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Demeter International adopts leitmotif for future operations

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Milk prices in conventional agriculture that threaten livelihoods, extreme weather conditions as a consequence of climate change, agricultural land as a commodity for financial speculation - in view of the challenges we're facing here and now it's becoming increasingly obvious that a paradigm shift is needed. At the Demeter International Members' Assembly in Finland everyone was in agreement. At the same time, the Demeter actors from all regions of the world saw in the biodynamic method a holistic model for societal change. Representatives of Demeter and biodynamic associations in 23 countries on five continents gathered from 13 to18 June in Finland to discuss and adopt strategies for taking forward agriculture and the food economy.

Holistic model for societal change

Together with organic agriculture and environment movements, Demeter stands for agricultural principles that offer solutions to our current environment problems, respecting eco systems and making sustainable use of natural resources. Demeter is also committed to bringing about a cultural change. This involves a change of mindset combined with new forms of of social and economic cooperation that can lead to a really sustainable agrarian culture that serves mankind. The members' meeting adopted its “Vision, Mission and Principles“ as the foundation on which everyone can tackle these issues. The paper described how Demeter actors want to contribute to an agrarian culture that enables people to develop their personal potential and awareness to the full.

 

Die Finnish colleagues presented the visitors from all over the world with outstanding examples of biodynamic agriculture. Ari and Ira Hellstén, the founders of the eco village Kurjentila, explained in the midst of traditional Finnish cattle and young vegetable plants how their expanding project promotes cooperation, international exchange, town – country relations and environmental awareness in practice. Another impressive example of the successful implementation of biodynamic principles was the Demeter farm Rekola, that was converted to biodynamic agriculture in the 1970s by Kalervo Rekola.

Demeter International looks to the future with optimism. The area of land cultivated biodynamically worldwide is expanding. Currently 164,000 ha in 52 countries have been certified by Demeter. The beneficial effects for the earth, climate and feeding humanity are encouraging people to continue focusing on the development of biodynamics.

Demeter International opposes new genetic engineering

There was also agreement that new gene technologies like CRISPR-Cas, Cisgenetics and TALEN have to be regulated, since they are technical interventions in cell and genome. Companies have been researching these technologies in animal and plant breeding in recent years, and breeding companies now want to put on the market a number of plant varieties produced in this way. Demeter demands that organisms that have been produced using these techniques must – as laid down in genetic technology law in the EU – be subject to risk assessment, risk management and mandatory labelling. Also retrievability from the environment must be ensured by the legislators. This means that these genetically modified organisms are excluded from organic agriculture.

Technologies like the new genetic engineering techniques have led to further intensification of agriculture based on the high input of chemicals and energy. In contrast, biodynamic and organic agriculture and biodynamic plant breeding are characterised by a holistic perception of farming and its cultural context. They are therefore true  “agri-culture” in the best sense of the word. Consequently, they offer a better response to the complex challenges of the future than single-solution models and purely technical approaches. This is why practitioners of biodynamics are calling on politicians to fight for research and breeding in holistic, sustainable farming systems , investment in organic plant breeding and an expansion of organic farming.


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