The first Biodiversity Festival in agriculture: an opportunity to connect and learn

The first Biodiversity Festival in agriculture: an opportunity to connect and learn
The festival was held at the Krka Eko Campus on Thursday, May 22, on Nature Protection Day in Croatia and International Biodiversity Day, which this year was held under the slogan "In Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development"

The festival was organized, as part of the FarmBioNet project, by the Ecological Institute ECOLOGICA from Zagreb in cooperation with the Krka National Park, the association/non-governmental organization BIOM from Zagreb, and the Brod/Boat Ecological Society from Slavonski Brod.

“The FarmBioNet project is being implemented in twelve European countries with the aim of identifying, encouraging, and improving agricultural practices that support biodiversity, through the integration of research results and the exchange of knowledge between farmers, advisors, researchers, and other key stakeholders,” said Sonja Karoglan Todorović, Director of the Ecological Institute ECOLOGICA and leader of the FarmBioNet project, who continued: “I believe that today's exchange of knowledge and experience has inspired and encouraged us to be more active and that this is just the first of many future biodiversity festivals in agriculture.”

The goals of the Biodiversity in Agriculture Festival are to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity on agricultural land for ecosystem health, food security, and climate change resilience, to educate and inform about agricultural practices that support biodiversity, and to connect and extend a network farmers, experts, and members of local communities to encourage joint action.

“For many years, the Krka National Park has been fostering continuous and active cooperation with the local community, especially with farmers. With an educational approach, we strive to contribute to the preservation of indigenous species by promoting sustainable farming techniques,” said the director of the Krka National Park, Nella Slavica, and emphasized: “As an institution that has been successfully caring for biodiversity and preserving the natural features ​​of the Krka National Park for four decades, it is extremely important for us to exchange knowledge at a professional and scientific level about the challenges we face today in protecting biodiversity.”

In addition to interesting lectures on the importance of biodiversity for agriculture, about existing payments for implementing biodiversity protection measures in agriculture, and on the importance of pollinators, the Festival participants enjoyed an exhibition of pollinators and short thematic films.

The Festival was attended by agricultural producers and advisors, representatives of the relevant ministry and public institutions for the management of protected areas, scientists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and members of the interested public.