Is it possible to develop a responsible agriculture that is able to bring together respect for the earth and humanity with the farmers’ freedom of action?
Video: Goetheanum.tv
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The first theme of the conference was the review of the development of agriculture itself. Perhaps we should actually speak of "agri-culture". As Vandana Shiva and Martin von Mackensen described, in the beginning agriculture was in fact a culture (we could even say a cult) – in other words, it arose from a new relationship of human beings to the sacred and to Mother Earth. In Göbekli Tepe in Turkey there are traces of this new attitude, where human beings actively placed themselves in the vertical dimension.
Vandana Shiva also demonstrated that, everywhere in the world, the original culture has now been separated from its sacred and cultural aspects in order to reduce agriculture to mere industry for the production of commodities. This allows a few giant companies to acquire land, seed, fertiliser and now even the farmer's expertise in order to sell it as something new via digital apps. Many farmers now have a great longing to rediscover this sacred or cultural quality. As Helmy Abouleish from Sekem (Egypt) and Maaianne Knuth from Zimbabwe showed, for many farmers in the world, the biodynamic approach can unite with cultural tradition in order to develop a worthy agriculture of the future.
The introductory morning presentations by the two farmers Albrecht Römer and Werner Michlits showed additional facets of this search for the spiritual in the human being via three steps, following this memorable sentence by Rudolf Steiner: "The Sun-nature which for long periods man received only from the Cosmos, will begin to shine within his soul."* In other words, at the beginning of agriculture, the wisdom that was experienced as being given by the gods – for instance, in many world cultures it is said that the gods gave humankind the crop plants – can now awaken in each of us if we actively seek this. The trio of contributions that followed, given by Sherry Wildfeuer, Tom Saat and Jean-Michel Florin, each showed in a very personal way how it is possible to develop this kind of new and free relationship to the cosmos and the world of the stars, to the earth and especially to the fertile soil and the atmospheric landscape surrounding us, in order to develop an agriculture in keeping with its essential nature.
A second theme was the review of the varied facets of the history of biodynamics since its foundation in Koberwitz in 1924. A number of reports described the innovative capacity of the biodynamic community: the founding of the first biological research institute at the Goetheanum by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer in 1924, the first organic brand Demeter collectively owned by farmers in the 1930s, the founding impulse for the environmental movement through the book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson, who was inspired by two of her friends involved with biodynamics, etc.
Short presentations on the history of the development of biodynamics in different countries such as Turkey and Great Britain – where a methodologically first class study was undertaken on understanding the nature of British biodynamic agriculture –, Poland, Lithuania and Spain showed how biodynamics developed with the culture of each country. There were sometimes obstacles – for instance the period marked by Soviet rule (from 1945 to 1990) meant a complete standstill in Poland and Lithuania – and sometimes rapid developments, such as is happening right now in Spain, where interest in biodynamics is growing exponentially.
A further highlight was the panel "Women as pioneers in biodynamics", which brought attention to the often unnoticed importance of the work of women in the past, and also touched on more subtle aspects such as the dimension of individuality. The lecture by Ueli Hurter on matters of destiny in the biodynamic movement was a successful expansion of the question of individuality touched on by the panel, something that is so important for biodynamics. Ueli Hurter then posed the following question on the three dimensions of the biodynamic movement (those of the individual, the movement and humankind in relation to the earth). How is what we see and experience an expression of larger interrelationships that go beyond the individual life, the individual person and a specific situation in time? This is an important expansion of the view of the history of biodynamics!
The Saturday closed with a lecture by Peter Selg about a significant aspect of the life of Rudolf Steiner that can help in answering a question that often arises: did Rudolf Steiner discover all his knowledge of plants and the secrets of nature himself? It is very interesting to learn how his meeting with the simple herb gatherer, Felix Kogutzki, was of such importance for his developmental path.
It is almost impossible to do justice to the amazing diversity of what was on offer at the Agriculture Conference. There was art of various kinds, for instance with excellent eurythmy artists but also very successful musical improvisations and a great many courses, including discussion workshops, meetings and presentations on various topics in the Open Spaces, as well as exhibitions. In addition, we should not forget the impromptu meetings that are often important in life for discovering new things.
Looking back at the conference we can say that this biodynamic event showed very clearly how art, science and practical experience can combine and offer mutual support in order for a true agriculture or culture of the living to continue to develop. Biodynamics is therefore able to make us aware once more of the dignity of working with the spiritual on earth.
The next Agriculture Conference will take place from 7-10 February 2024 on the topic "100 years of the Agriculture Course"
* Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, GA 26
]]>In terms of taste we can distinguish five different types: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami – this is a Japanese loanword for the savoury taste. Smell is much more sophisticated and we can distinguish about 350 different smells. Whether we have a conscious awareness of this variety depends on how we have trained our sense of smell. If we use our sense of smell continuously, we will smell more and be able to perceive subtle nuances. This can be compared to our muscles, which do not become big and strong from sitting around on the sofa, but through being activated by training, especially against an increasing resistance.
A strong taste is said to be aromatic. But it cannot be adequately described with one of the five taste perceptions. For instance, the aromatic pineapple tastes more than simply sweet: it is also fruity and typically pineapplely. In terms of smells, the smell of rosemary, for instance, is described as aromatic, meaning something spicy. A walk through the Mediterranean maquis in summer envelops us in aromatic air and we feel stimulated. Aromatherapy makes use of specific effects that are linked to the smell of pure essential oils. Examples of essential oils are lavender oil, rosemary oil, orange oil, citronella oil and many others.
Scents are emitted into the surroundings, attracting insects to the flowers. The plant, which is rooted in the soil and cannot move, spreads out through its scent, fills the space and makes itself perceptible. Every type of rose has its specific scent and every flowering plant likewise. Scents are made up of a blend of aromatic substances, so that they can be very subtle. They are typical of each plant and even of the stage of maturity or variety. The skin of a green mandarin smells different to that of a ripe orange-coloured one.
Because the aroma consists of many different chemical compounds, the potential variation is correspondingly great. Aromas arise as fruits ripen. When growth is complete, ripening begins and the fruit becomes coloured, soft and sweet. It develops its typical aroma, revealing what it is and what quality it has: its character becomes perceptible. Growth and ripening are two different processes in plant development, which only create high quality products when they are in balance. The fruit's aroma is then evidence of a quality that can be perceived with the senses. If the emphasis is only on growth, for instance through intensive mineral fertilisation, then the ripening process is weak and the aroma of these fruits or vegetables is watery and tasteless or unbalanced. Fruits harvested while unripe cannot yet produce their full typical aroma, and it does not develop during transport and storage in all products. Anyone who has the opportunity of eating ripe mangoes straight from the tree will notice the difference from our imported supplies.
The aroma can serve as a test of quality. This enables us to identify whether something is aromatic – in other words of good quality – or only just good and edible. An unpleasant, fermented off-taste, because something has gone bad, prevents us from eating it and upsetting our stomach. Some top chefs insist on going to the market themselves to choose their fruit and vegetables. Looking, smelling and trying out are essential for a quality test. Ingredients that have been able to develop their full aroma form the best basis for an enjoyable meal. When, for example due to illness, smell and taste are not working and food tastes of nothing, there is no pleasurable experience, no sense of enjoyment and we do not even feel satisfied.
Eating brings a feeling of happiness, and eating with attentiveness and enjoyment is part of a healthy lifestyle. This means observing and smelling what is on the plate and then consciously tasting what we are eating. With time and leisure and other people around the table, the meal thus becomes a source of health. But this needs foods which offer a range of aromas and pleasure.
A wide range of aromas, shapes and colours on the plate stimulate the senses. The senses are the gateway to the world, we connect to the world through them, experience something about them and about ourselves. So every sense perception is a meeting. The meal is also a meeting which, on the one hand gives pleasure and satisfaction and, on the other, physiologically prepares and stimulates digestion, for instance via enzymes. Who would not find the smell and sight of something delicious mouthwatering?
When we eat, we form a relationship to the food, we meet it and react emotionally, mentally and physiologically.
The effect of foods on our state of mind is demonstrated, for example, by coffee that makes us wide awake or cream cake that makes us feel comfortable. Food-induced emotional effects can be experienced consciously using the method of empathic food testing (see https://www.wirksensorik.de/en).
What is it that meets us in the aroma of a foodstuff? Is it the natural blend of different substances that have been formed in the ripening process and that reveal what is typical of the fruit? Is it a natural, genuine aroma? Do we really meet the strawberry in a strawberry yoghurt? And what if it does not actually contain any strawberry at all? It is only in the best and rather rare occasions that we meet a strawberry in the strawberry yoghurt. We can speculate about the reaction that is evoked in us if the body expects strawberry but does not get any. There will rarely ever be satisfaction, satiety or even pleasure. Similarly chees analogue, that is not in fact cheese, deludes us into believing something, as does every taste enhancer. Our senses are compromised and experience a fake that does not offer us a true object of perception and leaves us "groping in the dark". As with muscles that work against a resistance, sense perception needs an object as a true experience in order to stimulate us. Aromatic, ripe foods that possess vitality, give us aroma experiences and allow us to experience truthfulness because they come close to their typical nature. A technologically manufactured product such as the above-mentioned cheese analogue will have a different effect than the cheese made from the pasture milk of a cow.
The conscious perception of the meal enhances the relationship to ourselves and also to the food, becoming a source of health and pleasure. A food that tastes especially good and aromatic awakens interest for the production and preparation of the food. When something tastes particularly good it is common to ask for the source of the ingredients and the recipe. Interest is a basic requirement for nurturing a relationship. And through eating we nurture our relationship to the world. The relationship is genuine, if both the perceiver and the food are genuine.
Published in info3 February 2023
]]>In the course of 2022, this original idea crystallised into a collaboration between the BFDI, the Forschungsring in Germany and the Section for Agriculture in Switzerland. In autumn 2022, two online meetings took place to which researchers from all over the world who were thematically involved in biodynamic agriculture were invited. During these meetings, the needs of the researchers for such a platform were discussed, as well as how these needs differ according to geographical circumstances or professional functions, and how a mutual exchange and effective support could be achieved. Finally, all participants were invited to meet on-site in Dornach, Switzerland, during the Agricultural Conference 2023 to jointly launch the "Biodynamic Research Platform".
The launch event on 03.02.2023 was well attended with over 30 participants from all over the world as well as some media representatives. The organisers gave an overview of the origins and function of the research platform. Afterwards, there was room for some comments from the audience and short interviews.
The Biodynamic Research Platform aims to provide a professional network to build and share expertise among researchers. The primary research topics are agriculture and nutrition, where possible involving practising farmers and considering geographical and socio-cultural conditions. A lively exchange should be made possible on the questions of how exactly biodynamic agriculture works, what research work currently exists on individual topics, and how additional work can be organised and coordinated. With the help of a worldwide network, it should also be made easier for students and young researchers in particular to enter the field, gain an overview of the current state of research, and receive suggestions concerning formal requirements, high-quality methodology and a robust statistical evaluation of data. A concrete first goal of the research platform is the organisation of an online colloquium, in which participants will be able to present and discuss ongoing as well as already published research work and engage thematically with other researchers.
The project management of the Biodynamic Research Platform is carried out by the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum. Lukas Maschek is the main contact person. Contact address: biodynamic.research@goetheanum.ch
]]>In the book “From the Field to the Plate – What really makes Food healthy” the key questions are what health is and what fosters people’s immune resistance and resilience. A leitmotifis brought out that is grounded on a way of treating the soil, the animals, plants and human beings that reflects partnership, interest and regard. How this works is shown by nutritional systems which serve health and in which, from cultivation, processing and trade right through to the plate, quality, regard and interest are in the foreground. Thereby food is produced which fosters development and all the people participating are involved in the process of it coming about. This may be seen as a contribution towards a future worth living. Such an approach is nurtured in the Lehenhof Camphill Village Community, which is therefore a suitable practical example for the book.
By means of questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the people working in the production, processing and preparation of the Lehenhof food as well as in the care side, the way the quite typical, particular Lehenhof quality, indeed its very own, comes about was investigated. Each workshop and house community has its own character, the stamp given it by the people working and living there. In open conversations the motives and heart-felt concerns of people were included and written down in the form of portraits. Here the central question was what makes the Lehenhof a healthy place for people both more and less independent. Moreover, various workshops – such as the tasting of foods of varying quality, the preparation of a meal, or else painting – served to discover and enhance the awareness of the life on the Lehenhof, especially of the quality of nutrition.
An appreciative, respectful, inner Attitude
With all the portraitsregard and respect as inner attitudes shown towards fellow human beings, but also raw materials, plants or animals on the farm were striking and in harmony. The matter of course nature of working together as partners in a community to which everyone contributes is also reflected in the house communities. The effective working together of all contributors shapes the workshops and house communities and makes them unique. “Our vision is not to be an institution, but rather a living and working community”, in the words of Rui Machado, head of council and chief executive as well as house co-ordinator in Morgenstern House, one of the 15 houses of the Lehenhof. Overall it is the nurturing of the “in-between space” that distinguishes the Lehenhof and that provides the people living there with well-being and security, making it their home. Moreover, quality is worked upon consciously right through to the plate, for example, in the form of a ritual before and after the shared meals.
Authenticity and Identification with the Lehenhof
In the in-depth interviews those asked said, independently of one another, that the authentic quality of the products and the community itself only come about through the individuality of the people involved. This is shown by the example of the cheese workshop: the differences in the milk require a sensitive awareness of the milk on a daily basis on the part of the cheese-makers. Thus, although the procedures seem the same and routine, the cheese that is made gets its own characteristics each time, which are dependent on the experience and sensory faculties of the particular person involved. The motto is “being present with all one’s senses”. Work instructions serve orientation and do not replace sensory perception. This is hugely different from industrial cheese production. “Sensory work lends meaning” – this energises and motivates people, and the joy of working can be sensed. “We do not tire of emphasising: cheese is a crafted product and we give our best every day” in the words of Ellen Baier from the cheese dairy team. The team hold regard for one another and almost all stages of the work can be taken on by everyone equally well. In this way a special team spirit is fostered. All this contributes to the quality and authenticity of the products, which in turn enable the products to continue to be recognised.
In the workshops a certain pride and identification with the Lehenhof and the special quality which also appears in the food were found and these continued to be strengthened. The identification with the Lehenhof found expression in the painting workshop: for instance, the view of the Alps was accompanied by the statement, “freedom is my Lehenhof”. Moreover, with the blind tasting of apple juice of varying quality this identification was really evident; the Lehenhof apple juice was recognised immediately by people with higher needs, “This is Lehenhof apple juice! It tastes of lovely apples”. This latter workshop as well as the workshop “My favourite food – what makes the difference?” made the participants much more aware how the quality can be sensed, when one pays attention to it.
Healthy Organism – healthy Community
The manner in which agricultural production including forestry is carried out is expressed in the landscape in each case. In a healthy organism the food crops grow and ripen on healthy soil. They further the health of the people eating them. Thus the head of the garden workshop, Stephan Bauck, knows what distinguishes Lehenhof vegetables: “A lot of attention is given to the vegetables, while they are growing here. All the work here is done by hand. (…) Elsewhere the work is taken on by machines. A lot of care is given to the vegetables, it is the effort we make. (…) Irrespective of who is handling them, it is a matter of the inner attitude of the individual, which is devoted to the vegetables”. It is exactly this individual devotion that characterises the quality of Lehenhof vegetables.
Animals also play a big part on the Lehenhof biodynamic farms and for the village community. Thus, on the one hand, manure, milk and meat are important products, on the other hand, the encounter with the animals as living creatures that have dignity is a fundamental experience which speaks to the soul.
Such an environment contributes to the health of the people living in it and with it. Moreover, it nourishes via the senses, when, for example, we think of a walk through orchards in bloom or in an autumn wood. In the Lehenhof’s nutritional system the provision described, with food produced regionally or locally, reduces dependence on EU-wide or global distribution chains and contributes to resilience. People often only become aware of this fact in times of crisis. With regard to the current situation in the world “think global, eat/act local” is an action that represents a contribution of the individual to a suitable world for future generations. Thus the result of a sustainable system of nutrition can be seen as positivity and meaning. For a healthy life healthy conditions are required, which begin with the soil on which food is produced and reach as far as the community at the meal table together, which appreciates the meal and enjoys it consciously. The Lehenhof with its organisation, the means and processes which form the system of nutrition contributes to the salutogenesis of the whole community.
Genuine Sustainability
In modern agriculture and food production it is a matter of “indoor farming” (cultivation of vegetables or lettuce with a nutrient solution and under artificial conditions), 3D-printers and laboratory meat, which is presented under the label of sustainability. Sustainability, considered comprehensively and extended to the question as to what conditions make for health leads to the authentic production of food with an inner attitude of devotion and working as partners. In the above-mentioned book “From the Field to the Plate” this is described as a source of vitality and immune resistance. Thus, biodynamic agriculture, gardening and caring for the landscape are an important source of health. This is mirrored in the picture of the landscape and in the community of the Lehenhof.
Conclusion
With all the interviews it could be observed that what was typical about the workshop or house community comes about through the inner attitude of the people involved. It is distinguished by respect and dignity. The way from the field right through to the plate and beyond is handled with interest and regard, and authentic food comes about that makes a contribution to individuals, the community and nature. The Lehenhof is a sustainable system of nutrition, organised in a rational way, which may serve as an example and stimulus for the development of other forward-looking systems of nutrition.
