The Plan

The last six years has instilled a belief that there is a collective voice from future thinking and acting farmers throughout the world that needs to be brought into very sharp focus with the climate change issue.

For over a year now I have been trying to get support to document the wisdom of farmers from different parts of the world regarding climate change. Despite my considerable experience this has not been an easy task. With the aid of an inheritance my family and I have decided to fund a trip ourselves. In early February 2007 we are beginning a journey as follows:

February and March 2007
Thailand and Viet Nam
Late March to early May 2007
India and Nepal
Early to mid May 2007
Egypt
Mid May to mid June 2007
Through Italy to eventually meet up with our middle daughter in Lugano, southern Switzerland.
Mid June to July 2007
Overland to Paris, across to London, back to NZ via the US.

In Thailand we will be hosted by Tuenjai Deetes, founder of the Hill Area Development and Community Foundation in Chiang Rai and now a Senator on the National Legislative Council.

In northern Viet Nam we will have some assistance from former students who came to study in New Zealand in the late 1990s.

We are presently working on contacts for India, Nepal and Egypt. We have some good connections in Italy who will hopefully help us along the way and a number of good contacts in the UK.

Any assistance with local accommodation, travel, contacts with farmers would be greatly appreciated.