1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Malmö
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Organic without borders (OWB)
Short description of the intervention
Organic Without Borders (OWB) is an NGO (ideell förening) that works to develop and support methods for a sustainable future anywhere in the world. The NGO develops methods through socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming in Sweden and other countries (ref.1).
Address

Folkets Park
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
Organic Without Borders organizes multiple events and projects around the city of Malmo (eg. in the schools) (ref. 1, 4).
Website of the intervention
http://organicwithoutborders.com/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2014
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2014
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
The NGO was registered as an organisation in 2014. (Ref. 2)
Projects like 'The Outdoor Classroom' 2013-2016, was first in collaboration with 'Odla i Stan' (between 2012-2014). (Ref. 3, 4)
Goals of the intervention
The overall goal of Organic Without Borders is to develop and support methods for a sustainable future anywhere in the world (i.e. Sweden and in other countries). This is done through methods developed for socio-ecological city farming, and working pedagogically with children and adults, and their relationship with food and farming (ref. 1).
Children in the city project aimed to develop and use new models for meetings, collaboration, dialogue and community in socially vulnerable areas. (Ref 8)
Aims of projects such as 'Eat Your Wall' (which is part of a food and farming program offered to three schools in Malmö, by OWB and Malmö Museer) have been to inspire on how to grow eatable plants in small spaces in the city (e.g. balcony). The purpose is to increase the interest and knowledge about gardening and where food comes from.
(ref. 3)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Improving physical health
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social cohesion
Social justice and equity
Social interaction
Environmental education
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable consumption
Sustainable production
Please specify "other Type of NBS project"
local/sustainable food production: socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming in Sweden and other countries (ref.1). education with children: working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming. (Ref. 1)
Implementation activities
Regarding the "Eat Your Wall" project, the program meets with the same class during two occasions during the year (in the spring the kids are planting their eatable walls and sowing their own little vegetable plot. The next time the program meets the class is in September to harvest and cook food together). (Ref. 3) For the project the plants are planted by pupils in Malmö, grade 3-6 (as a part of a food and farming program that Organic Without Borders and Malmö Museer are offering three schools in Malmö).
(Ref. 3)
The organization also sells vegetable plants, growing hangers for the balcony in order to raise money for the Education for Life fundraiser" (ref. 3).
Pedagogical activities in The Outdoor Classroom (ref. 4):
A corner with plants that attract to pollination
Two beehives that every year are producing our nice honey (also used for medicinal purposes)
A big food compost where the café next door are dumping their organic waste
Insect hotel
With the help of MKB, an oriental garden was built in 2010 when it excavated asphalt and added new topsoil and organic vegetable soil and built passages (ref. 8)
Creation of eatable green wall, also have an exibition at Malmö Garden Show, with stories written by children in Malmö that participate in the program From Earth to Table (Från Jord till Bord). (Ref. 3)
Type of NBS project
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Allotments
Community gardens
Nature on buildings (external)
Green walls or facades
Balcony greens
Please specify "other parks or (semi)natural urban green area"
outdoor pedagogical garden (ref. 4)
Type of Green Wall
Substrate / soil-based living wall
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Garden beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations)
Please specify "other marginalized group"
"The main focus was on the relationship between children and young people with an immigrant background and older people in Malmö." (Ref 8)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Medicinal resources
Regulating services
Pollination
Other
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Social and community interactions
Other
Please specify "other regulating service"
- Pedagogical activities in The Outdoor Classroom recycle organic waste, turning it into fertilizer in a big food compost where the café next door are dumping their organic waste (Ref 4)
Please specify "other cultural service"
environmental education-- the purpose of the project is to increase the interest and knowledge about gardening and where food comes from. (Ref. 3)
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Young people and children
Marginalized groups
Marginalized groups
Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants
Other
Please specify other local relevant strategy
food production/urban cultivation guidelines: The Environmental management office in Malmö City has guidelines on urban cultivation, and the Street office (Gatukontoret) in Malmö City supports urban farming, in addition, several urban cultivation projects ongoing in Malmö City (ref. 5).