]]>At the upcoming conference, we want to focus on the deep content of the Agriculture Course. Can the substance that we encounter there still be a source of inspiration today? How can we deepen the great images in the Course so that it can become the basis for our work with the earth? Do current challenges allow for a fresh look at Rudolf Steiner’s eight lectures? Do we discover in the Course the strength to courageously approach the challenges that await us in the future?
In May 2023, we send out a Call for Contributions and thereby invite to shape the anniversary conference together. The conference should be jointly created by as many people and groups as possible from as many regions, countries, and languages of this world.
Inspired by the source of anthroposophy, the key points of the Course shall inspire us during this anniversary celebration, especially with regard to the current questions within our diverse biodynamic movement.
Rudolf Steiner: The Way of Michael and what Preceded. Leading Thoughts 103-105. (In: Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, GA 26)
]]>Using the example of biodynamics, the authors illustrate how farming can enliven the earth. “With humus. With soil life. With roots. With earthworms. With structure. As a dialogue between the earth and the cosmos.” This allows, for example, for carbon to be sequestered in the soil. The team of authors encourage people to build up a personal relationship with the earth instead of waiting for a solution. This relationship, they suggest, is an individual decision that can be taken and shaped any time, and that can and may be joyfully embraced.
The essay is the result of conversations in the run-up to the 2021 conference ‘Breathing with the Climate Crisis’, co-organized by the Goetheanum’s Section for Agriculture and Youth Section. A preprint was presented and distributed at the UN climate change conference COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and is due to be published in book form in February 2023.
Brochure (English, coming) Lin Bautze, Ueli Hurter and Johannes Kronenberg: Breathing with the Climate Crisis, Hawthorne Press
]]>That has not always been the case, as we can see when we look at ancient cultures, some of which continue to have an effect today. For Vandana Shiva from India, healthy relations among human beings, and between them and the earth, are a particular concern. Since the early twentieth century, biodynamic farming has practised a holistic way of cultivating the earth, has been protecting the climate by sequestering carbon dioxide in the soil and created a conscious social connection between producers, processors, retailers and consumers.
In the year leading up to the centenary of biodynamic farming, the Goetheanum’s Section for Agriculture examines its foundations, origins and global development. As part of this process, it also reflects on the method’s usurpation in Germany by the Nazis. The numerous strong pioneers of biodynamic farming are also considered; today it is mainly women who receive microcredits for their agricultural achievements. In 2021 the Section for Agriculture sought to work together with young climate activists. In 2023 it will invite people to help shaping biodynamics into a future-viable cultural impulse.
Conference (English, French, German, Spanish) Reflections on Agriculture as a Cultural Impulse. Towards the 100th Anniversary of Biodynamics, 1 to 4 February 2023, Goetheanum
Webwww.agriculture-conference.org/2023
English by Margot M. Saar
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The 2023 conference will look back with the aim of strengthening the forces of renewal. The most straightforward way to do this is to ask: where do I come from? How did I find my way to agriculture? What experience in my biography sparked my interest in biodynamics? How did this impulse reach my country and how has it developed? How far back does the history of my association go? Who founded Demeter? Who were the people involved with Rudolf Steiner in developing associative economics? What about research?
How has the spiritual source of biodynamics remained alive in the countless people who have achieved all this? What approaches to these sources have they fostered? How can I be inspired by this? What is my way of approaching the source of biodynamics and how do I cultivate this? What do I feel to be my personal contribution to the further development of the biodynamic impulse?
Of course agriculture did not start with the Agriculture Course. It is very much older, so it is worth putting the biodynamic impulse into the context of the whole situation.
How has agriculture developed over the centuries or even millennia? History teaches us that, on the one hand, it has been hard work in the struggle with the rigours of nature and in servitude to the authorities. But, on the other hand, we learn that farming cultivates nature through domesticating animals, breeding plants and producing fertile soil; that it creates cultural landscapes in regions of similar climate.
We can feel addressed in the depths of our being when we connect to the diversity of agricultural impulses throughout the ages. For example, with the indigenous practices of an intimate relationship with nature; with the behaviour towards holy cows in India; with the cultivation of wheat seed over many generations originating in the Middle East; or the development of the milpa cultivation system – maize, beans and squash – from the advanced civilizations of South America right up to the present day.
We learn that, in this development, agriculture has had repeated phases of self-determination, social involvement or even patronage for cultural progress. Agriculture is a cultural impulse!
What has happened since 1924? How has biodynamics influenced agriculture? This is the question with which we will open the conference, and we will then present the history of the impact of the Koberwitz impulse in seven images.
In the lecture that follows, Martin von Mackensen and Arzu Duran will go even further back, to the beginnings of agriculture and settlement in the region around Göbekli Tepe in present-day Türkiye.
The ancient wisdom and "sacredness" of early agriculture is also taken up by Vandana Shiva. How can we rediscover the sacred in agriculture for our times, something that is still present in indigenous cultures? Could this become the basis of a new agriculture of the future? This is the question addressed in the evening lecture by Vandana Shiva.
On day 2, three sketches will recount the history of the Koberwitz impulse in the United Kingdom, Spain and Eastern Europe, followed by "Pathways", a eurythmy performance by the Goetheanum Ensemble.
Since the 1920s, women have often been particularly involved in helping to develop the biodynamic impulse. With an international panel we will recall the female pioneers in biodynamics and examine the role of women in the current movement, particularly where biodynamic agriculture is developing rapidly: in the countries of the global south.
In "The next generation in biodynamics" Open Space, young people are warmly invited to contribute to the conference and to discuss the current opportunities and challenges in biodynamic agriculture. What does it mean to choose agriculture as your career? What motivates young people nowadays to take up biodynamics? These fascinating questions are a step towards preparing the way for the conferences in 2024 and 2025.
16 workshops, 12 artistic courses, 22 Open Spaces and numerous online contributions in the digital part of the conference are now open for registration. Young conference participants can obtain a reduced-price conference ticket, apply for support with travel costs and obtain discounted overnight accommodation in the Basel Youth Hostel. Further information and a regularly updated conference programme are available at:
www.agriculture-conference.org/2023
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Although a vital need, the act of eating is truly a fundamental experience that goes beyond an individual human being and shapes the identity of today’s and tomorrow’s society. And additionally, the way of eating is crucial for a sustainable development of humans and the planet earth which is among others demonstrated in the Planetary Health Diet (Eat-Lancet Commission, 2019).
Claude Lévi-Strauss pointed out that cuisine is a language through which a society expresses itself (Lévi-Strauss, 1990). According to Lévi-Strauss, there is a close relationship between the food that people eat and the image they have of themselves and the universe. “Tell me what you eat…and I will tell you who you are”, wrote the famous French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in his book "Physiology of taste ". This relates to the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach who postulated in 1850 “you are what you eat”.
On one hand one can be what one eats, because the way of eating has an influence on the health but also on food production from the field to the plate. On the other hand, one doesn’t become the food one eats. In digestion the food is “destroyed” beyond recognition. The human organism even overcomes the food in digestion.
It is true that French cuisine is known worldwide for its gastronomy. Since 2010, it has been listed as an intangible heritage by UNESCO. In addition, the so-called ‘French Eating Model’ is characterized by structured meals and conviviality. More precisely, three meals are generally eaten per day, at set times, and snacking remains relatively low. Main meals (lunch and dinner) include three courses – starter, main course, and dessert – and are taken seated at a table. Moreover, meals are pleasurable moments shared with other people and therefore last a relatively long time (Ducrot et al. 2018). This eating behavior is believed to have beneficial effects on health to such a point that it reveals the existence of a ‘French paradox’: low cardiovascular mortality despite a high intake of dietary fats (Holdsworth, 2008).
In 2014 Ducrot et al. have conducted research within the ongoing web-based prospective observational cohort study NutriNet-Santé5 launched in France in May 2009, that aimed at assessing the adherence to this model by French adults and whether it was associated with weight status. Eating behavior and, in particular, number of meals per day, snacking frequency, meal time, meal duration, number of courses, physical posture (standing, sitting), presence of others and pleasure experienced were assessed in 47 219 participants of the NutriNet-Santé study. A global score of adherence to the French Eating Model was computed based on eating behavior components. In addition, the association between the adherence to the model (and its components) and overweight and obesity were evaluated.
The findings of this study indicate that the French Eating Model is still dominant in French adults in 2014. However, new tendencies were noted: many individuals devote less time to meals and practice two-course meal pattern (20 %).
Regarding commensality, the results of this study have highlighted that most meals were taken with family, and in particular weekday dinners and weekend lunches, and were mainly considered pleasurable moments. The authors suggest that the greater importance attached to the pleasure experienced from food, compared with other countries, might be one of the reasons for the relative conservation of the French Eating Model.
Generally, this study has shown that individuals who exhibited higher adherence to the model were less likely to be overweight. Some characteristics of the model appeared to have a negative association with overweight and obesity (i.e. three meals a day, few snacking episodes, eating at set times, taking time when eating and considering meals as moments of pleasure). Finally, the number of courses per meal and the physical posture when eating were not associated with weight status.
These results demonstrate the potential role of the French Eating Model and the importance of highlighting its positive eating behaviors for obesity prevention and therewith for health. And they also point out that an eating culture, including pleasure, joy and community has a positive effect on health. A culture is always something created by humans, so one can say that a healthy diet is not only based on what is eaten but also how food is eaten.
Bibliography
In 2019 Guillermo Scallan asked Constanza Kaliks whether representatives of the Goetheanum or of the Anthroposophical Society wanted to visit the Climate Summit in Santiago de Chile in order to bring in the contribution of anthroposophy to the challenge of the climate crisis. On behalf of the Avina Foundation he would be organising round table discussions there, we would be warmly welcome. This call was surprising and challenging, for in the first place there was no basis there – neither in knowledge nor in the field of activity – to be able to make a substantial contribution to the theme of the climate crisis out of anthroposophy.
In the summer of 2019 all over the globe Fridays for the Future were taking place, which were being initiated, above all, by young people. We took the decision to hold the Agriculture Conference 2021 together with the Youth Section on the theme of the climate. Experienced farmers who have devoted their lives to working the earth and young city people, living as vegans and with deep inhibitions inside about treading on the earth at all properly, because their footprint might be damaging for the climate, stood face to face and sought perspectives together. The conference itself had to be carried out 100% digitally on account of Corona. A huge experiment, a complete novelty for the Goetheanum, a success for many of the 1,200 participants from over 60 countries.
In the reviewing of the conference and in further dealing with the theme of the climate we wondered whether we could and should make some of the results of the conference available to a wider public, or not. For the climate discussion is carried out in a completely reductionist and mechanical way. Generally it is a question of the sequestration of CO2 or else of CO2 equivalents with the aim of holding up the warming of the atmosphere caused by them. Through the computer-simulated prognoses an apocalyptic view of the future arises and an imperative to act, which does not let other more comprehensive viewpoints emerge. However, at the conference we definitely did work out viewpoints that moved beyond this; we experienced this together. Can we formulate these in such a way that they can lead to a contribution from anthroposophy to the official climate negotiations?
The three of us – Lin Bautze, Ueli Hurter and Johannes Kronenberg – set about working on this and at the end of August 2022 we finalised the manuscript of a little book with the title “Breathing with the Climate Crisis”. Further stages of publishing followed, in particular, the graphic work by Mark Schalken and the translation into English, Spanish and French. On Friday 4th November 2022 Lin Bautze and Ueli Hurter travelled to Egypt – in joyful expectation of the 800 copies, which our friends from Sekem had printed for us there, in order to distribute them at the COP 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh and at their pre-conference meeting at the Heliopolis University in Kairo.
“Breathing with the Climate Crisis” is written in language which is meant to speak to the heart. An argumentative style of language, which we are used to in contemporary academic or scientific culture slipped away from us while we were writing. Just the dimensions of the living world, of the soul and spirit as genuine anthroposophy can come across as something striving, if they are offered to the readers with explanations before they have asked. We adopted a style of addressing the readers directly, especially for young people, and did not attempt to speak about the matter, but rather out of the matter. The content is now structured – after all the processes of condensing that the text went through – as four main statements: 1. The earth is a living being and not a broken machine. Our body is part of the earth. 2. We, as human beings, can get involved in a positive way. We are not condemned by our nature to destroy nature on the earth. On the contrary, the earth is waiting for our footprint. On account of our cultural abilities, we are able to participate in shaping the earth’s future. 3. This participation will become real, if we are active and work the earth, if we farm in a healthy way, biodynamically. As we all eat, we are all farmers. Biodynamic agriculture, as an example, benefits culture, builds up soil fertility and has a positive climate balance. 4. There is no way around being personally affected, nor around having the knowledge and being involved ourselves. However, it does not need to get stuck at the personal level. Connecting with lots of people, potentially with everyone, is possible. It is just the climate that connects us all.
Together with partners, the Sekem Initiative and theHeliopolis University launched the two-day event “Solution Summit” with the aim of bringing in concrete proposals for solutions. The participants came from the areas of economics, politics and science. In addition, 300 students from the Heliopolis University came and also partners invited by the Sekem Initiative, to whom we belonged. Over the past months the Sekem entrepreneurial group had itself worked out a solution in the form of a proposal and had developed it ready to be put into practice. The point is to turn agriculture from being a cause of the climate and environmental crisis into being part of the solution. To this end, in the current pilot phase, there are 2,100 small farmers who are converting to biodynamic cultivation with composting, tree planting, building up the soil and the installation of renewable forms of energy. These conversions will lead to a measurable binding of CO2, for which CO2 certificates can be awarded, and for which there is a market. Through the sale of certificates the farmers will generate additional income. This will enable them to sell biodynamically produced food at the local market at the usual prices. If we add up the results from 2,100 small farms that are now converting, it results in the following figures: 5,600 hectares of land with 21,000 tons of bound carbon, 636,363trees, 70,000 tons of compost. That results in 84,000 certificates for a total amount of 2.1 million Euros. Of course, this only functions, if there are buyers for these certificates. Furthermore, money is required for helping with the conversions and the schooling of the farmers. At COP 27 in Egypt the next phase of the project is now starting, which is to involve 40,000 farmers. In the environment of this contribution and other practical solutions, in which the monetary aspect plays an important role, our little book with its completely different approach was distributed to all the 400 participants. It was well received; the students were really glad and proud to hold it in their hands. They will work on the content together with their professors. And we had the impression that for many participants it was a good complement to the CO2 acrobatics with numbers.
Then the journey carried on to the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, where in the last 40 years a small fishing village has turned into “Sharm el-Sheikh”, the all-round tourist and conference destination. The airport dates back to the Israeli occupation after the Six-Days War. Now 40,000 people are travelling there from all countries so as to discuss the earth’s climate together. The COP (Conference of the Parties) is a UNO conference that has been taking place each year since 1995. The bases for the negotiations are the scientific reports on climate change and relevant scenarios of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). At the COP 21 in Paris in 2015 the governments agreed bindingly to a 1.5 C goal. Each state determines its own climate policy in order to achieve the common goal, yet it regularly gives an account of its actions. The noble goals are one thing, the interests of the individual states and their economies is another. In the negotiations there is some tough horse-trading, for instance, about withdrawal scenarios from the coal industry or transfer payments from the North to the South, etc. The negotiations are carried out by the states, though selected representatives from the economic life and civil society are authorised to attend; and thus the COPs are becoming huge events with a complex structure.
Our base was a stall of Heliopolis University where the project with the CO2 certificates, described above, was presented and our little book was displayed. The little book with its light-blue/white cover was an eye-catcher, and we were actively giving copies away, above all, to the many young visitors. During the COP lots of events take place on different stages on an hourly basis. The usual format is a panel, in which three to six people handle a theme with brief interventions. The format requires each participant to blurt out something quickly, which a lot of people are well able to do. With each panel you could learn a lot in a very concentrated form. This year a lot of NGOs were not accepted to be part of the panels; neither were we. The representatives of Sekem, on the other hand, were on the stage again and again and were able to present their approach. Helmy Abouleish, especially, was a sought after man. He knows a lot of ministers and entrepreneurs from Egypt and has good networks internationally, when it comes to the themes sustainability, agriculture and new forms of economic working. After a few days you end up with a whole pile of business cards from great people, who informed you of their impressive projects. In this manner the huge conference community enters the realm of real experience. Biodynamics and even Demeter were reasonably well known, also because at every opportunity the Sekem co-workers emphasised their biodynamic approach. Anthroposophy, the Goetheanum and the Agriculture Section, on the other hand, were known to only a few people. For this reason our little book was a welcome bridge-builder.
