Farming in the city

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Malmö

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Odla i stan

Short description of the intervention

‘Odla i stan’ aims to spread and develop urban farming in a long-term and sustainable manner with residents, associations, property owners and city administrations. The company also works with educational farming at schools and in Malmö Museums (Malmö Museer). Furthermore, “urban farming is an excellent method for increasing social community while providing self-produced food. ‘Odla i stan’ works to organize and coordinate organic farming in the urban environment.” This is done by only working with organic methods and trying to use only local resources.
(ref. 1, 3)

Address

Malmöhusvägen 6,
211 18 Malmö
Sweden

Location

The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Other

Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS

Different farming and cultivation activities around Malmo (ref. 2)

Website of the intervention

http://www.odlaistan.nu/

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2009

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2011

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

Work has been carried out in the district Seved in Malmö since 2009, but the company started in 2011, in order to work and spread urban farming outside of the city district's Seved and Sofielund (in Malmö). (Ref. 1, 2)
Several projects have been carried out, e.g. Urban farming in Rosengård (district in Malmö), Beekeeping (Biodling) and Eatable green wall (Ätbar växtvägg), starting 2010, 2012 and 2013 respectively. (Ref. 4, 5, 6)

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

The goals of 'Odla i stan' are to work on spreading and developing urban cultivation in a long-term and sustainable way (together with residents, associations, property owners and municipalities).
The goal is also to contribute to a more sustainable development locally.
Additionally, the company aims to use urban cultivation as a method for increasing social community while also providing self-produced food.
(Ref. 1)

Quantitative targets

Unknown.

Monitoring indicators defined

Number of cultivation sites; Number of farmers supported (ref. 1)

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Social cohesion

Social interaction

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: agriculture

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Sustainable consumption

Sustainable production

Implementation activities

‘Odla i stan’ works with organic methods and tries to use local resources only. The company works this educational farming (with schools and Malmö Museer). Some of the latest projects include 'Eatable green wall' and 'Beekeeping' on Malmö's rooftops. (Ref. 1)

Eatable green wall: created a 50 m2 edible wall that measures 5 m at the highest point. The green wall will be able to harvest all year around.
Beekeeping: Organic-oriented beekeeping that takes into account the natural needs of Apis mellifera. (Ref. 5, 6)

Projects in the Rosengård (city district) have contributed to, among other things, Sweden's largest property-related urban farming area for housing and municipal activities (which is about 600 m2). (Ref. 4)

Type of NBS project

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Nature on buildings (external)

Green walls or facades

Parks and urban forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Community gardens and allotments

Allotments

Community gardens

Type of Green Wall

Substrate / soil-based living wall

Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens

Unknown

What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?

Low: Simple rain water collection intervention (rain garden, local seepage pit) or simple permeable areas

Vegetation Type

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS

- edible plant walls, rooftops for beekeeping (ref. 1)

Amenities offered by the NBS

Other

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)

Medicinal resources

Regulating services

Pollination

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Maintenance of genetic diversity

Cultural services

Recreation

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Non-government organisation/Civil Society

Private sector/Corporate/Company

Researchers/University

Citizens or community groups

Please specify other local relevant strategy

There is an environmental programme for Malmö City which includes GI/NBS and which include goals such as using local resources in a sustainable way. (Ref. 9)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Non-government actors

Coalition with multiple of the above

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

Collaboration takes place with property owners (e.g. MKB, Brf Sofielund, Willhem), as well as collaboration with Malmö city (e.g. schools / preschools, service management, street office, cultural administration, museum), and Region Skåne (e.g .Skånetrafiken), Universities (e.g. SLU). Also included are suppliers and “motivators” such as Master Green, Ekolgoik, amongst others. (Ref. 8)
Citizens/local residents/pupils are also involved in the projects. (Ref. 1)

Key actors - initiating organization

Non-government organisation/civil society

Land owners

Other

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Non-government organisation/civil society

Business association or network

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Researchers/university

Citizens or community group

Land owners

Other

Please specify other land owner

Odla i Stan works to spread and develop urban farming in a long-term and sustainable way together with residents, associations, property owners and municipal businesses (ref. 1)

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Please specify other landowner

Odla i Stan works to spread and develop urban farming in a long-term and sustainable way together with residents, associations, property owners and municipal businesses (ref. 1)

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Unknown

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section

There is an environmental programme for Malmö City which includes GI/NBS and which include goals such as using local resources in a sustainable way. (Ref. 9)

Also, urban farming is also supported by the Environmental Management Office and the Street Office in Malmö City. (Ref. 10)

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme

Please specify other vegetation type

Herbs, vegetables, spices (ref. 4)

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

'Odla i stan' is in collaboration with networks such as 'Odlingnätverket Seved' and the city of Malmö's urban farming network 'Stadsodling Malmö'. (Ref. 8)

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

In 2011, the urban farming method in Seved (city district in Malmö) was a case study for the Sustainable Urban Development Program at SLU (Agricultural University in Alnarp). (Ref. 8)

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The Street Office (Gatukontoret) (in Malmö) supports urban farming in the city. Several cultivation projects are occurring in Malmö. (Ref. 10)

Co-finance for NBS

Yes

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?

Unknown

What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?

