Urban agriculture
How is urban agriculture encouraged in Barcelona?
For a while now, municipal policies in Barcelona have been promoting organic agriculture in urban and peri-urban spaces and biodiversity refuge spaces. The Greenery and Biodiversity Plan 2020, launched back in 2013, foresaw how the city’s allotments contribute to biodiversity, which is why it envisions “promoting organic agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas” (initiative 4.8) and “designing and implementing a programme of accessible neighbourhood-run flower and vegetable gardens” (initiative 9.7).
Urban agriculture is promoted as a healthy, social, community-led practice for the city’s residents. It is a window to the countryside that raises awareness of agricultural principles, improves physical and mental health, and builds community.
Anyone can get involved in agriculture, whether young or old, professional or amateur. This is exactly what happens in the city’s allotments, municipal or self-managed community gardens and allotments, and the rooftop terraces and balconies of public and private buildings.
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You can sign up for agricultural workshops at civic centres, Environmental Classrooms or the Laberint d'Horta Training Centre.
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You can sign up for workshops and activities led by agroecological associations like Tarpuna, EducaHorts and Remenat and at different community allotments that offer activities open to everybody, like Quirohort, Porta’m a l’Hort, and Aplec d'Agricultura Urbana.
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You can also access training linked to agriculture and silviculture at the Cases d’Oficis.
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Or you can enrol in an intermediate or higher education course in organic agriculture, forest management or landscaping and the rural environment at centres like Institut El Prat de Llobregat, l'Institut Castellar, l’Institut Rubió i Tudurí and the School of Agriculture.
Plus, even though there is only a minor amount of cultivated city land, the local government is committed to conserving the few productive agricultural spaces that still survive, like Can Calopa, Can Carlets and La Ponderosa, as well as bringing visibility to the farming community that feeds Barcelona.
Barcelona City Council wants to call for shared responsibility in looking after nature and urban agriculture, and we encourage you to create school or community allotments and gardens, get involved in municipal allotments as users or part of organisations, promote ecological agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas, and create green allotments, balconies, terraces, rooftop terraces, roofs, walls and courtyards.
The figures from 2021...
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349
school allotments
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189
urban allotments for use by the community or social organisations
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872
individual users of the 15 urban allotments
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40
organisations using the 15 urban allotments
Let’s help urban agriculture grow
The actions needed to improve and expand the agricultural land in the city with an agroecological model are planned via the Urban Agriculture Strategy (EAU) Opens in a new window. These allotments are intended to maximise environmental and social services and increase the presence of nature in the city for the benefit of people, health and biodiversity conservation. The vision for 10 years from now is one of an eco-friendly, healthy, resilient city whose citizens are involved in the management of its allotments and promoting agroecology and food sovereignty.
The main values guiding the Strategy are:
- Environmental justice. The aim of promoting ecological agriculture and agroecology is to contribute to the sustainable management of urban greenery and improve the quality of the urban space to promote people’s health and mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Inclusion and social justice. Urban agriculture must promote inclusion and social cohesion through community activation, ensuring that urban allotments are egalitarian, plural and democratic spaces and guaranteeing equal access to resources.
- Participatory democracy. Urban agricultural initiatives must be based on shared governance and promote citizen participation and shared responsibility.