For the two weeks of COP Sekem ran a hotel, so to speak: a villa directly on the Red Sea was rented. Around 40 beds were available, so during the entire period roughly 100 people could be accommodated. The garden is the only green spot that can be found in Sharm el-Sheikh with Google Earth; it was turned into an open-air restaurant with 150 seats and biodynamic cuisine thanks to the products from Sekem. Thus breakfast and the evening meal in the green garden by the sea were particularly valuable times to converse with the many interesting participants from all over the world. Every evening, according to the COP theme of the day, there was an event with a panel format with the title “COP Solutions Dialogues”. A few months beforehand the “Future Economy Forum” had been brought into being; the organisers had set themselves the benchmark of getting a conversation under way on concrete solutions for a new economic system. Starting from the fact that ecology and sustainability appear as costs in business accounting and the wider economic system and, therefore, to this day – 50 years after the report “The Limits to Growth” of the Club of Rome – are treated not as economic factors but as philanthropic, the challenge for the speakers was to demonstrate their concrete proposals towards solutions for the coming 12 months. “Regenerative economics” should become mainstream, that was the maxim. There were some really courageous appearances, in particular from Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Co-president of the Club of Rome, and many others. In this framework it was anything but easy to make a statement on behalf of the biodynamic movement. Our view of ourselves is such that we have been carrying out a lot of what is just now the fashion for a hundred years. This faces us with the critical challenge of being able to formulate our century of experience in a highly relevant and topical way. And the burning question is: what are our completely concrete contributions that we want to introduce in the near future? People who know the Goetheanum, such as Patrick Holden, for example, who has set himself the task of lobbying for sustainable agriculture and food production in conventional economic circles, were very much aware of our presence and appreciated it.
After a week we departed. The negotiations were not over. From those who stayed on we have heard that any progress has been moving like treacle. After a week of great effort from seven in the morning until late evening no ground had been gained for taking agricultural systems into account that are kind to the environment. The agrobusiness lobby successfully blocks everything. On the other hand, in the circles in which we have been moving and to which we belong the knowledge that biodynamic agriculture and many related forms of ecological cultivation can make an effective, positive contribution to the climate has consolidated. Thereby, the currently accepted estimate that approx. 30% of the climate gas emissions come from agriculture and food production is designated as the ecological footprint of conventional agriculture. Conversion to ecological agriculture is able not only to prevent this negative footprint from happening, but also to overturn it. A good portion of the emissions from the resource-consuming economy can potentially be recovered through agriculture and absorbed by the life processes of the soil, the plants and trees. During the days at the COP 27, the will grew to strengthen this approach in a focused way so that it can be brought in at the next COP (28) in a dynamic way. At the Agriculture Section and the Goetheanum we want to pursue this theme further. As a next step we shall try to spread the call in “Breathing with the Climate Crisis” far and wide.
]]>The two-day workshop seemed quite short and clearly not all aspects of the biodynamic training or all the needs of the European biodynamic trainers could be addressed. However, networking and getting to know each other was one of the main goals of this workshop, which was successfully achieved. A lot of young and/or new trainers came together with more experienced trainers and/or teachers and an exchange of knowledge took place, especially during the working group sessions where the trainers and teachers shared experiences and ideas about some of the main biodynamic training principles. Short contributions from six initiatives illustrated the diversity within the European biodynamic training map. At the same time, it was a great opportunity to get an insight into the dedication of all the individuals who do their best to spread the word and offer biodynamic training opportunities in their countries.
In addition to working together on training principles and the social aspect of community, individual hearts and souls were touched by an accessible observation exercise with Jean-Michel Florin, a meditation exercise on the germinating carrot seed by Maja Kolar, and by group singing with Marios Desyllas from Greece.
We are glad that so many motivated trainers have come together in this difficult time and we hope to strengthen the network further in the coming years. We have hopes for good and fruitful cooperation and look forward to the next meeting.
The workshop was facilitated by the Section for Agriculture and jointly organised with the biodynamic trainers Simone Helmle, Maja Kolar and Reto Ingold. A big thank you for the organisation and to all participants for their contributions and for being part of this first European workshop for biodynamic trainers. A more detailed report will be published at a later date.
]]>We invite you to the conversation. Without you it can’t be done.
Will you join us?
Download PDF: Breathing with the Climate Crisis
]]>The venue, Kufunda is an eco and learning village that has been running for 20 years working with community development. Since 2013 Kufunda has expanded to include a Waldorf inspired school and in the last 3 years also biodynamic farming, including teaching neighbouring farmers; making preparations for itself and its neighbours, and initiating a veg box scheme with local farmers to sell biodynamic vegetables in Harare, the Capital.
Kufunda was a great venue for this inaugural conference. A young biodynamic initiative; a farm; a living community, where the participants could dive into their learning and exploration. Kufunda being young in biodynamics, but still well on its way, was a good example of what is possible when we step forward with the clarity to learn, practice and share biodynamic farming in a new country.
This being the first training of its kind, our programme was very hands on.
The first day was to meet and connect - but also to prepare for day two, which was a big open house.
For the second day we had invited local farmers to join us, and spend a day of learning about Soil Fertility. It was a great day: Our numbers doubled, and we were about 60 people. The day had been carefully designed for more experienced trainers to offer different segments of the programme and some to be led by apprentice trainers. The structure and design of the day was very successful - from the Goethean Observation, to collectively observing the mineral (rocks and stones) of the land and then the decomposing matter, to understand more about soil formation. Out of the observation we continued with seeing the impact of biodynamic farming on soil through Chromatography examples from Israel, and then meeting the preparations with an introduction from the Kufunda prep team. A FULL but very inspiring morning with a very diverse group of people. The afternoon was spent with hands-on soil fertility work. The participants split into three groups and learnt and worked together - either making compost, turning a compost, or making CPP. We ended with a song and a check out, where people had a chance to share what they had learnt and were taking with them. There was a real sense of excitement and enthusiasm and a wish for more learning together.
The following day we spent the full morning reflecting on what we did the day before, what we learnt and what it means for our further practice. There was so much richness in these reflections - a lot of them around the power of practical work together for nuanced learning. Even those with decades of experience, reflected that they learnt a lot from witnessing other trainers even in something as basic as compost making or turning!
The fourth day we spent with the Farm Individuality. We took a silent 90-minute walk through the farm soon after dawn, opening to know this place. After breakfast we did a pastel drawing of the farm gesture. We connected this with our agricultural lecture study of the day and ended up working together on farm planning via the gesture. The afternoon was back to practical - this time working with the preparations. It was a magnificent day of deep learning together, using the base of the place we were at. With so many new trainers, the simplicity and yet the depth of what we accomplished allowed for meta learning about how to teach and bring these concepts to life with future students.
The last day was all about the Road Ahead. There was real clarity that we want to continue together. We had people who before meeting at Kufunda did not know of each other’s initiative in their home country; we had people who had learnt biodynamics years ago but found it hard to bring to their country and so pursued an organic training path - coming together with colleagues created a new impetus to make it happen.
Each day we worked with chapter one from the agricultural course. In small groups we would spend 30 minutes reading and digesting together. Then returning to the whole, sharing insights and questions. Each day a different Facilitator would bring his or her final additions and perspectives to the text. Again, it showed us the importance of high levels of participations and involvement. A lecture would not have sufficed in our context.
The Trainer’s Conference only happens every three years, but among our 30 we were clear that we wish to meet every year for the next three years to really establish this seed of African regional trainers. We wish to gather in different farms, to strengthen the network and to deepen the learning of teaching embedded in the practice of Biodynamics in different African countries. Already we have volunteers from both Uganda and Mozambique offering to host the next gathering.
Thank you to the Section of Agriculture and BFDI for the support in making this possible.
The event was hosted at Kufunda and facilitated by a core group made up of Helen Van Zyl from South Africa, Angela Hofman from Sekem in Egypt, Liron Israely from the Adama Chaya Center in Israel, Maaianne Knuth from Zimbabwe. They were supported by Feya Marince from South Africa and Tichaenzana Koke from Zimbabwe.
]]>Over four days, through a diversity of presentations, working groups and interactive farm visits, participants had the opportunity to learn and engage on many different topics. Key speakers such as Jakes Jayakaran emphasized the responsibility of humanity to contribute to the transformation of the Earth, while Walter Siegfried Hahn invited participants to use their imagination to create this new earth through Agri-sculpture. Harald Hoven, stressed the importance of further research to continue adapting and developing biodynamics to the different socio-culture and climatic conditions all over the world, especially in the tropics.
Our appreciation to Malaysian BD farmer Ng Tien Khuan for honoring the work and legacy of Alex Podolinsky to the worldwide Biodynamic movement by exchanging on his successful experience applying the Australian BD farming method as developed by Alex. In Ng Tien words: “Alex opened our eyes to what BD could bring to the earth, how we could develop our soil to face the challenges of extreme weather, to help with the development of human beings, the true concept of humus, and the real value of farming and farmers”
Among many interesting contributions were the working groups on “The Challenges of implementing Biodynamics in Tropical regions” by Jakes Jayakaran, “Plant cultivation for Biodynamic Preparations” by Rolf & Anne Bucher, “PGS-certification” by Sundeep Kamath, “The relationship of Biodynamics and traditional/indigenous knowledge” by Ivan Ho and Dr. Colin Nicholas, “The Animal in the Biodynamic Farm” by Konomi & Ben Campbell, “Biodynamic Training and Education” by Harald Hoven & Walter Siegfried Hahn, “The Farm Individuality” by Christoph Simpfendörfer and a workshop on the importance of” Re-establishing Farmer & community connection” by Chong Siu and Callie Tai.
The conference received many positive comments from participants. Chikying from Malaysia noted that the Conference served to “weave together new connections in the region and make living the question: ‘What is metamorphosis and development?". Mahendra Kumar, from Nepal, added that "the conference was an opportunity to find all the collective forces with different polarities with the same kind of vision and mission to make our mother earth healthy”. For Anthoni Selvi, from India, “each and every single person contribution during my stay at APBC taught a lesson of unity and the will power to form a community life”.
This was the first conference of its kind in the region on this scale. There were many challenges, and we learned a lot from this pioneering experience. We are convinced of the importance of this transformative path and we are committed to continue to work collaboratively, with tolerance and respect, for our diversity and for the further development of the biodynamic movement in Asia and the Pacific. In the words of Walter Siegfried-Hahn:
“The conference in Raub Pahang was the best possible kick-off for the hoped-for expansion of the biodynamic work in Asia…I feel this was a very successful conference. Looking at the encounters, the connections made and the atmosphere laid down in our memories, the conference may well be remembered if not as an Asian Koberwitz, maybe as the first time Dornach happened in Asia”
A huge thank you to all speakers, trainers and workshop leaders who led us through these days with dedication and meaningful contributions. Thank you to Grace Zozobrado Hahn, Walter Siegfried Hahn and ChikYing Chai for all the openness and inspiration you brought to this conference through arts. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the great organizing team from Malaysia Demeter Association (MDA) and all volunteers for all their great work coordinating the conference. All of you have showed us that collaborative work, dedication, and love towards biodynamics can be a transformative and powerful force.
Finally, but not least, that you the Section of Agriculture at the Goetheanum for their contributions and to all those who donated to support the participation of Biodynamic farmers from all over Asia to attend the Conference. Thank you all for making this important event for the biodynamic movement possible.
]]>Food waste amounts to around 1.3 billion tons a year around the world. A third of the food produced – huge amounts of fruit, vegetables, bread – are thrown away. At the same time 830 million people in the world are starving. “It is a distribution problem when so much food is wasted while there are people who have not enough to eat,” says Jasmin Peschke, who is concerned because “farmers and gardeners do not only produce goods but also values such as biodiversity, soil fertility, animal wellbeing, landscaping, training and much more that is important for our health.”
Referring to the 2022 World Food Day Jasmin Peschke points out that “the conjunction of crises like the ones we have seen in 2022 can make us aware of where food comes from and under what conditions it is produced. Interest in these factors and in the people behind them can result in validation and the assuming of responsibility.”
]]>Neu ist die Gliederung des Bandes, neu hinzugekommen sind Gesprächsnotizen und Dokumente, unter anderem die bisher nicht bekannte Resolution der Landwirte zur Gründung des Versuchsrings. Ebenfalls komplett überarbeitet und erweitert wurde der Hinweisteil. Zusammen mit den beigegebenen Abbildungen und Faksimiles dokumentiert die neue Auflage auch den historischen Kontext dieser folgenreichen Pioniertat Rudolf Steiners.
Zu beziehen über alle Buchhandlungen, oder direkt bei der Buchhandlung am Goetheanum.
]]>18.–23.10.2022 African biodynamic trainers workshop 2022
21.–23.10.2022 Asia Pacific Biodynamic Conference 2022
18.–19.11.2022 European biodynamic trainers workshop 2022
07.–10.12.2022 Latinamerican biodynamic trainers workshop 2022
]]>We argue that the collection of authors and articles provided does not fully represent the variety of biodynamic and anthroposophical actors and actions in dealing with and adapting to climate change. As the Section for Agriculture, we have a clear position on climate change, which does not deny its existence, implications and effects on farming life and beyond.
Since 2021 our main working theme has been the interactions between climate resilience and health.
This focus derives from the needs of farmers worldwide when working with nature and natural forces. Each and every day these farmers do their best to interact with the local weather and climate. They report the effects of extreme heat or heavy precipitation becoming a devastating reality when working in their fields.
Biodynamic practice has been scientifically and practically proven to offer several advantages when dealing with climate change. The design of a diverse landscape with hedges (carbon sequestration) and crop and animal diversity, working with nature instead of against it, constantly building healthy and fertile soils, and the application of the biodynamic preparations as well as the use of medical plants are all factors that biodynamic farmers name which help them to adapt to climate change.
At the same time, scientific trials, like the DOK trial by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), have shown that biodynamic agriculture helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency, both of which act as climate change mitigation factors. Further, it has also been demonstrated that biodynamic agriculture methods promote the resistance of plants to pathogens.
Sven Ove Hansson claims that there are “conflicts between mainstream science and anthroposophy’s spiritual worldview”. However, as the Section for Agriculture, we are dedicated to integrating and including the various scientific perspectives.
We can look back over a history of collaboration in climate research and action. For example, during the 2007 conference of the Section for Agriculture on the role of carbon in climate change, scientific authors such as Hartmut Grassl from the renowned Max Plank Institute presented their research. Hans Rudolf Herren, co-author of the world agriculture report and winner of the world food prize, also joined the climate discussions at our annual conference “Alliances for our Earth” in 2013. In addition, at our 2nd biodynamic research conference (2021)on the topic “Growing beyond resilience”, over 90 authors from all over the world presented their research in this field.
At the recent 2021 climate conference, internationally-recognised speakers such as Charles Eisenstein, noted for his focus on climate action, were involved in the work of the Section for Agriculture. This conference, “Breathing with the climate crisis” and organised in collaboration with the Youth Section, reached more than 1,200 people from 63 countries.
The people attending the above-mentioned conferences, contributing to biodynamic research and investing time in developing their farms to adapt to climate change, are all part of the biodynamic and anthroposophical movements. They are all affected by the impacts of climate change on their farms, their gardens and their surroundings. They work in partnership to develop ways to achieve resiliency. They have all invested time to discuss solutions and work out strategies to find a way out of this crisis. We therefore argue that the anthroposophical and biodynamic movements are much larger than claimed by the author of the climate science denial paper.
As a Section, we do our utmost to continue to work on finding, integrating and promoting various solutions for the global challenges of climate change, be this as part of the Goetheanum working group on finding innovative ways to reduce our own ecological footprint or as part of practical projects, such as our Roadmap for a healthy climate.
Author: Sven Ove Hansson
Title: Anthroposophical climate science denial
Journal: Critical Research on Religion
Link to the article: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20503032221075382
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In the book “From the Field to the Plate – What really makes Food healthy” the key questions are what health is and what fosters people’s immune resistance and resilience. A leitmotifis brought out that is grounded on a way of treating the soil, the animals, plants and human beings that reflects partnership, interest and regard. How this works is shown by nutritional systems which serve health and in which, from cultivation, processing and trade right through to the plate, quality, regard and interest are in the foreground. Thereby food is produced which fosters development and all the people participating are involved in the process of it coming about. This may be seen as a contribution towards a future worth living. Such an approach is nurtured in the Lehenhof Camphill Village Community, which is therefore a suitable practical example for the book.
By means of questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the people working in the production, processing and preparation of the Lehenhof food as well as in the care side, the way the quite typical, particular Lehenhof quality, indeed its very own, comes about was investigated. Each workshop and house community has its own character, the stamp given it by the people working and living there. In open conversations the motives and heart-felt concerns of people were included and written down in the form of portraits. Here the central question was what makes the Lehenhof a healthy place for people both more and less independent. Moreover, various workshops – such as the tasting of foods of varying quality, the preparation of a meal, or else painting – served to discover and enhance the awareness of the life on the Lehenhof, especially of the quality of nutrition.
An appreciative, respectful, inner Attitude
With all the portraitsregard and respect as inner attitudes shown towards fellow human beings, but also raw materials, plants or animals on the farm were striking and in harmony. The matter of course nature of working together as partners in a community to which everyone contributes is also reflected in the house communities. The effective working together of all contributors shapes the workshops and house communities and makes them unique. “Our vision is not to be an institution, but rather a living and working community”, in the words of Rui Machado, head of council and chief executive as well as house co-ordinator in Morgenstern House, one of the 15 houses of the Lehenhof. Overall it is the nurturing of the “in-between space” that distinguishes the Lehenhof and that provides the people living there with well-being and security, making it their home. Moreover, quality is worked upon consciously right through to the plate, for example, in the form of a ritual before and after the shared meals.
