AMURTEL Romania

Master Unit

A community supported agriculture initiative with a

social integration component

AMURTEL Romania’s

Mission

The mission of

AMURTEL Romania is

to create inclusive

programs for the

economic and holistic

development of

children, young adults

and parents at risk of

social exclusion.

AMURTEL’s Main Projects

• “Familia AMURTEL”: residential

placement center

• “Vistara” Social Integration program for

youth leaving care

• “Sunrise Kindergarten”: vegetarian

Neohumanistkindergartens with

inclusive education

• “Fountain of Hope”: afterschool center

• “AMURTEL Social Garden Master Unit”:

social enterprise

Master Units

PROUT’s model for sustainable

community development

AMURTEL Poieni MU, Buzau county

AMURTEL is the first NGO in Romania to apply the Community Supported Agriculture model to a work integration project

ASAT Social GardensAssociation for the support of

small agricultural producers

The first Romanian CSA network – formed in 2008. Now there

are ASAT partnerships in 7 cities (Timișoara, Arad,

OdorheiuSecuiesc, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, TârguMureș and

București).

Defining anASAT Social Garden

• Economic activity (agricultural production) is performed by an NGO or a company whose single shareholder is an NGO;

• At least 25% of those involved in the economic activity are people in need, either the direct beneficiaries of the organization or disadvantaged people from the local community, this is a legal activity intended to ensure a decent income;

• The income derived from the business (products and money) will be used for investments and to support the social mission of the NGO.

AMURTEL’ s Master Unitworks towards the following goals:

Offer high quality organic vegetables at

an equitable price to consumers,

respecting traditional agricultural methods

Create a fair market for small producers

Provide food and income for AMURTEL’s

social programs

Create professional insertion job

opportunities for youth from

AMURTEL’sVistara integration program

Provide educational programs in organic

agriculture and sustainable development

Offering healthy food for a group of 35

consumers in Bucharest and for the

other social projects of the organization

• In 2012, its first year, the

farm served up to 22

consumers in Bucharest

• The farm produced

approximately 1 ton of

fruits and vegetables in

its first year

• In 2013, the farm serves

35 consumers and has

produced 5 tons of fruits

and vegetables

Social Insertion Opportunities • In the first year, the

main farmer and 1

young adult from the

Vistara program were

the main farmers

• In 2013, the farm

hired 2 economically

disadvantaged women

and hires Vistarayouth

on the harvest days. 6

gained work

experience.

Target groups

• Economically disadvantaged rural

women that are professionally inactive

• Young people leaving the care system

• Young adults with mental disabilities

from the care system

Our volunteer agronomist, guiding

youth and workers on working the

land

He guided specific companion

planting associations

He also guided the planting, harvesting

and cultivating the vegetables

Educational component:

• Organic Farming workshop, November 2012

• Permaculture Design Course, March 2013

Results

• Financially – reached break even point

already in 2012

• Business plan awarded within the

Prometeus program

• Partnership with Ecoshopping for

specialty vegetables (kale, swiss chard

etc)

• Developed planning instruments

Infrastructure:

• 2 wells

• drip irrigation

• 750 sq. mgreenhouses

Social Results:

• Job creation for 2 local rural women that were beneficiaries of social services

• 6 of the youth of the placement center FamiliaAMURTEL were paid for assistenceon the farm on harvest days

• 40 people trained in organic agriculture activities

Developments in the 2nd year:

• Modern drip irrigation system installed

• Number of jobs in the farm increased from 1 to 2 farm workers and from 1 assistant to 6 (young adults from the children’s home)

• Consumers number increased from 24 up to 35

• Ecoshopping company involved in the vegetables distribution, guaranteeing quality control and professional consultation

Sustainability

• The community supported

agriculture provides a stable

market that builds on the

special advantages of

supporting a social cause as

well as receiving organic

produce

• The model can be expanded to

provide greater flexibility to

clients by creating a form of

cooperation amongst NGOs

and local farmers

The next step:

Multi-farm CSA• Our partner ,

AMURT Romania

has already

begun an

experimental

garden, in

preparation to

join in 2014

Other development plans:

• Medicinal plants

garden / Detox

programs

• Processing line

“Food hub”

• Community

development

educational

programs