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Circle of youth workers for promoting permaculture and health for sustainable growth

2024-3-FR02-KA153-YOU-0002886152024Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: FR|AT|IT|PT|HR|TR · Grant: €47,828
Physical and mental health, well-beingAgriculture, forestry and fisheriesCommunity development

Objectives

The SustainablEAT Erasmus+ project aimed to promote sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and environmental awareness through the principles of permaculture. The idea of opening Les Jardins de Macabou to an exchange between actors from the socio-educational sector originated during event funded by the European Union in Saint-Martin. Enabling different committed actors, passionate about raising youth awareness on sustainable agriculture and its physical and mental health benefits, aligned perfectly with the core mission of this permaculture farm. With 15 years of experience in permaculture farming and 13 years of knowledge-sharing with diverse audiences through various farm-based activities (workshops, volunteering, farm to fork experiences), Les Jardins de Macabou was the ideal setting for this encounter between youth workers from different European countries. The initiative addresses concerns about the adverse health impacts of non-organic food consumption, as highlighted by the World Health Organization, which links rising rates of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes to chemically-treated foods. Thus, the project's aim was to connect youth workers from various European countries and allow them to exchange ideas and practices on how to raise young people’s awareness around sustainable development and health – and the intrinsic links between the two. It felt only natural to do so through the lens of permaculture ethics and principles, on a farm that has been embodying and practicing them for over 15 years. The goal was to share good practices, allow environmental and health educators to experience healthy and ecological living, and generate a practical publication from this encounter. In this context, our project pursued several key objectives: - to strengthen the understanding of permaculture and ecological gardening among 24 youth workers, encouraging critical thinking around healthy food; - to develop strategies for integrating sustainable farming practices into educational programs and community initiatives; - to share knowledge on national policies supporting organic agriculture and zero-waste initiatives; - and to motivate young people in the participating communities to choose healthy food through permaculture. Additionally, the project aimed to raise awareness about genetically modified organisms (GMOs), highlight the benefits of organic agriculture for biodiversity, and train participants in organic agriculture techniques, applicable even in small spaces, to encourage local adoption within their communities. Through these efforts, the SustainablEAT project sought to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle, encourage organic farming, and contribute to building a healthier society, less affected by food-related illnesses, with the ultimate goal of improving the overall well-being of future generations. Images of training moments, the project results, and our overall achievements were shared on the Instagram page dedicated to the project. Together with our participants and partners, we co-created content to increase the project’s visibility and reach: https://www.instagram.com/sustainableaterasmus?igsh=eTVrZTNnenpqZDNq

Project partners (6)