The conversion from conventional to organic farming offers many opportunities: organic farming can raise incomes of small farmers, increase employment and have a positive impact on the environment as well as the health of farmers.

A cross-regional exchange of experiences can offer new opportunities to illustrate the advantages of organic farming and create interest in more sustainable production. Even if cocoa cultivation and maize production in Cameroon and Zambia seems far away at first glance, there are many similarities that are made clear in the cinematic exchange.

« Growing organic together » is a film by the Global Project Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC) on organic farming, which was launched just in time for the 2021 Biofach fair.

Due to Corona, the cross-regional exchange between farmers at the GIAE Team Feldafing was not possible in person. With this film project, the cross-regional and exchange team of the GIAE could continue working on its main objectives, which is the cross-regional exchange of farmers on the topic of organic farming, as well as facilitate knowledge transfer in the form of infographics.

The Making Of

Since October of last year, the team in Feldafing had to work hard: they had to prepare the shoots in three countries and develop suitable animated sequences. In addition, the cross-regional working group on organic farming and especially IFOAM Organics provided support with developing the technical content. Finally, a special highlight was filming the interviews and the daily business of the farmers in Germany, Cameroon and Zambia. At one point or another, a curious cow might have interfered in the filming process. The work on the film was also supported by a film crew in Cameroon and Zambia, who conducted the interviews locally.

Veronica Ngoe, Amadé Billesberger, Joyce Kamanga, Max Knoller and Emmanuel Maliba from Germany, Cameroon and Zambia had the opportunity to get to know each other’s working methods and value chains in advance. On this basis, questions arose that culminated in an interesting exchange via the film. The shared expertise was summarised in infographics for the respective topics and thus makes what has been said vivid and tangible for the viewer.

Free for training

Everyone is invited to show the film for training purposes in the field of organic agriculture and thus to re-enter the cross-regional exchange — at least on film.

The Cast

Max Knoller, organic dairy farmer, Germany ©GIZ\ich tv

Emmanuel Mboe, Organic cocoa farm and food crops, Cameroon ©GIZ\ich tv

Amadé Billesberger, organic farmer, vegetable cultivation Germany ©GIZ\ich tv

Veronica Ngoe, Organic cocoa farm and food crops, Cameroon ©GIZ\ich tv 

Joyce, farmer from Zambia ©GIZ\ich tv