“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt”.
Margaret Atwood’s words of wisdom inspired us: spring made its come back, it is time to get our hands dirty!
Starting on May 5, Slow Food will kick start the “Flower Bomb Challenge”.
Participants will have two weeks to make their “flower bombs” (a mix of wildflower seeds, clay and soil) and will be invited to throw them around in their garden or in public spaces on World Bee Day (May 20) and the following weekend.
This campaign aims at raising awareness on the dramatic decline of pollinators and biodiversity in Europe. Through the power of this collective action, we hope to engage more people in taking action to save pollinators and the ecosystems they rely on to survive.
Why a Flower Bomb Challenge Now?
Pollinating insects (butterflies, bees, bumblebees etc) play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and sustaining our food system, by pollinating crops that end up as food on our tables. Without them, a high number of wild and cultivated plant and animal species would no longer exist. Yet, industrial monocultures and the use of toxic pesticides are decreasing pollinators’ numbers at an alarming rate.
Slow Food decided to organize the “Flower Bomb Challenge” to put under the spotlight, a European campaign that is close to is heart: the European Citizens Initiative[1] (ECI) “Save Bees and Farmers”. Supported by hundreds of organizations across Europe, that campaign aims at enforcing a bee-friendly agriculture that respects farmers, consumers, animals, and the planet. “If we manage to collect at least 1 million signatures, the European institutions will be obliged to address our demands to ban synthetic pesticides, restore biodiversity and help farmers in their transition towards a sustainable agricultural system”, explains Marta Messa, director of Slow Food’s Brussels office.
Fun and easy to make, “flower bombs” are a strong statement: they tell our desire to see nature thrive again, even in the most unexpected places. They can indeed be used in your garden at home but also to green up urban wasteland (neglected roundabouts, flower beds and planters etc); they can be launched anywhere as long as there is soil beneath them. While spreading flowers in bare spots and creating pockets of beauty, they help create habitats for pollinators, which desperately need more friendly space to survive.
A revolution in the palms of our hands
In order to make the “Flower Bomb Challenge” a success, Slow Food is calling on everyone to join together as a community of guardians of biodiversity and create the greatest impact possible!
If you want to support us and take action for a sustainable agricultural system that works hand in hand with nature, join this challenge and help us spread the word about it!! The more the merrier!
Until May 5th, here are three things you can already do right now:
Sign and share the ECI “Save Bees and Farmers” with your network
- Follow us on Facebook (@slowfoodinternational), Twitter (@SlowFoodEurope; @SlowFoodHQ) and Instagram (slowfood_international) to get the latest updates on the challenge and see what other people are doing about it. We will show you how to make “flower bombs” and we hope to see yours!
- Go on a quest for seeds, clay and soil and get them ready for the big launch!
Stay tuned!
[1] The European Citizens Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers” is a growing network of currently over 140 environmental NGOs, farmer and beekeeper organizations, charitable foundations and scientific institutions from all over the European Union, working together to reconcile agriculture, health and biodiversity. More info: https://www.savebeesandfarmers.eu/eng