Pierre Rabhi, pioneer of agroecology and partner of Les Jardins de Gaïa

Pierre Rabhi called for an "insurrection of consciences" to unite the best of humanity and stop turning our planet-paradise into a hell of suffering and destruction. Faced with the failure of humanity's general condition and the considerable damage inflicted on Nature, he invited us to abandon the myth of indefinite growth, to realize the vital importance of our nourishing earth, and to inaugurate a new ethic of living towards "happy sobriety".

Pierre Rabhi has been at the origin of numerous structures, born of his own initiative or ideas: for example, the association Terre & Humanisme (first called "Les Amis de Pierre Rabhi"), the Mouvement des Oasis en Tous Lieux, the agroecological center Les Amanins, the Ferme des enfants-Hameau des Buis and, more recently, the Mouvement Colibris*. He has been invited to speak at numerous conferences around the world, and has published over 15 books, most recently "Vers la sobriété heureuse" (Actes Sud) and "Pierre Rabhi, semeur d'espoirs - entretien avec Olivier Le Naire" (Pierre Rabhi, sower of hope - interview with Olivier Le Naire).

"With his own hands, Pierre Rabhi has transmitted Life to the desert sands... This simply holy man, with a clear and sharp mind, whose poetic beauty of language reveals an ardent passion, has fertilized dusty soils with his sweat, through work that re-establishes the chain of life we continually interrupt".

For us too, the Jardins de Gaïa project was built harvest by harvest, encounter by encounter.

Arlette Rohmer, founder of Les Jardins de Gaïa, attended one of Pierre Rabhi's conferences at organic fairs, where many fascinating people come together, and his approach seemed obvious, right and clear. She found herself in complete harmony with the words of the man who defends "Happy Sobriety", the observation of living things, and a deep understanding and respect for the Earth.

It was then that we committed ourselves to the Colibris approach, moving towards coherence in our actions with other entrepreneurs, favoring "hand-made" products, local employment and raising awareness of biodynamic and fair trade practices both here and abroad.

This is how we discovered Les Amanins, a place of learning and encounter dedicated to agroecology, initiated by Pierre Rabhi and created by Michel Valentin, and the "little sisters" of the Monastère de Solan, a group of surprising nuns who put agroecology into practice.

The richness of all these encounters enables us to move forward every day. Every little action is another step towards a happier society!