food and agriculture: growing together; community food systems - ireland

8/3/2019 Food and Agriculture: Growing Together; Community Food Systems - Ireland

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Food and Agriculture- Growing Together; Community Food

Systems

The problem

A community food system is one in which sustainable food production,

processing, distribution and consumption are integrated to enhance the

environmental, economic, and social and nutritional health of a particular

place. This is a goal towards which many communities are now striving.

Across the country, communities are initiating diverse projects that develop

connections between different parts of the food system.


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Market development/Market supply/Changing behaviour

Get Ireland Growing is a campaign run by the Green Party to encourage people to grow theirown food in order to stay healthy, save air miles, learn new skills, get the family involved and

enhance community involvement.

The National Community Garden Association was formed in Nov 2008 with support fromWicklow Community Gardening Network, Cultivate Centre, Climate Champions, Soul Food

group and the Organic Centre. Plots of land have been found in all manner of ways: donated

by parish priests and schools for use by local schoolchildren.

The Organic Centre in Leitrim runs a school garden project as part of their Peace &Environment Programme, they currently work with 6 primary schools in Enniskillen, Garrison

and Rossinver. Experienced gardeners from The Organic Centre work with teachers and

children in each of the schools to create an organic kitchen garden growing vegetables,

fruit, herbs and flowers.

Irish Community Food Growing: http://irishcommunityfoodgrowing.org/ is a network for

Community Gardens and Allotments across the country.

Mechanisms and supporting measures

Government

The Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund promotes sustainable development

by assisting small, non-profit environmental projects at a local level. Any project that will

improve local levels of environmental awareness, or help to build greener more sustainable

communities can apply for funding.

Community

Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) is Irelands leading organic


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certification body dedicated to certifying organic produce and products throughout Ireland.

IOFGA has been at the forefront of the organic movement in Ireland since it was established

in 1982.

Best Practices

Community Supported ArgicultureThe Cloughjordan Community Farm is located on a 21 acre farm on the

outskirts of the village and also utilises two fields on the ecovillage land.

Members are encouraged to get involved in the planting, weeding, and in the

management of the farm. This CSA is very much community driven but other

CSA systems are farmer led. For a farmer a CSA can provide a small but

secure income and the involvement of the community can overcome feelings

of isolation and loneliness so rife in that sector.

Community GardensThe Organic Centre in County Leitrim supports 20 food growing intiatives and

country wide community gardens are appearing rapidly. In Galway the

Ballybane Community Organic Garden was set up in 2004 through the

initiative of the local Ballybane/Mervue CDP (community development

partnership).The South Circular Road Food Garden Project began in April

2007.


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www.bigfoto.com

Growing Together - Community Food Systems

Context

A community food system is one inwhich sustainable food production,

processing, distribution and consumption are integrated to enhance the

environmental, economic, and social and nutritional health of a particular

place. This is a goal towards which many communities are now striving.

Across the country, communities are initiating diverse projects that developconnections between different parts of the food system. One of the most

central aspects of these projects is increased participation by local residents in

working to secure better access to an to an adequate, affordable, nutritious

diet which is produced locally. Creating more direct and beneficial links

between farmers and consumers will be essential in an oil scarce future and to

help rebuild our local economies and support Irish farmers and food producers


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we need to, whenever possible, buy Irish produce. By shopping local we can

also reduce the resources used to move food between producers and

consumers while at the same time reducing our carbon emissions. By

developing food and agriculture-related businesses that create jobs, re-

circulate financial capital in the community, or in other ways, contribute to the

communitys economic development will be essential way to build the

resilience of our communities. Community Gardens and Community

Supported Agriculture projects are gaining momentum.

Community Gardens are run by the community and used for growing herbs,

flowers, vegetables and fruit and sometimes for conserving rare plants and

seeds. As well as providing a place to grow and learn to grow food the

strength in a community garden is as a place to get to know others living in

your community. They often offer somewhere to reduce your household waste

by using communal composting systems as is the case in Stiric Garden in

Stonybatter. A CSA, a community supported agriculture project takes community food

production to a new level. There are now thousands of CSAs around the

world and they come in many forms. They provide fresh, high-quality, local

food which typically use organic or biodynamic growing methods. Typically

members pay a weekly subscription and pick up a share of produce every

week. Importantly they also share in the risk, if there is a crop failure the

members share the loss. Many systems encourage members to work on the

farm in exchange for a portion of their membership fee. CSAs can also be a

way to help small farmers remain economically viable in these difficult times.

