Last updated: May 2025
The Praderas de Vida garden is an initiative to transform a former rubbish dump into a source of employment and empowerment for the residents of the Praderas de San Juan de Miraflores Human Settlement (1). This agroecological community garden was developed as part of ISA REP's Sustainable Easements programme (13), located in the easement area of Peru's energy network, and it has collaboration efforts with KUNAN, Misha Rastrera, and La Muyita, brings together twelve female heads of households who cultivate, harvest, and process a variety of medicinal plants that have aromatic, antiseptic, and relaxing properties (2, 3). Beyond agricultural production, the garden has become a hub for emotional and economic support, fostering a connection with nature through plant care and interaction with the local ecosystem (3). It has also led to the establishment of a social enterprise, "Praderas de Vida," allowing women to participate in agroecological fairs to market the products derived from the medicinal plants grown in the garden (3). The garden has evolved into a space for learning and community collaboration, promoting the importance of sustainability and biodiversity conservation (6).
Logo of the Praderas de Vida business initiative
Facebook page Praderas de Vida
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
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Conversion of former industrial areas
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
- Food scarcity / security
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
- Insecurity in public spaces
- Resource Scarcity and Competition
- Food insecurity due to disruptions in food production and distribution
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Landfill reclamation, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces
Project objectives
- To transform a derelict site into a safe and productive one, especially during the pandemic (1, 7)
- To build unity among the neighbours of the community garden (7)
- To generate income to support women and elderly people within the community (7)
- To promote entrepreneurship and empowerment through the production of medicinal plants (4, 6)
- To promote the responsible use of medicinal plants and to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity (6)
Implementation activities
The gardens have implemented agroecological practices for the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of medicinal plants (5). A diverse range of plants, including both highland and coastal species, have been successfully adapted and cultivated in the gardens. The use of agrochemical-free methods for herb cultivation has contributed to increased biodiversity, attracting pollinators (3). ISA REP has provided ongoing support and monitoring to the gardeners, ensuring the project's success (3).
Furthermore, with ISA REP's assistance, alliances have been formed with strategic partners, Kunan and Misha Rastrera. These collaborations have resulted in the establishment of cultivation and production spaces that directly benefit the community (6). The initiative has also encouraged active participation in ecological fairs and the development of new products based on the medicinal plants grown in the garden (6). As a result, the gardens have become the primary suppliers for Misha Rastrera, a social enterprise that markets natural food products and natural cosmetics. Forty-three products from the gardens are currently sold on the Misha Rastrera platform, providing a stable source of income (7). Lastly, the gardens have also evolved into spaces for learning and community engagement, fostering awareness of sustainability and biodiversity conservation within the community (6).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Women, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Citizens or community group
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
ISA REP funding actor. Part of its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, providing ongoing support for its implementation and maintenance (2)
KUNAN is a strategic partner of ISA REP, acting as a bridge between social enterprises and companies (4)
Misha Rastrera and La Muyita: social enterprises. Implementing actors (12). Misha Rastrera is an ally of the garden. The women of the community garden sell their products on its web platform (11).
Several local enterprises and people have donated resources: PG provided a mural, Lombri Wasi donated a compost bin, Huertos en Línea project participants offered early-stage support, Cajas Ecológicas made a playground for kids, and volunteers (11).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Type of enablers
Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
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
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Achieved enhanced support of pollination
- 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
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved mental health
- Achieved improved mental health
- Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Achieved enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Achieved improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Decreased crime rates
- Achieved decreased crime rates
Type of reported 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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Agricultura en Lima (n.d.). MAPEO DE HUERTAS. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Praderas de vida (n.d.). Praderas de Vida - Facebook page. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
3.
ISA REP (n.d.). Fanzine historias de jardín. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
4.
ISA REP (n.d.). Gestión Social. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
5.
(n.d.). Praderas de Vida. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
6.
desde adentro (2023). Proyecto “Praderas de Vida” de ISA REP recibe reconocimiento de Lima Cómo Vamos. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Diario Correo (2023). Praderas de Vida, el jardín comunitario de plantas medicinales en San Juan de Miraflores. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Redacción Diario Correo (2023). Praderas de Vida, el jardín comunitario de plantas medicinalesen San Juan de Mirafl ores. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
9.
EcoBio Negocios (n.d.). Praderas de Vida. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos Estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a nivel de Manzanas 2020. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Pérez, C. (2023). Pamplona Alta: vivir en el cerro, sin agua y sin esperanza. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
12.
@misha_rastrera (2019). Intagram Post - Misha Rastrera. Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link];
13.
ISA REP (2020). Jardín Medicinal "Praderas de Vida". Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link];
14.
ISA REP (2024). ¡Voluntariado Verde en el Jardín Praderas de Vida!. Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link];
Women who lead the community garden
Facebook page Praderas de Vida
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.