Last updated: May 2025
In 2018, a group of residents from Sector II in the Villa El Salvador district initiated a communal effort to transform an abandoned space into an urban garden (3). This is how Ayllu 21, the first community-based agroecological garden in Villa El Salvador, was born. The project was spearheaded by a group of mostly migrant senior women who decided to dedicate their time and labour to reclaiming a landfill space, to turn it into a productive green area (1). Their philosophy is rooted in the concept of "ayllu," a Quechua word signifying family, collective identity, solidarity, and respect for the environment to foster harmonious coexistence (3). Today, Ayllu 21 spans 1400 square meters and features 40 plots where agroecological practices are employed (1, 3). The garden aims to become a space for comprehensive development, through promoting environmental awareness, political advocacy, and the fight against gender-based violence in a district that ranks third in the number of violence cases (1). The vegetables produced are primarily for self-consumption, with any surplus distributed among neighbouring families. If there are any sales, the profits are shared among the members, who work an average of two days per week in the garden (3). This space seeks to strengthen socialization among women and seniors and foster learning and community-building among neighbours through agriculture. It was initiated with the support of IPES Promotion of Sustainable Development as part of the Sowing in the Desert program (3, 6), and it has received support from a diversity of programmes, such as the framework of the Women United for Food and Environmental Security (MUSA) (1).
Picture of the Community Garden
Jara, M.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Social fragmentation and isolation
- Insecurity in public spaces
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments)
Project objectives
- To have fresh produce for self-consumption, and create a space to weave community (1, 3).
- To transform the abandoned space into an urban garden, which contributes to a healthy environment and safety (2)
- To empower women through the transmission of knowledge among women gardeners so that they can cultivate at home and become economically independent (1, 2).
- To encourage the solidary participation of the inhabitants of the sector to build good works for a dignified, safe and clean life, as well as to revalue their Andean roots (6).
- To promote a regulation for the development of urban agriculture in the district of Villa El Salvador that will turn it into a green district (1, 6).
As part of the programme ‘Sembrando en el desierto’ (Sowing in the desert), the following objectives could be considered:
- To improve productive, economic, environmental and urban agriculture in the popular communities of Villa el Salvador, contributing especially to the empowerment of women (5).
- To expand urban agriculture, to generate a greater supply of healthy and organic products for the popular sectors of the city and, at the same time, to improve the image of public spaces (5).
Implementation activities
A complete clearing of the plot was necessary to achieve a suitable space for growing vegetables (7). After clearing it, they built a place to produce seedlings, training and research areas, a composting area, a storage area, a water reservoir and about 39 production beds of 6-7 m2 (3, 7). The project started with the support of 17 families (3, 7), each of whom was allocated two plots of land for the production of different vegetables, which they could sell at different fairs and in their gardens (3).
Within the community garden, joint work is promoted, as well as a culture of environmental awareness that is taught mainly to children (3)
Throughout the development of the project, training has been provided in urban agriculture and organic production (5), as well as workshops through the Huertera a Huertera programme, one of the pillars of the MUSA Project, in which women have been trained so that they can get started in urban agriculture (1). Likewise, many women have found in the vegetable garden a source of income through the sale of seedlings, compost, or ventures such as the sale of hand-painted flowerpots (1). Finally, women leaders who are part of the garden have established alliances to work on the development of a political agenda around urban agriculture that includes a gender approach (1)
Additionally, different activities have been carried out to strengthen neighbourhood involvement, such as talks, school visits, daily community meetings, and product tasting (4)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Women
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
IPES Promoción del Desarrollo Sostenible: NGO that through the programme Sembrando en el Desierto became a supportive actor to the community's efforts (2)
Project ‘Mujeres Unidas por la Seguridad Alimentaria y Ambiental’ (MUSA): implemented by the Plataforma de Agricultura Urbana in Lima, they have supported the development of capacity building projects through the Huertera a Huertera programme (1)
REDAVES, Plataforma de Agricultura Urbana, Municipality of Villa el Salvador, private companies and Red de Huertos Urbanos de Medellín: organisations that have supported the development of the vegetable garden (3).
INGEC Integration, Governance and Circular Economy (core member of the Urban Agriculture Platform in Lima) support to the project aimed at influencing public policies (6)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
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 labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Generation of income from NBS
- Achieved generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health
- Achieved improved mental health
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Achieved increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Achieved increased perception of safety
- Decreased crime rates
- Achieved decreased crime rates
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
López, E. (n.d.). Soñar juntas un área verde productiva mujeres adultas mayores que siembran conciencia ambiental con enfoque agroecológico y equidad de género. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Jara, M. (2021). Trabajo conjunto de mujeres convierte un basurero en un huerto ecológico en Perú. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Bravo Urrutia, A., Cusicuna Palma, N., Cuya Ávalos, R., Cáceres Miranda, Y. (2021). HUERTOS URBANOS COMO REVITALIZADOR DEL ESPACIO PÚBLICO VACANTE: CASO HUERTOS EN LÍNEA EN VILLA MARÍA DEL TRIUNFO Y AYLLU 21 EN VILLA EL SALVADOR. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Jimenez Carlos, Y. (2023). “ACOMPAÑAMIENTO Y ASISTENCIA TÉCNICA EN AGRICULTURA URBANA MEDIANTE HUERTOS COMUNALES EN LIMA METROPOLITANA. Accessed on August 27, 2024,;
5.
Sembrando en el Desierto (2018). Proyecto de Agricultura urbana “Sembrando en el desierto” Reporte de avance - Agosto 2018. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Sotomayor Cotrado, V. (2023). MANUAL PARA LA INCIDENCIA POLÍTICA Y ELABORACIÓN DE POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Calle Hernández, A., Mena Aguilar, J., Beaulieu, M., Urbina Avilés, P., Hachiler P. (2019). Agricultura urbana un paso hacia una ciudad sostenible. Asociación Ecología, Tecnología y Cultura en los Andes, p. 11-13 Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Agricultura en Lima (n.d.). Proyecto Mujeres Unidas por la Seguridad Alimentaria y Ambiental (MUSA). Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
Picture of the Community Garden Ayllu 21
Bravo Urrutia, A., Cusicuna Palma, N., Cuya Ávalos, R., Cáceres Miranda, Y.
Photo of the Ayllu Community Garden, showing a geranium tree planted in a tyre in the foreground and the garden plots in the background.
Bravo Urrutia, A., Cusicuna Palma, N., Cuya Ávalos, R., Cáceres Miranda, Y.
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.