Erasmus + BUSSE project & Forum on Food Sovereignty (Poland)

Elena Tzamouranou, who works at Dock, Greek member of RIPESS Europe, relates:

“A few days ago, we went for a 3-day trip in Warsaw, Poland, as part of the BUSSE (Building Up SSE) program we participate in. The program is a strategic collaboration of SSE actors for the development of innovation and exchange of good practices, while aiming to disseminate SSE practices and activities, providing relevant knowledge, skills and competences.

BUSSE is about to develop an innovative 4-module training program and relevant supporting material for both, trainers and trainees. The training modules consist of:

1) Development and Conversion of a vector into an SSE project

2) Empowering Communities within the Framework of SSE

3) Principles of SSE in Cooperatives

4) SSE practices based on values ​​of Food Sovereignty

The first 2 days were dedicated to the BUSSE program including working on the 4 modules as they have been formed to date, discussed challenges that arose, identified gaps and worked on improving them.

The third day we visited the Dobrze cooperative in Poland, which owns two grocery stores in the center of Warsaw, and we exchanged experiences on issues such as governance, participation, organization & operation of a food cooperative.

After that, we visited the 2nd Polish Forum on Food Sovereignty. We participated in the workshop on networking for regional and interregional partnerships. The workshop included three main axes:

1) Empowering SSE through regional programs,

2) Synergies for Food Sovereignty and Agri-Ecological Education and

3) Synergies between Alternative Food Networks.

We would like to thank our partners in the BUSSE project, Ekumenická Akademie (Czech Republic), Dobrze (Poland), Utopia (Ukraine), Ksoe (Austria) for the opportunity to learn and discuss about Social Solidarity Economy in Central and Eastern Europe and for all the experience we have gained in the above mentioned topics.”

If yes, please go to the program page