| Project | Topic | Financed |
| REC - Danube Regional Project | EZ biodiversita a ochrana ŽP | UNDP / GEF |
| UNDP / GEF Danube Regional Project "The Support and Promotion of Ecological Agriculture in the Production Areas Located in the Danube Basin" | ||
| Kick-off date | Finish date | |
| 09/01/2004 | 12/01/2005 | |
This project has been developed in the frame of Danube Regional Project (DRP). The main goal of DRP "regional" grants is to facilitate a regional approach to the reduction of point- and non-point sources of nutrient- and toxic-substances pollution in the Danube River Basin.
"This programme is managed by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe on behalf of the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project."
More information about DRP are avaible on web page:
http://www.undp-drp.org/jart/projects/unodp/intro2.html
http://www.undp-drp.org/jart/projects/unodp/intro2.html
The Danube basin is a traditional area of intensive farming. The original agriculture in all the relevant countries has been converted into intensive factory farming (conventional agriculture), with an extended use of industrial fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Conventional farming causes erosion and is a large source of pollution of both ground and surface water. It is impossible to reduce the amount of these polluting substances without a change in farming practices.
The Correct Agricultural Practice represents a slight ecological improvement but a fundamental change may only be brought about by ecological agriculture, which brings appropriate know-how to the conventional farmers as well. Ecological agriculture (EA) has been defined by legal norms both in the EU and the majority of the countries in the Danube basin. EA has been making a successful expansion in the extensive areas (mainly mountain areas) with the predominance of permanent grasslands and cattle farming. However, in the production areas where arable land prevails, the practice of EA has been expanding very slowly, and it is precisely these areas where the need to make agriculture more ecological is the most acute. The potential for EA is large (and it is in keeping with a trend in the EU).
Aims of the Project:
· Disseminate EA in the significant farming areas in the Danube basin.
· Promote EA among farmers.
· Promote EA among teachers, students, university management, advisors, state administrators and consumers.
· Acquaint these target groups with the risks involved in conventional agriculture from the point of view of damaging the environment (especially in view of water pollution).
· Make sure that EA stops being on the periphery of interest of the conventional agricultural experts and submit this topic to serious discussion in the academia.
· Give practical examples that will show that EA can be successfully practiced on arable land as well and disseminate this know-how further (multiplication).
· Create an international NGO network and an action plan for advancing and promoting EA in the Danube basin.
· Point out the positive environmental aspects of EA.
Project activities:
· Writing, publishing and promoting a study on the influence of EA on both ground and surface water
· Bioacademy 2005 – one of the conference topic will be focused on the pollution of the Danube waters and the possible alternatives in agriculture and Action Plan for the Development of EA in the Danube Basin will be declared.
· one-day seminars on universities focused on topic water protection
· publishing of informational leaflets („Agriculture and water protection - What Is There To Be Done?”, Promotion leaflet on EA and organic food products for the consumers)
· pilot farms and days of the open doors – the seminars will take place on the pilot farms and will focus on farmers (both the seminars and the open days) as well as consumers.
Project partners:
Bioselena - Foundation for organic agriculture (Karlovo, Bulgaria)
http://www.bioselena.com;
Terras - Natural Food Association (Subotica, Serbia and Montenegro)
http://www.terras.org.yu;
Ekotrend - Association of Ecological Farmers (Slovakia)
http://www.ecotrend.sk;
Information Centre for the Development of Moravské Kopanice (Czech Republic)
What has been going on in project realisation?
Study developmentUniversity seminarsBioacademy 2005LeafletsOpen days on farms| Name of Organization: | PRO-BIO Svaz ekologických zemědělců |
| Coordinator: | Jiri Urban |
| Address: | Nemocniční 53 P.O. BOX 116 787 01 Šumperk |
| Phone: | 583 216 609 |
| Fax: | 583 214 586 |
| E-mail: | pro-bio@pro-bio.cz |
| Bioselena - Bulgaria; Terras - Serbia and Montenegro; Ekotrend - Slovakia; Information Centre for the Development of Moravské Kopanice - Czech Republic |
