Last updated: October 2021
Within the national park of Alta Murgia, a project was implemented since 2006 from a company which produces ecological products ("Fattoria della Mandorla"). They aimed at creating an ecovillage with allotment gardens by practising biological agriculture and promoting biodiversity for cultivated plants. In addition, the project aims at improving the contact of visitors with nature and give further value to the natural park. Moreover, the project wants to stimulate sustainable production and consumption of cultivated products. (Ref.1.)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Institutional green space
- Other
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Effective management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Improving mental health
- Improving physical health
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The goal of the project/intervention is to promote the practice of biological agriculture and promote sustainable practices of food production and consumption. The ecovillage is open to the public, and its biological products have been exported in surrounding areas (and the city of Bari as well). With this practice, the project aims to focus on education for environmental preservation, biodiversity preservation and self-management of the territory (Ref.1.)
Implementation activities
The activities implemented are:
- didactical farming (teaching and learning practices for cultivation)
- health improvement program (walking and running activities)
- products cultivation with 0 impact on the environment
-practice organic agriculture, with the aim of implementing biodynamic agriculture and permaculture. Small herd of farmyard animals in the wild and towed, murgese horses for small productive activities.
-the recovery of ancient crops, seeds and cultivars, creating a supply for the eco-village.
(Ref.1.&2.)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The private company "Fattoria della Mandorla" has created and implemented the project QuaSani, which is completely self-managed and carried by the owners. The only form of collaboration is with clients and organized groups, which voluntarily join the activities of production and education of the company (Ref.1.&2.)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
(The initiative is from a private company, which nonetheless is providing an important service for the community. But no reference to any official plan has been provided (Ref.2.))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref.1. TerraNuova (2013) Bari: Quasani, un progetto di ecovillaggio, Available at Source link (Accessed 18-6-2020)
Ref.2. Fattoriadellamandorla (2013) Progetto QuaSani. Available at Source link 18-6-2020)
Ref.2. Fattoriadellamandorla (2013) Progetto QuaSani. Available at Source link 18-6-2020)