Nonpolluting and Ecologic Agriculture in the Dniester River Basin

Nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture in the Dniester River basin

Project number MDN048

Grant type National

Lead organisation ProruralInvest Civil Society Organization

Partner organisation Prosperitate Civil Society Organization

Project background The existent environment problems, ecologic crisis occurrence and amplification of its effects made ProRuralInvest to implement this project. One of the ways of pollution is agricultural pollution, which has repercussions as at the local and at the national level. The unique set task was to solve the problem of pollution in agriculture through practicing nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture to maintain ecologic balance. A special role in this problem solving belongs to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and its regional Agricultural Departments; they represent fundamental forms of state activity in this field, applying legal standards, establishing and supervising the order in this field, as long as pollution of agriculture is a sequence of human activity. Thus, ProRuralInvest has implemented this project, has organized trainings for agricultural producers, informative workshops for Local Public Administration and regional producers, informative campaigns on informing the population about practicing nonpolluting or ecologic agriculture.

Project goal The general scope of the project was to promote nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture in the Dniester River basin for maintaining ecologic balance and involving local human resources to promote the idea. The goal of the project was increasing the level of population and agricultural producers’ awareness regarding nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture in the Dniester River basin (Soldanesti, Rezina, Orhei, Criuleni, Anenii-Noi, Causeni, Stefan-Voda districts).

Project budget The total value of the grant was 17200 Euro. ProruralInvest provided the specialists with the equipment necessary for carrying out informative seminars and trainings. Another contribution to the project was provided by Local Public Administration in a form of a conference room for 5 informative seminars and 5 trainings.

Implementation The activities undertaken to reach project objectives: 1. Launching the project by placing the information at PRI web page. 2. Establishing contacts with local public authorities, regional civil society organizations. 3. Preparing materials for informative campaign (leaflets, informative panels).

4. Preparing materials and necessary support for organization of instructive seminars on nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture with participation of LPA representatives, economic agents and civil societies. 5. Organization of informative seminars on nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture with participation of LPA representatives, economic agents and civil society. During project implementation period the following informative seminars in all those 7 districts according to the activities set in the project were organized: - Soldanesti – November 6, 2013 - Criuleni – December 18, 2013 - Orhei – March 20, 2014 - Rezina – March 27, 2014 - Anenii Noi – 13.05.2014 - Stefan Voda – 12.06.2014 - Causeni – 25.06.2014 6. Preparing materials and necessary support for organization of trainings for agricultural producers on ecologic and nonpolluting agriculture. 7. Organization of trainings for agricultural producers on ecologic and nonpolluting agriculture. During project implementation period the following informative seminars in all those 7 districts according to the activities set in the project were organized: - Anenii Noi – April 4, 2014 - Orhei – April 23 ,2014 - Stefan Voda – May 30, 2014 - Rezina – June 6, 2014 - Causeni – June 22, 2014 - Soldanesti – June 24, 2014 - Criuleni – June 26, 2014 8. Distribution of informative materials regarding promotion of nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture in the area of project implementation (through Mayor’s houses, schools, civic centers, local civil societies). 9. Writing articles for newspapers and their publication. 10. Participating in radio broadcasts. Within the project implementation period PRI team has found out that in order to organize well-organized workshops and trainings it is necessary to present to participants the information they will use in their everyday activity, what PRI team managed to fulfil. Before working on the agendas for informative trainings, we had consulted with the specialists in the field and Ecologic and Original Production Service under Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and regional Agriculture Departments.

Target groups and beneficiaries The direct target group of the project were regional agricultural producers and population from the area, where agricultural activities are practiced, and local public administration, which are going to be trained and instructed on nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture (the means of agricultural pollution and the methods of minimizing this pollution through carrying out agricultural and technical works minimizing usage of herbicides in weeds fighting, usage of green manure and leguminous plants in crop rotation, usage of chemical synthetic fertilizers and plants protection, usage of fungicides and insecticides in plants protection, etc.). The beneficiaries of the project were inhabitants of the Dniester river basin and Soldanesti, Rezina, Orhei, Criuleni, Anenii Noi, Causeni and Stefan Voda districts, which due to informative campaigns and trainings held will apply modern technologies of land cultivation,

what will lead to usage of smaller quantities of pesticides, obtaining in such a way positive impact on sustainable development and biodiversity preservation.

Achievements Due to informative seminars and trainings organization, agricultural producers, LPA and civil societies were informed about the following: means of agriculture pollution and methods of this pollution minimization using alternative agricultural crops and their importance for ecologic agriculture; the role of crop rotation from agro technical and organizational point of view in nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture; plants scheme protection for minimization of fungicides and insecticides usage in plants protection; what is the way of efficient evaluation of ground water reserves with the help of technologies used in nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture; ground humidity conservation; the procedure of ecological agricultural and food production certifying; place of plants in crop rotation. Organization of crop rotation to minimize further usage of pesticides in agriculture, which being implemented into operating process by agricultural producers, will lead to decrease of pesticides usage in agriculture, meaning nonpolluting agriculture. At the same time we consider that a part of agricultural producers present at seminars will make a choice for nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture, opening new perspectives of production and commercialization of goods with lower nitrate content and more ecological products on both local and national markets. While implementing the first activities within the project, the advantages the project had brought were already seen. This can be explained by increased interest of beneficiaries, participating in informative seminars and trainings on the discussed subjects. We can firmly state, that the information given to the producers present at the informative seminars and trainings was useful. They will use it in land cultivation, what will lead to usage of smaller quantities of pesticides in agriculture, which in long-term prospective will lead to reduction of pollution in agriculture. The information regarding the project was presented to public through ProRuralInvest (www.rural.md) web page and leaflets. Also, in the framework of the meetings held to establish contacts with local authorities from the project implementation districts for a better organization of informative seminars and trainings, the distribution of informative materials (information regarding the project goal and objectives, the activities carried out, the target group and area and the results expected) was done.

Opportunities for action and sustainable results ProRuralInvest is aimed and will continue contributing to nonpolluting and ecological agriculture promotion to cover all the aspects related to the field. It is important to identify the resources needed to continue these activities for the purpose of achieving common objectives in nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture promotion. ProRuralInvest will continue promoting nonpolluting and ecologic agriculture through seminars, held by PRI or other organizations and within the help of consultations to be offered to agricultural producers.

Comments Implementation of this project has contributed to accumulation of experience in environment protection by our organization. Project implementation has also contributed to consolidation of our organization’s relations with the local public administration and regional civil society organization from the regions where the project has been implemented.

Contacts Ciobanu Vasile Project coordinator PRoruralInvest Civil Society Organization 98, of. 411, 31 August 1989 Str., Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova [email protected] www.rural.md