The world today is undergoing dangerous trends in agriculture that are leading in the direction of major crises in poverty and hunger, environmental quality and the availability of natural resources. Soils have been degraded in many areas, and safe water resources are becoming scarcer. Existing agricultural practices, which rely on chemical inputs and large-scale monocultural crop production, have harmed biodiversity. Irradiation, use of additives and pesticides, deforestation, and genetically modified foods are rapidly becoming concerns of global importance. Bio-agriculture, as promoted by B.I.O., is a sustainable form of agriculture that combines elements of both traditional and modern methods. It produces food for all the people of the world without irreparably harming the environment or jeopardising the ability to feed future generations. Bio-agriculture promotes food security for everyone, minimises use of chemical inputs, promotes and protects soil quality, conserves water and energy resources, protects biodiversity, and contributes to the eradication of large-scale poverty. B.I.O. has been extensively involved in the promotion of sustainable agriculture through a number of educational and awareness-raising activities. In the many international conferences B.I.O. has held since 1985, the issue of agriculture has been addressed at length by scholars and experts from around the world. Fifteen chapters in the volumes of proceedings from the B.I.O. international conferences deal with issues of the environment and agriculture, and 13 articles, covering topics ranging from policy (regional and international) to sustainable agricultural practices, have been published in BioNews. Written contributions by B.I.O. on the subject of sustainable agriculture have appeared in proceedings from several conferences and events, as well as in the international press. Moreover, within the framework of the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci Vocational Training Programme, B.I.O. has developed and implemented a wide range of educational and training material (textbooks, CD-Roms, etc.) on the subject of agriculture. Finally, B.I.O.’s e-learning courses on “Food and Agriculture” and the EU’s “Common Agricultural Policy” are available online and form part of our extensive e-learning programme, which is currently taking place in cooperation with 58 countries.

E-LEARNING

• Two e-learning courses, one on Food and Agriculture Production, and the other on the Common Agricultural Policy, have been developed and are currently being offered online through our website.

TEXTBOOKS

• Bio-Syllabus for European Environmental Education A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.), Biopolitics International Organisation, Athens 2002, 880 pp.
• ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSIONS IN AGRICULTURE FORESTRY AND FOOD PRODUCTION A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (English, 57 pp.), (Greek, 67 pp.) 2004
• BIO-AGRICULTURE BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – BIO-SYLLABUS  A model global Bio-Education promoted by the International University for the Bio-Environment, 1992 – Improving agriculture for the benefit of Bio-Environment
• Farm Forward, Leonardo da Vinci Programme

PROCEEDINGS

• “Bio-policy – a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture.” Proceedings from the OECD workshop on Innovative soil plant systems for sustainable agricultural systems, Izmir, Turkey
• BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME II “Bios in the Next Millennium” A.Vlavianos Arvanitis (Ed.),Proceedings from the Second B.I.O International Conference ,October 1988 (543 pp.) 1989 – Biotechnology in the service of agriculture – arid zones  George Martin
• BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME V “International Sakharov Festival” A.Vlavianos Arvanitis (Ed.),Proceedings from the International Sakharov Festival (Sixth B.I.O International Conference), July 1994 ,(671 pp.) 1996 – Biotechnology and agriculture  Frederic A. Lints – A biotechnology strategy for african food and agriculture  Ali Haribou – Ecology and agriculture  Thomas Alifakiotis – Decreasing industrial pollution and improving agriculture in Israel  J. Stefan Rokem – Resource conservation and utilisation: a magnificent opportunity  J. Patrick Nicholson
• BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT, VOL. VI “Danube River Bonds: Bio-Environment – Bio-Culture” Proceedings from the Seventh B.I.O. International Conference, Bratislava, June 1997 – Agro-environmental policy in Germany: soil and water conservation  Peter Weingarten – Danube forest ecosystems: biodiversity changes in the 20th century  Julius Oszlanyi – Functional assessment of forests as recreational resources Edvardas Riepsas – Organic farming in the Baltic countries social aspects of development  Aija Zobena – Rendering the Danube basin agricultural region more environmentally friendly  Terezia Davidova – The Soil Protection Working Group of the Danube countries Michal Dzatko – Environmental significance of the Danube floodplain forests  Ferdinand Kubicek – Bio-agriculture and nature conservation in Hungary  Karoly Szoke and Istvan Major
• BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME VII A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis, Editor. Laszlo Kapolyi, Co-Editor. Eighth B.I.O. International Conference, Budapest, September 1998 (English, 271 pp.) 1999 – Agricultural higher education in the development of a biocentric society Laszlo Vermes

BIO NEWS

• Bio News 10 – Page 10, Sustainable soil, water and air quality
• Bio News 18 – Page 7, Caring for land – Page 9, Agriculture and Sustainability
• Bio News 22 – Page 3, Bio-tourism and bio-agriculture in Egypt
• Bio News 30 – Page 7, Common Agricultural Policy, Dimitris Randopoulos – Page 8, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• Bio News 32 – page 11, Organic Agriculture – Regulations – page 12, Agriculture and the environment – a difficult partnership – page 13, Soils – vital but neglected
• Bio News 34 – Page 14, The Ethics of Food and Agriculture
• Bio News 36 – Page 10-11, Future Directions in Agriculture – Page 14, Agriculture and Health – New bio-educational modules
• Bio News 38 – Page 10, New challenges for agriculture as Cyprus joins the European Union – Page 10, “Youth Farm” – Promoting entrepreneurship among young farmers – Page 14, Agriculture and rural development – soil protection and agrotourism, Ilhami Unver
• Bio News 40 – Page 6, Young Farmers and the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy – Page 7, Environmental Dimensions in Agriculture Forestry and Food Production.

