ECOALDEA LOS PORTALES

Reportaje sobre la comunidad de Los Portales, una ecoaldea situada en Sierra Morena, al norte de Sevilla. Kevin Llunch nos explica el funcionamiento de esta comunidad autogestionada, una de la pioneras en España, que ha alcanzado un alto nivel de autosuficiencia.

Biosfera 387 Calcarios vulneraveis

Pode o traçado de uma autoestrada e a exportação de pedra sobrepor-se à preservação de água de qualidade, utilizada no abastecimento público? A resposta está à vista nas Serras d´Aire e de Candeeiros. Desordenamento do território, perda de calcários e falta de esgotos acentuam a vulnerabilidade do aquífero cársico mais produtivo do país.

Abundância/Abundance

Documentário filmado no Workshop de Agrofloresta com Ernest Gotsch, organizado pela Cooperativa Sitio, em Mangualde, Portugal, sobre o conhecimento e filosofia por trás deste modo de agricultura sustentável e o interesse que suscita em tantas pessoas.
A agrofloresta (ou floresta de alimentos) é um método de produção que propõe, não a criação de um novo ambiente produtivo, mas que o homem, e a produção agrícola da qual tira proveito, integrem um ambiente florestal. O método é, na sua essência, uma tentativa de imitar a natureza. Na natureza a maioria das plantas vive em associação com outras espécies, das quais necessita para um crescimento pleno.
Nos anos 70, Ernest Gotsch, trabalhou no melhoramento genético de espécies vegetais. Esta pesquisa permitiu-lhe concluir que, em vez de adaptar as plantas cultivadas, podia obter melhores resultados se criasse agroecossistemas em que as plantas, num sistema de cooperação, se desenvolviam vigorosamente sem inputs químicos. Implantou inúmeros sistemas complexos e altamente produtivos que dispensavam todo o tipo de adubos e agrotóxicos. Desde 1993, depois de alcançar resultados extraordinários, tem-se dedicado ao ensino e transmissão dos seus métodos em todo o mundo. Hoje, Ernst presta assessoria a organizações não governamentais, universidades e órgãos de assistência técnica rural em quase todas as regiões do Brasil assim como a organizações da Europa e da América Latina.

Documentary shot in an Agroforestry workshop by Cooperativa Sitio, in Viseu, Portugal, about all the knowledge and phylosophy that's behind it and the interest of so many people in this way of sustainable agriculture.
Agroforestry (or food forestry) is a production method that proposes, not the creation of a new production environment, but that man, and the agricultural production from which takes advantage, are included in a forest environment. The method is, in its essence, an attempt to imitate nature. In nature most plants live in association with other species, witch they need for a complete and healthy growth.
In the 70′s, Ernst Gotsch worked with the genetic optimisation of plant species. This research lead him to the conclusion that instead of trying to adapt the species, he could get better results if he created agroecosystems in witch plants, in a cooperatave system, would develop vigorously without chemical inputs. He Implemented numerous complex and highly productive systems that avoided all kinds of fertilizers and pesticides. Since 1993, after achieving outstanding results, he has dedicated himself to teach his methods All over the world.
Today, Ernst advises non-governmental organizations, universities and rural technical assistance agencies in almost all regions of Brazil as well as organizations in Europe and Latin America.

Ervas de Zoé

Negócio mudou vida de dois lisboetas
http://videos.sapo.pt/F1zpASq28Ji2fzCPJnQt

Qu'est-ce que la décroissance soutenable?

Dans le cadre de Café-Jasette, le 14 septembre 2012 Yves-Marie Abraham, professeur à HEC Montréal, était au café La Petite Cuillère pour une conférence intitulée : qu'est-ce que la décroissance soutenable?

Food MythBusters -- Do we really need industrial agriculture to feed the world?

For more information, Sources & Citations, and database of the research sources used : www.foodmyths.org
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How can we feed the world -- today and tomorrow?

The biggest players in the food industry -- from pesticide pushers to fertilizer makers to food processors and manufacturers -- spend billions of dollars every year not selling food, but selling the idea that we need their products to feed the world. But, do we really need industrial agriculture to feed the world? Can sustainably grown food deliver the quantity and quality we need -- today and in the future? Our first Food MythBusters film takes on these questions in under seven minutes. So next time you hear them, you can too.

Teaming with Microbes : The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web (Revised Edition)

http://www.timberpress.com/books/teaming_microbes/lowenfels/9781604691139

By Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis

Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life — not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants and become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial, often toxic, substances. But there is an alternative to this vicious cycle. We can garden in a way that strengthens the soil food web — the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants.

Teaming with Microbes extols the benefits of cultivating the soil food web. First, it clearly explains the activities and organisms that make up the web. Next, it explains how gardeners can cultivate the life of the soil through the use of compost, mulches, and compost tea. The revised edition updates the original text and includes two completely new chapters — on mycorrhizae (beneficial associations fungi form with green-leaved plants) and archaea (single-celled organisms once thought to be allied to bacteria).

With Jeff Lowenfels's help, everyone — from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals — can create rich, nurturing, living soil.