Organic and agroecological perspectives of orgANIMprove supports all kinds of approaches to agriculture, farming and food systems which are in accordance with the organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care. Our hope and vision is a fair, peaceful and just world where healthy soils produce healthy crops, which are fed to healthy human and non-human animals, who and which are parts of healthy ecological and social environments which we take care of and want to hand over to the future generations of all species. Closed nutrient circles and recirculation will keep the environment sound and make sure that losses are avoided.
· Farming should enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and indivisible. Healthy soils produce healthy crops that foster the health of animals and people. Health is the wholeness and integrity of living systems.
· Farming should also be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them. Inputs should be reduced by reuse, recycling and efficient management of materials and energy in order to maintain and improve environmental quality and conserve resources
· It should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities. Animals should be provided with the conditions and opportunities of life that accord with their physiology, natural behavior and well-being.
· And farming should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment. Care is about never taking the risk of jeopardizing health, balance, harmony and well-being.
The activities of orgANIMprove
We offer services related to networking, education, facilitation and development of agriculture and food systems. We base and plan our business on an hourly rate of 80 Euros, which allows us to write and participate in debates and meetings on food and farming, where we don’t charge anything, and to do some volunteer work in areas where we find it important to spend our energy because it is about supporting the above aims.
The people in orgANIMprove
Until now, we are two owners and funders of orgANIMprove: Mette Vaarst (Denmark) and Gidi Smolders (the Netherlands). We network with other companies and happily refer to them, if we do not feel that we can meet the needs of a client or customer, who asks us to do a job.
Mette has worked as a scientist at Aarhus University since 1991. She lectures and researches in organic livestock farming, agro-ecology and food systems. She is fascinated by system thinking and passionate about food, food sovereignty and agriculture where we work with and not against nature. She is convinced that humans can move things together by enhancing social capital and networking, and throughcollective action, and wants to work with participatory methods and groups of humans for common development.
Gidi is researcher and advisor in organic farming since 1997 and is experienced in practical farm approaches. He combines practice and theory to find solutions and improvements. He visited hundreds of dairy farms for Welfare quality assessments, advised about animal health and animal welfare. He is convinced that limiting antibiotics only will succeed when stress is limited and management focus on prevention: health and welfare of the animals should be promoted at all levels, and animals should never be placed under conditions which can cause illness. Animals show what is missing and combined with farm data improvements can be made. He is an expert in using Access database for farm data.