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Organic Without Borders (OWB) is an NGO (ideell förening) that work with projects in Sweden and other countries. (Ref. 1)
E.g. the project "Eat Your Wall" was in collaboration with Malmö Museer, and with Werners Kockgymnasium (regarding harvesting and cooking the food which was produced). (Ref. 3). The main focus of the project has been on the cultivation of a relationship between children and young people with an immigrant background and older people in Malmö. The project has helped to counteract mutual prejudice, suspicion and xenophobia. The goal was to create long-term relationships and a dialogue between people from different backgrounds and at different ages (ref. 8)

Partners included are: Akitekter Utan Gränser; Folkets Park, Malmö Museer, Miljöförvaltningen (Malmö stad), BAS (Nepal), Swakopmond municipality (Namibia), Cape Town municipality (South Africa), Lalibela municipality (Ethiopia), and Ethiopian Historic Heritage Conservation & Development Association. (Ref. 7)
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Other
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
children in Malmö, pupils in Malmö, grade 3-6 (Ref 3); children and young people with an immigrant background and older people in Malmö; people from different backgrounds and at different ages (Ref 8)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Researchers/university
Other
Land owners
Other
Please specify other land owner
Organic Without Borders organizes multiple events and projects around the city of Malmo (eg. in the schools) (ref. 1, 4).
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Please specify other landowner
Organic Without Borders organizes multiple events and projects around the city of Malmo (eg. in the schools) (ref. 1, 4).
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)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The motive is to develop methods through socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming. (Ref. 1)
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
E.g. the Environmental management office in Malmö City has guidelines on urban cultivation, and the Street office (Gatukontoret) in Malmö City supports urban farming, in addition, several urban cultivation projects ongoing in Malmö City. (Ref. 5)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Other
Please specify other vegetation type
vegetables, outdoor pedagogical garden (ref. 4)
berry bushes, herbs (ref. 8)
organic vegetables (ref. 8)
eatable green wall. (Ref. 3)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
E.g. Organic Without Borders (OWB) is in collaboration with Malmö Museer, offering food and farming program to three schools in Malmö. (Ref. 3)
Organic Without Borders (OWB) is an NGO (ideell förening) that work with projects in Sweden and other countries. (Ref. 1)
Partners included are: Akitekter Utan Gränser; Folkets Park, Malmö Museer, Miljöförvaltningen (Malmö stad), BAS (Nepal), Swakopmond municipality (Namibia), Cape Town municipality (South Africa), Lalibela municipality (Ethiopia), and Ethiopian Historic Heritage Conservation & Development Association. (Ref. 7)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Urban and rural growing for social sustainable development – a pre-study for an EU-application between Malmö (Sweden), Cape Town (South Africa) and Copenhagen (Denmark). (Ref. 6)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Financiers to the OWB are: Allmänna Arvsfonden, Malmö stads miljöanslag, Malmö Förskönings- och planteringsförening, Sten K Johnson Stiftelse, Kulturbryggan, Miljöförvaltningen (Malmö City Environmental Management Office). (Ref. 7)
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 but financiers to the OWB are: Allmänna Arvsfonden, Malmö stads miljöanslag, Malmö Förskönings- och planteringsförening, Sten K Johnson Stiftelse, Kulturbryggan, Miljöförvaltningen (Malmö City Environmental Management Office). (Ref. 7)
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Private Foundation/Trust
Other
Please specify other source of funding
Allmänna Arvsfonden (Swedish Inheritance Fund)
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Please specify other type of fund used
Financiers to the OWB are: Allmänna Arvsfonden, Malmö stads miljöanslag, Malmö Förskönings- och planteringsförening, Sten K Johnson Stiftelse, Kulturbryggan, Miljöförvaltningen (Malmö City Environmental Management Office). (Ref. 7)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Please specify other Business model
sustainable/local food production/environmental education is the intention of this NBS-- The motive is to develop methods through socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming. (Ref. 1).
Business models
Green education model
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
E.g. through creating eatable green wall. (Ref. 3)
Please specify social innovation
Working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming. (Ref. 1, 3)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
E.g. the project 'Barn i stan' which was carried out for three years, starting in 2008 and Aimed at developing and using new models for meetings, collaboration, dialogue and community in socially vulnerable areas (through urban cultivation). (Ref. 8)
Also, the cultivation network (Odlingsnärverket) in Seved, which became an ideal organization in 2011. (Ref. 9)
Replicability/Transferability
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Several urban cultivation projects ongoing in Malmö City. (Ref. 5) Urban and rural growing for social sustainable development – a pre-study for an EU-application between Malmö (Sweden), Cape Town (South Africa) and Copenhagen (Denmark) was done (Ref. 6)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved soil quality
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Enhanced support of pollination
Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Restoration of derelict areas
Please specify other economic impact
sells vegetable plants, growing hangers for the balcony in order to raise money for the Education for Life fundraiser (ref. 3).
Description of environmental benefits
- The lawn is removed and new organic vegetable soil is put and different types of deep beds are dug. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, beets, carrots, various beans, onions, asparagus, hops, berry bushes, old Swedish varieties of breadcrumbs, mushroom cucumbers, insecticidal flowers, sweet peas, etc. were grown (ref. 8)
Seed exchange and planting of open-pollinated seed : - Plants and seeds from all corners of the world had been collected and children and residents of Seved were involved in sowing and planting according to a design. The children were given a variety of plants to choose from and then planted where they wanted. The result was astonishingly beautiful and showy with great biodiversity (ref. 8)..
