BEST Microgardens - elaboration of an online platform to mitigate food insecurity in urban areas

Food insecurity is a major problem in densely populated areas of the world. The growth of cities and erosion of rural environments have increased the distance between agricultural products and consumers. Accordingly, it is increasingly more difficult to find fresh vegetables at low prices and this has a high impact on the health of the less-advantaged people. In this context, urban agriculture has the potential to reduce the distance between the producers and the final consumers and increase the freshness of the products. The Erasmus+ project “BEST Microgardens” (KA220-ADU - Cooperation partnerships in adult education) has the goal to provide the correct instruments to convert small spaces, like balconies or gardens, into productive microgardens (small plots of land, a vase or a hydroponic system used to produce food). With this aim, a consortium of six partners from five different countries (Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Sweden) have worked together to implement an online platform that could be used by users and trainers to teach or learn several different aspects about microgardening. Thanks to the use of the platform, stakeholders will gain knowledge from sowing to marketing, including communication and networking. With short video tutorials and a system of knowledge checks, the BEST Microgardens platform will be an important instrument to help people grow their own food in urban areas.