Private Business Sector Organic Farming in Serbia signed Countdown 2010
On May 10th the first private business sector representative from Serbia, Mr. Zoran Stojanov, signed the CD2010 Declaration on his farm Salas 176 in Cenej, Vojvodina, Serbia.
Mr. Stojanov is one of several organic agriculture farmers who work with traditional breeds of livestock and crops and vegetables in his farm in the Vojvodina area in the northern part of Serbia. His products are grown based on organic manure fertilising, avoiding of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, rather using natural measures (crop rotation, manual tilling, biotic antagonists of plant infections) which is meanwhile becoming popular in several parts of Serbia.
Besides growing of crops the efforts and success of the Stojanov farm have gained recognition amongst organic farmers throughout Serbia and excursion are organised regularly to the farm to see and taste about the potential of organic food. Such events are co-organised by associated farmers and IUCN member (Green Network of Vojvodina (GNV)) and CD2010 Signatories (Community of Botos).
During the signing ceremony Jörg Lohmann from the IUCN-SEE Office informed about the scope of work of IUCN in Serbia and presented the CD2010 Initiative to the participants of the Stojanov Farm meeting. He pointed out that with this first private business sector signatory, the recently signed Secretariat of Vojvodina Province and the Botos Community as well as GNV (last year), Serbia has the unique situation of having representatives on all levels (provincial, communal) and both character (private, state) on board. This is a perfect starting point for a comprehensive CD2010 Saving Biodiversity Campaign in Vojvodina, Serbia, for which IUCN-SEE stands ready to develop the campaign together with partners and to assist in implementation.
