Welcome to the AgriNatura Foundation website!
Foundation for Agricultural Biodiversity AgriNatura
Registration number: KRS 0000288715
Headquarters:
Świerże-Panki 25, 07-323 Zaręby Kościelne, Poland
Contact:
Aleksandra Sonia Priwieziencew -President
e-mail: biuro@agrinatura.pl
phone: +48 86 270 62 87
About us, mission
Our Foundation was established in 2007. Today the headquarters are located in an organic farm in North-East Poland, 120 km from Warsaw. The farm includes a young orchard of 400 trees of old varieties of apples, pears and plums and a vegetable garden.
The main goals of AgriNatura are:
- The sustainable development of the polish countryside, with special focus on the conservation and growth of genetic resources and agricultural biodiversity,
- The development and spread of organic and biodynamic farming methods, as well as the development of local food processing for organic and agricultural biodiversity products.
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Protecting the environment , animals and the natural and cultural heritage in rural areas
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Building civil society, supporting democracy development and local communities empowerement in rural areas
This aims will be achieved through activities like:
- inspiring local communities to undertake actions helping to conserve agricultural biodiversity by making it profitable (organic farming, local food-processing and traditional food products, agro and ecotourism),
- introducing eco-friendly innovative technologies to rural areas and small farms,
- raising awareness among local communities and rural areas inhabitants about organic farming, biodynamic farming, agricultural biodiversity, animal welfare and natural heritage,
- introducing organic farming to official teaching programs in agriculture schools, leading various forms of education
- protecting consumers health and promote healthy ways of living among rural inhabitants,
- developing sustainable forms of tourism, ecotourism and other environmentally sustainable economic activities that will profit the local communities
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national, european and international cooperation with similar organizations and bodies in the above mentioned topics
One of our goals is to bring to life in Poland a Center of Agricultural Biodiversity and Sustainable Development of Rural Areas, which will be an education, dialogue and exchange platform on national and international level.
The AgriNatura Foundation will also reach its goals by helping to multiplicate genetic resources, and linking together different actors and interest groups- farmers-producers-food processors-retailers and distributors around the organic and agricultural biodiversity food products.
Organic farming and bringing agrobiodiversity to the market could be the way for Poland to keep its small farms, its rural jobs, its local communities, and one of the last preserved rural landscapes in Europe. Beyond all, we have to protect the agricultural biodiversity which is our common heritage and the best guarantee of food safety, food sovereignty and health for this and next generations.
Agriculturalbiodiversityendangered
Years of intensive farming and industrialisation have made their impact on the global environment threatening not only wildlife but also the agricultural biodiversity which is the most precious biological and cultural world heritage. Wild or old plant species have many specific qualities like resistance to diseases, drought or cold; old breeds of animals are also well adapted to various local climates and environments. This genetic diversity is heavily threatened by the replacement of local species by those adapted to intensive monocultures. They require also more water use, chemical products and pesticides, having a dramatic impact on environment and human health. The same process happens in replacing traditional breeds of animals by those selected by scientists for intensive breeding with no regard to animal welfare, use of hormones, antibiotics, high protein content feed (and more and more GMO feed). The loss of genetic diversity no longer protects crops and animals from diseases, parasites, epidemies and other pleagues.
Since 1900 we have lost 75% of agricultural plant species.Currently the world is fed basing on only 10 plant species , leaving aside 99,6% of still existing species that might completely disappear soon. In China they were 8000 rice species cultivated in 1949, now barely 50. The introduction of GMO’s is increasing the decline of agricultural biodiversity and might lead to the complete eradication of local seeds. In the last 100 years 1000 breeds of farm animals out of 6400 existing have disappeared for ever. 2000 others are severely endangered.
It took thousands of years of agricultural practice and work with wild species to help to develop this richness that was feeding man in all different climates and conditions. The agricultural biodiversity also supports wildlife in rural areas, so its decline will impact the overall environment as well as our health and food safety.
If you want to know more
If you want to support us or establish a cooperation or a partnership, if you look for more information about organic farming in Poland and the biodiversity of our rural areas, plants, seeds, and animals, if you are interested in participating in our projects and want to know more about our actions and plans, do not hesitate to contact us directly (e-mail: biuro@agrinatura.pl ).