Community initiatives in Belgium focus on fair trade, mental health, and biodiversity

Various community-focused initiatives are taking place across Belgium, ranging from fair trade advocacy to mental health awareness and environmental conservation.

In Geraardsbergen, the Oxfam World Shop is hosting Fair Trade Week from October 7 to 17. The campaign highlights the difficult conditions faced by coffee farmers, particularly in the Kivu region of East Congo. Oxfam aims to promote fair pricing and sustainable production to ensure farmers can cover costs and invest in education and biodiversity.

In Oosterzele, the local government is participating in the ‘Samen Veerkrachtig’ campaign through the ‘Kronkels’ program. Running from October 1 to 10, the initiative focuses on mental health and community resilience through sports, performances, and social gatherings designed to strengthen social ties.

Additionally, nature volunteers from Flanders, Wallonia, and Northern France recently collaborated on a three-day conservation project in Ename and Dikkele. Part of the European Interreg ‘All4Biodiv’ project, the volunteers performed tasks such as managing coppice woodland and clearing vegetation to support biodiversity, facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange between French and Belgian nature associations.