Events

2014

• Program in urban agriculture to help economically and socially deprived groups in the region of Athens grow their own food. The program is carried out in the framework of Vodafone’s World of Difference initiative, a corporate giving plan aiming to make a difference and to deliver social change. World of Difference  is designed to take corporate giving beyond the traditional “cheque book charity” space and to tap into the energy and skills which people can mobilize to make it happen. Click here for more information

2013

• Biopolis – Urban Agriculture – Green Jobs, Athens Money Show Program (GR), Photos, Press Release (GR)

2010

• Participation in lecture by Jacques Diouf, Director-General at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Athens, Greece
• Publications: Vlavianos Arvanitis A. (2010) Sustainable Agricultural Development. In: “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Turkey,” Biopolitics International Organisation, Athens, 298 pp. (Project partially funded by Hellenic Aid) Book, CD- rom.

2009

• Organisation of Symposium on “Climate Change and Impact on Agriculture – Planning the Common Agricultural Policy in view of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference,” funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Farm Forward project, Hellenic American Union, Athens Press Release, Programme
• Publications: Vlavianos Arvanitis A. (2009) “Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Montenegro – Education and Transfer of Knowhow for the Millennium Development Goals,” Biopolitics International Organisation, Athens, 208 pp. (Project partially funded by Hellenic Aid) Book, CD-rom

2008

• Participation as a main partner in the European Commission’s “Farm Forward” Leonardo da Vinci Program (LLP-LdV-ToI-07-CY-167713). The title of the program was Transferring Knowledge and Skills for Competitive and Sustainable Agriculture to Agricultural Workers in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Cyprus through Innovative e-Learning Content. The program was based on a previously implemented Leonardo da Vinci program aiming to help young farmers in new EU states (where B.I.O. also participated as a main partner), and focused on the promotion of educational tools in agriculture and the CAP. (2008 -2009)
• Pilot project on “Food and Agriculture” (publication of training manual and e-learning course) supported by the Hellenic General Secretariat for Youth (2008–2009)
• Publications: Vlavianos-Arvanitis A. (2008) Green Salaries: Reversing Unemployment through Environmental Protection. Biopolitics International Organisation, Athens, 144 pp. (English and Greek version)

2007

• Developmental education program on environmental dimensions in health, food production, agriculture and forestry with an emphasis on equity and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in Sri Lanka. Partially funded by the Hellenic Foreign Ministry’s Hellenic Aid Department (2006 – 2007)
• Publications: Vlavianos Arvanitis A. (2007) Environmental dimensions in agriculture forestry and food production. In: “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka,” Biopolitics International Organisation, ISBN 978-960-7508-25-6 Athens, (English and Sinhala) (Project partially funded by Hellenic Aid)

2006

• Chairing of the roundtable on “Agriculture and the Environment” at the XXI European Generation Forum, Bucharest
• Participation in “Youth Farm” Leonardo da Vinci educational programme for young farmers, coordinated by Intercollege Cyprus

2005

• Participation in “Youth Farm” Leonardo da Vinci educational programme for young farmers, coordinated by Intercollege Cyprus and participation in the EU Leonardo da Vinci Youth Farm project’s training meeting, Nicosia, Cyprus
• Participation in the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Agriculture Development and European Union Policy, Sofia, Bulgaria

2004

• Participation in “Youth Farm” Leonardo da Vinci educational programme for young farmers, coordinated by Intercollege Cyprus. BioNews no. 38, April 2004, p. 10
• Keynote address at the kick-off meeting of the “Youth Farm” Leonardo da Vinci Programme, Nicosia, Cyprus

2003

• Environmental Education – Sustainable Agriculture – Rural Development: Strengthening International Co-operation for the Eradication of Poverty. Developmental education program in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Ankara, Turkey (Project partially funded by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Hellenic Aid)
• Publications: Vlavianos Arvanitis A. (2003) Agriculture and the Environment: How to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. Modular course material for agriculture and rural development in the framework of a developmental education project in cooperation with the Faculty of Soil Science at the University of Ankara, Turkey (Project partially funded by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Hellenic Aid

2002

• Keynote speech, OECD workshop on “Innovative soil plant systems for sustainable agricultural systems,” Izmir, Turkey

2001

• “Bio-policy – a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture.” Proceedings from the OECD workshop on Innovative soil plant systems for sustainable agricultural systems, Izmir, Turkey

1998-2000

• Monthly articles in “Agrotiki Dynami,” a monthly agricultural review published in northern Greece

1990

• B.I.O. Presentation at the conference on Biotechnology Applications in Plant Production, Comet – AGRO UETP and the Agricultural Bank of Greece