Justification
Kaolinovo municipality is from the group of poorest municipalities in Bulgaria. The region is mainly with minority population and extremely high unemployment ? 45.31% till 31st of August 2006. The favorable conditions for agriculture and the traditions in this direction in the close past suppose that this sector will develop fast as the cultivation of the long time unused lands too. This will deepen the problems of the environment (soil and water) and would create risks for the biological diversity. This is why the approach of this project is to demonstrate the opportunities for development of organic agriculture which contributes to the preservation of soils, biodiversity, waters and reduces the climate change. As it is quoted in the National strategy of SGP: the organic farming is the most advanced agricultural technology in this matter as it includes crop rotation and restriction on the use of chemicals. The new plots created by the project will be cultivated by the regulations of the good agricultural practices for reducing of the pollution of the waters with nitrates from conventional agriculture and not burning the stubble fields. This will bring effect on the reduction of emissions of dioxin and furan in the atmosphere. Near by the plots for the project we have identified colonies of Spermophylus citillus ? pic.2, 3. The colony is in pasture bordering the fields with organically grown herbs. The colony itself is 1.5 ha. The north and west border of the pasture is other cultivated land, the south border is the land for the project, the east one are the first houses of the village. South of the road and the stores for processing of herbs there is second colony on plot of 1ha in a pasture. The hamsters form the two colonies probably have connections between. The chance this pasture to be cultivated is minor as this will destroy the colony and will not be permitted by the Ministry of Agriculture as its policy is to keep the purpose of the agricultural lands as pastures and meadows. The main reason is a requirement of the European commission not to reduce the marked hectares pastures and meadows because of preserving the bio diversity in the agriculture lands and keep the tradition of pasture animal breed. The danger comes form futer use of the nearby land for conventional agriculture. The usage of chemicals in this close would threaten the colony.

Location
Kaolinovo Municipality

Project Target Groups
The project targets unemployed women and youths from the region who have the necessary potential and willingness to start their own agricultural activity in terms of cultivating hollyhock, valeriana, mallow, mursala tea. Project direct beneficiaries are:
? 10 unemployed women and 20 unemployed youths aged up to 29 years, who will pass a training in ?Organic agriculture principles and techniques for organic cultivation of medicine plants?;
? 20 of the trained beneficiaries will get 2 decares of land and will receive seedlings for starting their own cultivation of hollyhock, valeriana, mallow and mursala tea.

Goal and expected impacts
The primary goal of the project is to contribute for the growth of the sustainably managed agricultural lands and preservation of the biodiversity in municipality of Kaolinovo as in the same time we create sustainable income in a region of high unemployment and low economic diversification.

Objectives and expected results
In order to attain its goal the project aims:
1.) To demonstrate the implementation of Organic and Good agricultural practices in cultivation of medicinal plants in municipality of Kaolinovo.
2.) To build local capacity for developing of Organic cultivation of medicinal plants and preservation of the biodiversity by education and consultation of beginning farmers in the matters of Organic cultivation of medicinal plants. It is expected that 200 dka of land will be used for organic farming by the end of the project as a result of its implementation. At least 10 people of the 20 trained on the 40 dka are expected to cultivate larger plots (about 10-15 dka) of their own or rented in the second year. Thus the toal land under organic farming will be the 40 dka used for training and additional 160 dka.

Major activities
The project activities are focused on introducing local unemployed women and youths in the opportunities to start their own business in terms of organic cultivating of medicinal plants: hollyhock, valeriana, mallow and mursala tea. The project further provides seedling for these plants and agricultural land for creating the plantations. Project participants will pass training for acquiring skills and knowledge in terms of organic cultivation of medicinal plants. Ready production will be processed and stored in the established base for storage of the ready production, located in the village of Todor Ikonomovo, in Kaolinovo Municipality. The market realization of the production is ensured by the project partner ? IRA EKO company. The Spermophylus citillus colony will be monitored and people cultivating the nearby lands will be contacted for engaging in activities eliminating the risks to the colony.

Partnership with GEF SGP proposals/projects
Sustainability
The present project offers activities with wide range of influence in two directions: to demonstrate implementation of Organic and Good agricultural practices in the cultivation of medicinal plants in municipality of Kaolinovo.; to build local capacity for developing of Organic cultivation of medicinal plants and preservation of the biodiversity by education and consultation of beginning farmers in the matters of Organic cultivation of medicinal plants. With the diffusion and implementation of the methods of the Organic agriculture we promote achieving of sustainable development.
The goal of this project is to demonstrate alternative of the conventional agriculture and to attract more local farmers in organic agriculture in order to shift the conventional one that influents negatively on the soils, waters and bio variety.

Project Budget ? total, from GEF SGP, financial, in-kind - all in Bulgarian leva and percent of total
Total budget: 110 000 BGN
Sum applied to SGP: 42640 BGN