Sustainable management of church-owned farmland
In June and October, De Landgenoten, UCSIA and Ecokerk are organizing a series of networking days for church landowners.
From heritage to a sustainable future
Many church institutions own farmland, historical heritage that once played a role in caring for the poor and was used to provide food for those in need.
But even today, these lands can play a meaningful role in addressing a wide range of societal challenges. With thoughtful management inspired by the integral ecology set out by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’, church councils can contribute to healthy, local food supply and to the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
- How can church landowners manage farmland in a future-proof way?
- What challenges are church councils facing today?
- What obstacles are there?
- And how can we address them together?
During each networking day, we explore the importance of public land for local agriculture and food supply, and we offer practical tools for thoughtful land management.
In a Q&A session, we will address questions that are relevant to church councils together with several experts. This will be followed by a networking lunch with delicious, locally prepared sandwiches.
Dates & locations
The networking day will be organized four times at different locations across Flanders. The programme is the same each time.
The participation fee is €15 and includes lunch and drinks.
The schedule
- 9:00 am | Welcome and registration
- 9:30 am | Welcome address
-
9:35 am | What are public lands and why are they important?
Jorunn Dieleman (De Landgenoten) -
10:00 am | How do you approach land management in practice?
Stijn De Rijck (De Landgenoten) -
10:50 am | Presentation of the church-owned farmland project
Johanna Greiß (UCSIA) - 11:00 am | Break
- 11:30 am | Panel discussion with experts and the audience
- 12:30 pm | Lunch
