2024 est le centième anniversaire de l'agriculture biodynamique. De nombreux événements auront lieu cette année au niveau international, national, régional et local. Lors des nombreux événements et dans les nombreux articles, il sera toujours fait référence au « Cours aux agriculteurs » de Rudolf Steiner. Le terme se réfère d'une part au livre qui est disponible sur le marché en tant que GA 327 (en version reliée, en version brochée et dans de nombreuses traductions) et d'autre part aux événements de Koberwitz en juin 1924.
Geisteswissenschaftliche Grundlagen zum Gedeihen der Landwirtschaft – Komplett überarbeitete Neuauflage nun auch als Taschenbuch
Geisteswissenschaftliche Grundlagen zum Gedeihen der Landwirtschaft – Komplett überarbeitete Neuauflage
Si l’agriculture biodynamique ne s’est pas développée petit à petit, on peut identifier son origine de façon très précise : Le « Cours aux Agriculteurs », donné par Rudolf Steiner à Koberwitz, à la Pentecôte 1924. Durant 10 jours se tint une conférence spécialisée sur l’agriculture à partir des travaux du mouvement anthroposophique. Le cours consista essentiellement en huit conférences sténographiées, qui ont progressivement conduit à la publication d’un livre. Aujourd’hui, par rapport aux circonstances historiques, ce livre s’intitule « Le Cours aux Agriculteurs ».
Il peut paraitre étonnant, pour ceux qui ne sont pas directement concernés, que ce Cours aux Agriculteurs, identifié comme un moment historique, aujourd’hui un texte, soit une source de référence pour des milliers de personnes et pour le mouvement biodynamique. De plus, il peut paraitre étonnant que Steiner, en tant que non-agriculteur, soit parvenu à donner une impulsion à ces hommes et à ce domaine de façon aussi profonde et aussi durable.
Des agriculteurs de son entourage prièrent Steiner de tenir un cours sur l’agriculture. Ces agriculteurs ont ressenti la nécessité d’un profond renouvellement dans ce domaine de vie et d’activité. Steiner se préoccupa de la question des agriculteurs et à maintes reprises fit directement référence au cours des conférences aux conditions traditionnelles mais aussi modernes dans lesquelles ses participants se trouvaient. D’autre part, Steiner, en tant que chercheur dans le domaine spirituel, traita de nombreux problèmes de manière profonde et ouvrit de plus larges perspectives sur les rapports productifs du le sol, des plantes et des animaux dans l’agriculture. En outre, Steiner introduisit de nouvelles mesures pratiques, avant tout les préparations.
Un cercle expérimental d’agriculteurs anthroposophiques a été fondé dès Koberwitz. Cette association a ensuite coordonné le travail expérimental dans les différentes régions, a pris en main la production et la distribution des préparations, a stimulé le travail de recherche, a organisé des congrès, a fondé une revue, etc…Sur ce modèle et jusqu’à aujourd’hui, des associations pour la prise en charge de l’impulsion biodynamique sont apparues dans de nombreux pays et constituent l’épine dorsale organisationnelle du mouvement.
Rudolf Steiner n’est pas à l’origine de l’appellation « biodynamique » (biologique-dynamique). Celle-ci a été introduite dans les années qui ont suivi le cours. Il a été rapporté qu’un groupe a plus insisté sur l’aspect biologique ou loi de la vie, et un autre d’avantage sur le travail avec les forces ou l’aspect dynamique. Le terme « biologique-dynamique » est ainsi né d’une synthèse. Demeter, en tant qu’appellation et marque a été introduit dans les années 1930, comme signe distinctif et comme label pour les produits. Demeter International a été fondé en 1997, afin de coordonner la politique de la marque de manière fédérative.
La Section des Sciences naturelles du Goetheanum a été le principal interlocuteur pour les hommes et le travail dans les fermes. Au cours de l’hiver 1925, un an après le Cours aux Agriculteurs, le Goetheanum accueillit le premier congrès agricole. Depuis ce jour, un congrès a lieu chaque année. Celui-ci est considéré comme un évènement important, au cours de l’année et dans une perspective historique, pour ceux qui sont liés à l’impulsion biodynamique. Il propose chaque année une orientation thématique actuelle et se compose des rapports de terrain, des rapports de recherche, de l’étude des bases de l’anthroposophie et de contributions artistiques. Depuis ses modestes débuts, il est devenu un événement qui rassemble 700 personnes de 30 pays différents.
Au sein du mouvement biodynamique se trouve la conviction que les principes et les données fondamentales du Cours aux Agriculteurs sont pertinents pour une longue période de temps. Chaque nouvelle génération doit acquérir leur compréhension et leur mise en oeuvre. La question du potentiel de développement actuel du mouvement biodynamique dépend avant tout des possibilités des individus aujourd’hui et de leur capacité à coopérer.
