May 4, 2020
Growing interest in local food and labor
The interest of small-scale, local farming has increased in recent years and different methods of farming can be found, such as urban farming and community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms. The situation presented by COVID-19 has accelerated the interest in local food supply chains, raising awareness of vulnerabilities within local food supplies. The empty shelves in grocery stores and import restrictions of food have led people to become more self-sufficient, searching for a plot of land and seeds to grow food for themselves. At the same time, many farmers are struggling to find workers to execute the goals of the upcoming high season due to the travel restrictions from countries where this labor-intensive work is currently found. The need for cities to cooperate locally and through the support of digital tools has never been so profound.
Gothenburg at the forefront of urban farming
Grow Here is a digital matchmaking platform of Growers and landowners. People who are interested in farming can find land announced by private and public landowners in the countryside and in the city. It is also possible for farmers to find volunteers and promote courses, all to support the local farmers and make a farming career possible for anyone who dreams to farm. In 2017, the platform was first launched in Gothenburg, Sweden, after a partnership between a few departments at the Gothenburg Municipality and the Architecture office ”The Foodprint Lab Architects and Food System Designers”. Gothenburg has long been profiled as a city striving for new innovations for sustainability and facilitating urban farming.
Matching landowners and growers in more cities
“I want you to bring the whole family with you to see where the vegetables come from and thus connect to the food you eat.” - Grower
On May 1st, 2020, the Grow Gothenburg platform became Grow Here. Meaning that the platform will be accessible for any region with farmers and land seekers living in and outside Sweden, in three languages; Swedish, English, and soon also Dutch.
“Many people and cities nationally and internationally have expressed their interest using the platform as a tool to enable more farming and communicate the farming movement within their city. Some cities have already developed great methods to facilitate urban farming. However, most of them are missing communicating tools between different actors in the food chain and to give an overview of the movement. This can be determining factors in order to communicate the positive impact of farms to win political support.” Jonathan Naraine, Architect and Food System Designer
“Almost 50 % of our population lives in densely populated areas and apartment buildings. Far from everyone has access to a garden, besides, the allotment gardens in many cities have more than 20 years long queue. The cities themselves do not have the capacity to support every one of these with public land but through enabling the communication between different actors such as villa owners and private property developers, we all are suddenly much richer in opportunities. In times like this, where import of food and labor is hard, communicating f.ex. volunteering opportunities on farms through Grow Here can make a vital difference to ensure local food security.” Victoria Bengtsson, Urban Planner.
Want to find a helping hand or new customers for your local (urban) farm? Head over to grow-here.com and list your farm today. The platform is now available worldwide and you can help it spread globally by encouraging people to add their farms or share farmable land in your local region. Together, we can map the growing farming community across the world and make it easier for people to find their nearest urban or small scale farm! Read more here
Are you working in a city or region or local NGO and interested in communicating where to find your region’s farms and farmland? Get the chance to be one of the next three cities on the Grow Here platform expands to. Contact Jonathan and join our online workshop with public health researchers in Sweden to discuss cooperation opportunities. Send an email before 15 of may 2020 to info@growgbg.com.
Curious to know more about the urban farming movement in Gothenburg? Join with your team for an “Urban farming safari” - a guided tour around the city’s urban farming movement. Tours can also be arranged by distance via livestream. Read more at www.thefoodprintlab.com/guidedtours