Research & Development
Some of the threats and the opportunities facing city farming throughout Europe. 2004
It is over 30 years ago that the first City Farms started in Europe and 14 years ago that the European Federation of City Farms (EFCF) was founded by City Farmers. The founding members believed in the common future of what they call in German "Zusammmenarbeit" : to promote the interests and mutual co-operation of Kinderboerderijen, Jeugdboerderijen, Gezinsboerderijen, Fermes D‘Enfants, Fermes D‘Animation, Jugendfarmen, Aktivspielplatze, City Farms, 4H-Farms and similar organisations. This paper reflects the optimism of experienced city farmers of;
"Hope and optimism despite present difficulties."
City Farms
For all their diversity of form and services, they all actively promote the equal access and involvement of children, young people and adults through practical experience in a wide range of educational, environmental, social and economic activities focused around farming, empowering people to improve their own lives and their environment in peaceful coexistence.
Threats and the opportunities
During the last 30 years some of the threats have increased, but so has the quality and depth of information, aided by the internet, the experience of city farmers and the growing awareness of citizens of what is happening locally and globally. This can provide new opportunities for city farming throughout Europe and globally.
In the tradition of good city farmers that by working together we can, over time, turn these threats into opportunities which make our movement stronger, more sustainable and more influential in contributing to the quality of life of the people of the world particularly those people who are dispossessed and marginalized.
What are some of the threats to city farming?
- Lack of money and increasing costs imposed by growing regulation and hegemony of "traditional" economics.
- Social exclusion - feeding xenophobia, racism, discrimination, intolerance, vandalism and violence.
- Bureaucracy - increasing rules and regulations inhibit contact with animals and education programmes
- Stealing our children‘s health and childhood in an increasing "sanitised" western world that is becoming more obsessed with reducing risk, at the expense of children‘s right to play, "learning through doing" the right to be heard and to develop freely.
- Pollution, wasting resources and global warming: the growth of invisible "Berlin walls" threatening our Water, Air, Land and all Life
What are the opportunities for city farming?
Applying the 5 "S"s‘ of the Social Economy to all city farms
| Sustainable Development | SD | Integrating the social, economic and environmental | |
| Social Inclusion | SI | The essential social justice component of SD | |
| Social Enterprise | SE | Creating quality services and income | |
| Social Capital creation | SC | Improving our quality of life | |
| Social Auditing | SA | To monitor and evaluate our SD, SI, SE & SC |
"Everybody welcome"
- Maintaining a socially inclusive environment on city farms
- Involve everyone as far as possible
- Listen - listen - listen!
- Actively implementing our equal opportunities and social inclusion policies
Challenging restrictive bureaucracy
- Campaigning through relevant EU bodies, EFCF and member federations
Reclaiming children‘s childhood and improving their health
- "Eat a bit of dirt" - Building resistance to illnesses in children related to an increasingly "sanitised" western world
- "I do and I understand" - Learning involves some risks‘ for City Farm activities
- Addressing health and safety and minimising risk without compromising participation in "hands on" activities and services
"Chipping away" at the "Berlin walls"
- Implementing the 5R‘s: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Review
- Sustainable organic farming, gardening and land management
- Working with nature, conservation, protecting and stimulating biodiversity
- Planting pollution barriers and absorbers
- Producing "the quality food we want to eat" - a growing awareness in Europe
- Harvesting, cleaning and using rainwater and grey water
- Energy conservation and renewable energy generation
- Encouraging others to do the above
The City Farm movement has an important role to play in the sustainable development of the Europe as they understand that a sustainable approach requires the difficult task of integrating environmental, social and economic issues in any planning and development.
The European City Farm movement is a key tool in helping Europeans to relate to the wider environment, to develop an understanding of agriculture and sustainable development, engage in a process of life-long learning and help improve their own quality of life.
The diversity of the City Farm movement is a major strength enabling city farmer‘s, through mutual co-operation, to learn from each other and share best practise. Over the years the movement has created a pool of very experienced and qualified city farm practioners.
Individual City Farms actively promote the equal access and involvement of children, young people and adults through practical experience in a wide range of educational, environmental, social and economic activities, working within the guiding framework of sustainable development.
The European Federation of City Farms works with its member federations to promote and facilitate their work; recognising that City Farms have an important role to play in the wider sustainable development of the European Union, Europe and the whole planet.
The European Federation of City Farms and its member federations are only as good as you the members make it, get involved and make your own City Farm truly sustainable