme

SAPARD: Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development

SCAR: Standing Committee on Agricultural Research of the European Commission

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the initiatives and key informants who took the time to speak with me in relation to this research. The information you provided has been extremely valuable for this first attempt to map the state of Agroecology in Bulgaria and to identify the key challenges. Without your cooperation this would not have been possible. Despite the limitations you named, meeting with you also gave me hope for the future of the food system in Bulgaria. I hope that through this report, more stakeholders will understand your impact and see the importance of the work you do for the wellbeing of our communities. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No101000478.

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Sci. Pap. Ser. Manag. Econ. Eng. Agric. Rural Dev. 15, 9-12.

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Defourny, A., 2017. Agricultural Sector Report in Bulgaria. Flanders Investment & Trade Market Survey.

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Dimitrov, D.K., Ivanova, M., 2017. Trends in Organic Farming Development in Bulgaria: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Sustainable Rural Development. Visegr. J. Bioeconomy Sustain. Dev. 6, 10-16. https://doi.org/10.1515/vjbsd-2017-0002

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Moudrý, J., Bernas, J., Moudrýšr, J., Konvalina, P., Ujj, A., Manolov, I., Stoeva, A., Rembialkowska, E., Stalenga, J., Toncea, I., Fitiu, A., Bucur, D., Lacko-Bartošová, M., Macák, M., 2018. Agroecology development in Eastern Europe-Cases in Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Sustain. 10, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051311

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Velikov, I., 2013. Development in agriculture and rural areas of Bulgaria.

Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T., Francis, C., Vallod, D., David, C., 2009. Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. Sustain. Agric. 2, 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0394-0_3

Wezel, A., Goris, M., Bruil, J., Félix, G.F., Peeters, A., Bárberi, P., Bellon, S., Miglorini, P., 2018. Challenges and action points to amplify agroecology in Europe. Sustain. 10, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051598
MAPPING AGROECOLOGY IN
CROATIA

**AUTHOR:** Alina Jantol, Agroecology Europe

**REVIEWERS:** Baptiste Grard and Alexander Wezel, ISARA; Karla Škorjanc, Agroecology Europe; Vasileios Gkisakis, ELGO-DIMITRA.

**TO CITE:** Jantol A. (2023). Mapping agroecology in Croatia. In: Wezel, A., Grard, B. and Gkisakis, V. (eds). Mapping agroecology in Europe. Country Reports Series, Vol. 1, ISARA, Lyon, France; Agroecology Europe, Corbais, Belgium.

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Fondation
de
France

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This report received funding from the European Union and the Fondation de France. This publication reflects the views and opinions of the author(s) only. Neither the European Union, CINEA, nor the Fondation de France, can be held responsible for them or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Agroecology
Europe
CROATIA
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report contains key findings from research conducted in 2021 that aims to provide an overview of agroecology in Croatia and detail initiatives that are dedicated to agroecology in terms of research, movement, living labs, education and training, and practice. Through interviews with key informants and the representatives of these initiatives, new insights are provided on the state of agroecology in Croatia.

The term agroecology is not widespread among Croatian people and only a few reference it directly. Nevertheless, interviewees were aware of certain aspects related to the term, and used it in different context and meaning such as the importance of healthy food, tradition, and a real connection to its production. Beyond that, big concern is shown for the environment, and understanding that human activity is a key factor in preserving or destroying it. On the other hand, agroecology is well-known to many scientists and researchers, and the topic is included in the studies of important research and education centers, like the Faculty of Agronomy, Zagreb. There, it is described as applied ecology, indicated as an action of studying and setting rules of sustainable food production, and observing the impact of agriculture on the environment. Other initiatives related to agroecology are mainly found within NGOs and non-formal entities aiming to provide training to the public on the ideas and principles of agroecology and related practices. However, a major related drawback identified is the lack of applied examples found within Croatia that facilitate the efficient spread of knowledge among farmers.

Regarding agroecological practices, it appears that the popularisation of integrated systems and mandatory education of producers, connected to the direct payment programmes under the EU's CAP and related state aid measures, promoted the partial implementation of certain agroecological practices by farmers. However, agroecological practices implemented in a more holistic manner are used mainly by only a few organic producers.

One of the primary obstacles found for the development of agroecology is a lack of organisation among actors and governance which results in the continued creation of agricultural policies that support industrialised agriculture, rather than ones that prioritise the problems the farming sector is facing, including environment-related ones. Nevertheless, Croatia shows great potential for developing agroecology with regards to its natural and human resources, if organisational and broader recognition issues are overcome.
CROATIA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (CROATIAN)

Ovaj izvještaj sadrži ključne nalaze iz istraživanja provedenog tijekom 2021. godine s ciljem pregleda stanja agroekologije u Hrvatskoj i opisa inicijativa koje su posvećene agroekologiji u smislu istraživanja, društvenog pokreta, "živućih laboratorija", obrazovanja i prakse.

Kroz razgovore s ispitanicima i predstavnicima inicijativa koji su sudjelovali u ovom istraživanju dobiveni su novi uvidi u stanje agroekologije u Hrvatskoj, nastavljajući tako rad na ovoj temi započeto u 2020. godini od strane Mreže mladih Agroecology Europe. Značajno je da pojam agroekologija nije raširen među građanima u Hrvatskoj i da ga samo rijetki koriste. Unatoč tome, ispitanici su bili svjesni različitih konotacija ovog termina, te su ga koristili u različitim kontekstima i uz različita značenja, primjerice kao važnost zdrave hrane, tradicije i povezanosti s proizvodnjom hrane. Osim toga, mnogi iskazuju brigu za okoliš i prihvaćaju značaj ljudskih aktivnosti za njegovo očuvanje ili uništavanje. S druge strane, agroekologija je znanstvenicima i i straživačima vrlo poznata, a i studira se na Agronomskom fakultetu u Zagrebu koji je najveće središte istraživanja agronomije u Hrvatskoj. Tamo se opisuje kao primijenjena ekologija i naznačeno je da je to radnja u proučavanju i postavljanju pravila o načinima proizvodnje hrane na održive načine. Odnosi se na promatranje utjecaja agronomije na okoliš. Druge inicijative koje se odnose na agroekologiju uglavnom su nevladine organizacije i neformalne skupine koje pokušavaju educirati javnost o idejama i načelima agroekologije, te koliko god mogu, poučavati praksu. Više je ispitanika utvrdilo kako postoji problem nedostatka poljoprivrednih gospodarstava koja su primjenila agroekološke prakse te ih dijele s drugima javno i transparetno za brže i učinkovitije širenje znanja među poljoprivrednicima.

