Located in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, a region that has been farmed for millennia, a small experimental farm known as Buzuruna Juzuruna (BuJu) is establishing an agroecological network across the country, as well as setting up an heirloom seed cooperative to promote resilience and sovereignty within communities, near and far.  “The biggest success is seeing our seeds growing tomatoes from Chile to Sri Lanka,” says Serge Harfouche, a co-founder of the project, pointing to the scalability of heirloom seed production.  Harfouche says the project draws inspiration from forests: BuJu has a decidedly decentralized operation, allowing free access to education and experimentation — and, of course, seeds.  Buzuruna Juzuruna, which in Arabic means “Our Seeds, Our Roots,” probably doesn’t look like what you’d expect of a farm in Lebanon. The first thing that stands out is a large yellow and red circus tent. The tent tends to overshadow the few brown houses on the land, built of clay, with wooden facades made using locally grown poplars.  The farm of just 2 hectares (4.9 acres) does a lot with a little space, growing more than 70 crop varieties, including 13 types of wheat, interspersed with flowers and aromatics, and fenced in by young trees. Below the mountainous horizon, a green plain stretches out, some 8 kilometers wide and 12 kilometers long (5 by 7.5 miles). The earthy scent of soil lingers in the air, as the sun beams down on the farmers, dressed in reds, greens and blues, and working the land that contains up to 7% organic matter.  “We have hundreds of microclimates, and we are the only country in the Middle East with high enough mountains to attract, and block, the Mediterranean winds. We have a lot of rain. And this, even with climate change, will not stop very soon,” Harfouche says, pointing to the incredible resource of this fertile land, which experts are researching intensively due to its potential in preparing for a warming world.  Harfouche, a librarian turned agroecology activist, has been involved since the initiative’s founding in 2016. Today, he’s one of 22 core members — whose expertise includes agronomy, engineering and decades of hands-on farming experience — working horizontally to make BuJu run its course as the first organic seed farm in Lebanon, and only the second of its kind in the Middle East. Horizontal working refers to a system where all voices within the project should hold equal weight. Most of the staff live on or near the farm.  The regenerative seed farm/school farm/circus facilitator sits near the Syrian border. Although the valley has been an important agricultural region for millennia, much has changed in the past few hundred years.  “In the late 1800s, before globalization and international trade took over, farmers would adapt their agriculture to the climate. In Beqaa, they used to plant wheat and legumes, since these crops didn’t require much water [which is scarce in the region],” says Yara Ward, project officer at Jibal, a Lebanese NGO working to promote social and environmental justice. “Today, farmers plant mainly vegetables, and modern forms of wheat in Beqaa, both of which require a lot of water.”  Ward, who has a background in sociology and anthropology, practices what she describes as “amateur permaculture farming,” which is part of what began her interest in agroecology. After her first crops planted with hybrid seeds didn’t produce any new seeds, she understood the importance of heirloom varieties: they provide independence.  Since its foundation, BuJu has collected more than 300 heirloom seed varieties, which it preserves and shares with the community. It also shares seeds of knowledge with anyone willing to receive them.  The farm runs free classes, including courses on beekeeping, tree grafting, seed cultivation, soil management, composting, producing organic pesticides and fertilizers, as well as wheat and bread production.  (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: news.mongabay.com