After some researches for areas in the east of Europe including Russia and its eco-villages, which are cultivated in this way, Mirela Simaga discovered the NGO Nešto Više, which is founded and successfully managed by local people who started at the end of the war in 1997. Since five years they mantain one hectar of their own land close to Mostar also with the goal to bring access back to people, land and nature in various forms without harsh chemicals as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Mirela Simaga studies the bachelor’s degree program in Natural Resource Sciences at the ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Science) with specialisation in “Biological Agriculture and Horticulture”. Due to that she has basic knowledge in implementation of biological and regenerative agriculture. In private she completed the certificate in permaculture in Switzerland and she follows the syntropic agriculture methods of Ernst Goetsch, e.g. in Mértola, Portugal. 

During the internship she intend to research the extent, the acceptance and the potential of reproductive agriculture (especially permaculture) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While visiting interested farmers, organisations and single specialists in the country she will share the knowledge with the NGO headquarter and i-platform.

As B&H is still a separated country inter-entity, ethnically and religious, next to this mixture of culture we consider that agriculture, which represents environment is a great way to reconnect unbridgeable differences.

A conference at the beginning of September 2019 in Mostar shall bring the key players in B&H together with some international speakers. Results, visions and specific next steps will be discussed. The conference will be endorsed by Nešto Više, i-platform and others. 

Project will encourage further collaboratoration within the network of partner organisations. They will benefit of new contacts and information, exchange of ‘know-how’, better visibility in B&H, advertisement and promotion. With this fundament they are enabled to a sustainable follow-up of reproductive agriculture in B&H and the Balkan region.