Popularizacijom integriranih poljoprivrednih sustava i obveznim obrazovanjem poljoprivrednika za pristup programima izravnih plaćanja prema Zajedničkoj Poljoprivrednoj Politici Europske Unije i mjerama državnih potpora za plaćanja, u sve većem broju poljoprivrednih pothvataparcijalno se primjenjuje neka agroekološka praksa. Ipak, holističku primjenu agroekoloških praksi uglavnom provodi samo nekolicina entuzijastičnih ekoloških proizvođača.

Jedna od glavnih prepreka za razvoj agroekologije je nedostatak organizacije među različitim akterima i državnom upravom, što kao posljedicu ima nastavak poljoprivrednih politika koje podržavaju industrijaliziranu poljoprivredu, umjesto da rješavaju važne probleme poljoprivrednog sektora, uključujući one koji se odnose na brigu za okoliš. Ipak, Hrvatska pokazuje veliki potencijal za razvoj agroekologije s obzirom na svoje prirodne i ljudske resurse, ako se uspiju prevladati organizacijski nedostaci iopćenito prepoznavanje važnosti agroekologije.
# 1. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The information regarding key informants in Croatia are summarised in Table 1.

<table><caption>**Table 1:** List of key informants in Croatia</caption><thead><tr><th>Key informant n°</th><th>Type of organisation</th><th>Main sector of involvement</th><th>ACTIVITY CATEGORY CONCERNED</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>University</td><td>Agroecological practices</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>NGO/ University</td><td>Livestock</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Private entity, company</td><td>Transition towards agroecology</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>University</td><td>Transition towards agroecology</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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# 2. CONTEXT

Croatia is a small country in South-eastern Europe with a total land area of 56,594 km². The population is almost equally distributed among rural and urban regions; 52% of the population living in cities on less than 10% of Croatian land. The land use is mostly rural (92%) and there are 1,504,445 ha dedicated to agricultural production, accounting for 27% of Croatia's land surface. That land is mostly occupied by family farms (76%) therefore small producers are a predominant element of the farming sector (Putar 2020). In 2019, the average farm size was 7 ha (Putar 2020). The average age of Croatian farmers is 61 years, a progressively aging workforce that is not promising for the advancement of the sector (HRV-KI-2, Table 1). The average education of farmers is relatively low, with the majority having high school education as their highest level (Putar 2020). Experts in the field also suggest there is much to be done in regards to gender equality since there is still a disproportionate number of male agricultural business holders and a lack of visibility of women's work within these enterprises (HRV-KI-4, Table 1).

Croatia's cooperative activities in agriculture have been around since the 19th century, with the foundation of the first cooperative in Korčula in 1864. Additionally, the Croatian farmer's bank was established in 1902 and since it was state-supported, it was used to provide farmers with available funds. During the years of 1894 to 1918, the cooperative movement grew significantly in the Dalmatia region. In 1945, these cooperatives moved from private to state ownership due to the communist regime of Yugoslavia. Finally, in 1991 the Republic of Croatia was established and it was determined that cooperatives would be based on principles of democratic management and responsibility, volunteering, and high ethical standards. Nevertheless, the previous experiences of cooperatives under the past regime made this approach unpopular in Croatia. After 2010 however, certain collective actions started to manifest through Community Supported Agriculture.
Unlike agroecology, organic agriculture is a term broadly recognised in Croatia, which benefits agroecology indirectly since its production principles are compatible with agroecology. Historically, three stages of development can be distinguished for organic agriculture in Croatia:

(i) the early stage which takes into account ecological principles and the importance of sustaining functional and healthy ecosystems in food production, which took place before 1991 when few enthusiasts and agronomists started to promote the notion,

(ii) the 2nd phase from 1991 to 2012, when the first specialised shops and NGO's interested in organic agriculture started to appear and become organised, and

(iii) a 3rd phase starting in 2001, when organic farming regulations were implemented which transformed the practice into a governmental matter (Nakić 2018). Currently, the fraction of organic production is about 7% of the total agricultural land (Putar 2020).

There is evidence of dramatic loss of soil fertility on soils of Croatia in the last 100 years (Vidaček et al. 2005). Further development of agroecological practices within Croatia could reverse the negative impacts farming has had on Croatian soils and the land degradation that occurred when traditional farming practices occurred. Croatia lost most of its traditional karst habitats, specific habitat⁶⁶ that arises on the surface made of limestone, whose loss is greatly visible in the loss of biodiversity and soil fertility that was once provided by cattle maintaining the pastures and meadows that are now overgrown with thickets. Moreover, in places like the Velebit region (centre of Croatia) and many Croatian islands, the local population has largely abandoned food production and now primarily focuses on tourism (HRV-KI-2, Table 1).

Many differences are found in the development of organic agriculture between regions due to various climatic and ecological situations. Istria (North-West of Croatia), for example, which is ahead of other regions in the implementation of a few agroecological principles, is a region primarily focused on vegetable crops. Slavonia (North-West of Croatia), on the other hand, is less economically developed and mainly focuses on cereal cropping, which is harder to certify under sustainable or organic production (HRV-KI-4, Table 1). In regions where tourism and natural landscapes of interest are abundant, there is a rise in agrotourism which tends to be environmentally friendly (HRV-KI-1, Table 1). This can be observed on the coast and in mountain terrains. Further, the islands have a tendency to appreciate agroecological principles and practices due to the nature of island dynamics where environmental pollution and waste management are more apparent since they have an increased impact on the day to day life of their communities (Initiative Informant (II) n°6 – Table 2). Some other parts of Croatia are economically underdeveloped and show great potential for the expansion of agroecology due to their natural resources and land accessibility, such as Banija and Kordun in central Croatia (II-2, Table 2).

Most initiatives and short supply chains related to agroecology are organised near the main cities: Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Pula, and Split. The north is also showing development in agroecological principles through the organisation and protection of their traditional heritage in food products, seeds, and by incorporating local food and health values. The most notable regions that are developing more connected and sustainable food systems are the Varaždin and Koprivnica-Križevci counties. They are making steps towards conservation and supporting local farm businesses to develop well-known local plant varieties such as the now-famous Varaždin cabbage.
As mentioned above, the term agroecology is not widespread in Croatia but key informant interviews have shown that there are two different approaches in defining the term: (i) one is encompassing socio-economic dimensions in its meaning, and (ii) the other is in relation to agronomic research. The latter is generally more well-known to the public through education programmes provided at the University of Zagreb, where it is used to describe the relationship between agriculture and its environment. However, broader elements of agroecology, which include the social and economic dimensions are also present such as the Slavonian region's traditional family dynamics. Due to lack of funds, many farmers cannot afford workers, therefore family members gather to help out with labour intensive work such as harvests. During these occasions, families exchange food amongst themselves, providing local and healthy nutrition without monetary exchange. These interactions are agroecological, even though those involved do not see them as such (HRV-KI-4, Table 1). Additionally, there are civil society initiatives that use the term agroecology with recognition of the socio-economic aspects involved to promote and implement these principles and practices.

