Written by Križevci, October 2–4, 2024
The second international Eco Festival "Sustainability, Community, Future" was jointly organize Krizevci University of Applied Sciencesthe lead partner SOFI – Initiative for smart ecological agriculture, Association for Community Economy from Križevci Center for Lifelong Learning from Travnik in BiH and the Starkmacher Association The festival was supported by the cities of Križevci and Travnik and the Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve, Germany.
The program included film screenings, lectures, panels, workshops, and an eco fair. The main theme of the festival was the Climate Action Plan for Agriculture in Križevcia key outcome document of the SOFI project. The program content addressed modern food production challenges, climate change issues and and the presentation of SOFI project outcomes..
As a prelude to the festival, the film screening ofKiss the groundperfectly set the tone. The film emphasizes the critical importance of soil as humanity’s lifeline for ensuring sustainable food production, water supply, and the survival of civilization. The screening was held at the Križevci Cinema in the Križevci Development and Technology Park.
Climate Action Plan for Agriculture in Križevci: "A quality document ready for implementation as early as next year"
On the second day, the main outcomes of the SOFI project were presented. Ziriko Ponsiano from Rhein-Waal University (Kleve) showcased best practices in strengthening ecological agriculture in the region, Dr. Silvije Jerčinović introduced the Green Education Program, and Anto Bilić presented the networking web platform sofi4agri.com for farmers in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. sofi4agri.comThe festival's special guest was Dr. Branko Grisogonoa professor of dynamic (theoretical) meteorology at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, who delivered a lecture titled"The Vortex of Climate Extremes: Challenges Today."“.
This was followed by Sanela Mikulčić-Šantić, MSc Agronomy, presenting the Climate Action Plan for Agriculture in KriževciA lively panel discussion moderated by Petra Pomper ensued, featuring Branko Grisogono, Iva Rojnica (Polytechnic College Križevci), Ivan Biškup (City of Križevci), and Slavko Kopilović (Ministry of Agriculture).
The panelists praised the measures proposed by the Climate Action Plan, emphasizing the importance of strengthening education for farmers and consumers by creatingmodel farmswhere the public can witness the economic and environmental benefits of ecological farming practices. Ivan Biškup from Križevci's Department for Economy, Finance, EU Funds, and Public Procurement expressed satisfaction with the proposed measures and their timingSome proposed measures can already be included in next year’s city budget.“
Challenges of Modern Nutrition and Food Production
During the panel discussionChallenges of Modern Nutrition and Food ProductionDr. Kristina Svržnjak (VUK) presented research findings on special dietary needs from the “Gastrotop” project.Associate Professor Dr. Bruna Tariba (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb) delivered a lecture titledGuess What’s for Lunch – The Story of a MealDr. Matea Habuš (VUK) showcased 3D-printed snack products as innovative bites of the future and moderated an engaging panel discussion on the challenges of modern nutrition and food production with panelists Dr. Bruna Tariba and Jasminka Iličić (Biomara Family Farm). To conclude the festival day, Aleksandra Kuratko Pani, M.Sc., head of the Croatian Rural Tourism Associationpublicly introduced a rural directory for the first time. This directory includes all service providers in rural tourism. Visitors also had the opportunity to view a poster exhibition, a so-calledgallery walkfeaturing featuring 23 thesis and graduate projects by students from the Križevci University of Applied Sciences on the topic of ecological agriculture..
Eco Fair and Workshops
The final day of the Eco Festival, originally planned for the city center, was relocated to the “Vojarna” restaurant in Križevci due to unfavorable weather conditions. It featured an agricultural producersfair where producers from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina showcased their products. Special guests, the “Borac” Folk Ensemble from Travnik (BiH), contributed to the lively atmosphere. In the afternoon, workshops were held for children (“The Enigmatic Tree”) and adults (“Climate Collage” and “Bird Watching”).
The festival further strengthened the network between project partners, participants, visitors, and the cities of Križevci and Travnik. This collaboration aims to lay the foundation for future international cooperation between these friendly cities.
You can view the photo gallery of this year’s Eco Festival on the UEZ Facebook page-a: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/E9UKnzbYdzmDnLJi/
We extend our gratitude to all partners for their support in organizing the festival: the City of Križevci, Križevci Destination Agency, Public Utility Company, Križevci Climate Innovation Lab, BIOM Association and the Križevci Entrepreneurial Center.
”This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The EUKI competition for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.“
