Martien Lankester (1949) was trained as a Medical Doctor (graduated 1975, University of Amsterdam) and as a Public Health specialist (graduated 1987).

As a medical student he was intrigued by the issues of preventative health care and the impact of lifestyle as a ways to maintain and improve health. During travel through Africa in 1970 he was struck by the compelling issue of food security. Combining one and the other he started studying and practising food systems (organic, vegetarian, macrobiotics) and with friends established an organic restaurant in Amsterdam (1973).

After graduating as a medical doctor he established a practice in Fryslân in the tiny village of Edens, giving nutritional and lifestyle advice (1976). Subsequently he set up the biodynamic dairy farm Hof van Edens (Garden of Edens) and an organic food shop (1977) connected to his medical practice (please note that  since 1977 he is formally not a farmer anymore). With this he aimed to show the relation between sustainable development, food production, nutrition, health, ecology and nature. He also gave numerous lectures on these subjects in the Northern part of the country.

This led to a small group of dairy farmers converting to organic farming and a contract (possibly the first ever) between a large nature conservation organization and these farmers on nature friendly management of their traditional pastures (1981).

Around 1990 he served for several years as chair of the national Biodynamic Association and as statutory chair of the national Platform for Organic Farming.

 

In 1991 he initiated and subsequently established the Avalon Foundation based on the needs expressed in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This international nonprofit organization has since been promoting organic agriculture and food, agro biodiversity and sustainable rural development in that region. Gradually Avalon has broadened its scope to regions further South and East: Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey and Africa. In more than 30 countries with developing economies over a 100 projects have been successfully implemented. Avalon’s work is based on local needs and ideas, involving and training local organizations and experts, with a small core staff, some associate experts and numerous local partners. In 2008 the first branch office was established in Bulgaria.

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Many of the projects have a multi country character. Projects include training of farmers and farm advisors, market chain development, demonstration farms, agri-environment policy development and capacity building of organizations. Later also the beneficial effect of organic farming on biodiversity (leading to business and biodiversity projects) and climate issues became part of the Avalon agenda. In recent years the urgent issue of True Cost Accounting has been added as a major driver for Avalon. In 2020 Avalon has decided to focus on Bioregions as catalysts for change: regions where an integrated approach of agriculture, nature, food and health may speed up the necessary transition of our agri-food systems.

 

Avalon has also organized a number of international conferences on these issues. Avalon’s Network of 200 organizations in 32 countries (all working on the cutting edge of agriculture, environment and nature conservation) has received broad recognition (among others funding from the EU DG Environment) as an important instrument for change.

Increasingly Avalon seeks for strategic alliances in order to create synergy.

 

Martien Lankester is the driven executive director of Avalon, and has been project leader of many of the multi country projects and conferences. He has thus served as a goodwill ambassador for organic farming and sustainable rural development in the new market economies of CEE and beyond. He is a specialist in:

• networking on different levels (NGO’s, governments, embassies, scientists, businesses)

• integrating organic agriculture with nature conservation, biodiversity, environment, food, health and climate

• overseeing the complete value chain from farm to fork

• coordinating complicated innovative processes

• turning ambition into practice

 

He currently works on strengthening the (informal) international coalition that will support the much needed paradigm shift in food and agriculture.

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Besides his work for Avalon Martien

• has with  his first wife Marjolein raised a family of six children, with now a dozen grandchildren…, 1975-……ongoing…

• was one of the initiators and chairman of the Institute for Social Therapy OlmenEs, a community for mentally challenged adults, 1986-1991 

• initiated and chaired the provincial foundation for organic farming Soune Groun, and subsequently managed several of its regional projects, 1990-2002

• has been chairman of the Supervisory Board of IUCN Netherlands Committee (the umbrella of nature conservation organizations), 2005-2011

• has been member of the Advisory Council of care farm Gerbranda State, 2003-2016

• is an active member of World Connectors

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He still likes working on his farm, where most of the grassland is being used by his nephew for his nearby biodynamic dairy farm, and where fruit juice, vegetables and honey are being produced in the Hof van Edens by Martien and his wife Marike.

 

Martien received public recognition for his work when

• he was runner up for the Sicco Mansholt prize in 2004 (behind EU Commissioner Franz Fischler)

• he was appointed IFOAM Organics International Ambassador in 2017

• he received the Royal Decoration of Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018