Last updated: March 2025
The Surco district of Lima has implemented a vertical bio-garden occupying a 685 square meter area within El Aire Park. The garden comprises a 600-meter linear structure supporting 11,000 planters fabricated from recycled plastic bottles. This system yields a substantial crop production of between 400 and 1,500 varieties on a 20-day cycle (1). Initiated by the Municipality of Santiago de Surco, the bio-garden is designed to contribute to the district's economic, nutritional, and environmental sustainability (1, 2, 3, 5). By cultivating high-protein, nutrient-rich crops, the municipality provides essential sustenance to 24 local community kitchens (1), a local market (3), parishes, and social aid organizations (1). To optimize crop yield, the municipality has implemented specialized techniques, including seedling cultivation, harvesting, and organic fertilization, to prevent pest and disease infestations (1). Since its implementation in 2020 with an initial 7,000 planters, the project has expanded by 300% to accommodate 11,000 (1). Cultivated plant varieties include medicinal herbs, leafy greens, root vegetables, and infusion ingredients (2, 5). Additionally, the initiative serves as an educational platform, demonstrating and spreading sustainable home gardening practices utilising recycled materials such as plastic bottles (3, 5).
Wall of lettuce in the vertical biogarden
Facebook page Municipalidad de Santiago de Surco
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental education
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
- Food scarcity / security
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- 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 areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Protection of agroecology approaches (agroforestry & silvopastoral systems), Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
- To make Santiago de Surco the agro-sustainable district of Metropolitan Lima (3).
- To contribute to the district's economic, nutritional and environmental development by producing nutritious food with high protein value (1).
- To apply organic farming techniques, avoiding the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers (1).
- To teach the community how to grow different vegetables in small spaces and with recyclable materials (4, 5).
- To extend the life span of plastic bottles (5).
- To support vulnerable families in the district with the provision of food (1, 2, 3).
Implementation activities
The implementation of the bio-garden has involved the installation of 11,000 pots made from recycled plastic bottles (1). Promoting the distribution of the vegetables produced to the 24 soup kitchens in the commune (1). In addition, specialised techniques have been applied in installation and harvesting, preparation of quality seedlings and methods of fertilisation with organic matter to avoid the presence of pests or diseases without the need to use herbicides (1). One of the examples to demonstrate the development of projects aimed at improving the health of the inhabitants of Surco is the emphasis being placed on planting moringa, which will be dehydrated and given to older adults, children and breastfeeding women to increase their iron intake (2). Likewise, the bio-garden is seeking to supply the local market in the medium term (3), and vegetables are being delivered to the ‘La Cocina del Pueblo’ project, which has been providing free lunches to the most vulnerable population in the district (3). Finally, educational videos and social media posts are being published for the population of Lima with information on how to use recycled bottles to start planting in small spaces (4, 5).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Elderly people, Women, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Parque del Aire: Public theme park serving as the location for the bio-garden project (1).
Surco’s Municipality: Lead organization driving the development and support of the bio-garden. Additionally, the municipality is fostering complementary initiatives, including municipal earthworm farms producing compost to enrich the garden’s soil (8).
Community groups: Entities such as community kitchens, exemplified by "La cocina del pueblo," benefiting from the bio-garden through the provision of harvested vegetables (3).
Social aid organizations and churches: Recipients of the bio-garden’s produce, contributing to their support services (1).
Recycling plant: Supplier of recycled plastic bottles utilized as planters for the bio-garden (5).
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
Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Other
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
- Other
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Achieved improved liveability
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
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.
Agencia Agraria de Noticias (2021). Surco posee el biohuerto vertical más grande del Perú que brinda hortalizas para comedores populares. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Andina Agencia Peruana de Noticias (2023). Biohuerto municipal de Surco produce 14 tipos de plantas medicinales. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Municipalidad de Santiago de Surco (2020). Santiago de Surco: Biohuerto Municipal ayuda a la comunidad. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Municipalidad de Santiago de Surco (2021). #SurcoCultiva| Conoce el biohuerto municipal. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Municipalidad de Lima (2022). #LimaEcológica: Descubre los encantos del biohuerto vertical del Parque del Aire. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Diversión en Lima (n.d.). Parque del Aire | Parque Temático Surco, Lima. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Bruce, C. (2023). Plan de Acción Distrital de Seguridad Ciudadana de Santiago de Surco. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Redacción RPP (2023). Jardineros convierten residuos orgánicos municipales en humus para nutrir viveros y biohuertos. Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
A worker watering a vertical wall of planted vegetables
Facebook page Municipalidad de Santiago de Surco
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.