For many members this system is a way to take responsibility for how our food

is produced and to reduce the distance from the field to our plates.


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Policy relevance and policy references

In October 2009 The Green Party and Fianna Fail agreed a Renewed

Programme for Government in order to govern in coalition. The following is an

extract:

We will continue to support family farms through a more targetedscheme of on-farm investment. We will also continue to support low-

income farmers through the Farm Assist Scheme and adapt it in

consultation with the relevant farming organisations

We will ensure the achievement of the target of 5% of land in organicagriculture and meet the growing demand for domestically produced

organic produce by providing adequate resources and supports for the

achievement of the target, with a focus on import substitution in areas

where Ireland is under-producing at present e.g. horticulture. Beginning

in 2010, and rising in subsequent years, we will step up supports for the

Organic Farming Scheme for conversion to organic production, Capital

Grants for the Organic Sector and Non-Capital costs.

We will conduct a review of our National Food Security Policy todevelop resilience in food production capacity to future proof against

substantial rises in price and diminishing availability of oil and to meet

the challenge of Climate Change.

We will ensure that new public procurement guidelines for food includecriteria based on giving greater weight to sustainable local produce,

seasonal menus and organic production, building on good practice in

other EU countries in this area.


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We will review standards to ensure that micro-production and directselling by producers are not impeded, building on good practice from

other EU countries

We will promote and support a network of farmers' markets at Local Authority level to encourage more direct selling from producers to

consumers.

We will develop a template for the establishment of farm-gate shopsand ensure that the necessary legislative arrangements are made to

facilitate this.

Key messages for the listeners of the radio show

We need to improve access by all community members to an adequate,

affordable, nutritious diet this can be helped by establishing community

gardens. As well as places to grow food and learn how best to do that,

community gardens are a fantastic way to meet your neighbors. Community

Supported Agriculture is another way people can get involved in food

production and support local producers. CSAs can also be a way to help

small farmers remain economically viable in these difficult times. For many

this system is a way to take responsibility for how our food is produced and to

reduce the distance from the field to our plates.

Intro for the radio programme

In this weeks show we are going to explore, community gardens, food

cooperatives and a new idea called a CSA, a community supported agriculture


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project or a community farm. We are going to hear about the Community

Supported Agriculture initiative in Cloughjordan, talk about the Dublin Food

Cooperative in Newmarket Street and explore why we need to build

community food systems as well as growing some food ourselves.

Market development- supply/ Changing behavior

Get Ireland Growing is a campaign run by the Green Party to encouragepeople to grow their own food in order to stay healthy, save air miles, learn

new skills, get the family involved and enhance community involvement.

The National Community Garden Association was formed in Nov 2008 withsupport from Wicklow Community Gardening Network, Cultivate Centre,

Climate Champions, Soul Food group and the Organic Centre. Plots of land

have been found in all manner of ways: donated by parish priests and schools

for use by local schoolchildren.

The Organic Centre in Leitrim runs a school garden project as part of theirPeace & Environment Programme, they currently work with 6 primary

schools in Enniskillen, Garrison and Rossinver. Experienced gardeners from

The Organic Centre work with teachers and children in each of the schools to

create an organic kitchen garden growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and

flowers. The project promotes eco-literacy within the context of the primary

curriculum, and draws upon best practices in collaborative and self-directed

learning. As well as learning to grow their own food, the weekly gardening

sessions cover a wide range of environmental issues such as composting,


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recycling, and the interconnectedness of natural eco-systems. Most

importantly, the children learn to work with nature, not against it. The project

also involves cross-community sessions based at the Organic Centre, where

children from both main religious communities engage in shared activities that

further develop their environmental awareness. The schools also come

together for a shared harvest celebration. Understanding the importance of

natural bio-diversity and inter-connectedness can be a very effective way for

children to learn the value of religious and cultural diversity.

Irish Community Food Growing: http://irishcommunityfoodgrowing.org/ is a

network for Community Gardens and Allotments across the country.

Supporting mechanism

GovernmentThe Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund promotes sustainable

development by assisting small, non-profit environmental projects at a local

level.

Some of the projects supported to date have included community gardens,

allotments and composting schemes as well as rainwater harvesting schemes,

educational initiatives and environmental projects. The fund has also assisted

Galway and Limerick in attaining fair-trade city status.The Department of

Environment provides a total grant of 350,000 for the fund. This grant is

matched by the local authorities, bringing the total fund to 700,000. To


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qualify for this fund projects should complement national environmental

policies such as Waste, Biodiversity, Climate Change and Sustainable

Development. Any project that will improve local levels of environmental

awareness, or help to build greener more sustainable communities can apply

for funding.