# 3. CURRENT SITUATION OF AGROECOLOGY

## 3.1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

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In Croatia, initiatives that organise education and training are often related to the other activity categories of agroecology, such as movement or research.

Formal education in agronomy is widespread throughout the country and it is implemented by vocational schools and faculties, including study programmes of agroecology (University of Zagreb), of organic agriculture (University of Zagreb, University of Osijek), and applied ecology in agriculture (University of Zadar). University of Zagreb division of Agroecology consists of the Department of Plant Nutrition, Department of Land Reclamation, Department of General Plant Production, Department of Pedology, Department of Microbiology and Department of Chemistry.

Mandatory education is provided for any farmer who applies to the integrated administrative control system ("Integrirani Administrativni Kontrolni Sustav" - IAKS), which was part of the country's Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period. Measures related to this system include information on agroecology. For example, Measure 10 - Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change, Measure 11 - Organic Production, Measure 13 - Payments to Areas with Natural or Other Special Restrictions, and Measure 14 - Animal Welfare<fnref n="67" />. Such education though, is provided by advisory services that are not familiar with agroecology (HRV-KI-1, Table 1) and efforts are currently being made towards filling this knowledge gap (II-6, Table 2).

Certain initiatives by NGOs that give training on agroecology also exist. ZMAG initiative (described below) is an NGO that represents one of civil society educational centre for topics connected to agroecology. Other NGOs that are involved in agroecology are Vestigium, Eko Pan and Permakultura Dalmacija. They all include knowledge sharing as a common practice and most of them have some sort of public education programs, such as workshops on gardening. Permaculture Design courses are also conducted by a few NGOs which provide certificates of attendance.

<footnote n="67">⁶⁷ Advisory Portal (Savjetodavni portal). 2021. - Uprava za stručnu podršku razvoju poljoprivrede i ribarstva 2021. https://www.savjetodavna.hr/ (Accessed 19 Jul 2021)</footnote>
## 3.2. LIVING LAB

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Living labs seem to not be present in Croatia, or at least are not using this terminology. Only one of the key informants who participated in this research knew the term.

## 3.3. MOVEMENT

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Movement seems to be the most widespread activity category of agroecology in Croatia. Most of these activities are carried out in various forms by civil society initiatives, including through the dissemination of information, education, and gathering farmers in NGOs, GSR (Groups of solidary exchange – "Grupe Solidarne Razmjene"), SEG (Solidary ecological groups – "Solidarne Ekološke Grupe"), or other associations or forms of short supply chain initiatives.

Namely, there are 2,231 associations that are listed with sustainable development as an area of their activity, and 1,520 with rural development according to the Register of Associations of the Republic of Croatia. Few focus on agroecology as their main area of interest and action. Nevertheless, some initiatives with an interest in broad ecological issues, contain agroecology as a small part of their programmes.

Civil associations in Croatia are mostly dependent on funding coming from projects; however, the number of projects they can apply to are limited since agroecology is still not recognised by the government. Philanthropy, as a form of financing, is underdeveloped in Croatia which affects the ability of NGOs to work towards their missions and goals.

## 3.4. PRACTICE

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Since Croatia entered the European Union (EU) in 2013, many of the practices applied by farmers have become more environmentally friendly, especially due to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and to measures from the Rural Development Programme for the Period 2014-2020 (RDP). Many farmers are now abiding by recommended practice protocols such as the "Good agronomic practices" (GAP) or the FAO's principles for developing sustainable agriculture (HRV-KI-1, Table 1). Farmers are also implementing different integrated plant and water protection practices in association with the EU Nitrate directive for restricting the use of nitrogen. Still, while the situation may have improved in the last few years, most farmers only comply with the minimum requirements and laws which creates little momentum for the implementation or development of agroecology (HRV-KI-1, Table 1).

Organic agriculture in Croatia includes different aspects of agroecology but for most farmers with organic certifications, practice only an augmented version of conventional farming. For example, many of them use the same practices as in conventional farming, like monocultures and different chemical formulas that are permitted for organic production. This could be seen as a transitional phase to agroecology, as it is giving some attention to problems of agriculture-related to impact on the environment (II-1, Table 2). On the other hand, the county of Zagreb has developed an action plan with experts on organic agriculture to achieve 100 % organic agriculture by 2030 which could expand the presence of agroecology in the country (Karoglan Todorovic and Znaor 2020).
Within the last few years, more initiatives have been found that taking agroecology beyond organic and considering practices that are beneficial and regenerative to the environment, not just reductive or neutral in harm (II-6, Table 2). They may still be few, but this gives an indication that agroecology is moving forward in Croatia.

### 3.5. SCIENCE

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The inception of scientific research associated with agroecology in Croatia was mainly found on topics of soil science such as those related to rational fertilisation and the effects of tillage (Seremesic et al. 2021). Some important research on agroecology was done by M. Gračanin (1901–1981), succeeded by V. Mihalić, A. Butorac, and F. Bašić at the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Zagreb. The most recognised scientists on the topic are from the University of Osijek -Z. Mađarić and I. Mušac.

The biggest institution that conducts research and education in the field of agronomy is the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb<fnref n="69" />. There, agroecology research is conducted mainly through soil science, soil biology, soil management, agroclimatology, plant nutrition, and general plant production departments (Seremesic et al. 2021). Agroecology research is also conducted at the University of Osijek, in the Faculty of Agro Biotechnical Sciences through organic production topics, and at the University of Zadar where they are currently working on different topics related to theory such as agroecosystem resilience under climate change through pollination and beekeeping. Nevertheless, none of these institutions recognise agroecology as a separate discipline. Seremesic et al. (2021) state that "most agroecologists in Croatia study complex relationships among members involved in agrobiocenosis, the relationships between interacting factors interacting within agroecosystems, the plant cultivation system in larger agricultural areas, and the agricultural landscape as an ecosystem".

