Students:Kateřina Racková: Difference between revisions

== Topic: Organic farming in Germany and Czech Republic ==

Nowadays increasingly more people are interested in “green” lifestyle. Desire to return back to the roots, back to nature, stems from the fact that people start to realize that conventional lifestyle in developed countries is neither sustainable nor healthy. Eating healthy and sustainably produced food is definitely part of alternative “green” lifestyle.  

The most important difference between organic and conventional farming is that organic farming uses methods friendly to environment, animals and human health! Artificial fertilizers and chemicals such as pesticides are forbiden! Animals can live in a way that does not stress them, they can live together with other animals of the same kind, with enough space around them, with possibility to spend some time outside etc.

When Germany and the Czech Republic are compared, in both countries farmers need to produce crops and breed animals in an organic way for three years and only after they can gain "bio" certifications for their products. In Germany it is easier to sell products directly to customers who are willing to buy them despite the fact bio products are more expensive compared to non-bio. In the Czech Republic it is more difficult for farmers to sell directly to customers so they have to sell part of the production to shops thus gain less profit. Czech people also hesitate to buy bio as it is too expensive and they cannot afford buying bio. Moreover some of them doubt bio products are more healthy and think they are the same but only with a stick on them. In both countries organic farming represents only a few percent of total production.

In conclusion, situation for bio products and organic farming is more favorable in Germany. However in both countries there still remains a long way to be gone towards sustainable food production.

'''Lectures''' were all relevant to the issue of sustainability, included balanced topics and led by experts. Balance between university and field lectures was reached though I would rather prefer more field lectures to university ones…

'''Social life and free time''' – the second best aspect of the trip beside enriching sustainability lectures. I appreciate we all had a chance to meet new similarly thinking people with different backgrounds, discuss, work and play together  I also value adequate amount of free time when we had a chance to experience Hamburg and Luneburg.

'''Accommodation''' was adequate, in comparison with field trips where I have had a chance to participate rooms and sanitary facilities in Luneburg Sportspark were of higher standard and there was nothing to complain about.  

'''Food''' could be recommended as it was delicious and I liked the way how it was served: self-served. Due to the fact we could decide about serving size, there was barely any food left. We ate “green” (multigrain rolls, vegetables and local products) and in a “green” way in accordance with sustainability paradigm.