Quito and its urban agriculture: AGRUPAR

The Participatory Urban Agriculture (AGRUPAR) instrument is part of the social inclusion policy and the Quito Produce macro-vision of the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito. AGRUPAR not only contributes to food security and sovereignty, but also has the capacity to contribute to improving the income of its participants, as well as generating savings through the consumption of their own production. Moreover, because of its integrating nature of agricultural activities, marketing of surpluses, food processing, solidarity exchange of the harvest, environmental management and contribution to urban agroecology, it has become an important social cohesion strategy for urban farmers. This initiative has modernized its intervention through the implementation of low-cost and easy-to-adopt alternative infrastructures, especially designed for urban and peri-urban gardens within a participatory process. On the other hand, AGRUPAR has been a 'seedbed' for agricultural micro-enterprises of all types, promoting organic food production, livestock, food processing and the production of organic inputs, among others, which has allowed the generation of employment especially for women, heads of households and senior citizens, as well as participants with low schooling. The implementation of a circuit of bio-fairs for the direct sale of surplus production of urban farmers to consumers has become a space for the permanent supply of healthy and educational food at the same time, focused on supporting healthy and solidarity production, in a framework of fair price and weight, providing a space for the practice of solidarity economy and social inclusion.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Agreement-based or cooperative instrument›Community-based agreement with the support of the government

Challenges addressed

Social cohesion
Social equity
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The AGRUPAR strategy seeks to bring urban and peri-urban agriculture activities to the most vulnerable population of the Metropolitan District of Quito to provide food security and sovereignty, improve income, generate sources of employment, environmental management, gender equity and social inclusion, and generate productive enterprises through the production, processing and marketing of healthy food generated in the gardens.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Allotments, community gardens or agricultural areas

Good practice characteristics:

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Policy business case

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Metropolitan Agency for Economic Development (CONQ)

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito institutionalized urban agriculture in 2002 within the Directorate of Sustainable Human Development. Subsequently, coordination passed into the hands of the Metropolitan Agency for Economic Promotion (CONQUITO), where municipal financing is maintained, with support from Quito's eight Zonal Administrations. CONQUITO has sought collaboration with the Ibero-American Development Bank (IDB-MIF). At the national level, coordination took place with the Coordinating Ministry of Social Development (MCDS) and the Technical Secretariat for Training and Education (SETEC) for the certification of labor competencies within the organic agriculture and livestock profile aimed at urban farmer leaders.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys, etc.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

In 2000, entities such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Urban Management Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PGU-ALC), the Regional Coordination for Latin America and the Caribbean, the United Nations Center for Human Settlements, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito, the Institute for the Promotion of Social Economy (IPES) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) sponsored the development of the 'Seminar-Workshop on Urban Agriculture in the Cities of the 21st Century', held in Quito in 2000, the Institute for the Promotion of the Social Economy (IPES) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) sponsored the 'Seminar-Workshop on Urban Agriculture in the Cities of the 21st Century', held in Quito, at which the Quito Declaration was issued, which considers, recognizes, encourages, recommends, exhorts, reaffirms and invites public and private actors in the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean to commit to the practice, promotion and support of urban agriculture. As the project progressed in its implementation, the intervention strategy was developed in neighborhoods and, through promotion and dissemination, involved not only families and communities, but also educational units, senior citizen centers and centers for the care of the disabled, among others.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Citizen councils or consultation for co-planning (e.g. workshops, surveys)

Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Co-design of NBS, implemented by government

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

How the instrument fits within the wider policy framework:

AGRUPAR is aligned with different instruments at the national, regional and local levels, with the objective of making urban agriculture viable in the Metropolitan District of Quito. These are: A. Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, Article 13: "Individuals and collectivities have the right to safe and permanent access to healthy, sufficient and nutritious food; preferably produced locally and in correspondence with their diverse identities and cultural traditions." / B. National legal framework: Political Constitution of Ecuador, Organic Code of Territorial Organization, Autonomy and Decentralization (COOTAD), Organic Code of Planning and Public Finance (COPFP) establish as principles for the formulation of the Land Management Plan: promote sustainable development to ensure good living and the construction of equity and inclusion in the territory; promote productive and agricultural activities; the equitable provision of public services, and the construction of a safe and healthy habitat and housing. / C. Food Sovereignty Law, Article 14: "Promotion of agroecological and organic production". "The State shall stimulate agroecological, organic and sustainable production, through promotion mechanisms, training programs, special lines of credit and marketing mechanisms in the domestic and foreign markets, among others." / D. Metropolitan Development Plan for the Metropolitan District of Quito: AGRUPAR is based on axis 4 of the Plan. These axes are the following: Quito: city-capital, district-region; Quito accessible to citizens; Quito: place of life and coexistence; Quito productive and supportive. It will strengthen competitive development, intensifying productive relations and strengthening the social and solidarity economy; Green Quito; Millenary, historical, cultural and diverse Quito; Participatory, efficient, autonomous and democratic Quito / E. Social Inclusion Policy of the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito. AGRUPAR is an emblematic project of the Municipality of Quito since 2010. / F. Draft Municipal Ordinance for the practice of Urban Agriculture in the Metropolitan District of Quito: The ordinance develops public policies aimed at the practice of urban agriculture within the Metropolitan District of Quito, through agricultural activities and artisanal processing of surplus production that contribute to food security, increased income, equity, inclusion and the generation of sources of self-employment for the vulnerable population of the Metropolitan District of Quito, considering aspects such as access to knowledge and productive resources.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public national budget

