1. General information
2. Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The goals of the Special Plan for the Protection and Improvement of the Agrarian Park is: 1) to promote the expansion of sustainable agricultural production on a competitive level while 2) preserving the natural habitat and its biological value and 3) prevent harmful infrastructural expansion in the green area and build a social space for people to enjoy and be educated about environmental protection (Ref 2).
- structure the agricultural space to guarantee the necessary conditions for competitive and quality agricultural production.
- guarantee the survival of the system of natural spaces and preserve the biological diversity, in a quality landscape environment.
- preserve the cultural and landscape heritage, and structure the agrarian space in order to facilitate the social order, as far as compatible, with the space for environmental education (Ref. 2)
- structure the agricultural space to guarantee the necessary conditions for competitive and quality agricultural production.
- guarantee the survival of the system of natural spaces and preserve the biological diversity, in a quality landscape environment.
- preserve the cultural and landscape heritage, and structure the agrarian space in order to facilitate the social order, as far as compatible, with the space for environmental education (Ref. 2)
Quantitative targets
Efficient and sustainable management of 2900 ha of green land and fruit/vegetable crops. The starting point is a consortium of 600 agrarian holdings and 1.200 agrarian workers (70% full time) in area with farms ranging between 1 and 4 ha in size (Ref 7).
Monitoring indicators defined
ha of green land and fruit/veg crops; number of agrarian holdings and number of agrarian workers (% full time) (Ref 7)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Please specify "other Habitats and biodiversity conservation activity"
to promote the expansion of sustainable agricultural production on a competitive level while preserving the natural habitat and its biological value and preventing harmful infrastructural expansion in the green area and build a social space for people to enjoy and be educated about environmental protection (Ref 2).
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Please specify "other Type of NBS project"
Agricultural land (Ref. 9); To preserve the natural habitat and create better connection with the agrarian activities (Ref 2). indigenous/farming knowledge transmission: traditional knowledge transmission: In an attempt to further encourage Barcelona’s residents to choose fresh and local, over other alternatives, the park’s management is designing tours to the park, which will educate visitors about the history of the ecosystem and allow them to see farmers at work. Each year, hundreds of students from Barcelona’s metropolitan area are already learning about it (Ref 8).
local consumption: The Agrarian Park is the only one in the world so close to a large city and it promotes specific programs to preserve the productive values of the agricultural space and promotes quality local products and local consumption. (Ref. 10)
local consumption: The Agrarian Park is the only one in the world so close to a large city and it promotes specific programs to preserve the productive values of the agricultural space and promotes quality local products and local consumption. (Ref. 10)
Implementation activities
5 main strategic actions were designed in the plan:
1) To improve the efficiency of already existing infrastructural and agricultural services;
2) To improve a system of production and commercialisation in favour of better entries from the agrarian sector;
3) Improvement of infrastructures to better help viability;
4) To design a space for quality social life in harmony with the natural environment; and
5) To preserve the natural habitat and create better connection with the agrarian activities (Ref 2).
Researchers and land experts have been working to introduce eco-friendly farming techniques using less spraying and minimal amounts of pesticides, as well as modernising existing irrigation channels and helping farmers sell what they grow. (Ref 8)
traditional knowledge transmission: In an attempt to further encourage Barcelona’s residents to choose fresh and local, over other alternatives, the park’s management is designing tours to the park, which will educate visitors about the history of the ecosystem and allow them to see farmers at work. Each year, hundreds of students from Barcelona’s metropolitan area are already learning about it (Ref 8).
1) To improve the efficiency of already existing infrastructural and agricultural services;
2) To improve a system of production and commercialisation in favour of better entries from the agrarian sector;
3) Improvement of infrastructures to better help viability;
4) To design a space for quality social life in harmony with the natural environment; and
5) To preserve the natural habitat and create better connection with the agrarian activities (Ref 2).
Researchers and land experts have been working to introduce eco-friendly farming techniques using less spraying and minimal amounts of pesticides, as well as modernising existing irrigation channels and helping farmers sell what they grow. (Ref 8)
traditional knowledge transmission: In an attempt to further encourage Barcelona’s residents to choose fresh and local, over other alternatives, the park’s management is designing tours to the park, which will educate visitors about the history of the ecosystem and allow them to see farmers at work. Each year, hundreds of students from Barcelona’s metropolitan area are already learning about it (Ref 8).
3. NBS domains, ES and scale
4. Governance and financing
5. Innovation
Type of innovation
Please specify technological innovation
A new irrigation alternative is also being explored: a drip irrigation system, used crop-to-crop, which could save a lot of water, irrigating only as much as is needed. Drip irrigation has already been put into practice in the park’s arboretum—a designated territory where traditional fruit tree varieties are being preserved. The arboretum maintains a collection of 62 rare varieties of apples, plums, grapes, olives, peaches, figs and other fruit trees traditionally cultivated in these lands and now under threat of extinction. The garden also serves as a demonstration field for applying eco-farming techniques for soil disinfection and fighting pests (Ref 8).
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
This is not the first project applying the concept of the Agrarian Park, but its location in proximity of the city and the large group of stakeholders involved makes it innovative (Ref 7, 8 and 9). Now, more than a decade after its establishment, Parc Agrari is regarded globally as an impressive example of sustainable ‘periurban’ farming (Ref 8)
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
“We continue to have visitors from all continents,” Sonia Callau, the head of the Unitat d’Espais Agraris (Agrarian Spaces Unit) at the park told Metropolitan. “Experts from Japan, China and many other countries come to learn from our experience and apply it in their own projects.” (Ref 8).
