Farm Food Climate Festival: A Source of New Energy and Inspiration [06.09.24]
Last week, Julia Thompson, Anna Struth, and a few students had the privilege of attending the Farm Food Climate Festival once again. This gathering of people from across the food system left them feeling more energized and inspired than ever.
Written by: Anna Struth
The theme of this year's festival, "In neuer Stärke zusammenkommen" (Coming Together with Renewed Strength), was reflected in every interaction. We met new people—farmers, network partners, policymakers, students from Hohenheim, and other key actors in the agriculture and food sectors. The excitement and enthusiasm in the air were unmistakable as we all united with the shared goal of creating systemic change. It's clear that real progress can only happen when we pool our ideas, projects, and knowledge.
The festival offered an incredible variety of 49 workshops, covering a wide range of topics. I attended a workshop on new work, where we exchanged good practices and discussed potential leverage points in food systems from our own experiences. Meanwhile, Julia explored new narratives to help spread information to a wider audience.
Another session I joined focused on democratic organizations and value chains. The discussion centered around the challenges these organizations face and how we can make meaningful changes. One key takeaway was the idea of integrating democracy more deeply into education systems. This concept is well represented in our new modules in the T.R.E.E. project, where students play a role in deciding key course elements, practice expressing their opinions, and learn to understand different perspectives. In fact, students were involved in writing the project proposal, showcasing how we prioritize inclusive participation from various stakeholders in the system. We also explore sociocracy as an alternative to classical hierarchical structures, which further opens up opportunities for involvement across different levels. The workshop sparked additional ideas on how to integrate democracy and the skills needed for it more clearly into the curriculum.
In addition to the workshops, there were several thought-provoking keynote speakers and an inspiring session on swarm intelligence. During this session, people had the opportunity to pitch their ideas, after which everyone could contribute contacts, information, and opportunities through a Menti questionnaire. This process boosted about 25 ideas, showcasing the power of collective input and collaboration.
The venue, "Wir bauen Zukunft" (We're Building the Future), was equally inspiring. It's a space dedicated to creating new sustainable ways of living, fostering deep connections, and providing a workshop space for innovation and growth.
Overall, I left the festival feeling empowered by the collective energy and fresh ideas shared. It was exciting to contribute to the conversation, make new connections for research and projects, and gain insights that we can apply in our work moving forward.