Croatia has a formal institution that is in charge of research in the field of agronomy called the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH, Znaor and Landau 2014). It is organised in centers that focus on different fields of agronomy but to date, has no recognition of agroecology or mention of organic agriculture. In the past, there was a Council for research in agriculture (VIP) but their program was substituted by the European Innovation Partnership projects in 2018. In their report of granted research projects from 2016, there are several topics related to agroecology such as "Sustainable soil management measures in organic agriculture for climatic conditions of Mediterranean Croatia" and "Increasing the competitiveness of sugar beet production by introducing alternative and non-pesticide methods of pest control".

The Croatian Foundation for Science supports a project called ACTIVE soil that is creating an assessment of conservation soil tillage as an advanced method for crop production and prevention of soil degradation.

Apart from universities, some private businesses are also conducting research to develop environmental sustainability. For example, OIKON Ltd. - Institute of Applied Ecology, has subjects in agronomy and has led a few projects to develop sustainable agriculture. Moreover, the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, researched and catalogued traditional Croatian varieties of agricultural crops and breeds of domestic animals, which contributes to agroecology related research.

<footnote n="68">⁶⁸ https://ceraneo.hr/objavljen-indeks-odrzivosti-ojd-a-u-hrvatskoj-za-2019-godinu/ (Accessed 21 Jul 2021)</footnote>

<footnote n="69">⁶⁹ The biggest institution that conducts research and education in the field of agronomy is the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb - AKIS. 2020. Strategija razvoja poljoprivrede i ruralnog prostora (STARS RAS), Poprati dokument Sustav znanja i inovacija u poljoprivredi (AKIS) u Hrvatskoj. Europski fond za pomorstvo i ribarstvo mjera VII.1. Tehnička pomoć sufinancirano sredstvima europske unije europski poljoprivredni fond za ruralni razvoj https://poljoprivreda2020.hr/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sustav-znanja-i-inovacija-u-poljoprivredi-AKIS.pdf</footnote>
## 4. AGROECOLOGY INITIATIVES, CASES AND EXAMPLES

<table><caption>**Table 2:** An overview about initiatives, cases and examples described and analysed.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE N°</th><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE NAME</th><th rowspan="2">SCALE</th><th rowspan="2">TYPE OF STRUCTURE</th><th rowspan="2">AIM</th><th colspan="5">ACTIVITY CATEGORIES</th></tr><tr><th>EDUCATION & RESEARCH</th><th>LIVING LAB</th><th>MOVEMENT</th><th>PRACTICE</th><th>SCIENCE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Permaculture Dalmatia<br>Permakultura Dalmacija</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Contribute to a healthy and supportive society based on equitable economics and social connections</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Satellite and compost and context<br>Satelit i Kompost i kontekst</td><td>National</td><td>Civil society</td><td>Educating the general public on ecology, permaculture and regenerative agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Croatian Alliance of Associations of Organic Producers (HSEP)<br>Hrvatski Savez Udruga Ekoloških Proizvodača</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Promote sustainable development of organic production, to help implement just ecological policies and to take care of national natural resources</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Green Network of Activist Groups (ZMAG)<br>Zelena Mreža Aktivistički Grupa</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Spread eco-social awareness through examples and education</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Istrian Eco Product<br>Istarski Eko Proizvod</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Organise a market with products exclusively from organic agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Regenerators<br>Regeneratori</td><td>National</td><td>Unofficial cluster</td><td>Analysis, design and education for the implementation of regenerative agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td>People, House, Windmill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb<br>Agronomski fakultet u Zagrebu, Sveušilište u Zagrebu</td><td>National</td><td>University</td><td>Research and education institution</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>MicroSCOPE</td></tr></tbody></table>

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<table><caption>**Table 3:** Additional initiatives, cases and examples in the country - not included in this report.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE N°</th><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE NAME</th><th rowspan="2">SCALE</th><th rowspan="2">TYPE OF STRUCTURE</th><th rowspan="2">AIM</th><th colspan="5">ACTIVITY CATEGORIES</th></tr><tr><th>EDUCATION & RESEARCH</th><th>LIVING LAB</th><th>MOVEMENT</th><th>PRACTICE</th><th>SCIENCE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>ADIPA - Society for Research and Conservation of Croatian Natural Diversity</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Conservation of Croatian natural diversity through research, education, and promotion</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Bio garden Bio Vrt</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Seed bank and organic gardening education</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>BIOM</td><td>National</td><td>NGO</td><td>Nature conservation</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Biomara OPG Željko Iličić</td><td>Local</td><td>Farm</td><td>Biodynamic farm - food production</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Change we care</td><td>International</td><td>Project</td><td>Climate change adaptation plan</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Dalmatia EKO Dalmacija EKO</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Association of organic producers from Dalmatia</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>EKO Center Latinovac Eko Centar Latinovac</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Making the Latinovac village into a lively, inclusive, and sustainable community</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>EKO Pan Eko Pan</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Environmental Protection</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>EKO Zadar EEKO Zadar</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Support for organic agriculture, nature conservation and sustainable development</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Economy of togetherness Ekonomi-jazajedništva</td><td>International</td><td>NGO</td><td>Promoting economic systems working towards the common good</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Garden Bed</td><td>Local</td><td>NGO</td><td>Promotion of sustainable ways of living through educational and practical activities</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Green Tools Tech Udruga "Gredica"</td><td>International</td><td>Private sector</td><td>Innovative technology to support regenerative agriculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE N°</th><th rowspan="2">INITIATIVE NAME</th><th rowspan="2">SCALE</th><th rowspan="2">TYPE OF STRUCTURE</th><th rowspan="2">AIM</th><th colspan="5">ACTIVITY CATEGORIES</th></tr><tr><th>EDUCATION & RESEARCH</th><th>LIVING LAB</th><th>MOVEMENT</th><th>PRACTICE</th><th>SCIENCE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>13</td><td>Lika Cluster<br/>KlasterLika</td><td>Regional</td><td>Branding project</td><td>Creating sustainable tourism destination of protected areas</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Little market<br/>Mali plac</td><td>Regional</td><td>Farmers market</td><td>Selling food from non-industrial sources</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Međimurski štacun<br/>Mešimurje<br/>"Štacun"</td><td>Regional</td><td>Food retail store</td><td>Association of producers and a shop with local products</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>'OPG Džakula' - Educational Center<br/>Sjeverovac</td><td>Local - regional?</td><td>Education</td><td>Educational activity based on farm activity</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Ospera<br/>Osječki permakulturni aktivisti</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Permaculture activists through gardening, cultural and pedagogical activity.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Parkticipation<br/>Parkticipacija</td><td>Regional</td><td>Civil society</td><td>Promoting urban permaculture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>PLANTaža</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Promoting sustainability through culture</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Real food<br/>Pravahrana</td><td>National</td><td>Civil society</td><td>Webpage for promotion of local producers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Rewilding Velebit<br/>Podivljajmo Velebit</td><td>International</td><td>European rewilding network</td><td>Restoration of natural processes</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Smutek</td><td>Regional</td><td>Utility company</td><td>Local street food</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Vestigium</td><td>Regional</td><td>NGO</td><td>Development of sustainable food systems and community</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Zogeterra</td><td>Local</td><td>Farm</td><td>Agroecological farm providing also educational workshop</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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SCIENCE

