International project promotes urban farming in 5 European regions
Non-governmental organisations, regional authorities, universities and research institutions from Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Greece will work together to develop, apply and improve public policies on urban farming. The 4-year project supported by INTERREG EUROPE 2014-2020 programme was launched in Sofia, hosted by the project Lead Partner – Applied Research and Communications Fund.
An ever-growing number of cities in Europe comprehend the benefits of urban farming for better resource efficiency, launching new businesses and preserving nature in downtown areas. While in some places, urban farming is strongly supported both by the local authorities and citizens, in others it is an emerging movement triggered by local communities.
«CityZen» project will explore ecosystem values associated with urban farming and will enhance local policies that support new business models, scale-up local producers, innovate supply chains and change lifestyles, that all together bring better sustainability of cities and regions.
Organisations from five European countries work on the «CityZen» project: Applied Research and Communications Fund from Bulgaria; Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia from Greece; Municipality of Beja and Baixo Alentejo Intermunicipal Community (CIMBAL) from Portugal; Higher Technical School of Agrarian Engineering, University of Valladolid and Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León from Spain; and Institute for Rural Development Research at Goethe University Frankfurt/Main from Germany. The participants will study local urban farming initiatives, share good practices and propose policy measures and action plans for sustainable development of this new sector. The goal is to achieve a balance between good farming traditions, urban planning and innovative technologies, that could turn farming into a valuable resource for cities.
According to a study of the European Commission, 67% of the global population will reside in cities by 2050. Dealing with the challenges of food supply and reduction of food waste is therefore a key priority in the EU Action plan on the circular economy. To this end, «CityZen» will present and share its experiences on policy instruments and good practices with other regions beyond the project.
«CityZen» project is financed by the Programme for Interregional Cooperation INTERREG EUROPE 2014-2020 and will continue until July 2023.
For more information, please visit the project website.