Speakers
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Andrea FerranteBilim Alliance Secretariat
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Gordana DuricAlica Foundation
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Sladjana SavicOkvir Života
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Tahir HalitayStina
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Rozeta GradeciAlbanian Rural Development Network/COSPE
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Suzana DimitrieskaEkolinden
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Marcela VelflCosmic Gardeners
Marcela Velfl is a gardener, a seed keeper and an Earth keeper who is committed to re-building strong, resilient and sovereign communities that grow and eat food that nurtures body and soul, strengthens relationships within communities, and heals the planet. She is also a co-founder of the Association Cosmic Gardeners in Croatia which was inspired by the adaptation / landrace movement of renewing genetic diversity in the plants we grow for eating, and adaptation of new types of plants, shrubs and trees to different environments and climates. She is working on developing diverse populations of fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, pseudo-cereals, and grains in a no-input and low-input approach. She does so by encouraging cross-pollination and letting nature figure out the rest.
Other Organizers
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Cosmic Gardeners
WS 3: On-farm agrobiodiversity in the Balkan region: from preservation to plant population development
The goals of activities, training and education carried out by organizations are to re-connect farmers with their own seeds and local communities with the local food system.
FROM 9:00 TO 10:00
SESSION 1 . THE BILIM ALLIANCE EXPERIENCES (Okvir Zivota, Alica Foundation, Stina, Albanian Rural devcelopment Network/COSPE, Ekolinden)
Bilim Alliance brings together partners like Okvir Života, Alica Foundation, Stina, Albanian Rural Development Network/COSPE, and Ekolinden to share practical experiences in sustainable farming. The session highlights how these organizations support rural communities through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and local innovation.
A key focus is on seed activities, including the preservation, exchange, and improvement of traditional seed varieties. On-farm maintenance is emphasized as a way to protect biodiversity, strengthen resilience, and ensure long-term food security
Speakers: Sladjana Savic Okvir Života, Gordana Duric Alica Foundation, Tahir Halitay Stina, Rozeta Gradeci Albanian Rural Development Network/COSPE, Suzana Dimitrieska Ekolinden
FROM 10:00 TO 10:30
SESSION 2. Cosmic Gardeners (Marcela Velfi): Seed stewardship from isolation to population: increasing genetic diversity of common crops in rural Croatia.
This session will lead participants step-by-step through hands-on processes of community plant population development that adapt to low-input organic food-growing practices, local ecosystems and ever-changing climate.
FROM 10:30 TO 10.45
DISCUSSION ON THE 2 SESSIONS
Moderator: Andrea Ferrante Bilim Alliance Secretariat
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