INITIATIVE N°1 – PERMACULTURE DALMATIA

PERMACULTURE
DALMATIA

**Permaculture Dalmatia** is an NGO that started out as an informal permaculture movement in 2012 when three permaculture design courses were organised in Dalmatia. In 2014, they formalised their organisation and started educational projects, such as workshops and lectures. The main aim of this initiative is to contribute to a healthy and solidary society that is based on equitable economic and social connections.

The Permaculture Design Course is internationally recognised and is responsible for educating individuals on many of the practices and values of agroecology. This initiative has given more than a hundred people a course certificate, and thousands more have learned about permaculture through this initiative.

Today, the organisation has around 50 members, with private businesses and other NGOs making up some of the representation. In 2021, they received their first major project through the KA2⁷¹ European project, to work on the rehabilitation of socially marginalised people through urban permaculture.

Permaculture Dalmatia work primarily in the Dalmatia region on the east shore of the Adriatic Sea and are recognised as important guides that are sought for gardening projects, plans, and designs. In the future, they are hoping to explore other aspects of permaculture like green building and good economics. The initiative is financed through projects, memberships, donations, and their registered economic activities such as education, design, and the implementation of projects.

This initiative explores agroecology through permaculture and the "natural agriculture" principles established by Fukuoka and his students. They are spreading permaculture through promoting practices like agroforestry, and connecting individuals who practice natural farming through a "natural agriculture" group. The initiative is also active in working with citizens on problems regarding everything connected to growing food and they channel their problems through helpful sources and organise education on food, waste management, nutrition, the establishment of seedlings, etc.

Many activities are organised regarding food and gardening, and the organisation works closely with other NGOs and projects, such as BioVrt to organise seed exchange. Seeds connect them to citizens, farmers, and local governments through their lobbying for the importance of seed banks and their encouragement of stakeholders to sponsor such projects. Permaculture Dalmatia is collaborating and partnering with many projects in order to leave administrative tasks to NGOs that have better capacities to write grants

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PERMAKULTURA DALMACIJA
https://permakultura-dalmacija.hr

KEY FEATURES

* **Type of organisation:** formal NGO

* **Main goal:** transition toward agroecology

* **Founded in:** 2014

* **Farming sectors:** permaculture

* **Scale of the organisation:** regional

<footnote n="71">71 KA2- Key Action 2: Cooperation among organisations and institutions - https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2_en</footnote>
and get projects funded. Their collaborations include Sunce (Sun), BIOM, Fenix, Županijska Liga Za Prevenciju Ovisnosti (County League for Addiction Prevention), and Maslinari Kašteli Maslinka (Olive Growers Association Kaštel Maslinka).

The initiative also collaborates with elementary schools to create garden education programs for students and teachers on permaculture design. Additionally, they also partner with other NGOs to enlarge such projects in the Dalmatinska Zagora region to further help educate children to be conscious about the environment.

<figure><img src="image_491.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 1:** Permaculture Dalmatia working with children in creating garden designs. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permakulturadalmacija/photos/4459877347367923.</figcaption></figure>

Permaculture Dalmatia has been an active supporter of many political initiatives that fit within their vision, such as the "Seed is our human right" and "Green renovation of Petrinja" that fought against ecologically harmful and economically not viable projects.

One of their primary ambitions for the next two years is to establish a city garden in Split. The NGO Gredica, a Croatian pioneer of city gardens in Varaždin, is an unofficial guide to the process. Further, Permaculture Dalmacija are members of ZMAG's community seed bank. Due to the four climate zones in Croatia, the members realised that there is a need for specialisation in the conservation of Dalmatian seeds. They hope to raise awareness and act in the protection of biodiversity and food sovereignty by advocating for the Dalmatian Seed Bank project.

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

The initiative works to empower individuals to take responsibility for their hopes for society and encourages them to take action into their own hands. Permaculture, as a theory, gives individuals the tools to act positively, and this initiative has permaculture at its heart and mind. They encourage people to explore their strengths and ambitions, and support them on their individual path to this realisation. The synergy found within initiative has led to many influential projects. Finally, one of their members has started a project that could create deep momentum in the development of agroecology in the region near the city of Sinj. He is cooperating with the initiative "Ne budi panj, posadi stablo" (Don't be a stump, plant a tree) in order to afforest the area and develop large wind protection for the Sinj fields that have degraded in the last few decades due to neglect.
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SCIENCE

Satelit

INITIATIVE N°2 – SATELLITE AND COMPOST AND CONTEXT

SATELIT I KOMPOST I KONTEKST
https://www.satelit-edukacije.eu

# SATELLITE AND COMPOST AND CONTEXT

Compost and Context is a small crafts business aiming to educate the public on ecology, permaculture, and regenerative agriculture, while providing consultancy related to the management and design of agricultural systems. Apart from educational workshops it also provides training for farmers. The initiative began in 2019, and since then has held various activities on the themes of sustainability, responsible management, and especially on how to make compost.

The organisation implements agroecology by striving for a more active role for farmers and society at large through regenerative activities, including farming. Their regeneration practices focus on environmental services, the functions of soil, and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere by encouraging the use of multiple farming practices on a single space and by moving away from monocultures.

## KEY FEATURES

* **Type of education and training:** participative education

* **Type of legal entity:** non-formal education team/ regenerative design

* **Main topics:** transition towards sustainability

* **Members:** designers

* **Training duration:** 1 day to 1 week

Compost and Context is now collaborating with 'Architectural studio Armano Linta', which was founded in 2020 as an informal team of educators called Satelit. Satelit promotes sustainability through education and channels a wide range of experience and knowledge in sustainable design.

