Members of the Network
Lili Balogh - HANA - Agroecology Europe - Life VIllage Holistic Farm - Herencsény
Lili holds degrees in bioengineering and agricultural engineering specializing in tropical systems and has been actively involved in the international food sovereignty and agroecology movements for the past decade. She obtained her PDC in 2016 and has been continuously educating herself since then. She has worked in a number of ecopolitical NGOs promoting agroecology and regenerative food systems in different parts of the world. For the last six years she has been working to strengthen the agroecological movement in Hungary. Lili has been a board member of Agroecology Europe since January 2020 and became President of Agroecology Europe Association and the Hungarian Agroecological Network Association in February 2022, leaving her position as Programme Manager at Greenpeace Hungary to devote her full attention to her heartfelt mission of promoting the transition to sustainable food systems. In 2018, she founded his own farm in West-Nograd county, called Life Village Holistic Farm, where he started applying the principles of holistic farming, regenerative agriculture, permaculture and agroecology.
Zoltán Lengyel - Táncoskert Regenerative Farm - Polgár
Zoli used to work as a programmer in Budapest, but he got fed up with the city life and the fact that if he didn’t travel home to his parents’ house, he wouldn’t have access to good quality meat.He started farming in 2013 and decided relatively quickly that he wanted to sell his meat on a community farm.
The regenerative farm, which is unique in the country, is located in the Hortobágy, on the outskirts of Polgár, where they keep grey cattle, mangalica, rackas and chickens. The idea behind regenerative farming is that the Zolies try to restore soil and landscape functions such as biodiversity, soil life and water balance. To do this they use grazing stalls, mimicking the patterns of large migratory herds.
The Dance Garden has been operating as a community farm for 9 years, where a lot has changed since its start. At first, members could subscribe to meat portions, with weekly and fortnightly deliveries for poultry, and sheep and beef portions in 6-7 deliveries.
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (EAR) is the first “Living Laboratory” of the Hungarian agriculture. We are working on research and innovation tasks which, through results that can be applied in practice, promote the agro-ecological transition of Hungarian agriculture and food production, thus ensuring the sustainable development of the sector. To this end, we establish professional networks with farmers, national and foreign research institutions, and carry out research, dissemination and advisory work. Our on-farm research network is the only project in Hungary that works closely with farmers to develop a practical approach to sustainable agriculture. The on-farm research methodology involves setting up simple experiments in real-life situations on working farms, tailored to the production objectives set by farmers. The experiments are designed by the WFP together with the participating farms and the results have been jointly evaluated since 2012. Thus, knowledge creation and sharing is also done in collaboration and co-conception with farmers. Following this approach, our current research to increase the diversity of domestic food production includes, for example, the development of landscape tomato cultivation technologies, deerpea variety testing and product development, and the expansion of the rotation with soy. To protect our soils, we are investigating different tillage technologies, ecological nutrient replenishment methods, such as the development of species-rich row-cropping technology specifically for viticulture. We are also looking at sustainable, precision solutions in crop monitoring or in wheat species testing, and soon in livestock production. The ÖMKi can work with the Network to promote a broader understanding of agroecology in the country, to improve its visibility in agricultural research, to increase agroecological research (with the active participation of farmers) and to integrate it systematically into national agricultural policy.
Zoltán Dezsény - Magosvölgy Eco Farm - Terény
My name is Zoltán Dezsény, I graduated in 2009 as an environmental agricultural engineer at Szent István University. In 2013, I graduated from the University of California with an MSc in International Agricultural Development with a specialization in agroecology and sustainable food systems.Between 2012-2017, I worked as a staff member of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, organizing training courses and events for farmers, and participating in practical research projects. The farm is engaged in small-scale mixed organic vegetable production.
In MagosVölgy we are working to organise an ethical, entrepreneurial farm that follows the principles of sustainability in practice, from an environmental, social and economic point of view. Their aim is to produce and distribute healthy, fresh, seasonal food to their vegetable communities through a system of direct contact, trust and mutual solidarity. Over the past 10 years, many people have helped and contributed to this as staff, volunteers, supporters, members of the vegetable community, friends and acquaintances. We are grateful for them and for the opportunity to do what we believe in and what we value in this life.
Márton Bruder - Cinege Farm - Permaculture Compass - Törökbálint
Márton Bruder, I am an economic agricultural engineer, farm engineer, equestrian instructor and environmental policy expert.I started to build up my own farm in 2013 in Cinege Farm, Törökbálint. Animals have always been close to my heart, the main activity of our farm is grass-based animal husbandry. For me, the principles of permaculture are fundamental, but we are now a certified farm, raising organic cattle and goats on approximately 70 hectares of grassland. In addition to the core activity, I am working on the creation of an orchard in the inner areas of the farm and from 2022 onwards I will provide the conditions for a self-sufficient vegetable community. I am convinced that only strong communities can respond to looming crises. Our food supply needs to change, because the vulnerability of large-scale farming based on petrochemical inputs and long supply chains is now clear for all to see. The Hungarian Agroecology Network can help to bring together farmers, professionals, researchers and civil activists who recognise the problem, and through networking we can find solutions that would not be possible if we were to act alone. For me, the most important core values of the network are knowledge sharing and social justice. Our common mission is to provide evidence that our food system can be transformed to respond to both looming environmental crises and growing social inequalities.
