This document describes a project to build ethnobotanic growhouses to preserve traditional plant-based medicines, promote education, and boost local economies. The growhouses would be constructed with renewable energy systems and sustainable materials. They would serve as research and education centers where locals could study, demonstrate, and sell plant-based treatments. The goal is to help isolated communities maintain access to healthcare and develop small businesses based on their botanical knowledge. The project plans to build a prototype in 2013-2014 and seek partnerships for wider implementation.

1. Ethnobotanic Health Center

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
BIOVISION Catalyzer 2013

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The vegetal biodiversity as a medicine for
isolated countries
Since the beginning of time, men have used
plants to provide them with food and
medicine.
The growth of organic chemistry, as well as
the humanitarian work lead in developing
countries, has contributed to the slow
disappearance of this knowledge.
In our Northern countries, this loss does not
have consequences on public health, even if it
is a part of our cultural patrimony that
disappears.
But in some countries, the loss of this
knowledge can sometimes lead to dramatic
sanitarian issues.
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4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Example : Dukagjin – Albania
35 000 inhabitants - 1 doctor - isolated from the rest of the world 5 months a year.
This situation is far from unique, we have come to observe it in many
mountainous regions such as Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan…
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5. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
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PROJECT ORIGINALITY & INNOVATION
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6. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The Ethnobotanic growhouse for research,
farming and teaching
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7. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The ethnobotanic growhouse is a structure toward local populations.
It serves for researchs on plants that grow higher in montains and isolated
countries.
And to produce vegetables, fruits and plants for care.
It promotes education and exchanges of knowleges between habitants, studients
and professionnals.
his module has an energetic autonomy with several systems: water, wind,
carbon and solar powered.
Solar power is used to transform and preserve plants as well as using it
as oven, dryer and cooker.
To reduce our impact on the environment, we choose to put above the
structure a rainwater recovery.
In addition to that, there are dry toilets and composts.
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8. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Energetic autonomy and reduced impact on
the environment
•
•
•
•
Water- and Wind-powered
Compost and dry toilets
Rainwater recovery
Solar oven and cellar / drying
room
• Stove heated
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9. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Geodesic dome made of
Tetrafluoroethylene Ethylene
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10. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
We try to use the best materials to generate a light structure as we can transport easily in those
isolated countries. So we use Tetrafluorethylene ethylene : a lighter, more resistant, recyclable
metarieal and cheaper than glass.
This geodestic form is suited to control the air and to succeed in growing plants.
It allows to sow earlier in spring and reap later in automn.
Spaces are articulate around the stove heated, for keeping heat and optimize storage.
Fifty percent is used to grow plants. Others spaces are for learning , teaching, transforming and
helping to cure.
There are also one space with cupboard and a wall for projection.
A laboratory with storage and transparent wall for showing to others has been also created..
The solar oven / dryer / cooker is located inside the a drying room, close to the cellar for jars and
seeds.
A more personal and secure place for the professionnal is setup. So they could come for several
days to teach, to practice medecine or to do research. That’s why a shower and several cupboards
had been added.
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11. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Learn, Teach, Transform and help to Cure
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12. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
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ECONOMIC IMPACTS & CITIZEN BENEFITS
Preventing the medical deserts, and allowing the creation of
new economic processes and small-scale industries
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13. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The
benefits
for
the
local
populations are obvious.
This project can be adapted
depending
on
the
different
situations, and thus have numerous
citizen benefits : opening up of their
regions, medicine to treat and cure
some of their illness, new economic
perspectives
for
the
local
populations, touristic opportunities,
…
In Gavar for example, we mainly
work on the teaching and touristic
aspects. In Mongolia the highlight is
put on health issues and research,
while in Albania, the food and
medicine improvement is the most
important point of view.
In
France
and
Europe,
the
preservation and transmission of
our cultural and historical patrimony
is the key.
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14. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Our action could initiate and favor the
development of a small-scale plant
industry, where locals learn to grow,
harvest, transform and use the plants of
their environment.
This leads to creating or strengthening
the economy in these rural regions (as in
the Massif des Bauges and Chartreuse),
or allows the young inhabitants to stay
and work in their hometowns (Gavar or
Husche).
The
establishment
of
these
‘Ethnobotanic Health Centers’ in diverse
parts of the world would also allow to
create several international partnerships
between universities.
This could mean giving PhD’s students
the opportunity of very promising thesis,
at the crossing of environmental,
patrimonial, economic and sanitarian
issues.
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15. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Furthermore,
we
already
take part in a number of
universities studies.
We also have the expertise
in publishing books and
exhibits on the ethnobotanic
patrimony we collect.
These skills, allied to this
project, will at the same time
provide
research
informations,
teaching
material, and the public’s
interest for these issues.
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16. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
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PLANNED SCHEDULE & BIOVISION
EXPECTATIONS
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17. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Second semester 2013
Research for technical, industrial and scientific partnerships
Engineering for the ‘Ethnobotanic health center’, first steps of prototyping
First semester 2014
Construction and testing of the prototype
Coordination and formation of the NGOs and universities
in order to prepare their intervention in the field
Second semester 2014
Production of the ‘Ethnobotanic health centers’
Interventions’ planning
Visas’ applying when necessary
BIOVISION Catalyzer 2013

18. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
We have :
•
•
•
•
•
The
foreign
supports
The volunteers
The expertise
The knowledge
The enthusiasm
political
We need:
•
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The
French
political
supports
•
The financial support in
order to build the proprotype
and validate the working
hypothesis before launching
the production and a wider
deployment.
.

19. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
BIOVISION Catalyzer 2013

20. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
CONTACT :
l
Mathieu Genty
l
mathieu.genty@grownoble.fr
l
06.07.18.42.99
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- 69007 LYON - FRANCE
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