Communication products
Communication products developed to present the case to the target audience. These may be videos, presentations, documents or other relevant formats.
CASE DETAILS
STATEMENT
If agroecology organisations join Bilim Alliance, then they will benefit from the diverse experiences of its members and therefore they will enhance their capacity to support local practices, launch agroecology schools and participate in policy processes that benefit smallholder farmers.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Agroecology organisations from the Eastern Europe, West and Central Asia region.
TARGET AUDIENCE'S PRIORITIES AND VALUES
- New funding and projects possibilities.
- More knowledge sharing.
- Visibility.
- Breaking isolation.
- Concrete opportunities for youth interested in working locally.
FRAMING OF THE ARGUMENT
- Bilim exists as an alliance of diverse small-scale food producer organisations and allies, many of which are women-led.
- Bilim enables the sharing of valuable knowledge amongst participating organisations. It is proven by knowledge and experience sharing which has been ongoing for 2 years, and has been evolving through the continuous efforts of its members.
- This sharing strengthens the participating organisations. The initiatives that started from the connections cultivated in Bilim are evidence of that. For example, the development of agroecology schools, joint programs between organisations, and the national advocacy work.
STRATEGY
A listing of joint events and initiatives, testimonies, data, examples showing that Bilim exists as a community of sharing about agroecology, with involvement of approximately 19 organisations from the ECA region. Those examples show that Bilim enables impactful actions in rural areas, and that joining the community can be a leverage and resource for expanding the network and developing more joint activities.
CALLS TO ACTION
Get aware and join the knowledge sharing in the alliance.
Note: The formal process of joining the Bilim alliance has not been set so far. We therefore invite agroecology organisations from the region to join the knowledge sharing, not the alliance per se.
CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE
This section contains each claim made by the case, along with the evidence provided to prove that claim. Evidence may be first or second hand, include any combination of qualitative and quantitative data, and can come from a variety of sources.
The alliance is relatively well established and has a significant number of exchange activities both in-person and online.
Some statistics
• Number of member organizations : 19.
• 2 Bilim Forums:
- 2023, Bursa (Turkiye): approximatively 50 participants from 19 organisations.
- 2022, Sakaria (Turkey): approximatively 36 participants from 10 organisation.
• Monthly/trimestral online meetings of sharing experiences – at least 15 meetings in 2 years.
• National workshops and seminars in 2 years: 14.
• Total number of people reached in 2023-2024: approx. 2000 in 2 years.
Agroecology schools and workshops
- 2024: 3 in-person workshops so far in Bosnia and Herzegovina / Serbia, Albania / Kosovo, and Kazakhstan.
- 2023 - 2024: 18 online thematic workshops on agroecology schools and agroecology practices with participation of external speakers.
- 2023: 6 Agroecology schools Funded through Bilim in Central Asia including 1 in Kazakhstan, 1 in Uzbekistan, 4 in Kyrgyzstan.
- 2023: 11 national seminars in-person in different countries.
- 2022 – 2024: Online meetings - at least 8 (trimestral in 2023 and 2022) and 6 in 2024.
An agroecological school was organized in the Akmola region by Zher-Ana NGO in collaboration with Olzhas cooperative on drip irrigation for 30 local farmers. During the entire season from February to the end of September, both theoretical and practical trainings were conducted. In May-June, practical sessions were held with the installation of drip irrigation systems on the plots of farmers.
One training on agroecology practices (soil-protective and resource-saving) organized by Agrarian women of Uzbekistan, for 20 women, in collaboration with the local Andijan Institute of Agriculture and Agricultural Technologies, closely connecting the academic sector with women-farmers. University scientists were thus able to learn more about the problems of farmers and the practices they use. Visit of the Institute / Visit of a greenhouses, 4 field farmers agroecology schools on “peasant seed production” with Dyikan Muras women seed savers in 4 regions of Kyrgyzstan: Jalalabad, Chui, Issyk-Kul and Batken.
Description of activities showing the correlation between joining Bilim and creating agroecology schools and engaging with agroecology projects.
Agroecology schools implemented thanks to Bilim
An agroecological school was organised in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan by Zher-Ana NGO in collaboration with Olzhas cooperative on drip irrigation for 30 local farmers. This agroecology school has been inspired by other Bilim agroecology school experiences. During the entire season from February to the end of September, both theoretical and practical trainings were conducted. In May-June, practical sessions were held with the installation of drip irrigation systems on the plots of farmers.
Testimonies (Gulmaira, coordinator of Zher-Ana) state that the idea of organizing such workshop came from the interactions held in Bilim. During a Grassroots Evidence for Agroecology(GEA) meeting, Arca also mentioned that interactions within Bilim encouraged him to organize trainings for his colleagues.
A training with 20 women on agroecology practices (soil-protective and resource-saving practices) was organised by the Agrarian women of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the local Andijan Institute of Agriculture and Agricultural Technologies. It closely connected the academic sector with women-farmers. University scientists were thus able to learn more about the problems of farmers and the practices they use.
Visit of the Institute / Visit of a greenhouse.
This training was possible thanks to dedicated funding allocated to strengthen the Bilim community learning activities. Without Bilim, the funding would not have reached the organisation. Four field farmers agroecology schools on “peasant seed production” with Dyikan Muras women seed savers in 4 regions of Kyrgyzstan: Jalalabad, Chui, Issyk-Kul and Batken. The training program was developed in collaboration with members of the seed bank network and agronomists and is updated every year with topics added upon request. These trainings have been organised with funding allocated to Bilim to strengthen the community.
Joint agroecology projects
- Visit of the Stina women group from Kosovo to Albania to meet people of the COSPE NGO (both Bilim members) and gain experience on how to create a farmer seed bank.
- Workshop on “Acceleration of agroecological transition of agricultural systems” in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with participation of Alica Foundation and Okvir Jivota.
- Workshop in Kazakhstan organised by the members of Zher-Ana agroecology school and inspired by Bilim experience and methodology with participation local and national state authorities.
OTHER DETAILS
Photos
Agroecology workshop (Kazakhstan)
Bilim exchange around seeds (Albania)
Bilim Forum 2023 in Türkiye
International Farmers' Seed Exchange, Türkiye
Bilim Workshop 2022 in Italy
Leading organisation
Partner organisations
