Increasing food security in Florianópolis via green infrastructure

The city of Florianópolis is almost completely dependent on food resources from the surrounding municipalities. Food production in Florianópolis makes up less than 1% of local economic activity. Therefore, the city is dependent on the 22 municipalities that make up what is known as the “Green Belt” around Florianópolis. The transportation of food contributes to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the city. This long supply chain also adds to the price of the final products, impacting accessibility, particularly of organic food. The absence of local structures to process food waste has also contributed to the city’s GHG emissions.

The Municipal Urban Agriculture Program, established in Florianópolis in June 2017 by a decree, aims to promote urban agroecological practices. This includes producing and processing food efficiently and locally, as well as improving access to healthy and low-cost food produced within the urban context. In addition, MUAP supports local organic food producers, which reduces production chains and transportation requirements. In addition, the program promotes composting of food waste, which can become fertilizers and nurture the food gardens in the city.

To achieve the goals of the program, the program is co-managed by five departments: Environment Municipal Foundation; Fishing, Mariculture and Agriculture Municipal Superintendency; Municipal Health Secretariat; Municipal Improvement Autarchy; and a collegiate composed of representatives from the direct and indirect administration bodies that are members of the program. Also key for the implementation of MUAP were community members and non-governmental organizations, responsible for promoting public and internal capacity-building seminars and lessons. The main organizations include: Rede Semear, a network that connects civil organisation members, municipal, state and federal representatives and other institutions interested in broadcasting and mainstreaming urban agriculture; the Centre for the Study and Promotion of Group Agriculture, founded in 1990 by small farmers and technicians interested in the development of small local productive networks as a way of making family farms viable; Santa Catarina Agricultural Research and Extension Company; and the community project Revolução dos Baldinhos.

MUAP demonstrates how co-benefits can be generated by increasing food self-sufficiency. These include reduction of GHG emissions, increased water quality, urban flood mitigation, reduced energy use, sustainable waste management, and increased urban green areas. In addition, it reinforces the need for stakeholder engagement as support from the local community and municipality were crucial for the initiative to take place. The project also achieved the implementation of a municipal law, which will facilitate the project’s expansion in future years.

In 2019, the program supported the implementation of 112 urban gardens around the city. Vulnerable areas of the city have benefited the most from the community gardens installed by the program. The gardens have provided an opportunity for the population to access organic food without additional cost. 

In 2018, 54 workshops focusing on composting techniques were provided via a partnership with the Worm Head Program. Residents learned how to process organic waste at home by using vermicomposting techniques. More than 500 people attended the first classes, and the program had a waiting list of more than 1500 people. 

Also, since 2019, the program supports the Street Fair at the Alfandega Square in the city centre. This allows food producers to sell products directly to consumers, shortening supply chains and enhancing the autonomy of the municipality in food production. The fair not only makes safe, nutritious food available for the population at an affordable price, but also showcases the result of separating organic residues from recyclable materials. This reinforces the importance of such practices to the population, which is a central part of the project.

The initiative has provided the city with the possibility to reuse organic waste by composting the material and repurposing it as fertilizer for organic urban gardens. By doing so the city has achieved greater independence for food production at the local scale, increasing food safety and security, and has decreased the amount of waste sent to landfills.