Catalina Gomez, São Paulo Community Manager
São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, has 11 million residents and is the epicenter of the third largest metropolitan area in the globe. It is fully urbanized and presents few connections with close by rural areas, with the exception of two fundamental aspects: (i) food supply; and (ii) shared natural resources. The following two initiatives contribute to São Paulo’s sustainable development through the expansion of urban agriculture and the conservation of natural resources, bringing greater balance between the megacity and nearby rural areas.
Hortelões Urbanos is a recent initiative that aims to expand urban agriculture in São Paulo. It offers a platform for exchanging experiences and lessons learned on urban agriculture, local food production, recycling, and healthy urban lifestyles, and currently has more than 5,000 followers on Facebook. The initiative has also, in less than a year, developed seven community gardens in public spaces throughout the city, promoting joint work among community members toward more sustainable neighborhoods. The gardens are located in public spaces, so careful attention is paid to ensure that the gardens respect public space norms and ensure the proper flow of pedestrians, their pets, and bicycles.
The initiative was launched by two committed women, Claudia Visoni and Tatiana Achcar, who are journalists and advocates on the need for more sustainable lifestyles in cities, with a focus on local food production and reduced dependency on an external food supply. Besides their leadership, Hortelões Urbanos is supported by a network of volunteers, who not only help to plant the various community gardens, but also help in their cleaning, watering, and upkeep, contributing to the gardens’ sustainability. Their example influences thousands of residents and is inspiring new initiatives as well. Those interested in learning more about this group can follow its presentation on the Pecha Kucha Global Night this September 20th, which will showcase “hidden heroes” in various cities.
The second initiative is called Festival Cultivar, an annual event that aims at creating awareness about sustainable lifestyles and the importance of preserving São Paulo’s natural resources, including its water sources and trees, which are present throughout the metropolitan area and even reach the rural areas. The event was established in 2010; since then, it takes place in a public park each September, the same week as Tree Day (September 21) and International Car-Free Day (September 22), to reinforce some of the priorities aligned with a sustainable lifestyle.
Festival Cultivar also brings “Cultivar Talks,” which can be compared to a local TedX platform for exchanging best practices and experiences on urban environmental sustainability. Cultivar Talks promotes the participation of civil society members and public policy experts, bringing different perspectives and solutions to São Paulo’s environmental challenges, with a focus on the conservation of the city’s natural resources, planting trees, and cleaning rivers and streams.
Photo credit: Hortelões Urbanos