VII. World Organic Forum: 01. - 03. July 2024
Schloss Kirchberg

The World Organic Forum is a development policy conference at Schloss Kirchberg, which takes place over several days in Kirchberg an der Jagst in Germany. In addition to development policy aspects, the Akademie Schloss Kirchberg (Academy for Organic Agriculture and Food Management) is increasingly focusing on agricultural and agri-cultural aspects within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. 

The VII. World Organic Forum 2024 will focus on the triad of organic farming, regenerative agriculture and agroecology. The central question will be "Future Food Systems: Organic - Regenerative - Agroecological?".

The conference is intended to provide a platform for considering all three agricultural concepts globally in terms of their potential and their contribution to increasing climate resilience. The contribution that "the markets", i.e. economic actors and companies, can make to the (climate-resilient) transformation of value chains and networks within the various concepts will be taken into account. In addition, questions of measurement, certification and evaluation of (agricultural) economic, social and ecological services will also play a role. It will be critically examined what contribution the three agricultural concepts mentioned can make in this context and where their limits lie or where bright and dark spots lie - e.g. also in terms of combating poverty and hunger in the food production regions as well as in the area of other "raw materials" such as cotton. A deeper look into the cultural and socio-ethical foundations of the agricultural concepts is intended to determine which social values and which understandings of nature and landscape design underlie the concepts in each case and whether these can be reflected or added value with the help of certifications. In addition to Germany's membership of the Agroecology Coalition and the coalition's leverage, lighthouse projects such as "Arms-to-Farms" in the Municipality of Kauswagan in the Philippines will also be presented, where, with the strong involvement of committed protagonists such as Mayor Rommel Arnado, organic farming has succeeded in bringing peace to a region torn apart by civil war. 

It is particularly important to Akademie Schloss Kirchberg to facilitate new synergies and partnerships in its field of activity at the interface between peasant agriculture, the organic food industry, rural regional development and global development cooperation. The aim is to create spaces for encounters characterized by openness and appreciation for indigenous and Western cultures, agricultural practices and approaches to holistic ecological, economic, social, cultural and political value creation.

More informations will follow.