BILIM Agroecology Community/Alliance for Europe and Central Asia
Bilim is an informal alliance of organizations active in Agroecology* from Eastern Europe and Central Asia region created in 2022, where Schola Campesina has a role of facilitator. Bilim means Knowledge in Turkish and some other Central Asian languages. The community brings together grassroots movements, organizations, NGO’s and other groups organizing peasants and small-scale food producers, indigenous peoples, academics, women and youth.
The members of Bilim community are practicing and / or promoting Agroecology on the ground and /or at policy level, with a focus on protecting biodiversity and cultural heritage, placing smallholders’ knowledge at the center of food systems. Our work is guided by our cultural diversity and the Nyéléni Declaration on Agroecology, UNDROP and UNDRIP . This alliance is facilitated by four organizations: Schola Campesina, Elkana, Eco Ruralis and ADI.
BILIM community is a space for:
- sharing of experiences and knowledge
- alliance and coordination to mainstream Agroecology and Human Rights at a policy level
- building concrete solidarity.
Bilim community in 2023 includes more than 25 organisations from 19 counties. The community is open to organizations recommended by Bilim members based on trust and common values defined in Nyéléni Declaration on Agroecology.
The Bilim meet members regularly online and at least once a year in-person.
In 2022 and 2023, the community, supported by FAO REU and Agroecology Fund, held in-person agroecology training in Italy, and twice convened in Turkey for the annual Bilim Forum. They also organized a series of webinars, online exchanges, and several bilateral and trilateral live exchanges.
You can read more and download the reports on the various activities on the page Agroecology Schools and Sharing Knowledge
What we do
Agroecology Network Forum Bilim
The first Agroecology Forum for Eastern Europe and Central Asia involving 22 organizations of 19 countires of the region was held in Turkey in 2022, with a subsequent edition in 2023.
Agroecology Schools
Farmers' knowledge, especially that of women, remains undervalued in Central Asia and Eastern Europe region. Recognizing and leveraging this knowledge is crucial for the development of agroecology. The Agroecology school model is a vital tool for that.
Supporting national events and exhanges
Our goal is to fortify the agroecology movement in the region by supporting local events on biodiversity, farmers' seeds, and other agroecology-related activities, while also fostering exchanges among participants.
UNDROP and policy advocacy
Coordinating advocacy for the implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Peasants and other perole living in rural areas (UNDROP), advancing policy recognition of farmers' seeds, and advocating for a farmer-driven educational system.
Webinars
Our webinars and online dialogues encompass a knowledge-sharing series, presenting tools and experiences for organizing and facilitating agroecology schools, outlining steps towards developing a farmer-centric seed system, and showcasing experiences of agroecological organizations from around the world.
Actions of solidarity in crisis situations.
Implementing solidarity actions to support organizations facing crisis situations.
Stories from Bilim
The series of interviews where we present inspiring stories, people and unique organisations from Europe and Central Asia who work for agroecology development in their regions. You can read the first two interviews below. The interviews are created by the Bilim partner AgroPermaLab from Poland
Reflecting on the BILIM Forum: 2022 and 2023
In 2022 and 2023, BILIM Agroecology community members gathered in person for the BILIM Forum in Turkey, fostering a spirit of collaboration and sharing. These events were a platform for members to exchange experiences, strengthen their partnerships, and discuss various...
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Exchange Visit of STINA Women’s Association from Kosovo to Albania: exploring local seed bank,didactic field and educational laboratories.
From May 22 to May 23, 2024, Schola Campesina, in collaboration with COSPE Association and the Professional School “Ndre Mjeda” in Bushat, Vau Dejes Municipality, organized a visit from the STINA Women’s Association from Kosovo. The delegation, accompanied by Tahir...
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The workshop “Acceleration of agro-ecological transition of agricultural systems” and visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, March 20, 2024
The visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, organized by Bilim Alliance members Alica Foundation (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Schola Campesina, was centered around the workshop “Acceleration of agro-ecological transition of agricultural systems” held in Doboj on March 20, 2024....
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Traditional Saami Ways of Eating
“We have four traditional activities in our region that provide us food: hunting, reindeer breeding, fishing, wild fruits collecting like berries, but also mushrooms and herbs. Traditionally agriculture was not our thing. But with the influence of Russian population we...
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