Ölwechsel Teil 1 - 3

Juni 2009

The video « Solidarischer Holzhandel Nordhessen » (solidarity based marketing of wood in the north of Hesse) like « Gesunde Bildung » (healty education) und « Ölwechsel » (oil change) have been made in the framework of a researchproject at the

University of Kassel, directed by Prof. Clarita Müller Plantenberg.

Prof Müller’s students have mapped solidarity and common good oriented enterprises and initiatives in the north of Hesse (structurally weak area around Kassel). As a result of their research and of the publishing of a map the one companies got to know the others in their region and cooperation forms were started. For instance, farms delivered healty food to schools in the region and colza plants to a colza-oil mill that begun extracting oil and selling it as a fuel instead of diesel.

Unfortunately short after that the government put taxes on colza oil and made this production economically unviable. The mill continued to produce colza oil, but this time as salad oil. The oil mill delivered farmers with the filter cake that remains after pressing the oil and it was used as animal feed.