Puerto Princesa, Philippines. From November 28 to December 1, 2024, 35 participants from twelve different countries came together on the Philippine island of Palawan for the Asian Biodynamic Conference. Biodynamic farmer Alex Edleson shares his experience.
“There is life, there is goodness” was a phrase gifted to those of us who participated in the Asian Biodynamic Training and Networking Conference held on the island of Palawan, Philippines. This was one of the sentences for reflection given to us by the organizers of the conference, all expressing awe and emotion before the grandness of planet Earth and their desire to care for it. All these expressions came from people who shared one thing in common: they are part of an association that unites space explorers who have seen the Earth from outside. And although none of us at the conference were space explorers, we are all cosmic explorers, cultivating a view of life from love and reference to planet Earth.
In the days leading up to the conference, a number of participants took part in a training session with Binita Shah, who shared her reflections on over 30 years of experience in India and the impact of biodynamics on soil, health, and social relations. On day two, we were treated to an outing to two local farms. This gave us the opportunity to interact with the local flora and understand the opportunities and challenges of conducting biodynamic agriculture in the tropics. Back at the conference center we participated in a series of workshops that would continue into day three and four of the gathering, on diverse issues based on the participant’s expertise.
Among other notes during the gathering, the role of the “Seven Life Processes,” as presented by Rudolf Steiner, resonated as a thread throughout the days. The conference organizers emphasized the importance of understanding these processes for their significance in organizing and comprehending social activity and the learning process. During a final workshop of post-conference harvesting, the importance of making visible the research and indicators from biodynamic farm development in the Asian region was highlighted as a priority as part of raising consciousness.
Each day of the conference began with a sunrise ritual that makes use of the powerful cosmic energy of the rising sun to elevate and radiate out into our positive intentions. And so, as we continued our journeys outbound to our countries, we felt as if carried out on these rays of light.
Contact biodynamicphilippines@gmail.com
Translation Charles Cross
Image Palawan, Philippine Islands, Photo: KG dela Pena
