Our member Dr. Ina Säumel published a study about traditional medicinal plants in South Tyrol in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine:

“Worldwide mountain regions are recognized as hotspots of ethnopharmacologically relevant species diversity. In South Tyrol (Southern Alps, Italy), and due to the region’s high plant diversity and isolated population, a unique traditional botanical knowledge of medicinal plants has flourished, which traces its history back to prehistoric times. However, changes in rural life and culture may threaten this unique biodiversity and cultural heritage. Our study aims to collect and analyze information on native plants used in traditional folk medicine, focusing on the preservation of botanical and cultural diversity.”

The results revealed a strong association between food and medicinal uses of the plants, including 128 aromatic or food related species (46.5% of all mentioned species) from over 50 families.

Find the study here: https://rdcu.be/cbodX

We are pleased to introduce to you the cooperative Andes Bioenergy BDA (Alivio), which is part of the Edible Cities Network.

Alivio is a cooperative start-up with a unique and own technology that can convert agro-residues (e.g. husks, shells, parchments) currently hoarded and decomposing in agroindustrial facilities/farmers cooperatives, into biochar and renewable thermal energy.

With a design and cost adapted to middle-income countries, BDA´s multifunctional facilities promote the bioeconomy, citizen science, gender equality, carbon sequestration, replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy and the creation of technology jobs in the rural sector.

Find more information on their website: https://www.alivio-ecuador.org/

Become part of the EdiCitNet Marketplace along with many exciting initiatives like Alivio and register here: https://www.edicitnet.com/biz/

Last Saturday, our member Thomas Wachtel presented the EdiCitNet project at the autumn meeting of the Slow Food movement with around 60 participants from the regional Slow Food working groups. In the online meeting, future possibilities of cooperation between EdiCitNet and SlowFood were discussed. In the evening, there was an interesting online seminar about the production and quality of regional products including a tasting of these products. An informative and at the same time delicious event!

We congratulate our partner Nabolagshager who won a silver medal at the annual Norwegian Honey Championship in the category “honeydew” for the honey produced on their rooftop.

Nabolagshager is part of our Living Lab in Oslo and does a job program for high school students to explore green jobs of the future – including beekeeping. Through that, social challenges like social exclusion and unemployment can be solved.

It is important for the mentors that the youth develop a curiosity for and an understanding of sustainability and biodiversity through their tasks. They also want to build networks with other beekeepers, so the youth can learn more about the professional opportunities in beekeeping, and help the youth see this as a viable and exciting career path.

Find the original article here (in Norwegian): https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/summende-suksess-fra-gronland-med-medalje-i-honning-nm-1.1797614

We are happy to share with you an insight of the IALE Russia Online Conference where our member Dr. Ina Säumel hosted the session “Envisioning multifunctional sustainably productive and biodiversity friendly landscapes: Mainstreaming Nature Based Solutions beyond demonstration projects in urban and rural areas” (IV.) in which a few members of her research group (Multifunctional Landscapes) and of the EdiCitNet project presented their research results. Topics of the presentations were for example: the co-creation of multifunctional landscapes, an insight in the vast collection of Edible City Solutions, the participation in strategy development for food related activities and service in times of Crisis or the perception of residential greenery in Berlin.

From October 6th to 8th, EdiCitNet participated in the third program cycle of the Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership on ‘Land Use Practices in a Globalized World’, hosted by IRI THESys. Twenty postdocs from all over Europe met online for the three-day event. The Postdoc Academy is designed to train the next generation of leaders in sustainability and transformation research. EdiCitNet’s active practice partners including Mundraub, Fundació Solidaritat  Barcelona, Erwin Nolde, Prinzessinnengärten, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and REACT were accompanied by other EdiCitNet & friends ECS Apfelschätze, Slowfood Rhein-Mosel and Andes BIOenergy and acted as the ‘reality check’ exercise for Post Docs in order to assure a connection between science and theory and the reality.