The Project on Urban farming aims to empower more citizens to start small scale initiatives using vertical farming strategies, for instance in their balconies, rooftops, small gardens and public places. Raising awareness about urban farming can produce income and the creation of new employment opportunities for low-skilled citizens and the wider local communities. Our wider-aim is to encourage citizens to build resilient communities and cities.
BACKGROUND
Urban farming can produce income and the creation of new employment opportunities for low-skilled citizens. We will build an Open Online Course with a wide variety of learning materials focusing on vertical farming, organic farming, and development of entrepreneurship skills. The curriculum will teach how to cultivate food all year around with practices from organic farming exploiting natural resources to increase crop productivity, consistency, and quality. The entrepreneurship module will help you how to realize business ideas in an urban farming setting by looking at specific examples as well as community & engagement initiatives.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
With most Europeans living in tightly packed apartment buildings, and recent studies showing an upward trend in air-quality and climate change between high-polluted cities, there is an urgent need to foster green skills in urban communities. Increased urbanization and human activities are estimated to change the climate, not only from greenhouse gases, but also from urban warming and extreme heat due to increased energy consumption. Every year, more than 400,000 Europeans die prematurely and another 6.5 million of citizens in urban areas suffer from the consequences of air pollution. Air pollution is considered as the most severe environmental health problem in Europe.
WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE?
We will build an education program in “Urban farming and entrepreneurship skills” for adult learners to foster green skills and responsibilities. Our course will be using a blended-learning approach with online courses on a) organic farming, b) vertical farming, c) entrepreneurship skills and d) community-based initiatives together with sustainability hands-on skills, such as waste and recourses management, for high-quality and high-yield crop development.
• Empower more citizens to start small-scale initiatives in urban farming, for instance in their balconies, rooftops, small gardens, and public places.
• Create new employment opportunities for low-skilled citizens and local communities.
• Help citizens participation in a more democratic society, exposed to practices and daily habits gaining more environment-friendly behaviors and lifestyle.
WHO ARE WE?
We are a consortium of 6 European Partner organizations funded by Erasmus+
• Foundation Hallgarten-Franchetti Villa Montesca Study Center – Italy