Authenticity and Identification with the Lehenhof
In the in-depth interviews those asked said, independently of one another, that the authentic quality of the products and the community itself only come about through the individuality of the people involved. This is shown by the example of the cheese workshop: the differences in the milk require a sensitive awareness of the milk on a daily basis on the part of the cheese-makers. Thus, although the procedures seem the same and routine, the cheese that is made gets its own characteristics each time, which are dependent on the experience and sensory faculties of the particular person involved. The motto is “being present with all one’s senses”. Work instructions serve orientation and do not replace sensory perception. This is hugely different from industrial cheese production. “Sensory work lends meaning” – this energises and motivates people, and the joy of working can be sensed. “We do not tire of emphasising: cheese is a crafted product and we give our best every day” in the words of Ellen Baier from the cheese dairy team. The team hold regard for one another and almost all stages of the work can be taken on by everyone equally well. In this way a special team spirit is fostered. All this contributes to the quality and authenticity of the products, which in turn enable the products to continue to be recognised.
In the workshops a certain pride and identification with the Lehenhof and the special quality which also appears in the food were found and these continued to be strengthened. The identification with the Lehenhof found expression in the painting workshop: for instance, the view of the Alps was accompanied by the statement, “freedom is my Lehenhof”. Moreover, with the blind tasting of apple juice of varying quality this identification was really evident; the Lehenhof apple juice was recognised immediately by people with higher needs, “This is Lehenhof apple juice! It tastes of lovely apples”. This latter workshop as well as the workshop “My favourite food – what makes the difference?” made the participants much more aware how the quality can be sensed, when one pays attention to it.
Healthy Organism – healthy Community
The manner in which agricultural production including forestry is carried out is expressed in the landscape in each case. In a healthy organism the food crops grow and ripen on healthy soil. They further the health of the people eating them. Thus the head of the garden workshop, Stephan Bauck, knows what distinguishes Lehenhof vegetables: “A lot of attention is given to the vegetables, while they are growing here. All the work here is done by hand. (…) Elsewhere the work is taken on by machines. A lot of care is given to the vegetables, it is the effort we make. (…) Irrespective of who is handling them, it is a matter of the inner attitude of the individual, which is devoted to the vegetables”. It is exactly this individual devotion that characterises the quality of Lehenhof vegetables.
Animals also play a big part on the Lehenhof biodynamic farms and for the village community. Thus, on the one hand, manure, milk and meat are important products, on the other hand, the encounter with the animals as living creatures that have dignity is a fundamental experience which speaks to the soul.
Such an environment contributes to the health of the people living in it and with it. Moreover, it nourishes via the senses, when, for example, we think of a walk through orchards in bloom or in an autumn wood. In the Lehenhof’s nutritional system the provision described, with food produced regionally or locally, reduces dependence on EU-wide or global distribution chains and contributes to resilience. People often only become aware of this fact in times of crisis. With regard to the current situation in the world “think global, eat/act local” is an action that represents a contribution of the individual to a suitable world for future generations. Thus the result of a sustainable system of nutrition can be seen as positivity and meaning. For a healthy life healthy conditions are required, which begin with the soil on which food is produced and reach as far as the community at the meal table together, which appreciates the meal and enjoys it consciously. The Lehenhof with its organisation, the means and processes which form the system of nutrition contributes to the salutogenesis of the whole community.
Genuine Sustainability
In modern agriculture and food production it is a matter of “indoor farming” (cultivation of vegetables or lettuce with a nutrient solution and under artificial conditions), 3D-printers and laboratory meat, which is presented under the label of sustainability. Sustainability, considered comprehensively and extended to the question as to what conditions make for health leads to the authentic production of food with an inner attitude of devotion and working as partners. In the above-mentioned book “From the Field to the Plate” this is described as a source of vitality and immune resistance. Thus, biodynamic agriculture, gardening and caring for the landscape are an important source of health. This is mirrored in the picture of the landscape and in the community of the Lehenhof.
Conclusion
With all the interviews it could be observed that what was typical about the workshop or house community comes about through the inner attitude of the people involved. It is distinguished by respect and dignity. The way from the field right through to the plate and beyond is handled with interest and regard, and authentic food comes about that makes a contribution to individuals, the community and nature. The Lehenhof is a sustainable system of nutrition, organised in a rational way, which may serve as an example and stimulus for the development of other forward-looking systems of nutrition.
]]>The online course, run in May and June by the Section for Agriculture as part of the Deepen Biodynamics programme, was organised in such a way that there was one date every four weeks with contributions, impulses and joint discussion, and another with exercises and a sharing of ideas about these. The first two weeks were dedicated to the basics of dynamic nutrition and the concept of vitality, as well as the life processes "growing" and "maturing" or "differentiating" as the quality-forming processes in plants. In the following two weeks, the topics of the intestinal microbiome, mindful eating, and methods of quality investigation – in particular copper chloride crystallisation – were defined and studied in greater depth. "You will not be given recipes and instructions for what to do. We will not tell you to eat more vitamin A or that this vegetable is recommended but that fat is not," Dr. Jasmin Peschke stated, describing the concept of her course. It is about stimulating experiences, becoming capable of making judgements and developing one's own abilities with regard to food and one's personal diet.
Keynote speeches by various speakers such as Petra Essink, Anna Perret, Dr. Jasmin Peschke, Jean-Michel Florin and Paul Doesburg were worked on in more depth through discussions in small group and exercises.
An Indian nutrition therapist and biographical counsellor wrote in feedback, "It was a beautifully put together course combining all aspects of nutrition, body, mind, soil, agriculture and plant quality analysis with interesting discussions during the practice sessions." In addition, an art therapist from South Africa wrote enthusiastically, "I learned a whole new way of choosing food!"
Sarah Sommer, the person from the Section for Agriculture responsible for organising the online courses, was entirely satisfied. The current topic of the online course again appealed to and connected many people. The 26 course participants, predominantly from outside Europe, formed a wonderful group. Of course, an online course means sitting down alone in front of the computer and meeting people on the screen, but one participant said, "It was worth the effort to sit in front of the computer."
The concept and some of the material will now be transferred to other countries. In practical terms, this is planned for Malaysia where the Kongsi Academy (https://kongsicoop.my/) will offer a course in Mandarin in the autumn. A further partnership in South America is currently being examined.
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On the contrary, biodynamic farming abandons the use of these chemicals and emphasizes specific preparations. These are meant to function as a natural medicine for the health of the soil, plants, and the whole farm organism. The horn silicia (501) is one of the most important biodynamic preparations that are said to bring light to the plants and help the plants to grow effectively and with better quality.
Although scientific studies on the effectiveness of biodynamic preparations are limited, the number of biodynamic wine growers is constantly increasing throughout the last years. More and more biodynamic wines receive prizes for « the best wine » in their region, country, or even on the international level. The biodynamic farmers emphasize that the biodynamic preparations are part of their success recipe.
Thus, it is of great pleasure to highlight the results of the new study about the influence of horn silicia (501) on the leaf and berry growth of vineyards in North Italy here. The authors Malagoli et al. (2022) tested the metabolic changes of leaves and berries with the application of the preparation in two different vineyards. The leaves and berries were collected 6 hours and 11 days after the horn silicia treatment. The berries were collected and sampled at the harvesting time.
The authors conclude that "the application of 501 to plants of Vitis vinifera cv Garganega stimulated modifications on the content of phenolic metabolites in leaves and berries. The level of most of the identified compounds by metabolomic approaches increased in plants treated with the biodynamic preparation 501.
A common response to 501-treatment was evidenced in the phenolic constituents of berries, while in leaves the effect was detectable after 11 days and was dependent on the site of cultivation.
The secondary metabolism contributes to the plant adaptation to the environment. The comparison with the results obtained by other studies does not allow to suggest a general influence of 501 application to grapevine leaves and berries.”
However, the authors also highlight that “more research is surely needed to further explore the role of the 501 biodynamic treatment on grapevine secondary metabolism” and that “complementary approaches, combining targeted and untargeted data related to primary metabolism and to secondary metabolism, may offer a new opportunity in the evaluation of the complex and multifactorial effects of biodynamic treatment in viticulture.”
Authors: Malagoli, M., Sut, S., Kumar, G. et al.
Title: Variations of elements, pigments, amino acids and secondary metabolites in Vitis vinifera (L.) cv Garganega after 501 biodynamic treatment
Journal: Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 9, 36 (2022)
Link to original (open access): https://chembioagro.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40538-022-00299-y
You would like to know more about the literature evidence of biodynamic wine growing? In the following review paper from Castellini et al. (2017) a first overview is given: https://www.dovepress.com/an-overview-of-the-biodynamic-wine-sector-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJWR
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You can download the PDF file here:
Conference Report 2022 (English) PDF
Documentación de las jornadas 2022 (español) PDF
Documentation du Congrès 2022 (français) PDF
Tagungsdokumentation 2022 (deutsch) PDF
We are very grateful for your financial support of this project.
Bank details and online donation here: Donate
For hard copies please contact: agriculture@goetheanum.ch
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- Biodynamic agriculture is based on a specific conception of knowledge, based on the creativity, intuition and experience of farmers.
- Biodynamic agriculture is compatible with holistic and pragmatic research approaches aimed at obtaining "applicable knowledge".
- The spirituality, beliefs, and mysteries that surround biodynamic practices foster a unique attitude of care between humans and nature.
- Academic research could benefit from further study of biodynamic agriculture, and biodynamic agriculture could benefit more from academic research.
- The main challenges are the study of innovation processes and transformation pathways, improved dialogue, evaluation and funding.
Abstract
Biodynamic agriculture is becoming increasingly popular among farmers and consumers, but is still considered a pseudo-science by some in the scientific community. In this article, we first present an overview of biodynamic agriculture, its current development, its foundations and its three specific principles: 1) the farm as a living organism; 2) preparations; 3) cosmic rhythms. Then we show that pragmatic scientific approaches are compatible with biodynamic agriculture, and suggest an interesting potential for sustainability. In particular, anthropological studies show that the beliefs and spirituality of biodynamic agriculture contribute to a unique caring relationship between farmers and nature. Contrary to popular belief, biodynamic farmers are open to scientific knowledge, which they are able to creatively combine with experiential and spiritual knowledge. At the farm level, although still rare, holistic multi-criteria studies suggest quite satisfactory overall sustainability performance. Biodynamic agriculture has already proven its usefulness in transdisciplinary action research projects with diverse stakeholders to produce "mobilizable knowledge" for sustainability. Overall, we conclude that biodynamic agriculture can be a valuable resource for "re-enchanting" agriculture complementary to indigenous knowledge. However, it should not be seen as a panacea, and its organization and the major role of beliefs in particular raise legitimate concerns. Further research is needed to better understand the specific benefits and challenges of biodynamic agriculture. Three key research perspectives are identified: 1) farmer decision-making; 2) farming system design and evaluation; and 3) transformation pathways.
Authors: Rigolot C., Quantin M.
Journal: Agricultural Systems, 200, June 2022
Title: Biodynamic Farming as a Ressource for sustainability Transformations: Potentials and Challenges
Link to the original: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X22000609?dgcid=coauthor
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Download the activity report 2021 (PDF)
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published at goetheanum.tv
]]>While agricultural production over the past century was aimed mainly at quantity, today's focus is on creating quality. But what type of quality are we talking about? Is it a simple outer quality that guarantees a particular appearance and specific nutrient content, or is it a holistic quality that includes vitality, authenticity and even the ethics of food production? After all, it is not merely nutrients that feed us, but also forces and meaningfulness – and we even seek a quality in the encounter with food.
Creating a holistic quality in our food has been an important aim of biodynamic agriculture from the beginning. The many aspects of this living quality were the subject of the presentations by the various speakers during the Agriculture Conference.
Arizona Muse, founder of the DIRT Foundation for the Regeneration of Earth and a top model from the USA, opened the conference with a passionate plea for biodynamic agriculture and for the care of the earth as a living being. The dramatic effects of the textiles industry on the earth and on human beings have prompted her to become completely committed to biodynamic agriculture. Carlo Petrini, founder of the international Slow Food movement, showed how each one of us – from the farmer to your everyday consumer – is a co-producer and therefore a contributor to quality. Maike Ehrlichmann, a successful nutritional therapist, inspired everyone with her personal Honest Eating method. This method teaches those in search of advice to activate their own internal nutritional adviser.
How quality initially develops on the basis of a specific quantity was demonstrated by Ueli Hurter, taking cereals and milk as examples. Jean-Michel Florin explained how, in contrast to quantity which is measurable, a holistic all-encompassing 'atmospheric' approach is needed to grasp quality, and this is something every person can become capable of every day through their senses.
Quality is like a thread running through all the stages and phases from soil to plate. The big question that extends beyond compliance with quality standards through external checks, is how to develop a sensitivity and attitude that make it possible to permit the creation of a holistic living quality throughout the production process. One element of this is to pay attention to the atmosphere, whether this is in the byre with the animals, in the dairy, in the shop or even in the kitchen. Everyone knows how a positive atmosphere in a family kitchen affects the meals. Although this is a subtle aspect that is difficult to measure, it is often what actually makes the difference. Chef Agata Glazar was well placed to speak about this from experience. She cooks with those ingredients that are to hand, with passion and without relying on recipes. If a guest asks about it, she tells them the story of the food. Careful sensory perception of the wealth of colours and aromas of fresh fruit and vegetables is her starting point for a healthy and tasty meal.
The subsequent presentations showed how subtle biodynamic agricultural practices promote the integration of the processes of growth and differentiation (or maturation) in crop plants. Controlling the processes correctly through farming practices enables production of both the optimum quantity and quality.
The doctor Thomas Hardtmuth described how we need to look beyond the plate, all the way to our gut and its microbiome, whose important role in our physiological and psychological health is substantiated by numerous recent research results. On the other hand, the microbiome is extremely sensitive to moods and a beautiful and attractive environment. This is something that can also be seen in animals, such as cows. Severe and ongoing stress seriously disrupts the healthy composition of the microflora in the gut. The quality of food therefore extends to include the atmosphere at mealtimes and even the general environment we live in.
Quality development rests on the development of biodiversity and the development of human communities, as shown by two very different examples. One is the biodynamic urban garden initiative in the city of Rosario in Argentina (first prize from the World Resources Institute in 2021) that recultivated almost 1,000 hectares of urban land. The other is the Alliance for the Land (Alianzas por la Tierra) created by the Spanish winery Gramona near Barcelona, where over 450 hectares of grape monocultures were transformed into a diverse biodynamic farm with domestic animals.
Mechthild Knösel, a passionate farmer from Germany, showed very convincingly how ethics is directly connected to quality. From a feeling of responsibility and respect for her animals, she decided that no animal would leave her farm alive. She took part in a study that showed how stress hormones in cows were significantly lower if the animal was slaughtered on the farm than in the slaughterhouse. This produces directly measurable effects on the quality of the meat.
In order to maintain the quality throughout the entire manufacturing process, the product must be "improved" during processing, meaning "raised", as indicated by the French word "élevage". The baker and farmer Olivier Clisson illustrated this point with beautiful pictures.
Romana Echensperger, Master of Wine and book author, spoke about the freedom of the vintner, because to produce a living and authentic quality requires the grower to be able to produce in freedom. During interviews for her book "Von der Freiheit, den richtigen Wein zu machen" (About the freedom to make the right wine), she discovered that biodynamic viticulture, in contrast to industrial viticulture that fixes and standardises its methods, is based on the freedom and autonomy of the grower, resulting in the production of a very individual and authentic wine.
The oenologist and researcher, Georg Meissner, made a plea for careful observation of the vine, in order to understand its gesture. This is the basis for its transformation into the once sacred substance of wine and for authentic terroir wines.
The morning introductions by Jasmin Peschke, which were accompanied by wonderful musical improvisation, traced the development of human consciousness in parallel with the concept of quality. In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, after a period of the intuitive perception of quality, there was a gradual reduction in all sense perceptible qualities. For the benefit of objectivity, quality was reduced to numbers, dates and facts. This rationalisation then led to the industrialisation of agriculture. This produces carrots and living organisms as though they were cars, in other words dead objects, and measures their quality using corresponding criteria and methods. The great challenge of our century is to rediscover past agricultural ways of production and qualitative methods. This will enable us to produce and understand a living quality. Biodynamic agriculture can look back at nearly 100 years of experience and wishes to make its contribution to this rediscovery.
The American biologist and epistemologist, Craig Holdredge, ended the Agriculture Conference with a call that showed ways towards a qualitative approach to nature. If the human being re-establishes contact with nature, the alienation that has led to the degradation of our planet can be overcome.
The next Agriculture Conference will take place at the beginning of February 2023 on this topic: Evolving agriculture – 100 years of biodynamics: looking back to look forwards.
Jasmin Peschke and Jean-Michel Florin
Section for Agriculture
Arizona’s environmental activism began after years of modelling when she realised that she didn’t know enough about the materials her clothes were made from, nor the people who made them. Ever since, she has been on a fascinating journey educating herself and others about the truth behind materials, how things are actually made, who makes them and the impact this cycle has on planet Earth. Although the environmental impact of the fashion industry was the starting point, her activism quickly evolved into becoming her life’s mission to raise awareness about the climate emergency and to encourage governments, brands and individuals to put sustainability at the forefront of their agenda.
