Food Forest in Sicily
Together with our partners in the cooperative Valdibella we have worked with the NOE Social Cooperative launched an agroforestry project on a piece of fallow land. In the so-called Food Forest, we plant perennial trees and agricultural crops on the same area. Thanks to its diversity, this cultivation system is more resilient to the consequences of climate change.
A piece of run-down mafia land has now been transformed into edible land in the Food Forest. Hopefully we will soon be able to harvest the first pesticide-free nuts and fruit that have grown in healthy soil. We are delighted to be able to count on so many committed supporters in Sicily!
"The first test plot with tomato seedlings has now grown into a large-scale permaculture project. In the Food Forest, a piece of run-down mafia land is being transformed into an edible landscape."
Tobias Joos, Co-Founder Crowd Container
What we have achieved
In fall 2020, thanks to 477 supporters from Switzerland and Italy 68,000 francs via the crowdfunding platform wemakeit collected for the project. Our local partners then planted 300 citrus trees, 200 avocado trees and 80 olive trees and created a Pond for efficient water storage and use created. Interested parties from our community have participated in the Online exchange options participated with our Sicilian partners* or immediately got a picture of the Food Forest on site. Diverse volunteers in Sicily also support the NOE Social Cooperative in their daily work in the field.
The harvest as the next step
Over the next few years, the trees in the Food Forest will bear fruit and make a harvest possible. Part of this first harvest is reserved for the supporters of the crowdfunding. The distribution of fruits and nuts from the food forest via crowd containers is another conceivable step. A final report on the development of soil conditions and biodiversity is expected to be drawn up in 2025. A life cycle assessment is also planned for this date.
The Food Forest in the media
- FPT Industrial Webcast, October 2021: The communities of change
- RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, May 26, 2021: La foresta commestibile di Sicilia
- Corriere della Sera, April 24, 2021: Il bosco commestibile di Partinico | pdf
Impressions from the Food Forest
Sustainable agriculture & social responsibility
Agriculture is both a contributor to and a victim of climate change: through intensive and chemical soil cultivation, it contributes a great deal to global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the consequences of climate change, such as drought or soil erosion, also put it under pressure. Permaculture and agroforestry systems, in which perennial trees and arable crops are planted on the same land, offer a way out of this dilemma. Such forms of cultivation can sequester more carbon and are more resilient to the consequences of climate change thanks to their diversity.
First promising experiences with agroforestry systems has already been collected by Crowd Container in Peru. Thanks to a lifecycle assessment in cooperation with the Peruvian coffee producers and myclimate, we were able to demonstrate the positive ecological impact.
The Food Forest also offers added social value: The NOE social cooperative integrates people with physical or mental disabilities into everyday working and social life. The project is also important in the fight against the mafia. The land was expropriated from the mafia so that NOE can now lease and cultivate it from the community. NOE therefore invites school classes and tour groups from all over Italy to raise awareness of the mafia problem.
However, the social cooperative NOE, which has leased the land for the Food Forest, is currently under pressure. It is uncertain whether our partners will be able to cultivate the land in the future. Together, however, we are doing everything we can to continue this promising project.
Stay up to date
Don't miss any news and join us as we transform agriculture together! Sign up for the newsletter now.