Through collaborations with numerous different actors such as civil society organisations, foundations, faculties, local communities, professional associations, students, pupils, teachers, and citizens, the organisation provides a programme of participatory education to anyone who wants to learn about regenerative and sustainable ways of living.

The main topics covered in their education programmes are agroecological principles, perennial crops, the transition towards agroecology, sustainable food systems, regeneration, a culture of cooperation and participatory decision making, UN global goals, sustainable development, and the four dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, social and cultural).

Their work helps individuals create projects, to recognize potential partnerships, and to feel empowered into positive action as an answer to ecological, climate, and socio-economic crises. They use a transdisciplinary approach with practical tools that can help better understand a range of concepts and the actions required for transition. Education is mainly carried out through workshops, presentations, and by participating in public dialogues and forums.

<footnote n="71">71 KA2- Key Action 2: Cooperation among organisations and institutions - https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2_en</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_497.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 2:** Compost and Context organises workshops to show principles of composting in practice. Source: Compost and context.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

Teamwork is impactful even in small sizes. The team's ability to creatively adapt to the needs of other users makes this knowledge exchange memorable and efficient.
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INITIATIVE N°3 – HSEP

hsep

HRVATSKI SAVEZ UDRUGA
EKOLOŠKIH PROIZVOĐAČA
https://hsep.hr

# CROATIAN ALLIANCE OF ASSOCIATIONS OF ORGANIC PRODUCERS (HSEP)

The Croatian Alliance of Association of Organic Producers aims to be the voice of organic producers in discussions with decision-makers. The initiative started in 2014 and was formalised into an association in 2017. It is made up of 11 organisations with around 200 members from different regions of Croatia. Their member organisations are "Istrina Eko Product", "Eko Karlovac", "Izvor 2007", "Dalmacija EKO", "Duga", "Stolisnik", "EKO Plod", the "Association of Organic Producers Velebit", "Eko Čazma", the "Association of Organic Producers from the Island of Brač" and "Zagreb Eko" - which together represent almost every region of the Croatian territory.

Their vision of agroecology is localised food systems that directly connect producers and consumers, which implies practices and principles that bring positive change to society at large. HESP concentrates on organic production by advocating innovative models of farming like biodynamics, permaculture, and similar ideas that are compatible with legislation that defines organic agriculture. To ensure the rights of everyone involved in food systems, HESP insists on organic certification as it is the only accreditation that restrains some of the harmful practices in food production.

The alliance is involved in projects some of which are: "Diversity is sustainable", "Eco-logical!", and "Mediterranean agroecological caravan: We learn and share agroecology". All these projects promote agroecological values and are important for the development of organic agriculture in Croatia. They also participate in the informal initiative "Living Villages" that advocates for food sovereignty. They have international collaborations and networks with various organisations such as La Via Campesina, MedNet, and Arche Noah.

Their main activity is lobbying agroecology to decision-makers with the aim to promote the sustainable development of organic food production, to help implement ecological and just policies, and to preserve the country's natural resources. The association promotes knowledge exchange and support among producers, connecting them to one another in order to form stronger markets and share their innovations towards sustainable production. In their efforts to establish productive dialog with policymakers and to lobby for the interests of small and medium-size organic producers, the initiative has become a member of the Committee for "Monitoring the Implementation of Rural Development Measures", Committee for the Protection of Plant Genetic Resources in the Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Rural Network. They are active in their dialogue with the Ministry of Agriculture and have presented them

## KEY FEATURES

* **Type of organisation:** formal NGO

* **Main goals:** promoting sustainable development in organic production, helping to implement just ecological policies, taking care of national natural resources

* **Founded in:** 2017

* **Farming sectors:** organic agriculture

* **Scale of the organisation:** national
with the perceived challenges of achieving the Farm to Fork legislation's goal of achieving 25% of total farmland under organic production by 2030. Instead, they are advocating for the increase of real production and organic food supplies on the market instead of focusing on the land surface under organic production.

Together with NGOs "BioVrt u skladu sa prirodom" they are running the campaign and "Život" they are running the campaign "Seed is our human right". The campaign's main goal is to support seed sovereignty as the foundation of any agricultural production. They are highlighting that the lack of ecological seed production in Croatia is due to strict and complicated procedures.

The initiative is funded through membership and short-term projects and is based on voluntary work.

<figure><img src="image_503.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 3:** Member of the Croatian Alliance of Associations of Organic Producers farming with permaculture principles. Source: Hrvatski savez udruga ekoloških proizvođača.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

Changing policies and legislation that would enable the further development of organic agriculture requires patience, knowledge, and large numbers of voices on the side of change. Even if the preconditions are met, it is a long-term process, but without an initiative such as this change at the systemic level is not very feasible.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**GOVERNANCE:** The initiative is active in promoting the farmers' right to produce their own seeds and is currently in continuous dialogue with the authorities to reduce restrictions on seed production. Members of the initiative sit in committees that create and amend laws and measures applied in the sector of agriculture. The initiative has continued to push policymakers to take into consideration all those working in the field before they make their decisions.

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**COOPERATION:** The initiative has developed extensive associations of organic producers at the national level. This is the largest initiative in Croatia that connects individuals that want to implement agroecological principles and practices in the field. Due to their extensive membership, they are likely to have further impacts on policymakers and make room for agroecology in the future.

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**COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR COLLECTIVE:** The initiative has organised groups of solidary exchange, organic farmers' markets, and manifestations to help market local produce and to strengthen the link between rural and urban places.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**SOCIETY AND EQUITY:** This initiative has knowledge and willingness to implement real innovation, such as small food refineries fit for smaller communities. Funding available to this type of organisation is projects, but those tenders that involve larger investments require pre-funding, which the organisation cannot afford. While the initiative is actively trying to bring about change and improvements to the food system, and to find support, new ways to implement larger and more impactful projects are needed to create concrete impacts.
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ZELENA MREŽA AKTIVISTIČKI GRUPA
https://www.zmag.hr

INITIATIVE N°4 – ZMAG

GREEN NETWORK OF ACTIVIST
GROUPS (ZMAG)

ZMAG or the Green Network of Activist Groups have been active in Croatia since 2002. During this time, their activities have created an impact on agroecology in Croatia. They are primarily an NGO that brings together various actors in the field of green living and sustainability. They organise themselves in line with strategic areas of activity, namely education on sustainability, agroecology, sustainable construction, and solidarity economy. In 2013, they signed a contract with the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society in Croatia and became one of the nine centers of knowledge for social development in Croatia.

