Belo Horizonte Urban Agriculture & Community Gardens
Belo Horizonte, Brazil · Operator: Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte (SMASAC / Subsecretaria de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional)
Overview
Urban agriculture rooted in Belo Horizonte's food security policy, with over three decades of experience; centred on a community-garden program created in 2017, it supports residents' production with seedlings and training.
Citizen participation
Residents of lower-income areas grow healthy food in community, school and alternative-space gardens; the city supplies seedlings and seeds and supports training and the organising of surplus sales.
Operating model
Run by the city as part of its food and nutritional security policy; a public program that provides seedlings, seeds and training and supports sale of produce that exceeds household consumption.
Impact
42 productive units cultivate over 88,000 m² with more than 300 registered farmers, making it a leading example of urban agriculture policy advancing food and nutritional security and social inclusion.
Land tenure
Gardens are set up on municipal, school and community spaces, used by registered residents within the food security policy framework.
Crops
- vegetables
- herbs
- fruit
Scale
88,000 m² — 42 productive units occupy more than 88,000 m² of cultivated area with 300+ registered farmers; community-garden program created 2017
Sources(2)
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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