]]>Neu ist die Gliederung des Bandes, neu hinzugekommen sind Gesprächsnotizen und Dokumente, unter anderem die bisher nicht bekannte Resolution der Landwirte zur Gründung des Versuchsrings. Ebenfalls komplett überarbeitet und erweitert wurde der Hinweisteil. Zusammen mit den beigegebenen Abbildungen und Faksimiles dokumentiert die neue Auflage auch den historischen Kontext dieser folgenreichen Pioniertat Rudolf Steiners.
Zu beziehen über alle Buchhandlungen, oder direkt bei der Buchhandlung am Goetheanum.
]]>Nutrition specialist Dr Jasmin Peschke, head of nutrition within the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum, says that “the determination of food quality is a broad field. Biodynamic farming is a method that includes the local situation.” Plants, for instance, are grown in a way that is in keeping with their surroundings. Farmers therefore have to be as diverse in their approach as possible. “Under these circumstances plants develop greater resilience compared to conventionally cultivated ones and this is evidenced in higher polyphenol and lower nitrate contents.”
These vital features have a positive effect on health. “If the human microbiome receives diverse stimuli it can develop accordingly and this enhances the immune response.” Jasmin Peschke adds, pointing to a study by Daniel Kusche, coordinator of Biodynamic Farming at Kassel University in Germany, who found that children in Germany who occasionally drink a glass of milk directly from cows on a biodynamic farm are less likely to develop allergies.
Biodynamic farming means that the soil quality is improved: humus content and soil diversity increase over time resulting in the soil being able to sequester an above-average amount of carbon dioxide. According to Lin Bautze, research assistant at the Section for Agriculture, “this has a positive effect on climate change.”
Jasmin Peschke points out that “It is important that children already build a relationship to the origin of food – as a first step towards fighting civilization diseases such as obesity and diabetes.” Lin Bautze reports from the Steiner School in Mbagathi, Kenya, where students overcome malnutrition by eating food from their biodynamic school garden. “This is evident, for instance, in the children‘s growth and improved health. And they learn at the same time how food is grown in tune with local conditions.”
]]>“Children who spend regular time on a farm, helping with feeding the animals and harvesting carrots, have fewer allergies than other children,” says Jasmin Peschke. Based on research he carried out in Germany, Daniel Kusche, who is the coordinator for biodynamic farming at Kassel University (DE), even speaks of a ‘positive organic-farm effect’. Children who drink a glass of cow‘s milk now and again are less likely to develop allergies, if the milk is unprocessed and comes directly from cows on a biodynamic farm where they have space to graze.
Plants, too, prove to be resilient in challenging environments and, to a certain extent, can defend themselves against pests, if they grow naturally and actively absorb nutrients. Their vitality is better than that of plants which are given mineral fertilizers and grow in greenhouses, protected from external influences. Jasmin Peschke thinks that “protection does not necessarily lead to strength and resilience. We know that from muscle training, too.” Recent research results show that organic apples have a more diverse microflora than conventionally grown ones. When one eats such an apple, one‘s organism has to deal with this microflora. The many diverse microorganisms strengthen one‘s own microbiome – a topic that is being pursued further in biodynamic research.
]]>Internationally an interest is developing in the biodynamic research community for better communication and networking. The first step towards this was taken in September 2018 with the first international biodynamic research conference. Due to the positive feedback, the Section for Agriculture decided to organise further regular (every three years) research conferences in different countries.
Accordingly, the second conference was planned with a larger group of partners, these being the Royal Agriculture University (UK), Coventry University (UK), Stellenbosch University (SA), Pondicherry University (IN), Biodynamic Association UK and US, the University of Kassel (DE), the Research Circle (DE), Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (CH), the Natural Science Section at the Goetheanum and the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International.
After detailed planning, the conference was only able to take place online due to the global situation, and not at the Royal Agriculture University in Great Britain. However, this meant that over 170 delegates from 34 countries from all the continents were able to participate in over 60 contributions in the form of presentations, working groups, posters with research results, etc.
Increase in extreme weather events
It has been confirmed that the challenges faced by agriculture have risen dramatically: climate change, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem destruction, new epidemics, etc. It gets increasingly difficult to rely on the rhythms of nature. A very hot summer is followed by a cold wet year, accompanied by storms. Extreme weather events have become much more frequent.
The conference committee has chosen the topic of 'Growing beyond resilience' to promote joint research on the conditions for an agriculture for life such as biodynamics. A broad range of topics and viewpoints were discussed, from the exact effect of the biodynamic preparations on the soils, via the activity of microorganisms to the use of intuitive faculties in agriculture and the effect of raw milk on health.
Improved networking and better communication amongst the researchers is necessary for the future organisation of the research. There is also the need for the further development and expansion of public relations work and interdisciplinary cooperation – for instance between agriculture, medicine and education. After all, people cannot be healthy unless the earth is healthy too!
]]>The organisation of this congress by IFOAM was a great challenge for France, particularly due to the difficulties caused by the pandemic. But it also helped to strengthen the French organic movement: we become stronger through shared efforts.
The situation unfortunately meant that, of the 1,800 participants, only 400 were able to be present physically while the remainder took part online to listen to over 450 very diverse contributions in six different fora (science, culture and education, farmers and advisers, supply, stakeholders, and leadership).
A congress of this type is always an opportunity to take the pulse of the organic movement and to recognise the challenges and ideas for the future. While, thanks to the commitment of the Indian organic movement, the 2018 congress in Dehli granted farmers an important place with a large forum, the congress in Rennes went a step further with a culture and education forum which enabled an exchange of views and discussion about the roots of the organic movement and its cultural, philosophical and spiritual values. The tagline of the congress "From its roots, organic inspires life" supported this aspiration. The biodynamic movement was well represented in the different fora with numerous contributions.
If the organic movement wants to become a powerful lever for respect for living organisms and the survival of humanity and our planet, it needs to be based on the power of civil society, particularly on the farmers of the world and the whole sector, and increasingly also the consumers. This is necessary in order to become a true alliance for life that, given the environmental and climate crisis, enables an acceleration of the essential transformation. The biodynamic movement wishes to make its contribution to this.
The next IFOAM congress will take place in 2024 in Tunisia, a country that belongs to a part of the world that is under extreme threat from climate change, in particular through extreme heat and drought.
]]>Benno Otter is a biodynamic gardener. He and his team are looking after the Goetheanum gardens and parkland which cover around ten hectares of productive land where no pesticides have ever been used. One can do this, he says, if one respects a place without imposing something on it in order to force something out of it. “Doing the right thing in the right place means asking oneself: why should one grow wine here at the Goetheanum, if there are more suitable places for that elsewhere and if it requires more input than growing standard fruit trees?” Production and aesthetics, he thinks, can come together on the meadows. The mowing model used allows for the consideration of insects, people‘s recreational needs and winter feed for the cows.
]]>The PDF can be downloaded here:
Conference Report 2021 (English) PDF
Tagungsdokumentation 2021 (deutsch) PDF
Documentación de las jornadas 2021 (español) PDF
Documentation du Congrès 2021 (français) PDF
For hard copies please contact: agriculture@goetheanum.ch
]]>More information https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/arbeitsfelder/forschung/bdrc21
]]>The stage of the main auditorium at the Goetheanum became the broadcasting studio, the south stage the technical room. Three professional cameras were aimed towards the auditorium onto the speakers and panellists, so that the coloured windows of the auditorium formed the backdrop to the broadcast. A non-online part of the conference was formed by around ten regional in-person meetings in places like India, China, Argentina, Norway and Israel.
Thanks to the combination of many disciplines, the climate crisis was viewed from an unusually wide range of perspectives. Farmers, scientists, teachers, doctors and artists joined young people and members of the biodynamic movement. This gave a tangible experience that the existential issue of the human-induced climate crisis can only be solved by joint action.
In 21 working groups – the Future Labs held in German, English and Spanish – participants dealt with questions such as "What role does education play in the climate crisis?", "Is social three-folding a way through the climate crisis?" and "How can we do business with the earth?" There was a moving moment when, in his presentation given from the USA, Charles Eisenstein urged us to take the thought of the earth as a living being as a reality, so that every little bit of gardening or environmental work is valuable, because it lets the earth feel that we care about it.
Lectures by Anet Spengler, Ronja Eis and Ueli Hurter and a spontaneous discussion group attended by 140 people explored the importance of the cow for managing the climate sustainably. Cattle farming for food production is at the centre of a social debate on food security and the climate. At the same time, the cow plays a central role in biodynamic agriculture. Anet Spengler demonstrated that pasture-based animal husbandry combined with a reduction in poultry and pig rearing would make more arable land available for feeding human beings. This would enable ruminants to be kept for the farm organism at the same time as feeding the growing world population.
The interactive nature of the digital infrastructure enabled spontaneous discussion rooms to be set up. Constanza Kaliks pointed out that many participants make active use of these direct communication methods. So they were not only able to connect directly to the Goetheanum but also with each other all over the world. This also involved people who – irrespective of the corona restrictions – cannot afford to travel to the Goetheanum. According to Kaliks, in view of the virtual forms of meeting, physical meeting needs to acquire a new higher value.
Ueli Hurter described that a spiritual atmosphere can be created, even via digital media, and this was confirmed by a participant from China in her review: "Although the on-site agricultural conference is over and its physical body has left us, the strong aura, energy, love, passion, compassion and wisdom of all participants, performers, speakers and organisers are still wandering and flying all over the world. They will give us the courage for exploration, practice, self-reflection and creation. The etheric body of the conference will continue to grow and influence more people through us."
"If we understand the earth as a living being and broaden our view 'from the ground to the sky', those who care for the land and those who care for the climate – and every person – will discover the ability to become active themselves," was how Lin Bautze of the Section for Agriculture described what is probably the most comprehensive task given to all at the conference.
Verena Wahl
With texts from "Anthroposophy Worldwide" 3/21 (Sebastian Jüngel) and "Das Goetheanum" 9/21 (Wolfgang Held)
]]>The search for the underlying causes of the Coronavirus pandemic reveals the complex ways in which different lifeworlds are interconnected. When habitats of animals disappear – as result of slash-and-burn for instance – or when their food resources are reduced due to the loss of diversity, they move closer to human settlements and pathogens that previously only affected animals can transfer to humans as zoonoses. Plants growing in a nutrient solution and artificial atmosphere have less chances of developing resilience than plants that have to deal with external influences such as wind, weather, pests and diseases. “Humans also benefit from the vitality and resilience acquired by animals and plants,” says Jasmin Peschke, who has a PhD in ecotrophology and is head of Nutrition within the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum. Jasmin Peschke finds it essential to look beyond the ingredients and understand food quality as an expression of the relationship with the lifeworld.
“Our attitude towards animals and plants has a direct influence on our own health, depending on whether we look at them as factors of production or as living beings.” Jasmin Peschke promotes an attitude of partnership in the food system. “An apple is a food with its own ‘biography’, generative and ripening forces, rather than a kind of vitamin supplement.” All stages of the apple‘s biography are important: from breeding to planting, from production to processing, down to its presentation on the plate. The same diversity applies to plant cultivation, research, farming, cheese making, medicine, nutritional science and professional kitchens.
Contact person Jasmin Peschke, jasmin.peschke@goetheanum.ch
]]>When farmers look at the climate, they are concerned with making the earth as fertile as possible and with minimizing carbon dioxide. “Without a healthy climate there will be no harvest,” is how Ueli Hurter, farmer and co-leader of the Goetheanum‘s Section for Agriculture, summarizes the situation. Farmers are struggling with extreme weather conditions, with heat waves and heavy rain, which is as damaging to the soil as droughts are, exposing it to erosion. Young people are concerned about the earth and about keeping it inhabitable far into the future.
Constanza Kaliks, head of the Youth Section at the Goetheanum, is convinced that “New impulses will grow from the collaboration of farmers and young people. The commitment of the younger generation creates a foundation for the future of the earth.” Ronja Eis, a Youth Section co-worker adds, “While nature has been an important topic for young people over the past three years, their relationship to it is now – due to changes in the outside world and inspired by movements such as Fridays For Future or Extinction Rebellion – becoming more and more of a priority.”
For the first time, the energy of young people committed to climate issues and the experiences of biodynamic farmers will now be pooled at the digital conference ‘Breathing With the Climate Crisis’. Their joint premise is a climate concept that will bring facts regarding cosmic rhythms and the implications of the Anthropocene together with a view of the earth as a living being. The way people deal with the earth depends on the way they see it: as a supplier of raw materials, or as a living organism or a sacred place in the cosmos. Values that are important in this context are respect for the environment and the earth‘s biodiversity, an ecological concept of growth and models for a climate-friendly economy and society.
Digital conference Breathing With the Climate Crisis: Ecologically – Socially – Spiritually, 11 to 14 February 2021, Goetheanum
Web Digital conference 'Breathing With the Clima Crisis'
Contact persons
Conference Programme Johannes Kronenberg, johannes@youthsection.org
Registration André Hach agriculture.conference@goetheanum.ch
Biodynamic agriculture takes account of different dimensions and lifecycles in nature as well as the creative abilities of human beings. Principles like these allow criteria to be defined for a supportive approach to the living world which can be measured in food quality, nutritional value and vitality. There is documented evidence of this from biodynamic agriculture and related areas such as agroforestry, permaculture, agroecology and horticulture. The Section for Agriculture is currently compiling results and plans for healthy food systems from researchers and students and via farmers to processors for the research conference on biodynamic agriculture in summer 2021.
Conference Growing beyond resilience, International Conference on Biodynamic Research, 30 August to 2 September 2021, digital
Webhttps://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/research/bdrc21
Contact person Lin Bautze, biodynamic.research@goetheanum.ch
]]>The Section works on the biodynamic principles and issues relating to food and makes these publicly available. "We support an expanded concept of research and a cognitive process that goes beyond a reductionist science," according to Jean-Michel Florin, joint head of the Section for Agriculture. "In this way we combine academic research with the specialist knowledge of practitioners in order to research the tasks of the food and farming systems together, to discuss and to contribute to solutions," adds Ueli Hurter, his colleague and co-leader.
To fulfil these tasks the Section creates social spaces: meeting and exchanging views can lead to new ideas and potential solutions. The important topics for the next few years identified by the Section are climate, resilience and health. "The aim is to develop these topics in new and existing projects across disciplines in order to explore holistic approaches with our partners," adds Verena Wahl, Executive Director of the Section. This will take place via research projects, university courses, expert and research conferences, professional group meetings, online seminars, publications and video documentation.
Vision and Mission of the Section for Agriculture:
www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/about-us/vision-and-mission
Jasmin Peschke, who has a PhD in ecotrophology and is head of nutrition in the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum, points out that “Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, more fresh food than ever is being prepared in households. People look for more diversity in food, tastes and colours, for when the mood at home is tense, one can create positive experiences through food.”
Nutritional science today suggests that eating is not just about taking in nutrients but that it contributes to people‘s wellbeing and to a positive and healthy lifestyle. “It is the diversity of new sensory experiences that cheers people up. As a result the intestinal microbiome is strengthened and this, in turn, leads to a strong immune system,” says Jasmin Peschke. Research has found that even an animated conversation at the table enhances health and wellbeing.
The way we eat is reflected in our culture. Are we always eating ‘on the go‘, rushing on to the next appointment? Or are we taking the time to cook and eat together?
Landscapes, too, reveal a culture‘s relationship to food. Regions with monocultures of corn and rapeseed or burnt-down rainforest speak of economic interests that consider plants and animals to be mere ‘means of production’ in a value chain that should be as cost-saving as possible. Landscapes with a diversity of fields, pastures and woodland, on the other hand, point to a culture that serves nutrition but also fosters a diversity of lifeforms. “As quality criteria in farming and nutrition I see resilience and the health of human beings and of the earth – and sustainability of course. These goals can only be achieved together,” Jasmin Peschke concludes, in reference to the theme of this year‘s World Food Day: ‘Grow, nourish, sustain. Together.’
]]>https://mailchi.mp/45302e410147/biodynamisch-weltweit-newsletter-dezember-12585451
]]>The general, worldwide lockdown led a return to essential basic needs. Food and eating are at the forefront of this. Locked up at home within four walls, eating has become an essential part of daily rhythms. Many families have rediscovered cooking and eating together. Demand for oganic and regional products has increased. These respective markets have been completely overwhelmed, especially in the early days, certainly also due to panic buying.
One aspect of this is that COVID-19 poses no danger to animals, plants or the earth. This means that nature, and therefore also agriculture and basic food, has not been endangered at any time. During the many weeks of global uncertainty that has gripped so many dimensions of life, nature and uncontaminated food provided a secure basis for life and became a way of life for many.
This led to a new discovery and appreciation of gardens and the immediate local environment, especially in countries such as France, where leaving home was limited to one hour a day and only within a radius of one kilometre around the home. Being in nature as an essential part for the quality of life, has been rediscovered. With closed borders and the interruption of many global supply chains, regional economies have been rediscovered and appreciated, especially in the food sector.
Many new contacts between producers and consumers have been established. Producers feel they are being seen in a new light and are enjoying greater appreciation.
