UPWr and Saxonian association for food

The Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences and the Christlich-Soziales Bildungswerk Sachsen e.V. (CSB) association have been cooperating since 2016 – in August three years ago, with the support of the Small Project Fund of the Nysa Euroregion, they carried out a project “Food is valuable – sustainable nutrition network in the Nysa Euroregion”.

A cross-border working group consisting of representatives of associations, societies, institutions and state offices (such as scientists of TU Dresden and UPWr, representatives of a “Slow Food” association, the chairman of the Food Bank, Local Action Group (LGD)) carried out a situation analysis regarding sustainable nutrition, wasting food and resources used in its production in Saxony and Poland. The experience and know-how gained this way provided the foundations for the agreement. The new project is called “The network of nutrition education for the sustainable development of the Nysa Euroregion”, and its main aim is to exchange experiences, transfer scientific knowledge and intensify collaboration of different Polish and Saxon entities.

The work in the network will be organized in work groups: “science”, “economy” and “knowledge transfer”. Expert teams will carry out, among other things, the inventory of educational materials and projects in the area of sustainable nutrition for Polish and Saxon communities. It is a step to creating joint educational models which will be implemented among the residents of the INTERREG region.

Special educational offers for different target groups will be prepared within the project. It will be supported by a bilingual internet platform. An important element of the project is to create an Educational Centre in Radomierz and improve educational conditions at the Child and Youth Farm in Hoyerswerda, with one goal in mind: increasing ecological competence and awareness.

The leader of the project is CSB, which was established in 1991 and has carried out a number of projects supported by the EU and the Free State of Saxony. For many years the CSB has been involved in the areas of health and sustainable nutrition. In the Centre of Nutrition and Herbs of the St. Marienstern Abbey, as well as on the Child and Youth Farm in Hoyerswerda, it organizes events such as classes for school students and seminars for adults. Since 2012 it has also been responsible for the initiative called “Food is valuable”, supported by the Saxon State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture. Its aim is to increase the awareness of food value and origins and, at the same time, to make people more responsible for its handling and reducing waste.

The signing of the agreement, which took place at the UPWr, was attended by: Rector Tadeusz Trziszka, CSB chairman Peter Neunert, Thaddäus Ziesch – head of the cross-border department (coordinator), Daniel Gellner – head of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development at the Saxon State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture, Paweł Kurant – head of the Joint Secretariat of the Co-operation Programme INTERREG Poland Saxony 2014-2020 and Paweł Czyszczoń, director of the Rural Areas Department at the Marshal Office of Lower Silesian Voivodship.

On behalf of UPWr, the manager of the project is Professor Monika Bronkowska and its coordinator – Anna Ogły PhD.