Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Toronto
Meet our Partners in Berlin and Freiburg:
Berlin
Freiburg
We are a non-profit association that researches and communicates many aspects related to food and farming culture – especially regional, organic agriculture and food systems that are viable for the future. Thus Agronauten are working on topics like partnership models of producers and consumers, access to land for agroecological farmers, self-empowered technological solutions for farmers, regional logistics, integration of refugees through agri-culture, indicators of farm sustainability and change of food and farming culture.
The main focus of the organisation is research but there is a strong educational dimension in their activities. For example, Agronauten works regularly with schools, organising exhibitions, giving lectures at universities and the organisation is involved in events like the AgriKultur Festival, which is about putting agriculture in a cultural context again.
Although the main research scope of the organisation is “local food systems”, the Agronauten have been active on national and European levels, cooperating with organisations from most European countries in common projects.The approach of the Agronauten is interdisciplinary with a high emphasis on participatory research and democratisation of agricultural research. The staff members are from different scientific backgrounds.
The name AGRONAUTEN (“agronauts”) derives from the Greek legend of the Argonauts and links agriculture with the brave undertaking of the Greek heroes and heroines in their quest to find the Golden Fleece. Like these, the Agronauts want to travel to unknown spheres and return with wisdom and insights for food sovereignty, agroecology and food justice.
As an international agency for sustainability, at aiforia we are convinced that human beings can improve the overall quality of life on our planet without endangering future generations’ right to use the Earth’s resources -and despite the challenges of climate change and peak oil. Our commitment is to live up to this mission and help others follow the same direction.
Do you wish to be more resourceful in the use of natural resources? Would you like your community/region to become more resilient and flexible? Are you aiming to reduce your ecological footprint?
We are working to support you! We are experts in mainstreaming of good practices, providing facilitation for the exchange of know-how, and in the development of new, resourceful projects and processes for sustainability.
We bring together different actors at local, national and international levels and provide comprehensive support in topics such as reduction of resource consumption, responsible planning, effective projects, and thoughtful and fair policies.
Our main clients are local and regional authorities; yet we also work for other institutions, such as small enterprises and private households.
- Öko-Station
The Ökostation is an environmental education centre that offers seminars and workshops and organizes public events. Housed in a state-of-the-art, sustainable building in a beautiful setting, the Ökostation works with different partners to develop innovative environmental projects aimed at raising public awareness. Over 200 schools have visited the centre’s ‘green classroom’ to explore a variety of aquatic, forest, and meadow ecosystems.
- The Innovation Academy organizes specialized trips, excursions, and educational tours on innovation and sustainable development-related topics. This non-profit focuses on mobility and urban planning, architecture and the rehabilitation of old buildings, energy transition and renewable energy, climate and environmental protection, organic farming, and water and waste management. The Innovation Academy also creates conservation tours for university faculty and experts that address how land users, such as agriculture, forestry and tourism, can work together to preserve and protect natural areas and landscapes.
The Cluster is a network of some 2000 environmental and solar energy companies in the Freiburg region. The network aims to position its members on the global market for services and products in the following sectors: renewable and solar energy, energy efficiency, sustainable planning and construction, and environmental technologies.
‘Work together, learn together, be together’ – That’s the motto of Grünhof, an incubator for start-ups in the Freiburg region that focus on sustainability, social innovation, and culture. Its goal is to help creative and entrepreneurial people put into practice their ideas for a better future.
Büro Ö-quadrat is a consulting agency that specializes in the development of energy policy and the practical implementation of energy concepts that balance environmental, economic, and technological concerns. The agency works with major institutes and organizations such as the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Wuppertal Institute, German Energy Agency (dena), International Solar Energy Society (ISES), International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Climate Alliance/ Alianza del Clima e.V., and the UNEP Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production.
The FABRIK has a long history of engagement with issues around the environment and sustainability. Approximately 25 small businesses and studios are situated in this repurposed furniture factory. In addition to producing small-scale, environmentally friendly goods, the FABRIK organizes cultural events and promotes environmental and social awareness in the region.
NABU Freiburg is the regional arm of the national nature conservation association. Its activities include practical measures, such as landscape remediation and species conservation, as well as organizing lectures and nature excursions. An major force in conservation in the greater Black Forest area, NABU Freiburg is also a key partner in local policy-making.
It’s our goal to create spaces to socialise for people to meet and get to know each other regardless of their region of origin, religion, gender, age, abilities, social or cultural background. For us, integration is a process that needs to be addressed by society as a whole. In a community signified by diversity, we want to include all agents in the same way: Our central concern is the personal encounter between refugees, migrants and people living in Germany. To enable such personal connections, we devise simple, low-threshold formats to open up spaces for encounters and communities of civil society.
