Sustainable Agriculture And Food Sovereignty,
Italy, 26th July- 31th of August 2011
We are pleased to inform you that Ecotopia Biketour 2011 will be in Italy from the 26th of July until the 31th of August. The main theme of the tour is sustainable agriculture.
Throughout our wonderful route we shall visit ecofarms and natural reservations, communes with ecofriendly communities and active cyclist groups, and be nourished by a healthy vegetarian/vegan menu made from tasty Mediterranean fare. At the end of the Ecotopia Bike tour we will have been able, through our experiences and involvement, to compose an informed picture about sustainable life and agriculture and slow food within the wonderful Italian landscape, and also to savour memories of the wonderful Italian landscape.
The Route
We start the tour in the wonderful city of Florence. From Pisa, we ride along the scenic Tyrrhenian coast, following the route of the Ciclopiste del Sole (Eurovelo 7*) to visit ecofarms and natural reservations in Tuscany (exact list of the farms coming soon!). We will also visit the Lake of Baracciano and Nazzano farm, at the Tevere Farfa nature reserve. From Rome we leave the coast and take Eurovelo 5, where we will visit more farms. Then in Campolattaro we will enjoy the stunning landscapes of its WWF natural reservation. In Benevento we will meet the local FIAB group who helped our two coordinators to organize this year’s Bike tour. Close to Benevento we are planning to visit a community project in Sant’Agata de‘ Goti.
Then, in Napoli, we would like to visit the local Campi Aperti group (important food sovereignty association) and probably join a Critical Mass. From here we shall ride to Salermo, where the local FIAB group will present their work. We also plan to do some activities with them. Finally we will reach the wonderful Cliento National Park where we visit the Museum Of Mediterranean Diet (and maybe Museum of the Sea ) in Pippio.
The route will be around 1100-1200 kilometres long.
Participation: how to get involved!
We would heartily welcome you to join us, if:
- You can cycle around 50 km per day (probably with some very hot days on hilly roads!)
- you are interested in environmental and social justice issues and want to take part in actions, and learn about sustainability
- you want to take part in consensus decision-making (communicating!) and
- You are up for helping with the daily tasks such as preparing meals, pulling trailers, washing up or tidying the sleeping places.
Each person is expected to pay a participation fee (which is at min. 5-10 euros/day, more precise information coming soon!). Those with a better financial situation pay more than those who have less money. This fee should help cover everything – organisational effort, various events, actions, workshops, three vegetarian meals a day and a place to pitch your tent.
You don´t have to join us from the start, you can also join us somewhere else along our route – but please let us know in advance around where and when we can expect you to show up. The itinerary is becoming more established each day.
There are a lot of hints and tips we can give you for getting ready for the Bike tour, but to keep this invitation to a decent length, you can delve into our website http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/ and look at everything there. And if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Hope to see you!
Anna, Seb, Valentina
The Ecotopia Bike Tour 2011 Coordinators
*more details about the road: http://www.friefugle.dk/Eurovelo_rute_7.pdf Section 7
Hello, i just finished my Charity Ride for Free Wheel Chair.
I’m from Thailand and very much interested to join the ride.
I really need some direct contact if you have someone would fetch me at the airport, etc. Please advise. Thank you. Sara
Please contact the BT organisers by using the contact-form.