The answer lies in shifting away from economic globalization towards localization. Whereas the global economy demands monoculture, both human and ecological, localisation is a process that adapts economic activity to diversity -- a fundamental principle of life. The worldwide localisation movement, including local food and finance, ecovillages, permaculture and transition towns, demonstrate that local economies rebuild our connections to one another and to the natural world – connections that … Read more
Biofuels Use of vegetable oil as an alternative fuel in villages.
Guneskoy Cooperative developed a project for using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel for tractors used in agriculture. The project was supported by UNDP. According to this project farmers allocate about 10% of their land for growing the oil crop and vegetable oil was extracted using an oil press. Vegetable oil has higher viscosity compared to diesel fuel and it does not flow easily at lower temperature. However, the viscosity of vegetable oil decreases significantly when heated and at about … Read more
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA Building bridges between villages - Setting up direct relationships between growers and consumers of agricultural products -
Guneskoy Cooperative has applied CSA to support sustainable living in traditional villages by ecological food production based on an economy with mutual support between people living in city and a village. Each week vegetables are picked up and distributed to the supporters in the city. The villages in traditional villages could not take any risk for an alternative production, no matter how environmentally friendly it is. When organic agriculture was started in Guneskoy they silently observed … Read more
Portable Gardens – urban food Tackling the Urban food security
Plastic bags can be used or recycled and help in the growing of food Container plants offer a simple way to maximize small spaces. Despite their convenience, planning them properly is essential to success. since it can save a lot of water will reduce the amount of water used and keep containers moist and healthy hence saving a lot of water … Read more
Bread from Sweet Potatoes Creating local food sovereignty
Challenges also includes post harvest processing or storage. This can lengthen the period for which sweet potato can be marketed but may also be relevant for subsistence oriented households to increase the period over which sweetpotato can be consumed, particularly where there is a marked dry season. Improving the sweetpotato value chain should lead to a linked set of impacts on the livelihoods of the poor including: 1) Increased income of those selling sweetpotato with particular advantages … Read more
Biochar from Bamboo Kilns Sequestering CO2 while rebuilding soil
Convert the fastest growing terrestrial plant, bamboo, currently supplying livelihood to 1.2 billion humans because of its many uses and ability to grow in nearly all climates, from labile carbon to recalcitrant carbon through pyrolytic conversion in a low-cost, multiple-yield process. The application of this recalcitrant carbon to soil, or use as a component of building materials, living roofs and other ecovillage applications, establishes a significant, long-term sink for atmospheric carbon … Read more
The Laws of Manifestation How to attract the resources necessary to do what you need to do.
Working with spiritual principles can be very helpful here. David Spangler, one of the pioneers of the Findhorn Foundation community, set out some key principles in publications on “The Laws of Manifestation”. It is not simply a case of invoking and inviting money and resources to achieve whatever you want. It is more a case of ‘tuning in’ to what the universe, or Spirit, is asking for. If your project is really in the service of something greater, and if you are really fully aligned in thought, … Read more
The Ethics of Sustainable Thinking A framework for making moral and ethical choices
some choices are “right versus wrong” and most people only take a moment of reflection to come to the proper decision. Some choices are more complex and might be viewed as “right versus right”. From a sustainability perspective, there are six suggested categories, that can help guide our decision making Individual versus community. Global versus local. Law versus truth. Short term versus long term. Toxic versus non toxic. Justice versus mercy . We can also consider the pros and cons … Read more
Creating a Business Plan How to create a business plan
Business Plans are useful for start-up or existing businesses, profit or non-profit organizations. A Business Plan can be as simple or as complicated as desired. The main aim of a business plan is to create a clear view of the objectives of the business and how to attain them. This will ensure that everyone who is collaborating with its implementation has a clear view of the direction. There are many examples and templates of Business Plans online. Pick the one you feel is most appropriate … Read more
The Miracle in the Desert Sekem / Egypt
Led by the vision to promote sustainable development of the individual, the society and the Earth, Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish began to cultivate the hot, arid sandy ground of Egypt. Here, he initiated a community as an incentive for new approaches to economy, science, culture and societal life. He named this initiative Sekem – the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyph for “vitality”. Dr. Abouleish received many awards for his achievements, including the 'Right Livelihood Award', and an honorary doctorate from … Read more