De manière complémentaire, il y a de plus en plus une reconnaissance et une volonté de travailler en partenariat. Cela vaut aussi bien pour la coopération au sein du mouvement biodynamique, que pour la coopération dans le mouvement biologique et la société civile mondiale. Le rapport mondial sur l’agriculture, publié en avril 2008, a clairement démontré qu’une agriculture biologique, régionale, multifonctionnelle et basée sur l’expérience, est la mieux à même de surmonter les défis de l’avenir. Le mouvement biodynamique en tant que mouvement pionnier de l’agriculture biologique, et en tant que l’un de ses cercles les plus innovants, depuis ses débuts, est désireux et capable de répondre à ce grand défi.
Ueli Hurter
The content of the Agriculture Course
First lecture
Rudolf Steiner began the first lecture by describing the difficult economic situation that agriculture finds itself in and said that as well as widening the horizons of agriculture itself, the development of a more healthy economy would also be an objective of the course. Right at the start he extends the context of what is relevant to agriculture to include the very circumference of the universe. He gives the example of the compass: The reason why the compass needle points to the north is not to be found within the compass but in its connection to the magnetic field of the whole earth. The plants are likewise connected with their entire planetary surroundings. The outer planets saturn, jupiter and mars work via siliceous substances upon the nutritional qualities of plants and the inner planets moon, venus and mercury via the calcium substances upon their reproductive power.
Second lecture
In the second lecture the concepts of the agricultural organism and individuality are introduced. In comparison to the human being the agricultural individuality is standing on its head, the soil being equated with the diaphragm. The functions of silica, calcium, clay and humus are described. The plants in all their diversity and differentiation stand fully within the cosmic rhythms of life. Animal life is partly emancipated from these influences and human life to an even greater extent,. Farm animals provide the manure which is so essential for developing the fertility of the site. The agricultural activities of soil, plant and animal are embedded within the polarities of above and below, sun and earth, cosmic and terrestrial etc.. The greater planetary structures of life are reflected in the lesser structures of life of the agricultural individuality. How the one corresponds with the other is described using examples including that of seed formation.
Third lecture
In the third lecture Rudolf Steiner speaks of the substances which make up protein, the bearer of life on the earth: Sulphur, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen hydrogen. These substances are the carriers or the physical manifestations of active spirit principles and they are described in the following way. Sulphur is the expression of spiritual forces that bring about materialisation, carbon is the bearer of creative and formative forces, oxygen is the carrier of life, nitrogen of the sensitivity-bearing forces and hydrogen has the task is to lead the material back into the spirit. These 'five sisters' are accompanied by calcium (craven desire) and silica (aloof gentleman). It can be sensed how spirit activity, qualities of soul and a living vitality are expressed within these processes.
Fourth lecture
The fourth lecture sees a transition from fundamental principles to practical indications. The working together of forces and substances is presented using a further example, nutrition. The perennial nature of trees is characterised and leads on to a consideration of compost and the processes of humus formation. The care of compost is addressed in a practical way. The way materials should be layered, how lime can be used, the kind of covering needed are spoken of very concretely. The listeners are encouraged to use their noses to determine whether the compost is developing in the right way. Then comes an encouragement to improve the manure still further. This leads to a description being given of the making and using of the horn manure preparation. A ground breaking innovation that was introduced in all its simplicity. The silica preparation is then briefly described. These two prparations supplement one another 'the one pushes from below, the other draws from above'. Horn manure preparation promotes a healthy soil and stronger rooting, horn silica enhances quality in the leaves, flowers and the formation of fruit.
Fifth lecture
In the fifth lecture the compost preparations are described. By way of introduction more basic information is shared on manuring. Readily soluble mineral fertilizer is not able to stimulate life, traditional farmyard manure manure should be treated in the best possible way and applied. Despite all this the farm still has a deficit of forces since more leave the farm with the harvest than can be replaced by purely natural organic processes. A balance can be regained by using dynamic measures, the preparations.
First the yarrow preparation is described: Yarrow flowers (Achilea millefolium) are gathered, moistened and placed the bladder of a stag. The filled bladders are hung up in the sun over summer and dug into the soil in the autumn.They spend the winter in the ground and in spring when they have been dug up they will have turned into a humus-like substance which can be stored until the manure, compost or liquid manure is ready to treat. Only very small homeopathic amounts are needed. This preparation supports the potassium process.
For the second preparation the flowers of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) are collected and dried. In autumn the flowers are moistened and filled into the small intestine of a slaughtered cow. These chamomile sausages are al so buried in the earth over winter and dug out in spring. Its use supports the calcium processes.
The third is the stinging nettle preparation. Nettles (Urtica dioica) are cut down just before flowering, wilted a little and buried without any animal sheath. They stay in the ground for a whole year. This preparation helps the soil to become intelligent; it guides the nitrogen processes in the right way.
