Last updated: November 2024
In Phoenix, many residents live in dead zones with little or no access to fresh food. These zones are called 'food deserts,' which represent a low-income area with low access to a grocery store (3). Out of the 43 food deserts identified by the city, 18 are fully or partly in south Phoenix (2-3). In 2017, Two researchers from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability and Leuphana University Lüneburg in Germany began exploring the idea of creating a sustainable food forest cooperative in Phoenix to provide fresh, healthy food, supporting local entrepreneurs, and promote environmental sustainability (1). The project's development team spent months immersing themselves in the world of food forests, by exploring different types of community gardens, discussing preferred characteristics, anticipating local challenges, and identifying potential collaborators (1). As a result, The Food Forest Cooperative was established and planted roots in a 0.5 acre (0.20 ha) plot within the Spaces of Opportunity Community Garden in 2022 (1). This food forest engages the local community by offering educational opportunities around the value of culturally relevant, whole fruits and vegetables, medicine making, and learning about the many uses of edible/medicinal plants (4). The Food Forest Cooperative as a multi-generational project that members preserve for their children, and their children’s children (2). The intention behind the project is to address food insecurity in south Phoenix and empowering the community to take ownership of it and reconnect with their ancestors through the land and food (2). Through the Cooperative, members can contribute different skills, from administrative work to manual labor to community education and traditional medicine (2). It was created to empower community members and challenge the patterns of our food system through the blending of environmental, social and economic goals (4).
Food Forest Cooperative
https://www.foodforestco-op.com/a
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
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of historic traditions
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental education
- Environmental and climate justice
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
- Food scarcity / security
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Disconnection from nature
- Loss of sense of place and identity
- 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, Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management), Indigenous and community-based conservation initiatives, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
The goals of the Food Forest Cooperative were to:
To create a sustainable food forest enterprise that produces a variety of edible plants for the local community, supporting families in South Phoenix and addressing food insecurity among low-income Black and Brown communities.
To develop an action plan centered on mindfulness and nature education.
To engage with the community to identify local needs and offer a shared learning opportunity for all.
To establish the Food Forest Cooperative as a multi-generational project that members preserve for future generations.
To empower people and indigenous communities in South Phoenix to take ownership of the project and reconnect with their ancestral ties to the land.
To build the project around the three pillars of sustainability:
The environmental pillar promotes land stewardship through regenerative farming.
The social pillar advocates for food justice and human rights in South Phoenix.
The economic pillar focuses on wage equity and narrowing the pay gap between the highest- and lowest-paid employees.
(1, 2)
Implementation activities
To realize the objectives, the project:
1. Built a theoretical framework for sustainable food forests and applied it to the City of Phoenix to contribute to sustainable development and food systems (1).
2. Identified the barriers to developing food forests sustainably by compiling an inventory of ~200 food forests, and interviewed, visited, and analyzed in detail 20 other food forest projects to anticipate local challenges (1).
3. Established partnerships with ASU's Sustainable Food Economy Lab & School of Sustainability, TigerMountain Foundation, Orchard Community Learning Center, Healthy Roots Café, and Thrive Consultancy, Spaces of Opportunity and community members to provide expertise, resources, and community support for the project (1).
4. Identified the Spaces of Opportunity garden as the future home of the Food Forest Cooperative and established a 0.5 acre space for growing food (1).
5. Secured funding through a local donor providing funds for earthwork, water infrastructure, plants, and, most importantly, monthly stipends for the future food forest entrepreneurs.(1).
6. Hosted the first planting session in 2022 (1).
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Indigenous or tribal communities, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Indigenous communities, Disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was founded by two researchers from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability and Leuphana University Lüneburg. Local residents played an active role, participating in planning, development, and management activities. The project also collaborated with local businesses and organizations, including TigerMountain Foundation, Sprouts, Spaces of Opportunity, Orchard Community Learning Center, Healthy Roots Café, and Thrive Consultancy, to secure essential resources and support. Additionally, the City of Phoenix contributed expertise through its sustainable cooperative food business development program, enhancing the project's capacity-building efforts. (1)
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
Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching)
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- 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 expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Achieved improved soil quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- 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
- Expected increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Preserved spiritual and religious values
- Achieved preserved spiritual and religious values
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Albrecht, S., and Wiek, A. (n.d.). History of Food Forest Cooperative 2017-2022. [Source link];
2.
Totiyapungprasert, P. (n.d.). They're reimagining the future of food in south Phoenix. Here's how you can be a part of it. [Source link];
3.
Growing to Give (n.d.). Growing To Give, Arizona Food Deserts. [Source link];
4.
Good Food Finder (n.d.). Food Forest Cooperative. [Source link];
Food Forest Cooperative
https://www.foodforestco-op.com/a
Food Forest Cooperative
https://www.foodforestco-op.com/a
Food Forest Cooperative
https://www.foodforestco-op.com/a
Food Forest Cooperative
https://www.foodforestco-op.com/a
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.