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Sustainable tourism & agriculture - a perfect symbiosis?
10 March 2022
A guest contribution by Anna Kodek - Responsible-travel.com
When I travelling through Austria, I love to be on Almen to hike, culinary highlights experience and the Calming effect of the countryside to have an effect on me. At home in the idyllic Vienna Woods conjure I remember the moments long after the trip is over. Smile on my lips.
Have you ever introspective and wondered, who the Austrian landscape, in which we enjoy spending time and which we value so much, shapes? There are over 150,000 farmers (Source: Statistics Austria) who manage rural areas on a daily basis. A figure that ever smaller (several farms close down every day) and a profession that is back-breaking work is and Nerves of steel requires.
I myself have experienced that agriculture does not always embody the "ideal world" that advertising suggests.
Grown up I am in an area where Fox and hare say good night. At that time there were in the immediate vicinity six farms. 2021 there are only two.
In my childhood and teenage years, I often worked at the sweaty haymaking helped or the Death cries of the pigs (which never saw the light of day). Later, in front of the halves of pigs hanging in the yard, I creeped out. With the cows that could only stand or lie down when tethered, I had great compassion. I stroked them, felt their rough tongues on my hands and fed them grass or hay. Since I was not allowed to keep pets, I played daily with the Farm cats, which, to my chagrin, never got more than a year or two old.
Even though it is often quoted that we have Organic country number one are, the majority of our farms are conventional on the way. But fortunately takes the The number of organic farms is continuously increasing. In the year 2005 were 20,300 Organic farmers registered until the year 2020 the number rose to 24,480 establishments. I would like to note that not only bio and conventional just as there are not only black and white gives.
Many small farms operate their farm sustainable and for financial reasons, among other things, strive to No organic seal (because certifications are Always with costs connected).
Therefore, transparency and species-appropriate animal husbandry is a cornerstone and of enormous importance!
Sit back and think: Enjoy we All regional and stay Conventional nevertheless is not a sustainable solution! After all, within our borders there are also "Animal factories" with 500 pigs per farm (Source: VGT). I advocate that we take a path in which Environmental protection & nature issues with organic and regional on the same level Hand in hand go.
Already before 4,000 years our ancestors farmed Alpine pastures in the alpine region. This cultural landscape is also basis for Austrian tourism. Alone in Salzburg are 60 % of organic farms at home. A coincidence? No, Tourism can Together with agriculture a Success story and farms are an important part of the essential partner.
10 best practice examples across the board:
- Retz is the first Slow Food City Lower Austria.
- Small businesses offer your products in around 70 Slow Food Earth Markets in just under 30 countries an. In addition to precise quality requirements, the farm location may be max. 40 km away from the market location. In Parndorf, Lutzmannsburg and Horn there are in Austria such markets.
- Slow Food Travel Alpe Adria in Carinthia: The Lesach, Gail & Gitsch valleys and Lake Weissensee recommend the Slow Food Philosophy.
What is meant by Slow Food? This movement was founded over 30 years by Carlo Petrini as Countermovement to Fast food industry launched in Rome. Millions of people worldwide are committed together for a good, ecologically clean & fair food on. - Schau aufs Land is a camping platform. With the purchase of a Annual membership you have a free parking space available at sustainably managed farms, wineries, etc. In return The company is given the opportunity to Locally produced products to introduce.
- WinEcycle Tours offers Guided e-bike tours to the outskirts of Langenlois with a visit and a tasting at a winegrower's, food producer's or artist's & craftsman's. It is also possible to visit only the E-bike wooden donkey with a Picnic backpack to book.
- GutFinden is a circle Selected wineries, restaurants & wine taverns in the region Southern Styria and the Volcano country.
- RegioMarktplatz is a platform that local accommodation providers:inside and Producer:inside from summer 2022 bring together wants. As a guest, you book your accommodation and then receive a link to regional products that you can buy. purchase before departure can. On arrival wait the regional delicacies already in the Refrigerator your accommodation.
- Besides the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) there are also other projects where you can volunteer to help farmers in the alpine region. Find here via ten exciting & interesting projects.
- Farm holidays is an Austrian platform and Lists agricultural holdings throughout Austria where you can find a guaranteed relaxing holidays spend. For a small list of where I was able to spend a wonderful holiday with my family, go to here along.
- The platform AMA Regions of Delight lists at a glance in Three focuses (Shopping, Enjoying, Experiencing) via 2,000 Austrian companies on, the Quality & regional food produce. The SalzburgerLand Certificate of Origin guaranteed Products and dishes which exclusively from the province of Salzburg originate.
Private individuals like Bianca Blasl want to know where our food comes from. She shares on social media with her Blog melange.in.rubber.boots Stories of food, that start with the farmer and end on our plate. On the website Bauertothepeople, where Bianca is a founding member, you can find out in the form of Reports, Short Videos & Podcasts much about the 1TP4Lead change agriculture.
The association Land creates life (presented in my July/August Travel Inspirations 2021) pursues the Target, People the Value of Austrian food and to demonstrate this together with all those involved in the production chain, what constitutes a food.
Desirable for the in future is that every tourism region Agricultural cooperation partnerships and that intensive networking of individual stakeholders take place. I would like to see accommodation & catering establishments include on the menu the Designation of origin of the food used to be disclosed to the guest.
We get to know Austria differently through food and drink, and when we are far away, we learn a lot about foreign cultures!
It is important that farmers in every tourism process be involved and not determined over them will.
The advantages of a Symbiosis between the two sectors of the economy are that Fresh, seasonal, high quality & sustainably produced foods available for the guest. The money remains in the region, Tourism promotes small-scale agriculture, and in the alpine region alpine pastures are Further farmed and not reclaimed by the forest.
Culinary encounters and experiences, with whom we work in the Holiday confronted have the power, to change our consumption habits. Take part in a cheese workshop, a cooking class or opt for a vegetarian dinner from organic ingredients.
When we have the time & labour intensive contexts of cultivation and production of food understand, we start again appreciate them. Real Energy source, that is more wholesome for our health than highly industrialised Costs of animal & environment produced food.
We are getting back into the habit of eating healthier, recreating vegetarian dishes from holidays and reaching for higher quality products at the supermarket.
The fact is that the Food, which we Everyday purchase in the supermarket, are too cheap. Have we seen in the 60s still 50 % of our household income spent on food, it is today only about 12 %.
The argument "Organic is too expensive", I leave only conditionally apply. Conventional Foodstuffs offered are too cheap! (Source: University of Augsburg). Furthermore, a Organic apple less expensive and healthier than a Children's milk slice. Our Consumption habits are a question of our personal priority.
- Platforms like Markta Many farmers bundle at a glance. You too can visit the regional market around the corner!
- Did you know? Yours & Mine in Klagenfurt is a Zero-waste companies and CO2-neutral online shop, certified organic, regional, vegan and supposedly the first shop in Austria that follows the Guidelines of the Economy of the common good manages.
- The Alp Lädili, an online shop, supplies the domestic and foreign markets with regional products from the Montafon. I have included this shop in my February Travel Inspirations 2021 presented in more detail.