Projects related to the strenghening of agroecology movement in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia
2023. Sharing knowledge for a stronger agroecology movement in ECA region and Agroecology Schools.
Funded by 
In the context of abandon of agricultural activities and rural exodus in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region, the project aims at strengthening local food producers’organizations and networks by supporting grassroots organizations actions in rural areas and specifically their knowledge-related activities. The so-called agroecology schools are key to supporting food producers in their farming activity (economic viability, access to markets, food processing, local policies, organizational model, political advocacy, among others) and in building alliances for improved and coordinated policy support for agroecology. The project therefore allows agroecology schools facilitators to meet, exchange and be trained on content and methodology, supported the “Bilim” digital platform. The international agroecology network Bilim is a tool to bring the voice of the grassroot organizations at international level and also the better instrument to strength the organization at national level.
The project is co-led by four organizations: ADI (Kyrgystan), Ecoruralis (Romania), Elkana (Giorgia) and Schola Campesina (Italia), and benefits a larger network of organizatons in Eastern and Central Europe, the Balcans and Central Asia.
Project Activities
1. Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Agroecology Network Forum BILIM 2023
Bilim is an alliance of agroecology organizations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia which brings together grassroots movements, organizations and groups, including peasants and small-scale farmers, indigenous peoples, NGOs, academics, women and youth, and all others who are actively involved in building Agroecology.
The annual BILIM Forum held from 10 -14 July 2023 in Bursa, Turkey, brought together 22 organizations from 18 countries, representing four main sub regions : 1) Eastern Europe, 2) Western Balkans, 3) South Caucasus & West Asia and 4) Central Asia.
2. Pilot agroecology schools in Central Asia:
the concept of agroecology school is new in this region, although the knowledge and the experience in agroecology are disseminated across Central Asia. The agroecology school allows to support better knowledge sharing and capitalize knowledge that today is not available for a wider network. The implementation of the pilot agroecology school will support the development of similar experiences in Central Asia.
The agroecology schools were supported by the project in:
- A pilot agroecology school on drip irrigation took place in Akmola oblast, Stepnogorsk – Karabulak (Kazakhstan)
- 2. Four pilot agroecology schools for seed growers took place in 4 regions of Kyrgyzstan: Jalalabad, Chui, Issyk-Kul and Batken
- A pilot agroecology school on agroecology practices took place in Andijan district of the Andijan region (Uzbekistan)
3. National seminars
National seminars and events to promote agroecology related to the output of the project took place in
Albania, organized by ANDR (Albanian Network of Rural Development), in September 2023, Agroecology as a response to climate change and benefits to farmers. The workshop was attended by members of the Rural Youth Hub1, representing 5 different rural realities from: Fushe Arrez,Pogradec, Maliq, Kukes, Durres (Albania) and aimed to enhance the understanding of rural youth on the opportunities of agroecology to face the impact of climate change in agriculture.
Kosovo organized by Stina (15 June 2023). Agroecology conference in the University of Prizren .
Giorgia, organized by Elkana (March 2023). National Workshop and seed exchange in Tbilisi . Open event for interested agroecological/organic seed savers, and International conference Organic Farming and Agroecology,at Hotel Fabrika in Tbilisi.
Kyrgyzstan by ADI (February 2023) in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) with 25 members of the Dyikan Muras seed savers network from the all country.
Romania by EcoRuralis (September 2022). Three days of seminar including Seed working group meeting, Bilim, Agroecology and fields work
Kazakstan by Zher-Ana (September 2023) in the village of Karabulak (Kazakhstan). At the occasion of the Earth Market (organized in the frame of a Slow Food project), the NGO Zher-Ana held a round table with the participation of farmers from both the agroecology school and the local fair to enable the sharing of experiences, successes, the results of the harvest using new knowledge, the difficulties encountered when using drip irrigation systems
Bosnia and Herzegovina by Alica Foundation (March 2023) on Food Sovereignty and Agroecology. Sustainable agricultural production and preservation of family farms and rural life in the University of Bijeljina, Pavlovića put bb, Bijeljina
North Macedonia by ZZ Eko Linden (November 2022) Lucerne in the circular economy, in Mustafino village, in the central part of North Macedonia.
Turkey by Ciftci-Sen, (September 2022) workshop
Ukraine by AFZU and EcoAction (November 2022) Forum in Kyiv city followed by field visits in Nalyvaikivka, Kyiv Oblast
Uzbekistan by the territorial branch of the Association “Women of the Agricultural Sector” of Uzbekistan in the Andijan region
4. The toolkit for the facilitators of the agroecology schools
: A specific methodology for facilitators of agroecology school adapted to the specific context of the ECA region.
6. Webinars on Agroecology Schools to support the Toolkit
2022. Strengthening civil society organizations linked to food production in Europe and Central Asia
Funded by FAO REU
The different outputs of this project relied on the development of emerging agroecology schools in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA). The activities have been conducted to “Strengthen civil society organizations linked to food production in the targeted countries” through the implementation, support and development of knowledge sharing activities.
The knowledge sharing activities greatly benefited from the digital platform Bilim co-created by the organizations of the Community and developed by Jengalab. The co-creation process has been facilitated by Schola Campesina all along the year 2022.In the frame of this project, different initiatives of agroeoclogy schools have emerged accross the ECA region.
See our general narrative report of the project.
Project Activities
In-person community meeting in Turkey (30th of May – 5th of June 2022) of the Community of Practice of Agroecology in Europe and Central Asia BILIM
During the week of the 30th of May, Schola Campesina Aps (Italy), ADI (Kyrgyzstan), and Çiftçi–sen (Turkey), with the financial support of FAO, hosted agroecology trainings with the aim of sharing knowledge and raising awareness within the participants’ organisations on the opportunities brought by Agroecology.
Overall the event was successful in building capacity and a stronger network amongst organisations of the region and introducing various tools and concepts related to Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, the Nyéléni declaration as well as the UN Declaration on the rights of Peasants and other Rural Workers (UNDROP).
See the report here
In-person training in Italy (29th of April – 5th of May 2022) of the Community of practice in Europe and Central Asia region on Agroecology BILIM
From April 30th to May 5th (2022) Schola Campesina welcomed the meeting of the Community of Practice on Agroecology in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. Farmers’ organizations and networks, along with researchers and activists from 15 different countries gathered in Italy, in Bio Bagnolese and Casale Loreto farms members of the Biodistrict of Via Amerina e delle Forre and of Schola Campesina.
The meeting aimed at strengthening the network of organization beyond borders and conflicts, the circulation of knowledge and experiences amongst them, and the facilitation of the development of agroecology schools throughout the region. A specific digital platform is being co-designed by Jengalab and the Community of Practice on
Agroecology – to facilitate the exchanges amongst the agroecology schools, in a digital but suitable and safe space.
Past collaboration (2020, 2021) made valuable local practices come up, thanks to TAPE (Tool of Agroecology Performance Evaluation, developed by FAO). Local agroecology – unveiled through the use of TAPE- has to be protected and developed. Agroecology schools are a tool for small-scale food producers’ organizations to make sustainable local practices recognized, valued, protected and strengthened.
