Edible Commons

The European Commission shared some alarming news, affirming that in 2024 almost 9% of the European population was unable to afford a proper meal. These issues mainly affect people at risk of poverty (19%), compared to those who are not exposed to this risk (6%). Moreover, inflation is increasing day by day, and the possibility of affording healthy and organic food is proportionally decreasing. Families and vulnerable people often have to face poor nutritional quality, and this is an element that increases social isolation. Along with this, the idea of food as a fundamental human right remains, but the crisis of welfare systems is concretely challenging this possibility for an increasing number of people.

Cities can play a significant role in this field, especially considering the increase in urbanization, which sees many people moving from rural areas to cities. This often means losing the possibility of creating a space for cultivating food and improving the quality of meals without depending on economic capacity. In this context, the city could fill that void and create an environment that encourages people to cultivate part of their own food.
The city of Ferrara is willing to launch a project with the aim of tackling food poverty in urban disadvantaged areas by bringing people closer to fresh food and raising awareness about the importance of food quality, as well as enabling urban auto-production for most fragile citizens. The possibility of testing the project in different urban settings will guarantee the reproducibility of the project and an important sharing of experience and innovation in the field of urban agriculture.

The project aims to guarantee direct access to fresh and healthy food for vulnerable people, integrating the traditional system of production and distribution. Additionally, the project will guarantee the empowerment of citizens in terms of competence and knowledge regarding nutrients, food autonomy, and awareness of urban areas as a common good. Alongside this, the Edible Commons framework aims at increasing social cohesion, reducing isolation and facilitating the construction of social ties between generations and different types of families.