Cities without Hunger

The definition of food security has evolved to the current emphasis on access to food, moving, therefore, beyond the initial concept that only considered the availability of food (on the market). Today, food security also presupposes that the food be healthy and, rather than merely focusing on its caloric aspect, complete from a nutritional point of view, including the vitamins and proteins necessary. Thus, for there to be food security, it is necessary that there be an availability, year-round, at a national and local level, enough food for the population; that the families be able to have physical and economic access to enough food in terms of quantity, quality and variety, and that home and institutional providers have time, knowledge and motivation to ensure that all the nutritional needs of every family member be met.

It is essential to understand the contribution community gardens can make to both aspects of food security : accessibility and quality. Access to food is a food security premise. In today’s world, with a few exceptions (caused by draughts, wars and the imbalances stemming thereof), there is enough food to meet the needs of everyone – in rural and urban areas. Yet, there are no guarantees that every segment of the population will have access to food in sufficient quantity and at the moment needed. Those whose chances of obtaining it are smaller are the poor, the vulnerable and those more isolated members of the society.

Through a number of informal mechanisms and channels of distribution, the greater part of the food produced in urban areas is consumed right there, often by its producers or families close to them. Community gardens provide food at reduced prices, especially during the production cycle’s seasonal peaks. In times of emergency, or when transportation and distribution logistics are disorganized, produce from the community gardens are more than supplements and become the main source of food for urban consumers.

A healthy diet requires an appropriate combination of micro and macro nutrients to meet each family member’s needs, according to their sex, age and health conditions. Two main factors are responsible for preventing urban dwellers from having a healthy diet: poverty and lack of fresh food. Poor families cannot afford, on a regular basis, the expenses incurred in buying perishable food, which contains vital micronutrients for a healthy life, which are extremely important for children. But even not so poor city dwellers may face difficulty finding enough quantities of fruit and vegetables. If the supply channels from the countryside to the city are inadequate, such products may become scarce.

Food produced by community gardens is rich in micronutrients and is, therefore, vital to alleviate malnutrition in poor homes, contributing dramatically to a household’s food security. Producing such food close to the population that needs it makes it more accessible to those consumers. Yet to increase the food security of the communities targeted by the garden projects, it is imperative that the food be produced in a safe and healthy environment. The jobs and the income generated by the gardens also offer the potential to reduce food insecurity. The main purpose of the project is to stimulate groups of producers to seek alternative ways to distribute their production, by adding value to it and thus securing some financial compensation for their labor.

EVIDENCE TO THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY OF HOUSEHOLDS

Community gardens reduce food insecurity as access to food increases –especially of fresh and nutrient-rich food– among the poorest, most affected and vulnerable populations, benefiting children foremost –whether directly by self-provisioning or thanks to the added income brought about by the selling of the production. Since poor families may spend 60 to 80% of their income on food, both options may have an important impact on the well being of the families. In addition to such evidence we have also found out that:

• families who cultivate food are less dependent on basic food basket donation programs;
• a city’s demand for fresh, perishable food is better met by the urban and peri-urban production than by rural production;
• urban producers consume more vegetables than non urban producers and wealthier consumers;
• benefits are higher to a family when there is the participation of women among the producers. Poor families may find in community gardens a useful strategy for their well being in several conditions. To fully reach their farming activities’ productive potential, families need access to basic resources, technological support and, most importantly, a supportive public policy environment. Such environment must contain certain elements: a) land use regulations that protect community garden practitioners; b) identification and facilitation of distribution and commercialization so that the poor have access to the products, both as producers and consumers.

ADVANTAGES COMMUNITY GARDENS CAN BRING TO THE CITY

Income generation for producers, creation of urban jobs, absorption of the migrant rural labor force, absorption of teenage workforce, job opportunities for women, food security, recycling of domestic and urban waste, recycling of rain water, availability of fresh and cheaper food, protein source, improved urban environment, enhanced urban esthetics, creation of agribusinesses (more jobs), pleasure in cultivating, labor/pleasure for the elderly.
POTENTIAL INCOME-GENERATION PROJECTS

• distribution of non processed fresh greens and vegetables;
• production of fresh greens and vegetables for simple pre processing;
• production of vegetables for preserves;
• production jointly planned with restaurants;
• production of flowers and ornamental plants;
• production of seedlings of native species for environmental recovery and urban tree planting;
• production of preserves such as tomato sauce, dried tomatoes and pickles.