EFUA objectives and approach

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Nabo Farm 3

Better networking of stakeholders in Urban Agriculture

EFUA will build upon the work of the COST Action Urban Agriculture Europe (COST UAE) which was funded by the European Commission (EC) from 2012-2016. EFUA will consolidate this network and its achievements and link it with other European research activities to establish a European and a Global community of stakeholders in the field of Urban Agriculture (UA). This community, known as the “UA Forum”, will be sustained beyond the project’s lifespan in order to give UA a strong voice and a permanent European presence.

Better knowledge in Urban Agriculture

EFUA will review research and publications to define the knowledge status in UA. It will consult and cooperate with ongoing research projects and will influence upcoming new programmes to better coordinate research in the field. EFUA will also identify knowledge gaps which currently hinder UA’s development, define Research & Innovation (R&I) activities to fill these gaps and provide stakeholders with up to date knowledge. Additionally, it will provide a general framework of UA types, their benefits, challenges and risks.

Better deployment of Urban Agriculture

EFUA will review research, publications and reports and collate examples of best practice and their forms of governance across Europe. Governance concerns the ways of planning, realising and sustaining UA practices at the city level; it takes into account the interaction with local social, economic, political and environmental contexts. EFUA will identify barriers hindering UA’s development and define strategies and actions which will overcome these barriers. EFUA will also identify future challenges, potential game changers and “next practice”.

Better policies for Urban Agriculture

Through enhanced understanding, EFUA will help to define the UA agenda for the next two decades and will proactively advise on policy development from EU to city level. EFUA will investigate both the policies which impact upon UA and those which might benefit from inclusion of UA as an additional theme. In doing so, EFUA aims to synergise key EU agendas and priorities to enable better support and funding for UA. This will be a multiscale approach; from European level to individual city level, whilst also recognising the increasingly globalized nature of UA, including in Less Developed Countries (LDCs). The UA Forum will help to define a comprehensive vision for Urban Agriculture, ensuring that policies and actions are tailored to the requirements of UA stakeholders.