#8 Biodynamic Grains and Food Security

In this episode we talk with Peter Kunz about the values of grains, how their are cultivated in biodynamic and what kind of experiences he made in breeding biodynamic grains for centuries.
We talk about how biodynamic grains differ from other varieties and cultivation practices. The different yields of a cultivating grains, besides the sole grain yield. And why biodynamic breedings takes longer to produce these high quality grains that are more resilient in the long run.

And what benefits the long-time breeding offers for the farmers personally and on their farm. 

Peter Kunz is the founder of GZPK (Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz) in Switzerland. 35 years ago, he realized that for a sustainable organic and biodynamic future organic breeding is required. Since 35 years they practice biodynamic breeding, mainly grains and legumes.

 

He is also the founder of the Fund for Crop Plant Development, which has the main objective to promote non-profit organic and biodynamic plant breeding with a wide range of measures. It aims to demonstrate the manifold benefits of biodynamic breeding for sustainable agriculture, for the preservation and the extension of biodiversity, for a healthy nutrition and many other common goods.

 

Besides being an advisor and being involved in educational programs, such as the Agriculture Course of the Heliopolis University in Egypt, he is the co-initiator of “Sowing the Future”. There, biodynamic farms sow together at the same date with their employees, customers, and other interested persons a field together. 

 

Further information:

GZPK: https://www.gzpk.ch/ueber_uns/

Fund for Crop Plant Development: https://www.kulturpflanze.ch/en/ 

Sowing the Future: http://www.avenirsem.ch/