Before the Corona crisis, much revolved around the climate crisis. Since agriculture is responsible for many environmental and climate sins, it was under heavy fire. Concerns centred more around ecology with less focus on productivity. In the Corona crisis, the focus has been on the production of food, and climatic ecology has faded into the background. That will change again, but ecology on its own terms – without sensible food production, also in quantitative terms – will suffer.
In the marketplace, organic food and the Demeter brand (biodynamic food) will certainly gain ground, because food in general has been more appreciated. This is a great opportunity for the organic sector. For Demeter, the challenge remains to provide food quality that includes, on the one hand, the whole process from ‘the field to the plate’, and on the other, ensures that the vitality and ripeness of the products are traceable, recognisable and of good quality.
The disease associated with COVID-19 only affects humans. But the Corona crisis has revealed a growing threat which many biologists, ecologists and agronomists have been warning about for some time – the alarming increase in emerging diseases in humans, animals and even plants. A series of serious changes in our environment, in agriculture and in the way we treat nature, have precipitated the appearance of these viral and bacterial diseases. Factors include global warming, which is driven by the displacement of species from their original environment, the increasing globalization of trade in agricultural products, the worrying decline of biodiversity at a global level and economically- induced industrial agricultural practices such as monoculture and mass livestock farming. For example, a meta-analysis published in 2010 (Le Monde, 15.12.2010) shows that the decline in biodiversity is accompanied by an increase in infectious diseases around the world. Other studies established the link between the destruction of the natural environment and the increase in emerging diseases (Le Monde diplomatique, 3/2020). The coronavirus is just one example of the dramatic consequences that such emerging diseases can have at a global level. Another equally great, if not even greater threat to health is the rapid development of multi-resistant bacteria against antibiotics, caused by the systematic and prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and their misuse in human medicine (Die Zeit, 20.11.2014).
There is an urgent need to educate the public about how our current economic and civilised lifestyles, in the interplay of the various contributing factors, promote the development of these plant and animal diseases, increasingly endangering and destroying the very foundations of our life on earth. For almost 100 years, biodynamic agriculture has developed a systemic life-enhancing approach to disease resistance and has developed principles for agricultural practice that make it possible to produce food for humans in harmony with and in support of nature.
However, approaches to solving the problem supported by the major pesticide manufacturers – who use a diametrically opposite approach – are completely different. Instead of integrating arable and livestock farming into agricultural areas and creating self-contained natural environments, they offer the ‘hygienic’ approach, limiting any contact between farm animals and nature and thereby also with viruses and bacteria. This would lead to an increase in factory farming. The fact that recent health problems have rarely been blamed on factory farms, but rather on small open-air farms, is symptomatic of the power of the industrial chemical farming lobby. In view of this fact, it is essential to strive for and achieve an ‘alliance for life’ with many like-minded partners.
The biodynamic impulse for agriculture and food is based on a few core principles, one of which is the closed, inherently diverse farm. This principle can work in a traditional way and can be understood – especially in contrast to the ‘modern’ farm, which is set up purely according to economic criteria. Furthermore, all profitability calculations lead to specialization of farms, which in turn therefore also requires the use of fertilizers, pesticides and industrial feed.
In stark contrast, the building principle of a biodynamic farm is the internal interaction of the different animals and cultural species. In other words, an agricultural organism is divided into different organs which together form a whole and which are more than the sum of its parts.
There are several reasons to set up and run a farm in this way; one of them is resilience. The term stands for the ability to deal flexibly with external influences, to be able to absorb them, to be stress tolerant and not to lose health and performance suddenly, even when rough winds blow. In this sense, a biodynamic farm strives for a high degree of resilience.
Until now, we have understood this resilience primarily from an agronomic point of view, and we have focused on the changes associated with climate change. The socio-economic stress situation caused by the Corona crisis, however, also allows us to discover this resilience in its social and economic dimensions. Thus, a diverse farm is also socially and economically resilient. And that is worth a lot when the whole economic structure becomes insecure.
How can our current economies be stabilized again? Gigantic financial injections by the state alone will not do the trick. It takes trust – and any business that can handle such a stressful situation is part of the solution. It creates potential trust– it does not draw forces out of the system, but feeds forces into it. Many biodynamic farms are like prototypes of resilient farms. Moreover, what at first glance seems traditional becomes, on closer inspection, an empowerment coming from the future.
No company stands alone in today’s economy. Not even the agronomically-closed agricultural enterprise, because it is productive and the products have to go from the farm to surrounding society. In highly developed economies, only one to three per cent of the working population is still employed in agriculture. All others have to be fed by these few, who are involved in primary production. Production, processing, trade and consumption together form the economic system of an industry. Accordingly, one speaks of a ‘food system’. The unprotected, open, specialized business tends to be linked to the global food system, for which it produces the raw products, which are then put on the table via industrial processing and supermarkets, supported by TV advertising, and reflected in the fast food culture. The biodynamic farm, on the other hand, in accordance with its internal building principles, also forms its external network – we use direct sales, contract farming, regional supply chains with manual processing, etc., with a kind of inner culture of the economic interrelationship, which results in many personal connections.
Resilient food systems are based on genuine and honest handling of soil, plants and animals, and manageable as well as long-term personal trade relations, which do not break up in times of crisis, but rather endure and thus offer confidence. One effect of the Corona era will certainly be the increased search for economic forms that are not merely anonymous and price-driven. The agricultural and food industry is one of the most important sectors in this search and we can only hope that the many approaches to associative food systems, which are based on biodynamic farms, can contribute to this ‘humane’ economy.
It is already clear that the Corona crisis and climate change will have a strong impact on agriculture and the food industry. We can expect further polarizations: on the one hand, a strengthening of the organic, regional, multifunctional agriculture and food economy, and on the other, intensive production based on national food security, which will receive a new boost. Nevertheless, agriculture is not merely just about chemistry, that is, the ecological question. It is also about the social question of how people’s relationship with the earth is shaped. Here it is important to be attentiveness, because ‘regional’ quickly becomes ‘national’, and ‘ecological’ can be instrumentalized by a sentiment of ‘healthy home soil’. ‘America first’ means, among other things, America for Americans – and corresponding slogans and movements exist in many other countries.
The paradox here is that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of borders and thus de facto to national activity. We have now been living for weeks and months in a national context – whether willingly or unwillingly, remains to be determined. It is, in fact, our reality. This has not only been perceived as a handicap, but also as an experience of a new sense of ‘being at home’ in ‘my’ country. Many countries have carried out large and costly repatriation programmes because in these uncertain times, you are really only safe at home. This new sense of ‘being at home’ will not simply disappear with the easing of restrictions. There may be positive aspects to this, but in the agricultural sector in particular, we who deal with the earth on a daily basis must also recognize the danger that this may lead to a new collective attachment to the earth. Biodynamics is also at risk here because it likes to subsume the farmer, the person working on the farm, into a lofty image of the agricultural organism. It must be made clear here that, No, man is not part of the earth, but the earth is part of man!
It is precisely one of the achievements of modern individualism that the individual becomes emancipated from the collective and thus potentially free. This individually accessible freedom is a decisive fundamental of anthroposophy and thus of biodynamic farming. It is from this basic principle only – and not from old collective bonds – that it is ‘permissible’ to connect with the earth and the natural environment as intensively as is customary in biodynamics and to some extent also in organic farming.
Biodynamic farms and other settings live from the strength of free individual initiative and the responsible attitude of its active people. Furthermore, the biodynamic movement lives and benefits from its cosmopolitan character, which connects us all across the earth in a spiritual sense.
In addition to the climate crisis and the decline in biodiversity, the Corona crisis has caused many people to rethink their own relationship with the living environment and to become more aware of our current remoteness from nature and the fundamental importance of agriculture for our daily lives and food. Numerous articles, radio broadcasts and so on, bear witness to this. A growing awareness of the importance of a peaceful and cooperative relationship with nature is emerging, especially among young people.
This opens up new functions and possibilities for organic and biodynamic farms: information and training activities such as the creation of school gardens or other forms of participatory and innovative spaces for developing a different consciousness and a new relationship with the living environment that surrounds us. It is possible that more young people or young couples in the future will feel a stronger urge to return to the land, experiencing it more as a global task – perhaps even if, as in Peru, it simply ensures the daily survival of their family, i.e. subsistence farming. This took place already in Greece and other Southern European countries after the economic crisis of 2008, and the challenge will be to accompany these processes in order to enable a good integration of these people into growing communities or into existing communities.
What can we, as a biodynamic movement, contribute so that everyone has food to eat? Don’t we have to reinvent ourselves completely?
Biodynamics should mean an assurance that for every human being there is a piece of land on this earth where food is growing – for me. I am responsible for this earth, I am responsible for my food. Do I want to cultivate my own land? Do I want to delegate this task? How can we organize this together?
The earth is mine as long as I am on earth. Afterwards, the following generations will be here – they too will need to eat. We have to cultivate the earth so that they too can live. Biodynamics could be newly defined as follows: The earth is a living being, it carries us and it can be so cultivated that it feeds everyone from generation to generation.
Article from the book:
Perspectives and Initiatives in the Times of Coronavirus, ISBN 978 1 85584 580 0
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Biodynamic farming has developed fast and consistently in recent years, particularly in Asia and South America. This asks for urgent steps in providing professional development and training opportunities. A start has been made with the introduction of the new quality system for international biodynamic advisors and the international training conference in Switzerland in the autumn of 2019.
The training centres and advisors also asked for further training opportunities. In cooperation with the Biodynamic Federation – Demeter International (BFDI), the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum has developed a new further training concept, which has now been implemented with a pilot project.
A web seminar on ‘preparation plants’ for training centres and advisors from Asia was offered in August in four modules that included practical exercises. 45 people from nine Asian countries, including China, Taiwan and Sri Lanka, registered for the seminar. Their feedback revealed enthusiasm about the opportunities provided and the competent instruction. These web seminars allowed the Section and the instructors to experience both the advantages and limitations of online training.
Following the positive response from participants, we will go ahead with developing more modules on biodynamic farming to be offered both as web seminars and in-person training opportunities.
]]>The eleven-minute film ‘The Limbua Group in the Mount Kenya Region’ illustrates how the farming practice has improved the social situation there. For the Limbua farms, organic farming does not only mean that they are encouraged to plant more trees and protect the environment, but also that they give work to unemployed family members, for instance. By processing their produce directly in the villages they guarantee freshness and make sure that the added value benefits the local community. While before, students from Germany used to sell the nuts privately, the nuts and oil are now supplied to companies such as Wala and Dr Hauschka. This scale of production is now possible because of approximately 5,000 small-scale farms (average size one hectare) working together, with a further 2,000 on the waiting list.
Participating farms are provided with seedlings and biodynamic preparations – and the aim is that the farmers themselves will sooner or later master all elements of biodynamic farming. The process includes ongoing training, the testing of competences on the farm and certification by international organizations. According to Limbua co-founder Peter Mucau Wangara, the biodynamic method “takes us back to where we come from”: the land is regenerated and the farmers can build a spiritual relationship with their farms.
(2013 characters/SJ; translation by Margot M. Saar)
Film ‹Limbua› https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/living-farms/sv/limbua-group-in-the-mount-kenya-region
Web ‹Living Farms› www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/living-farms
Contact person Lin Bautze, lin.bautze@goetheanum.ch
Zuerst erschienen unter: https://www.goetheanum.org/en/media/#/pressreleases/more-than-meets-the-eye-living-farms-farming-cooperative-limbua-group-in-kenya-3029582
]]>Interest in the label has been expressed from within the Fair Trade, Fair Wear and biodynamic movements. Sekem is one of the interested parties. “Since ‘Economy of Love’ meets biodynamic and Fair Trade requirements, some of Sekem‘s European partners already recognize the new standard as being on a par with Fair Trade”, says Helmy Abouleish. The label is inspired by the visions of Ibrahim Abouleish, who founded Sekem as a social enterprise with far-reaching cultural goals.
Sustainability reports and the research conducted by Sekem and by Heliopolis University in Cairo, Egypt, are consulted in order to establish the true price of a product. They consider the often externalized costs of water, the CO2 balance and factors such as renewable energy, social security, fair wages and people‘s individual chances of development from an ethical point of view.
]]>The PDF can be downloaded here:
Conference Report 2020 (English) PDF
Tagungsdokumentation 2020 (deutsch) PDF
Documentation du Congrès 2020 (français) PDF
Documentación de las jornadas 2020 (español) PDF
For hard copies please contact: agriculture@goetheanum.ch
]]>The work of each of the School’s sections seeks to develop anthroposophy – as founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) – in a contemporary context through the core disciplines of general anthroposophy, medicine, agriculture, pedagogy, natural science, mathematics and astronomy, literary and visual arts and humanities, performing arts and youth work.
The featured essays include: Creating Spaces of Inner Freedom – Training Approaches in Times of Uncertainty and Fear; The Hidden Sun – Reality, Language and Artin Corona Times; Consequences of COVID-19 – Perspectives of Anthroposophic Medicine; Aspects of Epidemic Infectious Diseases in Rudolf Steiner’s Work; Challenges and Perspectives of the Corona Crisis in the Agricultural and Food Industry; Corona and Biodynamic Agriculture; Our Relationship with Animals; The Part and the Whole –On the Cognitive Approach of Anthroposophical Natural Science; Comparing the Constellations of the Corona Pandemic and the Spanish Flu; Aspects of Dealing with the Corona Crisis for Youth; ‘Crisis Implies that it’s Unclear…as to What,How, Why and by Whom Things Need to be Done’; Education in Times of Corona; Understanding History from the Future – Crisis as Opportunity; Social Challenges and Impulses of the COVID-19 Pandemic; Consequences of COVID-19 –The Perspective of Anthroposophic Curative Education, Social Pedagogy, Social Therapy and Inclusive Social Development; A Medicalized Society?
ISBN 978 1 85584 580 0
]]>Conference Report 2019 (English) PDF
Tagungsdokumentation 2019 (deutsch) PDF
]]>All this can be done in a fun and playful way. “Some food may surprise us: we can learn about ingredients, herbs and spices and their composition, even discover that we can decorate dishes with flowers. Everything beautiful and creative has a positive effect on our organism and does wonders for our soul.” The diversity and colourful variety on the plate is also important, “especially when everyday life gets monotonous”, Jasmin Peschke believes.
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We all find ourselves in an exceptional situation. Covid-19 is changing our daily work routine, our social interactions, structures and habits.
The outer isolation, with even the Goetheanum shutting its doors, challenges us to cultivate the mental and spiritual sources of health to a particular degree and to be aware of the renewing power of nature, especially now in springtime.
We in the Section are also affected by the new regulations. We are temporarily working from home as far as possible, on reduced hours at times, and concentrating on our tasks as best we can:
At the same time we are using the time to carry out further training and further development in the Section. Our team has grown so it needs new processes and procedures which we are developing together in order to come out of this challenging situation stronger.
The office is only manned part-time at present so it is best to contact us by e-mail or Skype.
In the meantime, to keep up to date with our work, please visit our websites, Facebook page, Instagram and YouTube channels. Further information is available in our newsletter which you can subscribe to free of charge.
Last, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who, despite the current difficult situation, is busy in the fields, in supermarkets, in production and logistics, marketing, training and further education, or is otherwise working for a sustainable future.
With very best wishes from the whole Section team
]]>Nuremberg styles itself the organic metropolis and has transformed into a friendly city with a passion for organic. For instance, 85 per cent of city nurseries and schools are provided with organic foods. The city accommodates its many visitors from 110 countries in a very professional manner. Even the underground driver sometimes produces a joke down the loudspeaker.
This year's motto "organic delivers!" underlines the trade fair's claim that organic provides potential solutions for many pressing issues. Jane Goodall, the famous primate researcher who is now a venerable elderly lady, gave the opening address. Delegates who listened to her were moved by her words: "How bizarre it is that the most intelligent being on earth is destroying the basis of its own existence." She drew attention to the current reality with environmental problems, species extinction and climate change, and then stated: "This has got to stop." She was greeted with a standing ovation.
The guest country of Italy was notable for its excellent Demeter presentation. And repeated comments were made about the good food and great atmosphere.
The Demeter marketplace, a constant in Hall 7 for years, was very popular, with interesting Demeter products from cosmetics to seed. This is always a good meeting place for appointments or spontaneous encounters with friends and acquaintances.
Packaging was a key topic at the trade fair, particularly environmentally friendly plastic-free packaging for all kinds of products as well as for food-to-go.
For instance, a packaging material made of polylactic acid can be processed into a wide range of shapes and colours and looks like traditional packaging. This was advertised under the slogan "be part of the solution not the pollution".
The sachet for spices which feels like plastic and is rejected from the organic waste out of ignorance is actually made of a wood fibre material and is compostable.
Drinking straws made of glass in a range of colours look very stylish. Alternatively there are drinking straws made of gluten-free pasta dough – whether these can be cooked and eaten after use was not stated.
Suckies with fruit juice for children which are always regarded with suspicion on account of the supposed plastic waste are marketed as "Cheeky Friends": the packaging with less plastic has neither aluminium nor plasticiser.
Shops selling loose goods have already set up an association, introducing itself and its services.
While vegan had a substantial presence at BIOFACH 2020, it no longer has such a high profile. There are various flavours of vegan yogurt and also a tzatziki made from almond milk. The competition for the new product of the year even included an entry for vegan ghee made from cocoa butter and olive oil.
