Original article: Soberanía alimentaria: Implementan Red de Huertos Urbanos en 7 comunas de la Región de Valparaíso
One of the primary focuses of the project for a Sustainable Urban Network of Agroecological Gardens is to «advance conditions to ensure food sovereignty.» This initiative is funded by the Valparaíso Regional Government and implemented by scholars and professionals from the University of Santiago, in collaboration with local representatives.
Developed over 15 months, the initiative resulted in the establishment of 10 urban gardens. This model fosters community-based agroecological family farms for the production, consumption, and exchange of vegetables, thereby enhancing food security in communes across the region.
The participating communes included Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Villa Alemana, Quilpué, La Calera, Quillota, and San Antonio. The funding, amounting to 200 million pesos, comes from the Regional Innovation Fund (FIC) of the Valparaíso Government.
Víctor Bahamonde, head of the Division of Promotion and Industry (DIFOI) at the Valparaíso Regional Government, acknowledged the project’s importance for food sovereignty.
«There was a significant impact across 7 communes, establishing networks from 10 gardens that facilitated connections among neighbors. Approximately 150 to 200 individuals directly participated in this process, while the urban gardens also positively affected surrounding neighborhoods through agroecological practices,» Bahamonde explained.
He further noted, «For the Regional Government, this means a strong commitment to social cohesion and the development of agroecology within urban areas, and to creating a network for food sovereignty in communities, which has been the core goal of this initiative.»
The project also included training for participants on agroecological production, efficient water resource use, food handling, preservation, and processing of vegetables aimed at enhancing community diets through IV Gama production.
Officials from the Valparaíso Regional Government emphasized that this initiative addresses the need to strengthen community resilience against food supply issues, creating a business model that supports the autonomous and sustainable functioning of urban gardens.
El Ciudadano
