1961-2024
Our dear friend and colleague Reto Ingold passed away on July 11th, 2024.
Reto dedicated his entire life to biodynamic agriculture. He worked in biodynamics since 1982 and specialised in training and consultancy after completing his studies. For many years, he was active in the Swiss Biodynamic Vocational Training College.
From 1995 onwards, he travelled the world, offering courses, lectures, and consultations. All of these provided inspiration and advice for farmers around the globe in learning about biodynamic agriculture and guidance for many of them through the conversion process to Demeter certification and beyond. Demeter licensees in all climates will continue to grow with the seeds he planted, including Tunisia, India and Serbia to name a few.
Reto also contributed in many ways to the development an international organisational structure for the biodynamic movement.
In 1998 he was elected as a member of the first Accreditation Council of Demeter International. He took over the coordination of the AC in 2002 and continued this work until 2019. His experience as teacher, advisor, and crucially as inspector, contributed immensely to the harmonisation of the different Demeter certification schemes world-wide.
For 25 years he also organised international meetings for biodynamic advisors from all parts of the world to exchange and learn from each other. He was active as mentor and trainer and was always generous in sharing his vast knowledge and experience with advisor colleagues all over the world. The establishment of the quality system for biodynamic and Demeter advisors, formalised in 2020, was greatly inspired and supported by him.
Throughout his service to biodynamic agriculture Reto worked by bringing people together, looking for solutions, improvements, developments, and much more. He was a team player and a front runner, doing whatever was needed. As part of this he supported the founding and development of biodynamic associations in several countries, such as Lithuania and Poland and fostered the close cooperation of the biodynamic associations in Eastern Europe.
Under the umbrella of the Agricultural Section he coordinated the international working group of olive growers for many years. In the past year he brought his sharp mind and warm heart to the working group “Future of Certification” of the Federation until end of May 2024. He always made sure that the needs of both farmers and consumers were ever present in the work.
Even in his final days he was part of a group of experts, designing a biodynamic course for the students of Sustainable Agriculture at Heliopolis University.
Teaching, training and accompanying was his passion. The people who met him will continue his legacy with pleasure and joy.
We lost a wonderful colleague and friend. We will miss his humour, his smile, his genuine spirit, his warmth, and his great knowledge. We will keep him in our hearts with the greatest gratitude.
Cornelia Hauenschild, in the name of all colleagues at the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International
