From July 10 to 14, 2023, the BILIM Forum – the first Agroecology Forum in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – took place in Bursa, in the Nilüfer district of Türkiye. The event gathered 22 organizations from 18 countries across four main subregions: 1) Central and Eastern Europe, 2) Western Balkans, 3) South Caucasus & West Asia, and 4) Central Asia. The forum has been made possible with the financial support of Agroecology Fund, as well as the of FAO REU and Heinrich-Böll Foundation.. Nilüfer Municipality generously hosted and supported the entire event.
Over the course of the four-day forum, participants exchanged local experiences on specific topics, including:
- UNDROP and Peasants’ Rights
- Biodiversity and Seeds
- Right to Land
- Access to Market
- Solidarity in Times of Crisis
Cross-cutting issues were also addressed, such as the role and rights of women, agroecology schools and trainings, the Bilim platform for knowledge sharing, the role of Indigenous peoples in agroecology, and the importance of youth for advancing agroecology.
The forum included practical activities, such as a seed exchange among participants and field visits to a local fresh food market, a food processing factory, seed production gardens, a seed library, orchards, and crop fields managed by local NGOs and the Nilüfer municipality, showcasing agroecology in action.