KEY FEATURES

* **Type of education and training:** workshop and activities of promotion of agroecology

* **Type of legal entity:** NGO

* **Main topic:** permaculture

* **Members:** activists

* **Training duration:** 1 day to 1 year

ZMAG is involved in the movement, education, and practice of agroecology. They use scientific research in the field of agroecology to expand their knowledge but do not actively participate in the creation of such knowledge. They promote agroecology in order to change attitudes on soil for food, producers, and to encourage consumers to establish sustainable food chains that are fair to everyone.

Their headquarters and center is located in Vukomerić, near Zagreb. The NGO has eight employees and about 15 further associates. ZMAG has a dynamic community whose main goal is to spread ecosocial awareness through examples and education. Therefore, they organise practical and theoretical workshops mainly on the topics of sustainability and permaculture. They provide non-formal education and collaborate with schools within classrooms or outside.

Their education programmes include permaculture design courses, eco gardening workshops, gardening for beginners, and natural construction. Training is available to anyone interested and their duration range from a one-day workshop to a full year course. Their natural construction trainings are through their Academy of Natural Construction - the largest education program ZMAG provides, with more than 100 hours of lectures and practical classes. They also organise events such as Permaculture Day, the Conference on Good Economy, and public lectures. Moreover, they are involved in assisting policymakers to reform curricula in the field of sustainable development.

They cooperate with local governments, civil society, non-governmental organisations with similar interests, communities, farmers, and entrepreneurs. This includes cooperation on a regional level with the city of Ludbreg and Pregrada, and internationally with the Geneva Chamber of Societies and Solidarity Economy, Switzerland, on the topic of the UN's 13 goals for sustainability; with ZEF- Cooperative for Ethical Financing; and the European Network for Solidarity Economy RIPESS that works with partners from Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, and France.

Currently, they have several ongoing projects such as Our Good Food, Social Seeds Bank, and Cooperative for a Good Economy that uses the Food for Good platform - Short Supply Chains.
<figure><img src="image_514.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 4:** Green Network of Activist Groups headquarters- modified traditional Turopolje house. Source: ZMAG Zelenamrežaaktivističkihgrupa - https://www.zmag.hr.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

ZMAG members have created valuable publications on agroecology, making multiple guides on seed production, how to start a community seed bank, a guide to permaculture design, how to best manage soil, and many more that helped shape the movement and practices in this region. Further, they have helped establish short-chain food supply schemes, workshops on how to produce vegetables, honey, and mushrooms, and have made a difference in knowledge and efforts to sustain local culture by managing their community seed bank.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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### NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:

ZMAG provides a good example of sustainable living and is effective in managing their natural resources and biodiversity on site, as well as using these examples for education and training.

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### SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:

ZMAG participates in solidarity economy networks and has its own projects that create and strengthen social links.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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### TRADITIONAL FOOD AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION:
When it was founded, the organisation was hoping to achieve independence in the food supply of its members. Over the years, they have focused more on other projects, and this ambition was never realised. In the future, they would like to invest time and resources to make this initial wish come true.
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INITIATIVE N°5 – ISTRIAN ECO PRODUCT

# ISTRIAN ECO PRODUCT

Istarski Eko Proizvod is an NGO that organises a local market that sells organic products and connects organic farmers to consumers in Istria, a peninsula in the north part of the Adriatic Sea. When the organisation was founded in 2012, it was an informal gathering of a few vegetable producers, one dairy farmer and Slavonian producer of organic apples. It soon became apparent that these type of products attracted consumers which encouraged them to further organised and developed a marketplace on an old and unutilised market in Šijana, one of Pula's (biggest city in Istria County) neighbourhoods.

To be a part of this organisation, producers must be certified organic farmers. The initiative also maintains several businesses that regularly buy from producers within the group. They see their consumers as the voices that express needs and doubts, and as such, are a good representation of the larger market demand. The administrators of the organisation are active in their response to such needs and often find new producers or create new products. At first, they were organised as a GSR (group of solidarity exchange) but later decided that the SEG (Solidary Ecological Group) model of organisation worked better for them. Today, they have 200 active members. The organisation is made up of only volunteers, with no paid employees.

The initiative also organises two further markets in Istria, in Rovinj and Novigrad. All markets are open to the public. While local producers have priority, when there is a product missing that consumers are demanding, the organisation reaches out to other Croatian organic producers from other counties. All stalls in the market are free for producers.

Agroecology is found through their support of organic production which provides healthy food and environments for all, as well as a sustainable livelihood for the farmer. By participating in scientific research on olive oil, the initiative also supports knowledge building on the topic.

The organisation is financed through membership and at times, through small outside funding from short-term projects linked to their activity. The initiative sometimes collaborates with other NGOs, most notably ZMAG who supported the project when the initially started the market and now, to run it. They also maintain a notable collaboration with the Poreč institute for agriculture and tourism who works with olive makers to research and producing the highest quality olive oil.

ISTARSKI EKO PROIZVOD

IEP

Udruga registriranih ekoloških proizvodača Istarske županije

ISTARSKI EKO PROIZVOD
http://iep.com.hr

## KEY FEATURES

* Leading organisation: Istarski Eko Proizvod

* Founded in: 2012

* Agroecological practices concerned: solidary exchange of organic food produce

* Farming sectors concerned: organic agriculture

* Scale of the initiative: 200 members

* Number of stakeholders involved: producers and consumers
<figure><img src="image_523.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 5:** Istrian Eco Product marketplace. Source: Istarski Eko Proizvod - http://iep.com.hr.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

By providing a space for organic producers to sell their products, they not only give these farmers economic resilience, they are also giving them the rare opportunity to connect with other producers in their region. Further, in a market of all certified organic producers, the farmers don't have to compete with the conventional prices that would be found in ordinary markets that are common in Croatia. This ensures that the farmer has a reliable place to sell their produce, at a fair price, with easy consumer access. This is also an interesting opportunity for the consumer to access a diversity of organic, local products.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**COMMERCIALISATION IS LOCAL, FAIR AND/OR COLLECTIVE:** This initiative has a direct and significant impact on the local economy for organic agricultural products. By creating this space, the initiative has helped many producers become financially stable, especially those that did not have a stable sale point beforehand.

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** By developing a market for organic products, farmers became interested in the prospect of transitioning to organic practices. The initiative has helped several producers to begin growing organically and becoming certified, including the first producer of organic citrus fruits in Croatia.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**COOPERATION:** Organic food production is more controlled than conventional production and so it should guarantee the authenticity and quality of its products. Initiative Istarski Eko Proizvod had high hopes for the integrity of its producers and the benefits that this kind of production could have on society and the environment. However, they had some farmers that were selling more products than they could produce considering their land size. This endangered the integrity of the entire organisation.