Next comes the oak bark preparation. Fresh oak bark if possible from the English Oak (Querqus robur) is ground up finely and placed in the skull of a domestic animal. A wet place is chosen in which to bury it over winter. This preparation supports plant health.
The fifth preparation is the dandelion preparation. Dandelion flowers (Taraxacum officinale) are gathered in spring and dried. In autum the mesentery of the slaughtered cow is used to enclose the moistened flowers. It is then also buried over the winter. Its use supports the silica processes.
Finally there is the valerian preparation. Flowers of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are collected and fresh pressed. Left in the sun for a while and stored in bottles, the juice keeps well. Like the other preparations it is added in very small amounts to the various farm composts. This preparation supports phosphorous processes.
Sixth lecture
The sixth lecture addresses questions around weeds, pests and plant disease. In order to achieve something in this field, the grand macrocosmic pictures presented in the first two lectures are now methodically applied. Annual weeds are particularly noted for their strong reproductive capacity. This comes from the inner planets, especially the moon. How can the fields and the weeds growing on them be treated so as to hinder the appearance of so many weeds? Seeds of these weeds can be gathered and burnt. The resulting ash is then sprinkled over the fields. Repeated for up to four years, this treatment will impede the growth of these plants on that location. With animal pests the principle is the same but more complex in practice. The field mouse is given as an example, the skin of the mouse is burnt when venus is in scorpio. With insects – the example of the root nematode is given – burning takes place when the sun is in taurus. Finally the problem of plant disease is addressed. This is essentially about diverting the excessive moon forces which are strongly mediated by water. This is achieved by treating the areas affected with a tea made from the common horsetail (Equisetum arvense).
Seventh lecture
The seventh lecture deals with the principles and practice of landscape design through agriculture. The formative-structuring function of the tree is described in relation to its surroundings: Fruit forming processes are concentrated in the tree's crown, its life is carried in the cambium while among the roots life activity is relatively weak. The insect world is very intimately linked into this structuring. Special mention is made here of earthworms 'these golden creatures'. The birds living with the trees form a connection to the woodlands and the wider circulation of air currents. The butterflies flutter around the flowering herbs. The influence of forest areas and the function of moist biotopes in reducing the effect of parasites and disease pathogens, is described. A reduction in the farm's productive area in favour of ecological balance can bring overall benefits to the farm. This could even become a statutory requirement – said Steiner in 1924! Hedges were mentioned as a healthy source of leaf fodder for ruminants. To conclude he turns to the wider processes of 'give and take' in nature. 'The plant gives and the animal takes in the household of nature'
Eighth lecture
The eighth lecture concerns the feeding of livestock. The nature of animals, plants and their relationship to one another was once again described. Animals have clearly developed polarities between their nerve-sense and metabolic-limb systems. Terrestrial substances and cosmic forces are active in the head region while in abdomenal region there are cosmic substances and terrestrial forces. These relationships were then contextualised for the human being: The brain is made of material substance while the thinking process involve forces of cosmic origin. The human 'I' is able to think upon the ground of the brain. The animal is unable to develop thoughts and so this untapped potential for ego development remains latent, not in the brain, but in the content of its intestinal tract. If this material excreted as dung is brought to the roots of plants as a manure fertilizer, its 'ego-potentiality' will bring about optimum plant growth. These plants are then eaten by the animals. In this way a farm becomes a closed organism in a wider spatial and temporal sense, an individuality.
Some very specific feeding recommendations are then given. The root is particularly suited as a food for nourishing the head region and it is from the head of a young animal that the rest of its organism develops, hence the importance of feeding carrots to young calves. Good hay and linseed is added to the diet of young cattle so that the healthy formative growth forces have room to develop. For the feeding of dairy cows the green leaf is the most important plant organ, especially leguminous plants like clover and lucerne. This can be supplemented with flowering plants and seeds by for example grazing herb-rich pastures or feeding herbs. With fatstock including pigs 'those wonderful heavenly animals' plants should be chosen whose seeds contain plant oils and fats. Attention is also drawn to the importance of a good salt quality. These principles need to be adapted to individual situations. Finally at the end of the course the focus returns to a farmer's own responsibility and sense of judgement: 'It makes a big difference whether these things are spoken about by a farmer or by someone with very little connection to agriculture'.
Regarding study of the Agriculture Course
The eight lectures and question and answer sessions can be read and studied in many different ways. They can be read from a practical point of view, how should something de done? Agronomic aspects can also be considered, how can plant growth, manuring or the nature of an animal be understood? Or from an anthroposophical viewpoint, how is the theory of evolution or the relationship between spirit and matter presented? Each one of these approaches has been used by successive generations over the last 90 years and each has its own value.
