For current information, please visit our Website at

www.vita-activa-tour.eu
















Despite strong opposition from a vast majority of Europeans, genetically modified organisms continue to be introduced into the food chain. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the impression that politicians and citizens alike are powerless against the multi national corporations and their lobbyists. We want to help overcome this sense of helplessness with a somewhat unusual project.

We will travel with a wooden carriage from lake Constance to the south of Spain, and return via Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland and Berlin, Germany – more than 8000 kilometres. Using the appealing image of our two black horses and the carriage, we want to attract people’s curiosity, sympathy, and interest for our project.

It is our aim to publicise the many advantages of organic and biodynamic farming. We want to illustrate the many risks and dangers of genetically modified plants and animals, and to show the consumer the damaging impact of extensive industrial conventional farming methods upon our environment and health.

We wish to work with and bring together many organisations and experts in this field. Through discussions, in schools and at public events we will arrange for lectures and seminars to be held on the topics of health and diet, and the connection between agriculture and environmental concerns. Together with politicians, scientists and farmers we will develop common political proposals and demands for a GMO-free Europe, which will be presented to the appropriate government offices in Berlin and Brussels.

The start of the 15-month long journey will be on July 20. 2008 in Überlingen on the North shore of Lake Constance. Our progress can be followed through a multi-language website, which will be kept up to date with photos, videos and reports of events and our travels.

About Us

Maria Schlegel, born 1978, massage- and balneotherapist and Markus Schlegel, born 1976, boat builder.

After working on different biodynamic farms and markets over a period of 4 years, we sailed off to explore the European coastlines and the Caribbean Sea aboard our small sailboat.

It was during this voyage that we experienced first-hand the whole range of side-effects of the globalized, industrialized agriculture.

Standardized, tasteless foods, tragic refugee treks, monocultures and greenhouses covering entire regions, polluted drinking water, overfished and polluted oceans – all of this served as a daily reminder that we need to take effective action immediately.

Speakers and Supporters

As of February 2008

Speakers

• Prof. Dr. Herta Däubler - Gmelin

Former Federal Minister, Chairwoman of the committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid.

• Sepp Holzer

“Permaculture” farmer from Austria.

• Gerald Miles

Founder of „GM Free Cymru“ in Wales, England.

• Prof. Dr. Manfred Max - Neef

Alternative Nobel prize winner, Economist from Chile.

• Nicanor Perlas

Alternative Nobel prize winner, agronomist and environmentalist from the Philippines.

• Meta Vrhunc

Environmentalist from Slovenia.

• Volkmar Weber

Mayor of the city of Überlingen.

Supporters and Advisors

• Cornelia Baccega-Findeisen

Chef de la Mission Europe et International
Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement et de l'Aménagement Durables.

• Johannes Kopp

Biodynamic farmer.

• Bernward Geier

Manager of the consulting agency COLABORA.

• Ernst Schwald

Graduate engineer, executive director of the Bodensee Akademie.

• Patrick Trötschler

Agricultural scientist for the department of project development of the Bodensee Stiftung.

• Dr. Francçoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, Raimund C. Wilhelmi

Manager, Klinik Buchinger am Bodensee GmbH.

• Ilsabé Zucker

Biodynamic gardener, Waldorf school teacher.

• The city of Überlingen.

• Dr. Marijan Jost

Prof. of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ret.), president of “BIOS”, NGO for organic agriculture and environment protection, Croatia.

Our main sponsors:

starting at 2.000 €

Institut zur Erforschung der Lebenskräfte

Hohly Werkstätte für neue Energien

Prolana Naturbettwaren

Additional Sponsors

up to 500,- €

• Frau Dr. Lulwa A. Al-Misned, Quatar

• Herr Dr. Khalid Al- Hajri, Quatar

• Stadt Überlingen

• Fahrsportsattlerei Mönch

Links

www.cadi.ph

www.percyschmeiser.com

www.storyofstuff.com

www.saveourseeds.org

www.bikeforpeace.net

Disclaimer:

We expressly state that the linked websites had no illegal content when the links were set up. We have no influence whatsoever on the current and future design of the linked sites and hereby distance ourselves expressly from any alterations to the content that were made after the links to those sites were set up.