Urban Farm DB
← Back to cases
Community gardenActiveSince 2021

Awai Noen

Osaka, Japan · Operator: 一般財団法人環境事業協会

Overview

An SDGs natural farm started in Osaka in 2021 that bridges 'awai' (the in-between) of farming and welfare. It partners with children's cafeterias in Tsurumi Ward and Moriguchi, donating its harvest to them, and links children's food education with the social participation of people facing employment barriers.

Citizen participation

Children with little exposure to soil and living things, alongside people facing difficulties in work or daily life, take part in everyday watering, weeding and event operations. Around 40 registered volunteer supporters run the garden using pesticide-free, plastic-free natural-farming methods.

Operating model

An SDGs natural-farm program planned and run by the Environmental Enterprise Foundation, built on three pillars of urban food-cycle farming, support for children's cafeterias, and work support, sustained by a supporter scheme, associate members and corporate partnerships.

Impact

Donates its harvest to local children's cafeterias and practices a circular, pesticide-free, plastic-free model, while partnering with employment-support agencies to create work opportunities for vulnerable people.

Land tenure

Management entrustment

Operated by the Environmental Enterprise Foundation using part of a city park and environmental-learning facility.

Crops

  • vegetables

Scale

まちなかの公園・体験学習施設の一部を活用したSDGs自然農園。サポーターは約40名規模

Sources(2)

Related cases

Community garden
2009

Seseragi Community Garden (Machi no Namagomi Ikashi-tai)

JPHino, Japan

A community garden in Hino City, Tokyo, started by citizens who believe 'kitchen waste is a treasure.' It collects and composts the kitchen waste of around 200 households and grows vegetables and flowers pesticide-free as a food-cycle garden. Naomi Shimpo studied its management and governance in detail in her 2021 and 2024 papers.

CompostOrganic cycleFood loss+4

acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com+3

Community garden
2021

Green Hero Garden Community Project

VNHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Circular agriculture community garden launched by Vietnam Food Bank Network in collaboration with youth and international agencies. Focuses on practicing circular agriculture, food waste reduction, and supporting disadvantaged groups.

Food educationFood lossCommunity+2

vietnam.vn

Community garden

Community Food Education with Children's Cafeterias (MAFF)

JPNationwide, Japan

A nationwide effort based on MAFF's case collection of food education advanced by children's cafeterias working with communities and gardens. Local cafeterias link to plots, harvest experiences and nearby farmers so children grow, harvest, cook and eat together. It connects the food cycle, local production-consumption and food-loss reduction with creating safe places for children.

Food educationWelfareCommunity+1

maff.go.jp+1

Community garden
1997

Junkan Seikatsu Lab Cardboard-Box Composting (Fukuoka)

JPFukuoka, Japan

A Fukuoka-based citizen group that has researched and spread the 'cardboard-box compost' method—decomposing kitchen waste using only microbes—for over two decades, turning household food scraps into compost within the neighborhood to build a 2-km-radius nutrient cycle.

CompostDIYOrganic cycle+3

jun-namaken.com+2

Awai Noen — Urban Farm DB