CommunityIrish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) is Irelands leading

organic certification body dedicated to certifying organic produce and products

throughout Ireland.

IOFGA has been at the forefront of the organic movement in Ireland since it

was established in 1982. Over twenty five years of experience in certifying,

training and networking with organic farmers has placed the association in a

unique position to serve a dynamic and growing organic market. IOFGA is avoluntary organisation and a company limited by guarantee with a

membership open to all. It has an elected board of directors and is supported

by a membership of over one thousand people.

Best Practices

Community Supported ArgicultureThe Cloughjordan Community Farm is located on a 21 acre farm on the

outskirts of the village and also utilises two fields on the ecovillage land.


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Members are encouraged to get involved in the planting, weeding, and in the

management of the farm. This CSA is very much community driven but other

CSA systems are farmer led. For a farmer a CSA can provide a small but

secure income and the involvement of the community can overcome feelings

of isolation and loneliness so rife in that sector. The Stroud Community

Agriculture project, one of the more established CSAs in England, has regular

activities and celebrations to encourage members to get involved. Monthly

workdays, farm walks, barbecues and picnics all help to cultivate community

as well as cultivating the land. Community farms can also make connections

with wider members of the community such as local councils, schools,

educational institutions and voluntary organisations

Community GardensThe Organic Centre in County Leitrim supports 20 food growing intiatives and

country wide community gardens are appearing rapidly. In Galway the

Ballybane Community Organic Garden was set up in 2004 through the

initiative of the local Ballybane/Mervue CDP (community development

partnership). Three years on the project is thriving. Crops grown to date

include potatoes, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, coriander and runner

beans. The project is supported by Galway City Council, which provided a

site, HSE West, RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment &

Development), NUI Galway, the VEC and Ballybane/ Mervue CDP.

The South Circular Road Food Garden Project began in April 2007 when a

collective from the recently evicted Dolphins Barn Garden (2005-2006)


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decided to continue the project on a new site. They have a derelict site, once

a car park on loan from ST Salvage Company that they have converted into a

community food garden. http://southcirculargarden.blogspot.com/

BOX Graphs/data and bibliography

Renewed Programme for Government 2009

http://www.greenparty.ie/en/government/renewed_programme_for_governmen

t

Allotments.ie has been developed as an information source for all Irish

gardeners wishing to grow their own food.www.allotments.ie

Grow It Yourself Irelandwww.giyireland.com

Get Ireland Growing:http://www.getgrowing.ie/

South Dublin Allotment Association:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~sthduballots/

Kinvara Sustainable Living http://www.kinvarasustainableliving.com/

Irish Network of Community Gardening http://irishcommunitygardening.org/

Cork Food Webhttp://corkfoodweb.ning.com/

Irish Allotments http://www.irishallotments.net/The Organic Centre:http://www.organiccentre.ie/

IOFGAhttp://iofga.org/
http://www.allotments.ie/http://www.allotments.ie/http://www.allotments.ie/http://www.giyireland.com/http://www.giyireland.com/http://www.giyireland.com/http://www.getgrowing.ie/http://www.getgrowing.ie/http://www.getgrowing.ie/http://corkfoodweb.ning.com/http://corkfoodweb.ning.com/http://corkfoodweb.ning.com/http://www.organiccentre.ie/http://www.organiccentre.ie/http://www.organiccentre.ie/http://iofga.org/http://iofga.org/http://iofga.org/http://iofga.org/http://www.organiccentre.ie/http://corkfoodweb.ning.com/http://www.getgrowing.ie/http://www.giyireland.com/http://www.allotments.ie/


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Finding Allotments:Fingal County Council: Almost 500 new allotments will open in Powerstown

and Donabate in 2009.

Dublin City Council: Dublin City Council is working on a range of allotment

plots. De Courcey Sqaure plots in Glasnevin are due to open this year.

South Dublin County Council: In Clondalkin, Palmerstown, Bohernabreena

and Tallaght.

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council: 100 allotments exist at Mount

Anville.

Other private allotments or community gardens exist in:

Organic Centre, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal Bantry House, Cork Grow your own Turid, Oldcaslte, Co. Meath Finglas Community Garden South Circular Road Garden GalwayBallynane, Westside, Ballyloughan Road Sitric garden, Stoneybatter, Dublin


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food and agriculture: growing together; community food systems - ireland

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