TALK Ernst Götsch | The forest ecosystem as a model for future agriculture

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Biodiversity is in free fall and the world’s industrial agriculture is facing enormous challenges, but there are regenerative cultivation methods that can both produce food, sequester carbon in the soil, while working with nature. Ernst Götsch (b. 1948) has developed a cultivation method called syntropic agriculture. He has observed the natural formation of a forest and was inspired to develop a food production method that does not work against the original ecosystem. Our landscape is known today as the “open land“ - come along to a lecture that examines a future that has its roots in the past October 12th - o’clock. Denmark was originally covered by forests, so in order to grow food produced in balance with nature, studies show that we must move away from a landscape dominated by endless monoculture fields. Together with Ernst Götsch, Josipa Bicanic and Grantoftegaard, we are investigating how we can use natural ecological processes to recreate the forest ecosystem as a model for future agricultural cultivation, where biodiversity can thrive. 𝐄𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐨̈𝐭𝐬𝐜𝐡 Ernst was born in 1948 in Switzerland. He was working as a researcher in plant genetics when he had the following thought: Why do we try to adapt plants and change their genetics so that they can thrive in an environment that is not favorable for them? Why don’t we create conditions so that the plants, which have evolved over millions of years, can thrive? He turned it all on its head and began to focus on creating the right environment for the plants’ well-being. His method is essentially to imitate nature, where he mimics the natural process of plant succession. Today he lives on the farm Fazenda Olhos D’Água in Brazil surrounded by 480 ha of rainforest, most of which he has regenerated himself. Today, his forest ecosystem produces various fruits, timber, and sought-after high-quality cocoa. He calls his method syntropic agriculture, where syntropy, as opposed to entropy, refers to nature’s natural striving towards complexity and biodiversity. In recent years, Ernst has held courses all over the world and inspired many to cultivate according to his syntropic principles. In addition, he gives presentations and takes on consulting assignments. The most exciting thing about Ernst’s systems is that he shows how people can be positive and necessary co-creators of functional forest ecosystems. Forest ecosystems that produce large amounts of food and other products for humans while regenerating the soil, converting CO2 into food for humans and microbes, and promoting biodiversity. -------------------------------------------- TALK | Skovens økosystem som model til fremtidens landbrug – Ernst Götsch Grantoftegaard inviterer til en spændende samtale omkring fremtidens madproduktion. Biodiversiteten er i frit fald og verdens landbrug står overfor enorme udfordringer, men der er genopbyggende dyrkningsmetoder der både kan producere mad, binde kulstof i jorden og samarbejde med naturen. Ernst Götsch (f. 1948) har udviklet et system ved navn syntropisk landbrug. Han har observeret skovens naturlige tilblivelse og ladet sig inspirere til en madproduktion som ikke modarbejder det oprindelige økosystem. Vores landskab kendes i dag som det “åbne land“ - kom med til et foredrag der undersøger en fremtid der har rødder i fortiden. Danmark er oprindelig et skovland, så for at dyrke mad produceret i balance med naturen, viser undersøgelser at vi skal væk fra et landskab domineret af endeløse monokulturmarker. Sammen med Ernst Götsch, Josipa Bicanic og Grantoftegaard undersøger vi hvordan vi kan bruge naturlige økologiske processer til at genskabe skovens økosystem som model til fremtidens landbrug hvor biodiversiteten kan trives.