Got picked up by organizers and went to bus terminal. Bus was 2.5 hours, very smooth trip
Read a paper by Miguel Altieri on the bus. Learnt about the phenomenal achievements Cuba has had in absolutely slashing their dependency on foreign chemicals and technology for agriculture.
Overall a get to know each other day. Swapped some business cards. Sightseeing around Sangju.
The region is one of the prime agricultural areas of South Korea, mainly rice.
FACT LEARNT: Korea produces sufficient rice to feed itself; however due to WTO regulations they are forced to open up to the global market and they must import rice. Korean people are therefore eating both local and imported rice. Seems crazy to me.
The representatives from Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Cambodia and East Timor are all here.
All them are full time workers and volunteers in various organisations that promote small scale farming and local production.
The one from the Philippines was interesting: they are using art, music, songs and culture to encourage the next generation of children from farming families to stay on the land rather than move to the cities.
All the food for the next 4 days will be local: produced from the farmers in the village and adjacent vicinities. Should be great.
Time to sleep.
FD
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