THE NATURAL FARMING CENTER APS ASSOCIATION

The Natural Farming Center APS was founded in Italy in 2020 as a natural continuation of a path already rooted in practice, trust and shared responsibility.

At that time, Kutluhan was offered the possibility to manage part of a natural farm he had been caring for in Edessa, Greece. In line with a choice not to personally own land or property, the association was created as a way to hold this space collectively — not as an act of possession, but of stewardship. What began as a simple and practical solution soon revealed itself as the right form to support a growing vision.

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Until December 2022, the association operated informally, without a dedicated accounting system, as expenses were covered directly through Kutluhan’s personal resources. Following the first journey to Kenya at the end of 2022, and the desire to support emerging natural farming projects in Africa, it became clear that a more structured framework was needed. A bank account was opened to receive freely given donations, and to ensure transparency and continuity in how resources were reinvested.

At the same time, the association began the process of becoming an Associazione di Promozione Sociale (APS), in order to offer donors fiscal recognition for their contributions and to formally align the work with the Italian Third Sector. In May 2023, the Natural Farming Center was officially recognised as an APS and registered in the RUNTS (Registro Unico Nazionale del Terzo Settore).

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Today, Natural Farm Shizen is one of the main projects of the Natural Farming Center APS and is part of RAN – Rete per l’Agricoltura Naturale, a network connecting natural farming practices and places across Italy. Through Shizen and its wider activities, the association supports education, reforestation, seed sovereignty and the spreading of natural farming principles in different cultural and ecological contexts.

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Donations to the Natural Farming Center APS help sustain:

• educational workshops and learning spaces

• reforestation initiatives

• natural farming projects in vulnerable areas

• seed-related actions, including desert and marginal land projects

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For those based in Italy, it is also possible to support the association by allocating the 5x1000 to Natural Farming Center APS using the fiscal code 91029650412.

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The association exists to serve the work — allowing seeds, ideas and relationships to grow with care, transparency and responsibility.