WWOOF
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( Global Opportunities on organic farms , in short WWOOF ) is a global network that is based on the idea of bringing people together, who lead a nature-loving lifestyle in the country - or want to actively get to know. The focus is on stays by volunteers on organic farms or self-catering farms . Between WWOOFers and farm owners there is a cash-free exchange based on a guest relationship, in which WWOOFers are voluntarily involved in everyday life on a farm.
The organization was founded in 1971 in London by Sue Coppard under the name Working Weekends on Organic Farms , then renamed Willing Workers on Organic Farms and finally in 2000 World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms .
In total, more than 6,000 organic farms in 100 countries take part in the program. It is estimated that more than 90,000 people are members of WWOOF organizations worldwide. 60 countries currently have a national WWOOF organization, including Germany. In February 2015, more than 400 farms were connected to the organization.
history
WWOOF was founded in 1971 by the London secretary Sue Coppard, who put her wish as a city dweller to be able to participate at least temporarily in rural life by organizing a volunteer weekend at Emerson College in Sussex , an anthroposophical farming school. Other weekends followed under the name “Working Weekends on Organic Farms” (WWOOF), where volunteers spent time on organic farms, where they received board and lodging. More farms and WWOOFers joined them and soon the volunteer stays were no longer just weekends organized by Sue Coppard, but farm stays freely agreed between farm owners and WWOOFers. The idea spread around the world over the next four decades. At the beginning of 2015 there were WWOOF organizations in 60 countries and farms in other countries that are organized in the WWOOF Independents List.
aims
The goals shared by all WWOOF organizations worldwide are:
- Enable exchange between urban and rural populations or between consumers and producers
- Providing volunteers with first-hand experience and knowledge of organic farming
- Example of a nature-loving, environmentally friendly lifestyle
- To represent a living network within the ecological movement
These goals are also expressed in the mission statement that was coined at the international WWOOF conference in Korea in 2011:
"WWOOF is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences based on trust and non-monetary exchange, thereby helping to building a sustainable global community."
"WWOOF is a worldwide movement that connects volunteers with organic farmers to promote cultural and learning experiences, building a sustainable global community based on trust and moneyless exchange."
Volunteers on ecological farms eV (WWOOF-Germany)
society
WWOOF Germany was founded in the autumn of 1987 based on the British model and has been a registered, non-profit association since 1992, which is financed by membership fees and recognized as a non-profit due to the promotion of nature conservation.
Membership obligations
The framework conditions for a WWOOF stay in Germany are specified by the membership obligations.
WWOOF worldwide
FOWO
Worldwide there are WWOOF farms in almost 100 countries, and there are independent WWOOF organizations in 60 countries. A global umbrella organization has existed for these since 2013 - the FOWO (Federation Of WWOOF Organizations), which aims to unite, promote and protect the WWOOF movement worldwide.
WWOOF Independents
All farms in countries in which there is currently no WWOOF organization are summarized in the worldwide WWOOF Independents List.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ WWOOF article
- ^ The Guardian, April 23, 2011
- ↑ WWOOF story
- ↑ Kosnik, E. (2013): WWOOF, Environmentalism and Ecotopia: Alternative Practices between Ideal and Reality. Victoria University of Wellington 2013
- ↑ WWOOF English , accessed on February 20, 2015
- ↑ WWOOF article , accessed February 20, 2015
- ↑ WWOOF English
- ↑ Ethics and Mission
- ↑ WWOOF article
- ↑ Membership obligations for WWOOFers and farm operators
- ↑ WWOOF English ( Memento of the original from February 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ WWOOF Independents