It seems there is a need or wish to pay more attention to getting enough protein. In any case, this is a product segment with a growing market. Help with increasing protein consumption comes from almond protein powder and protein spreads based on pulses, in fact soya with coconut and almond, cocoa and walnut or plum and cinnamon flavours.
Karl von Koerber from the working group Nachhaltige Ernährung e. V. presented the final report from his SDG project on sustainable eating. This focuses on how the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs) can be supported and even reached through food and the food system. In his talk, Von Koerber mentioned that vegan food is not especially sustainable in this context, so does not contribute much to climate change mitigation and a healthy future for mankind and the earth, because a healthy future and binding CO2 requires grassland. This grassland needs to be grazed by animals, preferably ruminants. If these animals are reared organically and are not fed any imported feed, then even the Sunday roast can be enjoyed with a clear conscience. An interesting facet amongst the many findings of the project.
Convenience products were also on display at the trade fair and obviously find a buyer – maybe they might please consumers who have never learned to cook or are short of time for preparing healthy organic meals. They can buy jars of curried sausages in sauce, chicken broth made in Estonia and red wine sauce for heating up, ready to use from the pouch. Instant tea, presented in single-portion sachets as black or green tea, takes convenience to its extreme.
The small vegetarian balls which used to be called rissoles can be had in many novel flavours, such as sweet potato with mustard.
You can even find CBD hemp (CBD (Cannabidiol), a non psychoactive cannabinoid from the hemp plant), in the form of tea or as an oil for the skin. It is likely that next year CBD hemp products will be on offer as the latest trend.
Banana flowers in jars or cans are said to taste like artichoke hearts. The soya- and gluten-free labellings are in line with the general trend, but you might ask how soya is meant to get into the banana flowers. Another curiosity is noodles made from sprouted grain, which are claimed to be especially healthy.
Stands offering tasty things to sample were busy as usual. In contrast, there were other stands that looked like little white boxes: a table with four chairs and maybe a company poster on the dividing wall, plus a man typing busily on his mobile and apparently waiting for customers. Suppliers with only a single product, such as aloe vera leaves or olive oil, hope to acquire new retailing connections at the trade fair.
There were visitors sampling alcoholic drinks such as vodka, whiskey and gin, and listening to a lot of information about them. And others who were enjoying the quiet bright atmosphere in the VIVANESS hall, the hall for natural cosmetics.
The VIVANESS, for years the poor relative of BIOFACH, is also bigger every year. Here, increasing value is given to certified products. The most marked trend in 2020 were soaps. Not only standard hand soaps, but solid shampoo soaps and soaps for the shower. Lavender soaps and soaps decorated with flower petals. Soaps in triangular shapes, soaps that looked like chocolates. There is even soap with Kölsch, a typical beer from Cologne. Soaps are naturally a hit with the environmentally and climate conscious consumer because first, their manufacture does not require emulsifiers, stabilisers and other additives and second, it is easy to avoid plastic packaging. One start-up even called itself and its products Terrorists of Beauty, because the cakes of soap for hair, face and body "change the world with every shower".
The conference programme is more varied and of better quality with every passing year. BIOFACH and VIVANESS each have their own talks and events. There are also fora for specialist retailers as well as worlds of experience for wine, olive oil and vegan products with panel discussions and cooking demonstrations. The Future Generation Zone offers a careers hub and a research prize for the organic food industry.
The wide range of products and variety of topics, and the many encounters and conversations make the trade fair a very worthwhile event and one not to be missed. From this angle you can also say, "organic delivers", and think to yourself, "see you here again next year".
Jasmin Peschke
]]>“What we see today in some facilities – unfortunately also in residential care facilities – is a tragedy because people are trying to save costs on food”, observed Jasmin Peschke. She heads the Nutrition Section of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum and has at doctorate in ecotrophology. “Nutrition is more than just something to eat”, she says. It is about providing tasty and varied meals, high-quality food that is carefully prepared.
“The quality of our food depends on many factors: the seeds, the soil, the cultivation, the time of harvest, storage times and processing methods”, says Jasmin Peschke. This is why she has now been joined by eleven nutrition experts with experience in anthroposophical fields of work to make a public statement. With their Charter for Community Catering, they are setting an example for healthy and wholesome enjoyable nutrition – precisely because day-to-day cooking in commercial kitchens is often stressful.
One of the first signatories of the charter is Heinz Fendrich. The executive chef at the Sonnenhof in Arlesheim, Switzerland, points out that even the attitude and mood that are cultivated during cooking contribute to the quality of the food. This is why he and other chefs and nutritionists consider it important that cooks and their kitchen assistants treat food with care and also involve those eating the meal – this is also important to prevent food from being wasted. Ultimately, it is up to everyone to ensure that meals are eaten regularly and on a rhythmical basis. “This also includes a relaxed and consciously designed atmosphere when eating”, the charter states.
“A meal is a community process before, during and after the activity in the kitchen”, concludes Jasmin Peschke.
Website: Nutrition Department
Charter for Community Catering:
PDF English: Charter Community Catering
PDF deutsch: Charta Gemeinschaftsverpflegung
PDF français: Charte de la restauration collective
PDF Italiano: Carta ristaurazione communita
Contact Person Jasmin Peschke, jasmin.peschke@goetheanum.ch
]]>Over the course of the four days various facets of the spiritual orientation and dimension of biodynamic agriculture were explored and examined. Speakers from a wide range of countries with very varied cultural and religious backgrounds and traditions spoke about their personal approaches, and shared their practical exercises and tangible results with the listeners. They showed how integrating the spiritual dimension can help to better understand the current situation and face the challenges of our time, and how a person can stay true to themselves in this. At the same time the speakers gave an overview of the connections that the biodynamic movement can build to and with other organisations in civil society.
One example involved an approach to the "new" relationship to the other person through geometry, to the attitude which can lead us to a meeting with the earth as a living being and to the beings that inhabit it. Another was the search for similarities between biodynamics and the traditional cosmologies of the Mapuche Indians and the Maoris, as well as the role that biodynamic agriculture can play in the face of exclusion and social violence. These were all very diverse and moving speeches based on the personal and lived experience of the speakers.
In the afternoons a new meeting format was introduced with the Open Spaces, something which proved very popular and offered the participants the opportunity to exchange views with each other. The contributions here were also diverse and varied, such as the visit to a land art installation in the park. A highpoint was flying a drone over the Goetheanum meadow – illustrating how biodynamic preparations can be sprayed over large areas and difficult terrain.
The art which accompanied and framed the conference as an ambassador of the spirit ranged from music improvisation via performances to artistic courses. In addition, Claudy Jongstra, an internationally renowned Dutch artist who works with biodynamic wool, presented the unique installation Woven Skin.
The Agricultural Conference 2020 closed with the inauguration of the new Biodynamic Federation Demeter International which has arisen from the amalgamation of the IBDA and Demeter International. This new international organisation is a very significant step for the global biodynamic and Demeter movement. It is a contribution to collaborative development and to standardisation of the values of biodyamics, and confirms the commitment to social issues. Both at the heart of this initiative and through the entire conference there was a clear call to connect to oneself and to others, to build bridges and to work beyond the familiar for the benefit of the earth and mankind.
]]>Conferencereader: Agriculture Conference 2020 English
Conferencereader: Congrès d’agriculture 2020 Français
Tagungsreader zur Landwirtschaftliche Tagung 2020 German
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Ueli Hurter Agriculture is never climate neutral. There are historical and current examples of where it improves the climate (Timbuktu Collective, Agricultural Conference 2019), and there are numerous examples of where it is harmful to the climate. What is new to the situation in 2019 is ‘just’ that we have a global awareness and the data are available too in order to draw up a balance sheet for the global climate. How come agriculture has such a strong effect on the climate? Because it is intrinsic to its very being that it permeates what is below with what is above and what is above with what is below. The inauguration of agriculture in the Old Persian culture consisted in tearing up the earth with the plough. That was an incredible deed! Striking down into the depths of darkness, a step into Ahriman’s realm. However, the upper, light and warmth, - symbolised in the Persian culture in the sun being, Ahura Mazdao – was thus able to penetrate the lower. Through this, food grew in quantity and quality in the field and in the garden, something that enabled a tremendous step forward in human evolution: the step of becoming settled, also known as the Neolithic Revolution. Thus mankind became citizens of the earth; now no longer “the splendid stranger” (Novalis), but “mankind is called upon to fashion the earth” (Novalis). From this time on, agriculture as the basis of a settled existence is opportunity and danger for the soil, the water and the atmosphere. What the IPCC report shows with current data is that agriculture is part of the problem but also at the same time part of the solution, which is also right from a deeper understanding of the inner nature of agriculture.
If we take it a step further, it becomes evident that the ‘lower’, which opens itself to ‘above’, means in particular carbon and nitrogen in the organic realm. In fact, CO2, CH4 and N2H are the most important climate gases. In the troposphere, 8,000 to 18,000 metres above the earth’s firm surface, they form an umbrella (a surface in the atmosphere), which reflects the sun’s warmth that is radiated from the earth and sends it back to the earth (greenhouse effect). This results in a global rise of temperature in the atmosphere. Through various forms of feedback this process is strengthened and accelerated. So much for atmospheric physics. Is there such a thing as atmospheric biology? Or even biodynamics of the atmosphere?
Potential of biodynamic agriculture
LB For farming practice these results can be interpreted in two extreme ways. We can deny climate change, ignore it and hope that nothing more will happen or that the whole body of scientists has made a mistake after all. That would mean maintaining the status quo, not cutting back on emissions and hoping for people who are adaptable and technically adept. The other extreme would be a radical change: renouncing further emissions and acting aggressively. The special report opts for acting decisively, and in our society, at least since Greta Thunberg and the Fridays-for-the Future demonstrations, the will to take action appears to have taken hold.
The report emphasises in addition that agriculture has to develop resilience, its inner robustness, as quickly as possible. This demands of us, above all, that we accept the new inevitable conditions, such as developing trust in our own ability to act, to rise up above the crisis. It means reflecting on our own farm, having a holistic overview and adjusting in good time. This requires a trained eye, having a knowledge of various options for action and the will to realize the reality of our own situation. If we now consider the possibilities quite rationally which biodynamic agriculture offers for protecting the climate and resilience, we will realise that this form of agriculture:
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You can find further information about the project on:
Web: www.livingfarms.net
Facebook: Sektion.fuer.Landwirtschaft
Youtube: Sektion für Landwirtschaft
Instagram: @section_for_agriculture
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Expressed in figures, this means that, if we in the EU convert 50 % of agricultural land to organic and biodynamic farming, by 2030, we would be able to save or compensate for up to 30 % of farm emissions. Concomitantly, in long-term trials it has been shown that organic and biodynamic agriculture can deal with climate fluctuations and extremes. The crop losses turn out to be less with a good soil structure, when facing extreme weather events and droughts than with conventional farms. Parallel to this, the diversity in the fields, in livestock keeping and the branches of the farm practised on biodynamic farms protects them economically. Thus, the people on the farm will remain more capable of acting in the future too. We then have the possibility in agriculture of taking a course that uses the already present, practised potential of biodynamic agriculture. This must be considered according to the place and the possibilities for acting of each individual. In some regions or branches of the farms actions can be taken more rapidly and be more effective than in others. Thus I may realise, when I consider my farm, that, for example, composting or the strategic planting of trees or hedges are easier to carry out and take less time than improving the humus of the soil.
UH In the Agriculture Course in 1924 Rudolf Steiner did not speak in a Persian mystery language, but accommodated his audience to such an extent that he used a highly topical agronomists’ language. He spoke about sulphur, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen – precisely the elements that people are dealing with at present. Carbon (C) is the substance that forms the basic structure in the organic realm. A plant forms its body from carbon; it germinates, grows, blossoms, bears fruit and dies away. What is left over is the seed of this specific plant and the humus, which is like a universal seed. Carbon lives dynamically in the life cycle within the individual plant, in the whole field of plants, in the whole landscape with over a hundred years’ cycle, if we think of the trees. If we manage to keep carbon in life’s cycle, then we not only refrain from damaging the climate, but contribute positively to a healthy climate. With nitrogen it is such that it has difficulty entering organic life from out of the air where, in its atomic form N2, it is present on a huge scale. Something on a soul level needs to form a body for itself in order for nitrogen to enter earthly life. That is the case with animals and with the plant family of the legumes. With these two sources it is possible to have nitrogen on the farm in sufficient quality and quantity. The synthetic, industrially produced nitrate fertiliser – which escapes into the atmosphere as laughing gas (N2H) and has a global warming potential 265 times of the CO2 – is not necessary! Though, for a farm’s own nitrogen management a level of livestock keeping, in particular, ruminants, is necessary. This principle is realised in biodynamic cultivation, right through to the Demeter guidelines, which stipulate the inclusion of animals as mandatory.
In practice people do not work with the chemical substances, but the concepts people have of them have a lot of influence on the how and the what in farming. With the knowledge outlined above of the substances as the bearers of life, soul and spirit in nature’s household I work differently from thinking of them as dead chemical atoms. Consequently, in biodynamic cultivation the unit which enables the living flow of substances in a closed cycle and can carry it, the basic unit, with which we work practically, is the individual farm. It is really a “farm individuality”, which forms its body in the farm organism. All the efforts of the practitioner are directed primarily towards this whole and only secondarily towards the particular branches of the farm, which may be seen as organs in the sense of the farm organism. With this approach of always thinking, feeling and acting out of the whole, the biodynamic farmer has the nature of a bit of a dreamer. For the whole is not concretely graspable, it has to be conceived or “imagined”. This can lead to astonishing ways of proceeding. I once came to a farm which had to wrestle with a high rate of calf deaths. The measure taken by the farmer was – among other things - to plant lots of hedges. Now you could say, he is a dreamer or he is crazy! However, it was clear to him that, if he wanted to strengthen the lack of structural forces, which were causing the disastrous diarrhoea among the calves, then they needed to be improved with hedges in the landscape so that they will reach the calves through the feed and the milk of their mothers. Is that not like working atmospherically? You go with a phenomenon, weighing it up inwardly, right out to the periphery and from there comes a flash of inspiration, which allows you to act at a particular point, apparently far removed from the cause. In other words, biodynamics always acts out of the periphery, from its approach it is climate agriculture.
Making the available potential visible
LB If we return to the large picture of climate change at the moment, the question arises as to why not more farms are converting to biodynamic agriculture and climate-friendly agriculture at present. For such a conversion knowledge, role models and options for acting are required. Every farm is individual, unique and consists in specific interactions between people, animals, landscape and the global environment. If we want to enable conventional, organic and biodynamic farms to act on the same basis, it requires the portfolio of knowledge, from which practicable and ecologically, socially meaningful solutions can be created. It requires the inspiration of people who have already put solutions into practice and their readiness to share their own experience with others. Then farms can act locally and at the same time keep an eye on the global picture.
In order to fill this gap, a new research project has been started at the Agriculture Section. In the project “Living Farms: potential of biodynamic places in times of global change” 15 to 20 farms world-wide are being visited, researched and portrayed. In short videos their strategies, thoughts and options for acting are shown. Thus farmers, advisors and also consumers can have access to the world-wide repertoire of possibilities of biodynamic places. This access will enable people to grow together with the challenges of global change.
UH Climate change concerns us all; it affects us all. It calls for lots of insights, lots of prototypes, lots of ways of resolving it. Biodynamics are not THE solution. They can make a contribution. For, as we have seen, in its very being it has its focus on, and its actions are directed from, the whole to the particular – and this is just the call of the climate crisis: the earth is a whole, the earth is a living being and wants to be treated by us humans as such. Our contribution is actually the farms; it is not the science (anthroposophy, the “Agriculture Course”) and also not only the (Demeter) produce, which can be so inspiring for many people. However, we think our farms could have the impact on lots of people of their finding inspiration and encouragement for their own actions. For, the farm is concrete, soil, plants and animals are actually there, the people and the community are not thought of in an ideal sense, but with 100 % of their difficulties they are part of the whole. The farms are also social laboratories, where, for instance, new forms of ownership are being tried out. Farms are food workshops as well, where neither fast food nor slow food is being produced but true food. In this way we want to show people our farms in all modesty. So that people in Nepal, on the Philippines and in Iceland can see them, we are putting these portraits into video films. Thus we are back with Ahriman, the circle is completed, agriculture arises from the dynamics of the encounter between sun and earth.
]]>“In my courses I meet people who discover a meaningful activity in agriculture,” says Jean-Michel Florin. He is a trainer in biodynamic agriculture and joint head of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum. People‘s expectations are surprising, because the reality of farming looks quite different: “A farmer has to take account of a range of requirements, make use of machines and work with computer systems, so that the real relationship to the soil, plants, animals and fellow human beings gets buried.” Jean-Michel Florin‘s approach is to seek for powers of renewal, through looking at the essence and the processes in nature as the effects of spiritual forces.
“The people in my courses want to develop abilities so that their actions are not (only) influenced from outside,” according to Jean-Michel Florin. On his travels in Asia and South America he has also noticed that people are grateful when they are able to find new inspiration to connect them to the spiritual traditions of their culture. “The biodynamic method is a help in discovering life and the spiritual dimension.” The hope is that, through the meeting of the biodynamic method with this wealth of experience, solutions can be developed for the environmental challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and the decline in soil fertility.
The Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum has invited people with varying approaches from many continents in order to expand their own experience, develop methods for new perceptive faculties and find out about practical applications. Through familiarisation with and experimentation and participation in the experiences of others, the scope for action is broadened and work in agriculture takes on new meaning.
(2039 characters/SJ; translation by Lynda Hepburn)
Conference Finding the spirit in agriculture, 5 to 8 February 2020, Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland
Simultaneous interpretation in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish
Websitewww.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/lwt/2020
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The programme left enough space for an in-depth exchange of experiences and networking, which was one of the main concerns of the participants. Also, the five working groups were able to work on current issues in greater depth and develop joint visions and action plans for the future. Throughout it appeared that the methodology and the way of working was also the objective.
We wish the participants firstly inspiration and ongoing learning, and secondly the ability to create places and atmospheres where individual potentials can unfold – both for themselves and for the students. Thank you very much for your participation! In the meantime we are producing the outputs of the conference for you!
Some impressions of the conference here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5tsFN88DjT2cPYoQA
]]>We no longer need to follow traditional eating habits today or eat what we are used to from home. In many – but unfortunately far from all – regions of the earth we have even become independent of crop failures which means we can decide what we eat every day.
It is even important that we use our own judgment in keeping with our own values. But that is not all that is required for inner development, because freedom must not be gained at the cost of others. As long as other people suffer due to my actions there will be no progress.
First of all we need to understand what is going on. What kind of animal farming are we agreeing with if we eat a steak every day, for instance, or if we greedily buy the cheapest food possible? We are saying ‹yes› to nitrate-laden drinking water, to emissions that are harmful for the environment, the expansion of soya plantations that requires the chopping down of the Brazilian rainforest.
I am conscious of what I eat, how this food has been produced and whether the farmer has enough to live on. An image arises in me of the biography of my food. This means I have a choice as to how I will act, for the true path to freedom for me as the shaper of my own life is based on the triad of knowing, judging and acting.
My living healthily will then be a side-effect of my conscious eating. For my actions will be directed towards a healthy future for the soil, the plants, the animals, and the earth with the human beings who live and work on it.
The thoughts Jasmin Peschke shares here formed the basis of her talk at the summer conference «Spirituality - Fear and Health» at the Goetheanum.
]]>One solution to mitigate the effects of climate change is Biodynamic agriculture. To be relevant, many more farmers have to learn biodynamic methods to form resilient farm organisms. In November, teachers and consultants in biodynamic agriculture will meet in Dornach to share their experiences and expand the range of courses and training available.
One of our great teachers, Alex Podolinsky, has crossed the threshold into another reality. We are grateful to all the pioneers who have further developed the biodynamic approach.
Christoph Simpfendörfer
Download International Newletter - Biodynamics in the World - April 2019
]]>Biodynamic agriculture contributes to supplying high-quality food for mankind's basic requirements. Biodynamic agriculture has linked practice and research from the start, e.g. since 1946 in the German Forschungsring (research group). Nowadays, bodies such as the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) (CH) and the University of Kassel (DE) carry out research on various aspects of the biodynamic method. In September 2018 the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum – one of the coordinating centres for biodynamic agriculture – invited around 180 researchers and farmers to the first international conference on biodynamic research at the Goetheanum. Around 100 presentations and posters provided an overview of current research in biodynamics and are now available in the form of written summaries in English.
The findings include studies which indicate that the biodynamic method binds higher amounts of carbon in the soil than other types of agriculture, so contributing to climate protection. Proposals for mother-bonded calf rearing in dairy farming form a main topic in the field of animal welfare. Ueli Hurter, joint head of the Section for Agriculture, stresses that research is more than the production of knowledge. What is needed is a research culture which is both data-oriented and also life-centred, which takes account of sentient living creatures and productively shapes reality.
Brochure Evolving Agriculture and Food. Opening up Biodynamic Research. September 5th to 8th September 2018. Conference Contributions. Topics Soil, plants and preparations, Agriculture, farm organism and environment, Food quality, Nutrition and health, The role of animals in biodynamic agriculture, Biodynamics and society, Research Methods and Biodynamics Online www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/thematic-areas/research/research-2018
Contact
Verena Wahl, Tel. +41 61 706 42 11, verena.wahl@goetheanum.ch
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Conference Report 2019 (English) PDF
Tagungsdokumentation 2019 (deutsch) PDF
Documentation du Congrès 2019 (français) PDF
Documentación de las jornadas 2019 (español) PDF
Relatório da Conferência Agrícola 2019 (Português) PDF
For hard copies please contact: agriculture(AT)goetheanum.ch
]]>This booklet contains most of the abstracts of the papers and posters presented at the conference by over 100 researchers from all over the world.
Our warm thanks go to all the authors and reviewers, the programme committee, the organisation team and partners, as well as the conference participants and sponsors. The conference would not have been possible without the cooperation of all these people.
]]>Social values are an essential part of our self-image in the Biodynamic movement. This is demonstrated by many of our partners on their farms and in their companies. In addition to the fine example set by many of our members, we wish to guarantee that a minimum of socially acceptable conditions exists across all Biodynamic enterprises. This will be one of the focus points at the members’ assembly of Demeter Internatio- nal this year.
I wish you a good hand for the shaping of relations in your companies and on your farms.
Christoph Simpfendörfer
Download International Newletter - Biodynamics in the World - April 2019
]]>What about Biodynamic agriculture in China?
At the moment, there are only eight Demeter-certified farms, but the interest is far greater, precisely because of environmental and food quality issues. The future of the earth is an aspect that is very relevant for Chinese people. Their initiative energy always amazes me. The path from idea to action is very short in China. In 2018, the <Agricultural Course> was translated into Chinese, 5000 copies were printed and several Waldorf schools received it for free. Now work is being done on the translation of the bee lectures.
Do cultural differences play a role in spreading Demeter worldwide?
For example, ruminants are very important in Biodynamics, but are less common in China, both culturally and traditionally. How Biodynamic agriculture can be adapted is a research question.
In terms of the social aspects of land management, each country has different conditions. In China, the soil belongs to the state. We cannot go there and say they should buy their land. The initiative for this must come from the respective culture itself. Through an international network, you can learn from each other.
What do you have to do without in order to develop a sustainable land economy?
Many Chinese are very willing to abstain because they realize that it is better for the world. Their environmental problem is also caused by our 'cheap consumerism' and therefore our problem. Maybe one has to give up a small part of ones self-focus, freeing it for other people and for nature.
The interview was conducted by Gilda Rhien.
Published in «The Goetheanum of 22.2.2019: https://dasgoetheanum.co
Erschienen in "Das Goetheanum" 2019/3-4
]]>Biodynamische Landwirtschaft ist Pionierin im Biolandbau. Darüber hinaus ist sie Vorreiterin beim Entwickeln praxisorientierter Modelle für nachhaltiges und assoziatives Wirtschaften. Einen Überblick vermittelt die Tagung ‹Land Wirtschaft› von 6. bis 9. Februar am Goetheanum.
Die Natur ist die Lebensgrundlage des Menschen. Die Wirtschaft schafft aus den Naturgütern Mehrwerte. Im Bereich der Lebensmittel sind diese existenziell, bei industriell verwerteten Rohstoffen sind sie ein Beitrag für den Wohlstand. Die biodynamische Landwirtschaft hat den Anspruch, die natürlichen Produktionsmittel Boden, Pflanzen und Tiere im Produktionsprozess insgesamt zu erhalten und hinsichtlich Lebendigkeit, Fruchtbarkeit und Produktionskraft zu verbessern. In einem industriellen Betrieb ist das so nicht möglich – die Produktionsmittel nutzen sich ab und müssen abgeschrieben werden.
Das Wirtschaftsfeld Landwirtschaft ist also geeignet, Modelle für eine nachhaltige und assoziative Wirtschaft zu entwickeln und umzusetzen. Bezugspunkt ist die Ertragskraft des fruchtbaren Bodens. In einer Assoziation wirken alle Partner der Wertschöpfungskette – Produktion, Verarbeitung, Groß- und Einzelhandel, Konsument – zusammen. Sie verschaffen sich ein gemeinsames Bewusstsein für ihre Aufgaben, bewerten die Marktlage hinsichtlich Warenmengen, Preisgestaltung und Nachfrage und regeln auf diesen Grundlagen Qualität, Menge und Preis. Sie befassen sich auch mit Fragen des Eigentums am Boden, mit Investitionskrediten und mit der Finanzierung von Züchtung und Forschung. Weitere Umsetzungen finden sich in regionalen assoziativen Zonen, Wirtschaftsgemeinschaften von Konsumenten und Höfen (solidarische Landwirtschaft) sowie in Konzepten wie Food Systems und True Cost Accounting.
]]>Working conditions
The course was supported throughout by Prof. Dr. Yousri Hashem (President of Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development ) and Angela Hofmann (Director of the SEKEM farm). Thanks to the enthusiastic help of the team of farm department leaders it was possible to hold most of the course on the main Sekem farm. Students travelled regularly from Heliopolis University to Belbeis by bus. Seven working days were spent completely and without interruption with the subject, four days were spent on the campus of Heliopolis University.
It was a fruitful interdisciplinary collaboration between international experts, university and farm leaders and local staff to create a space were a holistic teaching approach was put into practice without disturbance from the ordinary schedule and routines of the University.
We were very grateful for this preliminary preparation.
Programme
The programme covered the first steps, focussing on the soil-plant-farm unity as a fundamental unit for sustainable farming operations worldwide:
Teaching methods
The main goal of the course was to bring the theoretical knowledge from the first semester into a relationship with agricultural practice.
Besides short introductory and descriptive contributions, the students were introduced to “Goethanistic” observation of soil, plant and farm phenomena.
The results were shared and discussed continuously and brought together in deepening exchanges.
We made sure that we started at the students’ level, given their diverse knowledge and language skills.
Results
Conclusions
Thanks
We would like to convey our thanks for the great support of Heliopolis University, Prof. Yousri Hashem and Omar Eldahan, and in Sekem Helmy Abouleish, Angela Hofmann and the whole team.
Reto Ingold, Dornach, January 2019
]]>In September 2018 we began a research project on the compost preparation plants in tropical and subtropical regions. In the Agricultural Course (1924) Rudolf Steiner clearly stated that the plants recommended for making the compost preparations could be replaced by others, should they be difficult to obtain in some regions. Due to the spread of biodynamic agriculture from Central Europe to numerous countries across the world and, in recent years, to countries in tropical and subtropical regions in particular, new questions arise on this matter:
in order to exchange ideas and information on the problems and possible solutions (per e-mail in English).
It is difficult to get Valeriana officinalis to flower in tropical and subtropical countries. The Valerianaceae family comprises around 250 species worldwide. Of these, a large number (approx. 100) are only native in the mountains of Central and South America. Only approx. 10 species grow in the alpine regions of Europe, others in the southern Himalayas (India approx. 15 species) or China (approx. 15 species). Are there any important traditional me-dicinal plants or other specially characteristic plants amongst these species? Is there any experience with the use of other valerian species? We are planning excursions to study other plants from this family. Later we also want to look at the other preparation plants and their families in order to find ways of cultivating them and of working with local ex-perts in cases where there are problems (e.g. Quercus).
We wish to hold expert discussions on the individual preparation plants. The first of these is planned for May 2019 in Dornach on Valerian and Valerian preparation.
The results of the excursions, trials and expert discussions on the individual preparation plants and their alternatives are to be summarised in a booklet so that they can be made available to other interested individuals for further work.
If you are interested in joining the network, please contact us at e-mail: <link mail internal link in current>juergen.momsen@t-online.de
This extraordinary one-and-a-half-year experience was made possible by the collaborative work between the Ukrainian organic farmers association and a farm practicing biodynamic agriculture in western Ukraine (managed by Schiwa Semlja, a Swiss association) and myself as project coordinator.
At the beginning, we had only a great will to bring biodynamic agriculture in Ukraine. Things developed step by step, first thanks to the Section for Agriculture of the Goetheanum which gave the opportunity to Ivan Bojko (farmer) and Elena Berezovska (organic association president) to participate in the Agriculture Congress at Goetheanum in 2017.
Filled by enthusiasm and guided by the same Idea, our journey went on…
Our next step was the creation of a Ukrainian association for the development of biodynamic agriculture in May 2017. Almost 40 participants (farmers, consumers, scientists) attended the establishment of “Biodynamic Ukraine”. Our first project consisted in the setting up of a biodynamic agriculture training course for Ukrainian farmers. This project was ambitious as we wanted to invite European biodynamic experts in Ukraine and the financial costs were high. Yet, the Forces of the Universe made it possible as in July we obtained a financial support from the AFC (German project for organic agriculture development in Ukraine) to start our first module in August 2017 with 20 participants (organic farms of 1 ha to more than 5,000 ha).
The total training course included 7 modules, covering many aspects of biodynamic agriculture: soil, plant and animal sensitive approaches, rythms, biodynamic organisms, preparations, nutrition… Throughout the year, we went through moments of doubts when faced to financial or simply human relationship issues, but thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign in January, to the support of the Swiss association, to the funding of the three last modules by the AFC, and to new impulses in our work group, we have managed to complete our 20 days biodynamic training course.
The last module took place on Ivan Bojko’s farm in September 2018, with Jean-Michel Florin as a trainer on the subject “Building a biodynamic agriculture farm” which was the quintessence of all the themes that the participants have discovered during the course, and which gave new perspectives to biodynamic agriculture in Ukraine.
]]>Biodynamic agriculture is counted among the pioneers of organic production. New vegetable and cereal varieties are being developed (Sativa Rheinau, Bingenheimer Saatgut), procedures for evaluating food quality are practised (copper chloride crystallisation) and through the application of compost and biodynamic preparations, soil fertility is improved. New models for land ownership are also being developed. Biodynamic agriculture combined research and practice from the very beginning. One of the current research projects is focused on improving animal well being. The separation of the calf from its mother is one of the most difficult moments to bear. Mechthild Knösel from Rengoldshausen farm (D), Anet Spengler from FiBl the Swiss Organic Research Centre and Silvia Ivemeyer from Kassel University (D), have been looking for solutions and have developed an approach which has even received enquiries from conventional farmers. Daniel Kusche from Kassel University (D) has demonstrated that milk produced under biodynamic management is more digestible than that originating from other systems. A field trial in India showed that biodynamic practices sequester more carbon dioxide in the soil than other approaches thereby contributing towards climate stabilisation.
A hundred contributions about the work being undertaken on farms and at universities were shared with the 180 participants who attended the International Conference on Biodynamic Research which took place at the Goetheanum from 5th - 8th September. Jean-Michel Florin co-director of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum said: “Biodynamic research employs scientific methods and is always open to new approaches. We need research that not only offers proof but also furthers development and addresses the concrete questions that farmers have”.
The Goetheanum is at the centre of a globally active network of spiritually engaged people. As the headquarters of the School of Spiritual Science and the General Anthroposophical Society, it provides a platform for discussing spiritual questions and for further training in the arts and sciences.
(Sebastian Jüngel, tranlsation by Bernard Jarman)
]]>At the last agricultural conference in February 2018 – while already showing the effects of his illness – he held a long lecture on this topic. As an obituary, we are providing access to the link for the video recording of his lecture for all who wish to form a connection to Pierre Masson and his work. (<link https: www.youtube.com _blank internal link in current>
)For the Agricultural Section
Ueli Hurter & Jean-Michel Florin
Tagungsdokumentation 2018 (deutsch) PDF
Conference Report 2018 (english) PDF
Documentation du Congrès 2018 (français) PDF
Documentación de las jornadas 2018 (español) PDF
Relatório da Conferência Agrícola 2018 (Português) PDF
For hard copies please contact: agriculture(AT)goetheanum.ch
]]>The eight biological-dynamic preparations belong to the central elements of Biodynamic Agriculture as constitutional remedies for the agricultural organism. They can be produced locally on the farm on its natural basis and in the process with it. However, the worldwide spread of Biodynamics implicates adjustments and individual procedures, which lead to a rich variety of making biodynamic preparations.
Fifteen views of preparation sites and people will be presented in this study-based book, with both a wealth of experience and aspects for discussing and advancing biodynamic preparation practice. Last but not least, the personal answers and examples help in the understanding of biodynamic preparations and their social anchoring.
Issued by: Section for Agriculture, Goetheanum
Paperback
Pages: 336
Price: 29 CHF + shipping costs
to order by e-mail at: Section for Agriculture: <link mail internal link in current>landwirtschaft@goetheanum.ch
We would be delighted if this report could be distributed widely among your circle of friends and aquaintances.
The agriculture conference of 2018 was a great success. More than 900 people from 45 countries joined us at the Goetheanum. The lecture and workshop contributions of some of our Indian friends helped make the conference a success.
We hope you enjoy reading the articles and send you warm greetings.
Agriculture Section
Jean-Michel Florin
<link file:39633 _blank download internal link in current>Download Newsletter 2
]]>Before deciding to embark on such an invasive procedure we should surely understand what horns mean for the cow.
This booklet seeks to shed light on the issue by bringing together some basic facts and observations.
PDF: Why cows have horns
From: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Bio Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Bio-dynamic Association of India (BDAI), The Biodynamic Association UK
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