Self-Sustaining Cities

The association Self-sustaining Cities works to make cities – regardless of their size – more self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables. This is achieved by establishing green belts of small, diverse, community-based farms around cities, using nature-based and regenerative farming methods, as well as micro-farms within the urban space such as community gardens, market gardens, and permaculture food forests.

We engage both nationally and internationally through communities and partnerships. Our purpose is partly to share knowledge and promote scientific literacy, awareness, and inspiration, and partly to initiate local farming projects where citizens are actively involved in growing food. We believe that we must all take part in the growing of our food, whether as full-time or part-time farmers, or as members of the economic and social communities surrounding food production.

The association serves as a link between municipalities, farmers, distribution channels and citizens.

At the municipal level, we work to ensure that land is made available as well as to improve the overall conditions for food production. We also encourage municipalities to provide financial support and to become active participants in local food systems themselves.

We collaborate with farmers, supporting them in securing the necessary funding, and we help establish and strengthen distribution channels so that local produce can reach citizens.

Citizens are actively involved through crowdfunding, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and new growing communities. In this way, we create a holistic collaboration in which everyone contributes to building greener and more self-sustaining cities.

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