- Pedagogical activities in The Outdoor Classroom (ref. 4):
A corner with plants that attract to pollination
Two beehives that every year are producing our nice honey
A big food compost where the café next door are dumping their organic waste
Insect hotel
- With the help of MKB, an oriental garden was in 2010 when it excavated asphalt and added new topsoil and organic vegetable soil and built passages (ref. 8)
Economic impacts
Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Description of economic benefits
- OWB participates in the Malmö garden show by exhibiting the children's stories in the "From earth to table program". In addition, it sells vegetable plants, growing hangers for the balcony in order to raise money for the Education for Life fundraiser (ref. 3).
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
Improved access to urban green space
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Promotion of cultural diversity
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Other
Please specify other environmental justice issue
"The main focus was on the relationship between children and young people with an immigrant background and older people in Malmö. The project has helped to counteract mutual prejudice, suspicion and xenophobia. The goal was to create long-term relationships and a dialogue between people from different backgrounds and at different ages (ref. 8)"
-" food and farming program that Organic Without Borders and Malmö Museer are offering three schools in Malmö" (Ref. 3)
Description of social and cultural benefits
- Urban farms in public places such as parks, squares and adjacent to playgrounds, urban orchards are always open and accessible to visitors (ref. 5)
- OWB participates in the Malmö garden show by exhibiting the children's stories in the "From earth to table program". In addition, it sells vegetable plants, growing hangers for the balcony in order to raise money for the Education for Life fundraiser (ref. 3)
- The lawn is removed and new organic vegetable soil is put and different types of deep beds are dug. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, beets, carrots, various beans, onions, asparagus, hops, berry bushes, old Swedish varieties of breadcrumbs, mushroom cucumbers, insecticidal flowers, sweet peas, etc. were grown (ref. 8).
- Children in the city project aimed to develop and use new models for meetings, collaboration, dialogue and community in socially vulnerable areas. The main focus was on the relationship between children and young people with an immigrant background and older people in Malmö. The project has helped to counteract mutual prejudice, suspicion and xenophobia. The goal was to create long-term relationships and a dialogue between people from different backgrounds and at different ages (ref. 8)
- Plants and seeds from all corners of the world had been collected and children and residents of Seved were involved in sowing and planting according to a design. The children were given a variety of plants to choose from and then planted where they wanted. The result was astonishingly beautiful and showy with great biodiversity (ref. 8).
The outdoor classroom of the outdoor pedagogical garden included seminars, workshops and different types of organic plantations. (Ref. 3)

Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
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
Increased access to healthy food for humans and/or animals
Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Urban and rural growing for social sustainable development – a pre-study for an EU-application between Malmö (Sweden), Cape Town (South Africa) and Copenhagen (Denmark). (Ref. 6)
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 COVID-19 pandemic on the NBS area at that time.
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
Other
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
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
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown.
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
Ref. 6
Ref. 7
Ref. 8
Ref. 9
List of references
1. Organic Without Borders. (n.d.) Organic Without Borders (OWB). Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/us/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
2. Ratsit. (2017). Organic Without Borders, nr 802490-7530. Företag. Available at: https://www.ratsit.se/8024907530-ORGANIC_WITHOUT_BORDERS (Accessed 6 August 2020)
3. Organic Without Borders. (n.d.) Malmö Garden Show, 2015, 2016, 2017. OWB. Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/portfolio/malmo-garden-show/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
4. Organic Without Borders. (n.d.) Uteklassrummet (The Outdoor Classroom). OWB. Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/portfolio/uteklassrummet/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
5. Malmö Stad. (2020). Stadsodling. Available at: https://malmo.se/Uppleva-och-gora/Fritidsaktiviteter/Kolonier-och-odling/Stadsodling.html (Accessed 6 August 2020)
6. Organic Without Borders. (n.d.) Pre-study Urban Gardening Cape Town. OWB. Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/portfolio/urban-and-rural-growing/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
7. Organic Without Borders. (n.d.) Partners. Collaborators, Financiers, OWB. Available at: http://organicwithoutborders.com/partners/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
8. Odlaistan. (n.d.) Barn i stan. Available at: http://www.odlaistan.nu/bis/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
9. Hållbara Stad. (2015). I pallkragarna odlar vi relationer. Omvärld. Available at: https://www.hallbarstad.se/omvarld-blog/i-pallkragarna-odlar-vi-relationer/ (Accessed 6 August 2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
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/sites/default/files/nbs/images/Organic%20Without%20Border.jpg
Public Images
Organic Without Borders
Organic Without Borders