September 29, 2013, Poltava — In the Poltava Arboretum, the environmental NGO MAMA-86-Poltava and cycling activists’ NGO VeloPoltava carried out a “Green Picnic: Environment on Your Plate,” held within the framework of the Green Consumer Week and Global Green Action Week.

Over 50 Poltavans participated in the picnic. The event was conducted as a discussion platform on sustainable consumption, in particular sustainable food as a guarantee of healthy and socially-environmental way of life.

MAMA-86-Poltava Coordinator Yulia Berezhna presented the event format as well as the goal and objectives of this year’s Week’s campaign, “Environment on Your Plate,” and basic aspects and rules of sustainable food.

The head of the Poltava Organic Farming Club, Serhiy Ponomarenko, spoke about the importance of organic farming as a sustainable production tool. He also presented organic products of the local enterprise Ahroecolohiya, emphasizing not only the environmental importance of these products but also the necessity to support local economy.

VeloPoltava Head Yuriy Repalo told about environmental cycle routes in the Arboretum and the importance of raising the public environmental consciousness, specifically regarding rules of recreation on the landscape.

The picnic participants also took part in master classes on making cakes and eco toys conducted by members of the Union of Folk Art Masters of Ukraine.

The event ended in walking and cycling excursions of the Arboretum. The excursionists saw the Arboretum’s main natural sights and learned about its history and development prospects as well as environmental aspects of recreation.

Please see pictures from the event on the Novyny Poltavschyny site:
http://np.pl.ua/2013/09/zelenyj-piknik-u-poltavskomu-dendroparku-zibrav-do-pivsotni-ohochyh/

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Green Consumer Weeks in Ukraine – week-long concentrated awareness campaigns aimed at popularizing environmentally responsible consumption and focused on one of important themes of sustainable consumption – have been carried out since 2012 by the Ukrainian National Environmental NGO "MAMA-86" with support from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and in collaboration with various partner organizations.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation has been conducting similar campaigns in their country in October for many years running. These campaigns have helped significantly increase public awareness of advantages of environment-friendly way of living, develop a legal framework that encourages sustainable consumption and prohibits or limits supply of environmentally harmful goods and services, as well as form a circle of eco-responsible producers and sellers who, on their part, further the transition of the Swedish society toward more sustainable consumption behavior.