Announcing the participants of the Visualising Regenerative Agriculture Practises. Eight visual storytellers will take part in the Advanced Mentoring Programme of the NOOR Foundation led by mentors Bénédicte Kurzen and Aïda Muluneh in Côte d’Ivoire in 2023.
Backed by the Embassy of The Kingdom of The Netherlands in Abidjan, the NOOR Foundation will support eight visual storytellers in the identification, research and realisation of stories that investigate and highlight regenerative agricultural practices in Côte d'Ivoire.
Regenerative agriculture is an outcome-based food production system that aims to have a lower, or even net-positive environmental impact on the Earth. In the African context, regenerative agriculture means using smart farming techniques that work synergistically with the local climate and fertilise the soil while restoring lost wildlife and biodiversity. These high-yield techniques produce enough food to help feed a growing population and improve livelihoods in food systems. They also make the farms more resilient and adaptive, able to handle the changes in weather caused by climate change.
The adoption of regenerative agriculture practices has the potential to improve the livelihoods and resilience of farmers, processors and consumers. It can also help restore natural systems which, in the case of West Africa, are highly eroded from centuries of intensive farming.
This programme is a 6-month advanced visual storytelling training course during which the participants will be guided and supported by the mentors and the educational team of the NOOR Foundation in the creation of impactful stories on regenerative agriculture practises in Côte d'Ivoire and Benin.
Mentored by award-winning photographers Bénédicte Kurzen (France) and Aïda Muluneh (Ethiopia / based in Côte d'Ivoire), the programme is a combination of a physical workshop in Abidjan and an online mentorship programme to develop individual projects on regenerative agriculture in the region.
PARTICIPANTS
Romane Yebwa –– Instagram
Mira Mariani –– Instagram
Charles Houngbedji –– Instagram
Maria Emilia Alberto Doliani –– Instagram
Jean-David Niangoran –– Instagram
Yvann Zahui –– Instagram
Olivier Khouadiani –– Instagram
Kra Kouassi
The program's results will be showcased on the NOOR Foundation's website, social media, and at a closing event organized by participants, mentors, the NOOR Foundation, a local cultural institution, and the Embassy of The Kingdom of The Netherlands in Abidjan.
At this event, the work will be publicly displayed as an exhibition or digital presentation. The goal is to connect with young and diverse audiences, discussing the significance of embracing regenerative practices as a viable solution to environmental concerns and the challenges posed by the climate crisis.
Header image: © Mira Mariani