Alfréd Szilágyi Phd - Pallagvölgyi Biogarden - Kóspallag
I graduated as an organic farming engineer at the Agricultural University of Gödöllő (MATE). The Pallagvölgyi Biogarden was launched in 2021 as a complex response to local challenges. We practice bio-intensive vegetable production and sell under CSA. In addition to farming, I am doing my PhD research within MATE, comparing conventional, organic and permaculture farms in terms of ecosystem services and sustainability. As a founding member and board member of the Hungarian Permaculture Association (MAPER), I am also involved in permaculture research, education and planning. MAPER aims to represent and promote permaculture in the country and acts as an umbrella organisation to support national initiatives. In addition to this, I am involved in international research and education projects and we have a local, friendly-based environmental and conservation association, the Pandal Association. Agroecology is one of the most effective tools of our time to achieve a major scale transition in our agricultural system, and it achieves this through its holistic approach, bringing in social and other aspects, in addition to the agricultural and ecological expertise, and through the dialogue it generates by allowing all the groups concerned to connect and express their views, not in an exclusionary and isolating way, but rather in an inclusive and participatory way. I joined the network both for the professional network personally and to represent MAPER, to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the two organisations. The problem is the unsustainable system of our time, to which everyone has a different answer, and I hope that such organisations will help us to find common answers, goals and realisations.
Katalin Réthy - Szezon Garden - Magház Association - Páty
In the Szezon Garden, we are engaged in agroecological vegetable and herb production, with a special emphasis on the study and cultivation of landscape and special varieties. As a member of the Magház Association, it is particularly important for me to learn and share knowledge about seed collection and variety conservation with gardeners and farmers. In addition to farming, as an agroecologist, I work with several organisations on local food systems, agroecology and legumes. The agroecological approach is central to the life of the Szezon Garden: it is also reflected in organic production, local sourcing of resources, increasing diversity; and in the diverse collaborations we build with professional partners, volunteers and local NGOs. Agroecology can provide both solutions to the challenges of changing climatic conditions in agriculture and solutions to social problems in food systems. In a network, we can bring together farmers, researchers and NGOs; together we can achieve a much greater impact.
Logan Strenchock - Zsámboki Biogarden - Zsámbok
Our passion is farming. Our passion is to find a connection with nature and people. This idea is reflected in all our efforts: respect for nature – respect for each other. We believe that this is the most natural way to grow plants. Agroecology is about maximising the vitality of the soil and the life forms that surround it. Healthy soil grows healthy plants, which are later put on the table as healthy food, so we can provide a sustainable life. To give life to the land, we need to work closely with nature. We strive to operate a self-sustainable farm through the use of our own nutrients. We compost animal and plant manure, which we use to fertilize the soil in a way that makes the best use of the nutrients it contains (microbial life, earthworms, etc.)
Balázs Kulcsár - Valaha Farm - Vértesacsa
Balázs is an eco-farmer, permaculture designer, the creator and owner of Valaha farm. He bought his farm in 2006 in Vértesacsa, Fejér county. He is mainly engaged in fruit and herb growing on 12 hectares, as well as in animal husbandry. He and his wife produce premium quality jams and syrups. Since 2024 he has been the president of the Hungarian Permaculture Association.
Dr. Béla Borsos, Gyűrűfű Foundation - Gyűrűfű
Béla György Borsos (Budapest, 18 August 1958 -) veterinarian, geographer, human ecologist, writer. He is the founder of the ecovillage in Gyűrűfű, specialising in the relationship between ecological systems and human social activity and technological civilisation in a systems-theoretical approach. Founder of the Ringwood Foundation, developer of the original concept of the ecovillage. He wrote his PhD thesis on the organisation of the Gyűrűfű ecovillage in 2008 at the Doctoral School of the University of Pécs, in the field of settlement geography. His summary book on the first 25 years of the ecovillage was published in 2016. He participated in the creation of the Hungarian human ecologist training, which has become a master’s degree at ELTE TáTK since 2011. Borsos developed a curriculum based on the relationship between ecology and systems theory, which he taught himself for about 20 years, and wrote textbooks for the curriculum. In this capacity, he has investigated the current traces of traditional water management and the system theoretical, social and technological possibilities of reintroducing it, and developed with his colleagues models for the implementation of an alternative water management practice. He is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and six independent books. As editor, proof-reader and author of dictionaries, he has contributed to the Environmental Dictionary and the Hungarian-English Environmental Dictionary. As an expert he contributed to the documentary film Poisoned Earth. “My main interest is the relationship between farming and natural ecosystems. The problem to be solved is how to have economically viable agricultural production without destroying the agro-ecosystem.”