Unknown

Please specify cost savings

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget

Public local authority budget

Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)

Other

Please specify other source of funding

The project 'Eatable green wall' has been funded by MKb and Malmö City (as a case in the Biodiver-City project). The Biodiver-City project was in turn partly funded by Vinnova (Ref. 6, 11)

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of labour

Other

Please specify other type of non-financial contribution

'Odla i stan' receive work from interns, students, graduates, and volunteers. (Ref. 12)

Business models

Local stewardship model

Vacant space model

Green education model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)

Citizens / local communities

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Please specify technological innovation

Creating green walls (the 'Eatable green wall'). (Ref. 6)

Novelty level of the innovation

The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) without substantial adaptation

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

Linnea Wettermark, on the administration board of 'Odla i stan', started working with the project 'Barn i stan' in 2009 (which aimed to see if farming could be used as a method for meetings between children and elderly at Seved and resulted in residents farming their own food. In 2011, Odlingsnätverket Seved (farming network) was turned into an ideal association, and at the same time as working with residents in Seved, the company 'Odla i stan' started (also in 2011). (Ref. 2)

Replicability/Transferability

The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

The creation of the NGO 'Organic without borders' in 2014 (which also has Linnea Wettermark as head of board), what works in Sweden and other countries (Ref. 13)

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Water management and blue areas

Improved stormwater management

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Increased number of species present

Enhanced support of pollination

Description of environmental benefits

- A test installation of fully automatic rainwater irrigation was performed in 2016 (ref. 4)
- In the eastern parts of Herrgården, together with the Tenants' Association and the then property owner Bostads AB Gröningen, plantations with fruit trees, berry bushes, lots of different vegetables, herbs and spices and green manure were built together with children and residents (ref. 4)
- In 2012, Odla i Stan started with beekeeping according to ecological principles, ie. in this beekeeping only KRAV-approved agents are used to prevent and treat diseases and we want to work according to the natural needs of Apis mellifera (honey bee in Western Europe). In 2013, beekeeping was developed into seven communities (ref. 5).
- Edible plant walls and beekeeping on Malmö's rooftops are some of the latest developments (ref. 1)
- The project aimed to, together with relevant actors, develop ideas for innovations for urban biodiversity (ref. 11)

Economic impacts

Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)

Description of economic benefits

- "Urban farming is an excellent method for increased social community while providing self-produced food. We demonstrate pedagogically that organic urban farming is not just talk and play: we grow food" (ref. 1)

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

Unknown

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

Voluntary work opportunities

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Positive distribution of NBS benefits

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

This project information was updated on 6 August 2020. No information was found on the current impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the NBS area.

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

Conduct a baseline survey before and after NBS implementation

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)

Where can this data be accessed? Please include a link to a report or web-page.

http://malmo.se/download/18.15427088148388d0d314a43e/1491302585525/biodivercity…

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

Yes

Link to monitoring/evaluation reports

http://malmo.se/download/18.15427088148388d0d314a43e/1491302585525/biodivercity…

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

A thesis by Lööw, J. (2010) is included on the website of the 'Odla i stan' intervention. The purpose of the thesis was to investigate the experiences of the residents in Seved, and how Seved was influenced by the 'Barn i stan' cultivation project, it also investigates how to work with environmentally improving farming projects in existing urban environments. (Ref. 14)

Link to the output of assessments

http://stud.epsilon.slu.se/1896/

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Yes

Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Interview

Other

Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

The thesis by Lööw, J. (2010) includes interviews. (Ref. 4)
Furthermore, 'Odla i stan' organizes cultivation meetings ('Odlingsträffar') (around 40 meetings, at least 2 hours per year), as well as organizing workshops. (Ref. 15)

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Yes

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Unknown

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

List of references

1. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Välkommen till oss på Odla i Stan. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
2. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Historia. Om oss. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/historia/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
3. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Stadsodling. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/stadsodling/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
4. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Rosengård. Stadsodling. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/rosengard/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
5. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Biodling. Stadsodling. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/biodling/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
6. Odla i stan. (2013). Ätbar växtvägg. Odla i stan. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/2013/10/atbar-vaxtvagg/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
7. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Mölleträdgården. Rehabiliteringsodling. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/molletradgarden/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
8. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Samarbeten. Om oss. Odla i stan. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/samarbeten/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
9. Malmö Stad. (2009) Miljöprogram för Malmö stad 2009-2020. Available at: https://malmo.se/Sa-arbetar-vi-med.../Malmo-stads-miljoarbete/Miljoprogram-for-Malmo-stad.html (Accessed 6 August 2020)
10. Malmö Stad. (n.d.) Miljöförvaltningens tips för stadsodling. Stadsodling. Available at: https://stadsodlingmalmo.se/odla/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
11. Vinnova. (2013). BiodiverCity Den täta staden med hög biologisk mångfald. Utmaningsdriven innovation, Vinnova. Available at: https://www.vinnova.se/p/biodivercity--den-tata-staden-med-hog-biologisk-mangfald/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
12. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Värderingar. Om oss. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/varderingar/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
13. Organic without borders. (n.d.) Organic without borders, OWB. Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
14. Lööw, J. (2010). Odla i Staden för välbefinnande : om Sevedsbornas upplevelser av Barn i Stans odlingsprojekt. SLU, Alnarp. Available at: https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/1896/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
15. Odla i stan. (n.d.) Event och workshop. Om oss. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/eventworkshop/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)

Comments and notes

Pictures of the NBS

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