This is a CTP of initiative: ProSpecieRara (Switzerland)
The CTP describes the structure of the organization. Pro Specie Rara (PSR) was founded in 1982. It started as a network organization of private seed savers supporting free exchange of materials/genetic diversity and knowledge. From the very beginning it had a decentralized structure, due to the fact that the founders were not gardeners coming from farm side, they were agronomists coming from the scientific field from universities. Student come together and considered themselves as a network from the very beginning. During the years of its operation, numerous associations created out from several projects of PSR. Seventy percent of the associations were born this way. PSR treat these associations as partners, parts of their network. They can even use PSR’s label. For PSR is very important that people can identify them with their logo and the idea behind. "We want the people when they are looking our logo that they know that oh this is PSR, it connects to a special breed, a special variety of plants so they think about biodiversity when they see the logo."
The main contributors to the co-creation of this CTP were the members or the potential members of the PSR network. Pro Specie Rara is acting in line with the associations’ ideas, to create a real alliance with shared goals. "If we did not work in the same direction with them, and they did not agree with our decisions, the distance between us would become bigger [...] the whole system would not work. For us it is important to operate as a real network. [...] Decentralization is helping us also not to do things which are not useful. We cannot do always what we want, we always have to consider about what is useful for them." They always attempt to harmonize the PSR's and the member associations' ideas and interests this is why they created a survey aiming at breeders' associations. "We asked the breeders how we could help them, what would be useful for them. With this survey we get to know why these people get animals, why they breed them. We should understand the drive, the motivation of the farmers. We are curious about their opinion. Is this still the way you want to work with us? Do you want to make projects with us? [...] So we received feedbacks from the associations and we can build a better partnership with them."
Pro Specie Rara created a platform called Rare Animals. On this platform PSR helps associations to sell and buy pure breeds. "We worked together with the association in these projects. We are doing public work, making people more sensitive to rare breeds."
Sometimes it is very difficult to contact and work with these associations, because they are willing to operate separately. They want some space to be independent "as teenagers would like to detach their parents." Also the breeders and their associations are not keen on contracts and administrative tasks relate to entering their network so for PSR sometimes it is hard to build real partnerships with the associations.
From the foundation of PSR it was clear that they believed in the form of decentralized network thus they built up and developed their organization in harmony with this idea.
The CTP presented important lessons for the organisation. PSR is still aware of the importance of the decentralized operation form but it is sometimes hard for them to organize the organization in this way: "I always say that I am a biologist, I should be an agronomist but it would be better if I were a psychologist. My job is to get people motivated to keep the animals. Of course I do a herd book, I do selection, I do measures but without the farmer in the background, who likes that breed and PSR, it is nearly nothing... So we get to know why these people get animals, why they breed them. We should understand the drive, the motivation of the farmers."
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