La Ferme Biologique du Bec Hellouin
#MoveTheDate Solutions
Personal / Community: Community project
Food sub-categories: Agroecology, Food sovereignty, Local food hub, Food security
Description: Created in 2006 by Perrine and Charles Herve-Gruyer on permaculture design principles, the Bec Hellouin Farm has become the poster child of the “miraculous abundance” (title of their book) that nature yields when the farmer humbly relies on ecological principles (nature’s intelligence and processes) rather than oil-derived chemicals and the brute force of diesel-powered machinery. A 2011-2015 study of the farm by INRA (the National Institute of Agricultural Research) and AgroParisTech (France’s leading research and higher education institute dedicated to agricultural sciences) even concluded that small scale farming done entirely by hand can be highly efficient and productive, with 1 000 m2 (0.24 acre) generating 55 000 euros of income (sold production, no subsidies) over 1 year. The farm sells its produce (both plants and animal products). It has also become a fertile ground for agricultural research, a training center for farmers who travel there from around the world, and a hub that supports the implementation of “microfarms”. EVERYTHING you may want to know is on their website – including beautiful videos. Enjoy!
Website about this solution: https://www.fermedubec.com/english/
Video about this solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZVkPsfYKew
Why I love this solution: I love la Ferme du Bec Hellouin because it simply and elegantly provides the Western world with solutions to its main challenges. Agriculture, as it is practiced today in the context of the global food system, is a major cause of the current ecological deficit. Agriculture can also provide the answer to multiple sustainability issues when practiced through respect for nature. Supporting ecological processes, as successfully demonstrated at the Bec Hellouin Farm, can lead to net carbon absorption; can regenerate and enhance the health of the natural ecosystem rather than depleting it; can improve the connection that humans have with their land and their food, enhancing their respect for the food they eat and lowering the unnecessary cost of food waste.