Growth of small scale (peri) urban agriculture in Ghent, Belgium

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Growth of small scale (peri) urban agriculture in Ghent, Belgium

Status

completed

City

Ghent

Main actors

Local Government, Private Sector, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Metropolitan Area

Duration

2012 - 2020

Ghent has identified a demand for urban agriculture to occur within the city region to provide better transparency in the food system

In the city region of Ghent, in Belgium, several short food chain initiatives have emerged that show significant potential to increase the sustainability of urban food provisioning by exploring possibilities for multifunctional land use and closing the gap between producer and consumer. However, these initiatives are still very scattered and most of them fail to reach the scale that would be necessary to really challenge the dominant urban food regime and significantly increase its sustainability.

Based on in-depth interviews and transition theory, this case study uses a Multi-Level Perspective analysis to identify opportunities and bottlenecks for (peri-)urban short food chain initiatives in Ghent to develop and significantly challenge the dominant urban food regime. The results reveal important opportunities for growth in the stimulating political and social climate in Ghent, but also show that further development of the short food chain initiatives is considerably hindered by traditional views on (peri-)urban land use patterns and difficulties to reach cost-efficiency with small-scale production. Solving these issues not only requires action at the level of the city government, but also a change in regulations at higher institutional levels and change within the consumers themselves.

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

City

Ghent, Belgium

Size and population development

The city of Ghent recorded a population of 260,341 in the 2018 census, a + 0.87 change since 2015. The city covers a total area of 156.18km2 with a population density of 1,679 people per km2.

Population composition

The 2018 data shows that the population comprises 50.1% females and 49.9% males. 67.1% of Ghent’s residents are aged between 15-64, 16.7% are aged 65 or over and 16.2% of residents are children aged 0-14. The official language of Ghent is Dutch, sometimes colloquially referred to as Flemish. Ghent has a large number of immigrants, largely from Turkey, Africa (North and sub-Saharan), Asia and Eastern Europe. Projections indicate that Ghent will become a majority-minoirty city by 2040. Ghent hosts a variety of religious communities as well as a large number of atheists and agnostics. Roman Catholicism is the religion with the largest followers, minority faiths include Anglicanism, Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Main functions

Ghent is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province and the second largest municipality in Belgium after Antwerp. The city lies at the junction of the Lys and Scheldt rivers.

Main industries / business

The port of Ghent, in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. The port houses many large companies including automotive giant’s - Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parks and Honda. Ghent’s other significant economic activities include oil refining and banking, the manufacture of paper, chemicals, and light machinery, horticulture and market gardens and education. Tourism-related businesses are increasingly playing an important role in the local economy, as the density of historic sites renders Ghent an attractive tourist destination.

Sources for city budget

The City of Ghent draws its budget for public expenditure largely from property tax, fees, fines, operating revenues and subsidies from national government of Finland.

Political structure

Governing mayor and deputy mayors govern the city.

Administrative structure

Ghent City Council has 53 members, divided into seven political fractions, the members are directly elected by the citizens of Ghent.

Website

https://stad.gent/

Policy plans for 2007-2012 in relation to sustainable food provision were barely addressed however the new governance agreement for 2013-18 describes increasing efforts to achieve sustainable food goals specifying the following objectives:

1) “…to anticipate on societal demands (food print,climate change) and demands of citizens (e.g. recreation)…” (p. 59);

2) supporting the short food supply chain (p. 59);

3) investigating “…economic opportunities and innovation of sustainable agriculture in urban regions…” and “…a supporting policy for urban and peri-urban organic agriculture that strives for direct supply to the city region. The support will also be used to promote and strengthen the culinary assets of Ghent. The support is suitable for smaller initiatives as well (allotment gardens and food teams).” (p. 59) to quote but a few of their policy objectives.

Initiatives supporting sustainable short food chains in and around the city of Ghent:

Gandazwam (gandazwam.be): Produces mushrooms on urban waste; in the process of starting up the business in the city; organizes workshops on possibility to use urban waste to grow food.
Avalon (www.restaurantavalon.be): Vegetarian lunchroom/caterer using local and seasonal ingredients
Apicula: Produces honey from 15 beehives located at six places in the city; honey is sold at places where it is produced (e.g. on the rooftop of the cultural centre Vooruit)
Boer’n Brood (www.boerenbrood.org): Project organizing picnics using only local ingredients to prove the possibility of consumption via local food chains; run by volunteers
Groe(n)ten uit Gent (dokgent.be/de-sleuteldokbewoner): Vegetable production on a brownfield in the city by social workplace; first goal is reintegration of people with addiction problems in society; sell through local shop and social grocery store.
Project ‘Let’s pick carrots together’: Project by non-profit organisation producing organic food in the city together with underprivileged children
De Site (www.rabotsite.be): Vegetable and fruit production on a brownfield in the city; combination of allotment gardens and arable land; goal is to improve quality of life in underprivileged Rabot quarter of the city.
Boerse Poort (www.boersepoort.org): Allotment garden project including communal gardens initiated by city of Ghent but run by an NGO of neighbours

Lack of available land: As well as a high population density Ghent is part of the European single farm payment system. Farmers owning and with single farm payment entitlements are provided with an income and are therefore less willing to sell or lease the land. As a result, access to suitable land is perceived to be difficult.
Lack of compatibility with current spatial planning policies: spatial planning policies for the region of Ghent do not allow agricultural activities in several spatial destinations, thereby limiting the potential for food production in and around the city.
Hesitation to break with the traditional view on land use: Although there is a lot of goodwill towards (peri-)urban short food chain initiatives in the Ghent city region, many government actors have objections relating to the multifunctional use of peri-urban land, inhibiting urban agriculture initiatives.
Institutions not adapted to characteristics and needs of small-scale (peri-) urban food initiatives: A first problem is that many regulations regarding agriculture and food safety and the related administrative procedures are designed for large scale producers, causing difficulties for smaller farmers.
Difficulty gaining consumer support: Several respondents indicated that the growth of urban short food chain initiatives was limited by the mind-set and lack of knowledge about the food system of many consumers. Low food prices in supermarkets, together with a limited knowledge of consumers about agricultural production processes made it difficult for producers to demand a fair profit margin for their locally supplied products.
Lack of support mechanisms: Financial support from the government represents both an opportunity and an obstacle for the development of urban short food chain initiatives. A lack of structural financial support, the governance structure both at city as well as regional level was a problem. Responsibilities and knowledge related to (urban) food production were scattered across several departments (those of green management, urban planning and environment). As a result it was difficult for new initiatives to gather information about the (legal) requirements to start up an initiative that involved food production in the city.