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR ECONOMICS:** Since many of the organisations members are farmers themselves, they have little time to work for the initiative, making the volunteering aspect of the initiative a challenge. Further, if they wanted to hire any employees, they have no financial to do so.
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PRACTICE

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MOVEMENT

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EDUCATION

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LIVING LAB

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SCIENCE

INITIATIVE N°6 – REGENERATORS

REGENERATORS

**Regenerators** is an informal cluster which started in 2018. Currently, it is comprised of a socially-owned enterprise "Održivo" (Sustainable), architecture and design studio "Armano Linta", consulting trade business "Kompost i Kontekst" (Compost and Context), two agronomists, and a hydrogeophysicist. They aim to facilitate and speed up the process of implementing agroecological practices and principles in regenerative agriculture. They work as a transdisciplinary team offering different levels of services that lead to holistic agroecological systems.

One of their major missions is to provide design and knowledge in order to transform land into agroecological landscapes. Their clients include anyone, from small landowners that have decided to make their land more sustainable and productive, to public institutions that have large amounts of land that they want to transform in order to develop local communities.

KEY FEATURES

• **Founded in:** 2018

• **Agroecological practices concerned:** link with regenerative farming

• **Scale of the initiative:** 2 design and architecture studios, one consulting company and forestry experts.

• **Number of stakeholders involved:** three business entities and three professional associates and clients.

To aid the process of implementing regenerative agriculture, the team offers to make agroecological analyses of the current state of terrains, offer conceptual solutions and sketch out main ideas, and design a new system. The team also offers education on the topics they are competent in: regenerative agriculture practices, permaculture, development of eco villages, community building, and natural construction.

Many of their finished projects can be found throughout Croatia. They have had projects on landscapes as large as 160 ha for public institutions and small private landscapes as small as 2 ha.

The basis of agroecology for this cluster is regenerative farming, whose principles and practices are completely compatible with agroecology. For them, agroecology is manifested through the three elements of science and research, as a social movement, and a set of practices. They are a part of the movement through their engagement and education of individuals on agroecology. Science and research are the primary sources that inspire and support their ideas although they are not at this point engaged actively in this element.

The collaborative nature of the cluster makes this initiative highly synergistic through its different but similar parts. The initiative has no public representation but most of its members are engaged in the public sphere for Croatian agroecology.

One of Regenerator's goals is to implement as many agroecological projects in Croatia as they can, and to speed up the transition towards sustainability. For now, their volume of work is still rather small and the hope for growth is that more entities will recognise the need for implementation of these practices.

EDUCATION

MOVEMENT

PRACTICE
<figure><img src="image_533.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 6:** Members of Regenerators co-creating agroecological designs. Source: https://www.zmag.hr.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

Although it is an informal initiative, the team shows great achievements in implementing principles of just community dynamics in their work. Members of the initiative are highly competent in different aspects of agroecology and together collaborate innovatively and efficiently by using alternative organisational methods. This is a very complex endeavour and every member contributes in their own way on various elements to create a holistic system.

## POSITIVE IMPACTS

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**SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR**

**ECONOMICS:** The initiative manifests equity in decision-making through practicing sociocracy internally.

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**EDUCATION:** Services of this initiative

train their clients in more comprehensive and practical ways to implement regenerative practices and principles. Agroecology is presented as a circular and holistic concept, more so than through the education and training practices which are available in other organisations.

## LIMITATIONS & CHALLENGES

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**SOCIETY AND EQUITY:** The need for

the development projects and services that Regenerators can provide is substantial, but the monetary resources of the public Croatian funding are limited, as well as their knowledge on the topic. The initiative offers services that consumers have not yet used and are an important steps in achieving complete solutions such as monitoring and holistic context.
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SCIENCE

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EDUCATION

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LIVING LAB

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PRACTICE

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MOVEMENT

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AGRONOMSKI FAKULTET U ZAGREBU,
SVEUŠILIŠTE U ZAGREBU
https://www.agr.unizg.hr

INITIATIVE N°7 – FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE,
UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB

This institution was founded more than 100 years ago and has trained up to 19,000 agronomists to date. It has about 450 employees and about 2,500 students per year in all fields of agronomy. Two study programmes are more directly connected to the topic of agroecology: the BSc and MSc study programme in agroecology, BSc in Organic Agriculture and MSc in Organic agriculture and Agrotourism.

The institution conceives agroecology as a branch of science, and researches the interactions between the environment and agronomic practices. Organic agriculture represents the primary study of practice and implementation of the general agroecological principles. Related studies programmes are the MSc in Renewable energy sources in agriculture and an MSc in Environment, agriculture, and resource management, both of which are conducted in English.

They publish around 280 scientific papers a year and have 160 research ongoing projects, of which 75% are Croatian, and 25% international. Their goals include contributing to sustainability, quality agronomy in Croatia, and sustainable economic and societal development.

Some of the active scientific research related to agroecology are: management planning and restoration of Dinara dry grasslands to save biodiversity and support sustainable development; socio-ecological challenges of rural development; indicators of resilience of Croatian rural socio-ecological systems; solidarity economies with an anthropological perspective; climate change adaptation measures for sustainable management of natural resources; agrobiodiversity - the basis for adaptation and mitigation of climate change in agriculture; and sustainable food chains through public policies and public sector food procurement.

All the departments in this institution link in some way to agroecology by working on challenges regarding for instance, to the overuse of manure, farm waste and pollution, water contamination with nitrates, and ground erosion.

Some collaborations regarding agroecology are made with foreign institutions. They have collaborated with many institutions including University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Japan Science and Technology Agency. Active expert education and projects in the field of agroecology are done in the field of viticulture, for example by introducing vine varieties that are resilient to fungal diseases and appropriate for the Kutjevo region, or through the introduction and characterisation of vine varieties that are adequate for organic production in the Zagreb county.

KEY FEATURES

* Founded in: 1919

* Main goals: development of education and scientific activity

* Main topics: agronomy and biotechnology

* Leading organisation: University of Zagreb

* Type of actors involved: academics

* Funded by: the state

EDUCATION

SCIENCE
<figure><img src="image_543.png" /><figcaption>**Picture 7:** Students working on faculties organic garden. Source: Lana Zubčić.</figcaption></figure>

## WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

This institution has a wide array of fields of research and they have many specialised laboratories.
This kind of organisation gives space for interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of agroecology.