Countrywomen and Organic Farming in Latvia
Title of the project
Qualification and support of countrywomen and organic farming in Latvia
Target groups
- Countrywomen in the field of organic farming and their families in Latvia
- Ecologically working farmers and agricultural advisers in Latvia
- Specialist subject teachers at the agricultural technical school in Kazdanga, Latvia
Place and period
From 1995 to 2000 in Grobina, Kazdanga and other rural regions of Latvia.
Project partners
- Heinrich- Böll Foundation, Cologne and Berlin
- Women´s project LIEPA in Grobina, Latvia
- Society for organic farming in Grobina
- Agricultural Technical College in Kazdanga, Latvia
- Institute Grüner Zweig Cologne, predecessor of Institute equalita
Financing
- Heinrich-Böll Foundation - from1995 to 2000
- European Union within the frame of their PHARE programme LIEN from 1998 to 2000
Description of Project
In 1995, the consultants of the institute have started their activities with twelve women of the group LIEPA. These activities have been bundled and intensified within the project which is financed by the European Union. Through training and consultancy in Latvia and educative journeys to Germany, knowledge in management, basics in organic farming, organisation of work, customer orientation and marketing was teached.
The countrywomen´s enterprises have all developed exceedingly well. The women´ s role in the families and their working position on the farms have considerably improved. It could be transferred and practiced in every-day-life. At the end of the project in 2000, the group had increased to more than forty women. Some of them have founded new groups in other regions and transfer their knowledge as lecturers and via the media.
In a second part of the consultancy, the male members of the families and other farmers were qualified in the same fields. At the same time, Latvian consultants were trained to become controllers according to the Demeter guidelines. In the Agricultural Technical College of Kazdanga, twenty teachers have been qualified in modern teaching methods They have equally been taught basics of organic farming and marketing of the products.