Public regional budget

Funds provided by non-governmental organization

Budget:

1 000 000€ - 5 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

In order to strengthen the urban agriculture project, the Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito secured an annual budget for its implementation within the Sustainable Human Development Directorate in 2002. In 2005, the AGRUPAR project became part of the Metropolitan Agency for Economic Promotion (CONQUITO), where municipal funding is maintained. Municipal resources are used to hire the technical team (13 people), purchase inputs and teaching materials, mobilization, organic certification, implementation of marketing points, promotion, dissemination, tours, and exchanges between producers. There are strategic alliances with academia. Thus, students of agronomy, economics, social work, medicine, administration, communication and design can support the entire process of opening orchards, nutrition, socioeconomic studies, value addition, packaging and label design, among others. In 2008, the IDB, through the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), supported the execution of a 24-month project, in which the financial resources disbursed contributed to the hiring of specialized technical equipment. With funding from the Technical Secretariat for Training and Education (SETEC), a National Government entity, during 2012 CONQUITO developed a labor competency certification process for urban farmers who are beneficiaries of the human development voucher. CONQUITO, in partnership with some ministries and NGOs, has the capacity to manage external funds under agreements that support urban agriculture as a strategy to contribute to food security, equity, inclusion and local economic development.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

The city of Quito has the Quito Urban Information Center (CIUQ!). More specifically, through CONQUITO's annual accountability system, the scope and progress of actions can be monitored.

Did an evaluation take place?:

Yes

Although no specific evaluation of the project has been carried out, two doctoral theses have been written in the academic field to investigate the evolution and impact of the project. In them, interviews were conducted with the different agents involved, especially with citizens and groups involved in the project.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The main results achieved as a result of this experience were the following: A. The extra income for urban farmers is at least $55 from the sale of surplus per month and at least $72 per month as savings from the consumption of their own production, values that added together are equivalent to $127, which are double the amount granted by the national government through the human development voucher ($50). /B. Urban agriculture in Quito has managed to consolidate 3,000 farmers as a collective of urban farmers, where they reflect on the problems, establish proposals and coordinate with the AGRUPAR project on participation in events, organization of workshops, etc. / C. More than 13,500 people have joined urban agriculture in Quito, 84% of whom are women. / D. 8,706 technical trainings have been given in organic production.E. 42,355 technical assistances have been given to the participating urban and peri-urban productive units / F. A total of 2,114 vegetable gardens have been opened since the beginning of the project / G. It is estimated that 46,101 people benefit directly from the AGRUPAR project and 87,117 indirect beneficiaries. In addition, approximately 168,700 people benefit from the biofairs as direct consumers. Quito has 14 biofairs for the sale of organic production surpluses. / H. 48 community savings and credit cooperatives have been opened, benefiting more than 500 urban farmers and their environment. / I. 664 micro-greenhouses have been built. 346 drip irrigation systems have been implemented. / J. 45 food processing enterprises have been created to add value to surplus production. / K. At least 400,000 kilos of food are generated per year. / L. 47% of production is destined for commercialization and 53% for self-consumption. M. An average of 12.5 kilograms of household waste is recycled per week, which is equivalent to 0.65 tons per family per year. / N. Urban agrobiodiversity has increased by 72 edible species. / O. Nearly 20 hectares have been rehabilitated for the production of healthy food in urban and peri-urban areas.

Success factors and lessons learned:

It is necessary to legitimize urban agriculture within the municipal structure through its insertion in strategic programs aimed at strengthening popular, solidarity-based, sustainable and environmentally sustainable economic units based on the vocation of diverse territories, as well as promoting the production and formation of networks for the production of healthy and nutritious food, with emphasis on small and medium-sized producers. Maintain an integral approach that contributes to the generation of a critical mass of local and territorial management experiences aimed at a more sustainable development of cities. To this end, it is necessary to consider several dimensions of the urban system: social and cultural dimension, economic and labor dimension, environmental and physical dimension, political and institutional dimension. Establish a differentiated marketing system for urban agriculture surpluses, maintain a more participatory intervention, implement a tailor-made training and technical follow-up program, as well as strengthening social networks of urban and peri-urban farmers for marketing, credit and micro-enterprise management. AGRUPAR's instrument, by achieving its objectives and generating a positive impact on beneficiaries in the Metropolitan District of Quito, generates a commitment to continue the processes initiated.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Rodríguez, A. E. Urban agriculture in Latin America and its potential in the face of climate change: the case of AGRUPAR, Quito, Ecuador. Web source: http://habitat.aq.upm.es/dubai/14/bp0022.html

Mena Pérez, V. E. (2012). Comprehensive evaluation of the AGRUPAR program of Conquito corresponding to the Metropolitan District of Quito. http://www.dspace.uce.edu.ec/handle/25000/805

Quinga Guallichico, T. M. (2016). Evaluation and status determination of the Agrupar de Conquito participatory urban agriculture project in the metropolitan district of Quito (Bachelor's thesis, Quito: UCE). http://www.dspace.uce.edu.ec/handle/25000/8033

Further documents

Weblinks:

http://conquito.org.ec/tag/agrupar/

http://habitat.aq.upm.es/dubai/14/bp0022.html

https://www.iadb.org/es/noticias/agricultura-como-una-herramienta-eficaz-de-luch…

https://www.ciuq.ec/

Photos

Conquito