Steiner always saw the results of his spiritual scientific research as being an extension of current knowledge within a particular field both in practice and in theory. He developed spiritual science methodology and presented it in a very transparent and publically accessible way. A basic understanding of anthroposophical principles was a pre-condition for participating in the Agriculture Course.
The particular agricultural, social and scientific context of the 1920s naturally colours the way Steiner spoke especially since he always sought consciously to link on to the concrete conditions of the time. From an increasingly distant historical perspective however, such time limited aspects can be ever more clearly distinguished from the essential core principles that were presented. It remains the case however that even after 90 years we have not nearly exhausted what can be gleaned from the wisdom of this course on so many levels. Many people have experienced and continue to experience the Agriculture Course as a source of inspiration and engagement for their work on the field, in the laboratory, kitchen, shop or office – and we can well imagine that this will remain the case for many years to come.
The position of the course in the world
To start with the Agriculture Course was only available on loan to a few people as a numbered manuscript. In the 1950s it was published as part of Steiner's Complete Works in the form of a book. The eighth edition is currently on the market with over 10,000 copies being sold. It has been translated into over 25 languages. Interest in the course is continually growing. The thoughts and images contained in these lectures have also influenced the entire organic and ecological farming movement. Rachel Carson was for instance inspired via her friend and biodynamic gardener Marjorie Spock, to write her seminal book 'Silent Spring' (1962). It is significant that the World Agriculture Report (2008) in considering the future direction of agriculture, came to conclusions that were already expressed using other words in the Agriculture Course on both a principle and detailed level. Even with regard to the economic questions which have become so urgent today in the field of agriculture and food, important ideas were sown during the 1924 lectures.
In conclusion it can be said that many treasures hidden in the Agriculture Course are yet to be uncovered and that its historical mission is still unfolding. We very much hope that wider public interest in the principles and practical indications found in Rudolf Steiner's Agriculture Course will continue to contribute in a significant and meaningful way towards an agriculture of the future.
Afrikaans
Steiner, R. (2009). Lewenskragtige Boerdery. Die basiese Landboukursus van 1924. Biosinamiese Lanbouvereingiging van Suider-Afrika, Stellenbosch. ISBN: 978-0-620-44394-4
Allemand
Steiner, R. (1999). Geisteswissenschaftliche Grundlagen zum Gedeihen der Landwirtschaft - Acht Vorträge, gehalten in Koberwitz bei Breslau vom 7. bis 16. Juni 1924. Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach.
Anglais (EU)
Steiner, R. (1993). Agriculture. Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriuclture. Bio-dynamic farming and gardening Association, Inc. Kimberton, Pennsylvania. ISBN: 0-938-250-37-1
Anglais (GB)
Steiner, R. (1974). Agriculture. Bio.dynamic Agricultural Association, London. ISBN: 0-9503780-4-6
Espagnol (ES)
Steiner, R. (2009). Curso sobre agricultura biologico dinamica. Editorial Rudolf Steiner, Madrid.
Finlandais
Steiner, R. (2004). Maatalouskurssi. Biodynaaminen Yhdistys ry, Tampere. ISBN: 951-9442-35-9
Français
Steiner, R. (1993). Agriculture. Fondements Spirituels de la méthode bio-dynamique. Editions Anthroposophiques Romandes, Genève. ISBN: 2-88189-058-X
Hongrois
Steiner, R. (1963). A mezögazdálkodäs gyarapodásának szellemtudományos alapjai. Elöadások a biodinamikus gazdálkodásról. Genius.
Italien
Steiner, R. (2003). Impulsi scientifico-spirituali per il progresso dell' Agrigultura. Editrice Antroposofica, Milano.
Japonais
ISBN978-4-7565-0087-8 C0061
LettonSteiner, R. (1995). Garigo zin?t?u pamati lauksaimniecibas uzplaukuma sekm?šanai. Riga.
Polonais
Steiner, R. (2003). Kurs rolniczy. Podstawy myslenia ca?osciowego w rolnictwie ekologicznym. Bielsko-Bia?a.
Portugais
Steiner, R. (2000). Fundamentos da agricultura biodinâmica. Vida nova para a Terra. Editora Antroposófica, São Paulo, Brasil.
Russe
ISBN: 5-88000-037-0 URL: bdn-steiner.ru/cat/Ga_Rus/327.doc
Serbe / croate
Štajner, R. (2010). Poljoprivredni Kurs. Duhovnonaucne osnove za napredak poljoprivrede. Jezgro, Vršac. ISBN: 978-86-88527-01-9
Slovène
Steiner, R. (2011). Temelji uspešnega kmetovanja v o?eh duhovne znanosti. Kmetijski te?aj. AJDA Vrzdenec, Lubljana. ISBN: 978-961-92468-5-6
Tchèque
Steiner, R. (1996). Zem?d?lský kurz . Kosmické a terestrické podmínky zdravého zem?d?lství. Pro-Bio Šumperk, Šumperk.