Eco Valley Foundation (Hungary)
The Eco Valley Foundation (Öko-völgy Alapítvány) was established for the purpose of showing the results that can be obtained when a community has embedded sustainability and environmental consciousness in its everyday life.
The Foundation has been working since 2008 to acquaint population at large with theoretical and practical questions of sustainability as well as living a lifestyle in harmony with nature. We claim that sustainability is achievable. This is the slogan that pervades our activities and we set up and organize our programs in this spirit.
The ecological farming of our primary model community, which is located in Krishna Valley in Somogyvámos, Hungary, is a wonderful example that these principles can be achieved, put into practice and can be maintained in day-to-day life for a long term.
The goal of our adjoining Eco Valley Program is to show everybody interested that one can achieve a quality life in a way that is sustainable on all levels, namely environmentally, economically and socially. Fields of activities of the foundation include the following areas: organic agriculture, land management, water management, waste management, renewable energies, sustainable construction, environment protection, society development, preventive health care, nature conservation, youth and adult education and training.
The Eco Valley Foundation has been established to help realizing the goals of the Eco Valley Program, in which several universities, colleges, research institutes, NGOs as well as businesses also participate.
By the Eco Valley Program we try to give a practical example for the solution of today’s environmental and social problems. We believe global crises in areas such as climate change, food shortages, or environment pollution can only be solved by changing life-styles. This can be best achieved on small-scale levels, in eco villages, which are based on the land and on community approach.
The model eco village project was started in 1993 in the vicinity of Somogyvámos, a small and secluded village in Southwest Hungary. Nowadays, this eco village is a thriving community, unique even on a worldwide scale. The one hundred and thirty residents of the village demonstrate in their everyday life how to be environmentally conscious by living a life that is also economically sustainable.
The eco village of Krishna Valley continues research and development regarding its own sustainability, while the already realized practical applications are being continuously documented. At the same time, considerable emphasis is put on sharing and popularizing experiences and results, thus providing an opportunity for the youth and for the general public to see and learn about sustainable lifestyle.
Our cooperation with organizations on international level makes it possible to study environmental, economic, individual and social sustainability in a complex, holistic way. We look for answers to scientific questions that are in relation to everyday life of self-sustaining, environmentally friendly communities, which are based on local resources, as well as alternatives for adapting to climate change. Among these questions there are several topics regarding agriculture, alternative energy resources and a healthy way of life.
The collaborations include joint studies and research projects, joint events, popularizing and educational programs and of course, sharing experiences. We issue publications in order to show and disseminate the result of these cooperative events and generate discussion. Moreover, we organize conferences, workshops, seminars and other programs.
We provide topics for university students concerning their theses (i.e. a research ground) and according to their needs, we help them in their research. It is also possible for them to do their obligatory six-month internship in the village.
We consider sharing and passing on our experience about environmentally conscious lifestyle extremely important. In our model community we organize sustainability conferences annually. We receive many invitations to give presentations in Hungary and abroad. We also organize courses and Open Days of Sustainability to provide even more possibilities to make connections and learn.
In the proposed project the team of the Eco Valley Foundation and partners will focus on social, economic, and environmental factors necessary for establishing and developing small communities, challenge youth unemployment and will have an in-depth insight into and analysis of the essential elements of sustainable and self-sufficient community criteria.