This thesis concerns community gardens and their influence on the wider neighbourhood, especially people not involved in the gardens. The starting assumption is that people maintaining and working in community gardens meet others by doing so. That way these gardens create or strengthen their social relations. However, not all residents of the local community are involved in the community gardens and the gardens may be maintained by people from outside of the direct neighbourhood. To what extent does the social cohesion that exists and is grown at the community garden ‘spread’ beyond that garden, into the neighbourhood? Do local residents that are not involved benefit from the social cohesion created by the gardeners? (I.e. because they see the neighbourhood being beautified, because they stop and talk to those working in the garden, because they feel that something is brooding…). Continue reading
Profitable organic farming – contribution to ‘The Broker’ food security blog
Profitable organic farming is a contribution of colleague Ina Horlings the ‘The Broker online‘ blog on food security. The Broker has four interesting blogs from a manyfold of people across the world.
Future farmers in the spotlight: A project to raise awareness for the situation of young farmers in Europe
‘Future farmers in the Spotlight’ is a project to raise awareness for the need of young farmers and more sustainable food production systems in the European Union.
Describing the idea with the words of project founders Juliane Haufe and Joris van der Kamp:
“Many farmers are reaching the age of retirement: only 6% of Europeans farmers is currently below the age of 35. Young people are needed to take over to sustain food production!
But how can a young future farmer nowadays start up an inspiring farming project? Which options are there to get involved in food production? Which (new) concepts will make a farm sustainable in an ecological sense, will provide an adequate income and will create an added value for the civil society?
These questions urgently need an answer!
Future farmers in the spotlight is looking for these answers! We are visiting already existing farming initiatives all around Europe and make short documentaries!”
To find out more about the project and to watch interesting video clips about the troubles and joys of young farmers across Europe, please visit future-farmers.net
Interesting forum discussion: Urban and Peri-urban agriculture and short food chains: Lessons from the South
The SUPURBFOOD project (www.supurbfood.eu) is looking to identify experiences from the global South and North with recycling of nutrients, waste and water in urban and peri-urban agriculture, short chain delivery of food in urban and peri-urban areas, and multifunctional agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas in order to enrich South-North exchange and collaboration. We are specifically interested in innovative experiences – with a special focus on the type of business models that were applied, the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their sustainability.
This specific discussion will run on the Forum from 4-30 March 2013. Continue reading
Foodlinks News issue 4
Photo report by Leo Dvortsin
The latest issue of Foodlinks News is out!
In the newsletter, you can find a short report on the meeting of the urban food strategies CoP in Tukums, Latvia as well as a photo report from Leo Dvortsin (Purefood) on his secondment with Willem&Drees.
Please also register for our upcoming webinar on urban food strategies!
Would you also like to become a member? Sign up for the Short Food Supply Chain, Revaluing Public Sector Food Procurement or Urban Food Strategies CoP!
A key characteristic of the Foodlinks project is that it brings together different types of knowledge and experience from research, policy and civil society representatives. Foodlinks organises a collective process of sharing and integrating this knowledge around particular problems of food systems. You can read more about Foodlinks on our website and if you would like to receive the next edition of Foodlinks News you can subscribe here.
Rural Sociology Wageningen University 