Quick facts
Located in Turin, Italy
Founded by the non- profit organisation Coefficiente Clorofilla
SDGs impacted by the companies’ activities: 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 , 10, 11 , 12 , 13 , 15
Orti Generali within their project focuses on innovation, urban agriculture, social inclusion.
Orti Generali is a project founded by the non- profit organisation Coefficiente. Created from an abandoned park with a residual agricultural area, it now houses 150 urban vegetable gardens and an educational centre where theoretical and practical training courses, activities and workshops on topics related to organic farming, horticulture and rural work are offered. Located in a riverside park on the south side of the city of Turin, it is open to citizens and visitors and offers the possibility to cultivate, in groups, as a family, as an association or individually.
How does the organization address societal challenges in an innovative way?
Orti Generali acts in an innvovative way according to its vision, mission and values. Shaping a new model of social enterprise, based on a horizontal, inclusive and participatory processes and organic farming methods, serving the collective by means of the integrated contribution of social and natural sciences in their vision.
The Association Coefficiente Clorofilla has experimented the urban regeneration model set up by Miraorti to requalify one of the largest city area characterised by illegal uses: the illegal vegetable gardens in Mirafiori Sud. In the framework of the Orti Generali project, Coefficiente Clorofilla has opened a park of a hundred and f ifty urban gardens, thus maintaining the agricultural vocation of the area, and has over time engaged gardeners, schools, associations, as well as a network of local volunteers to create an educational center, and a collective vegetable garden.
The project mission is therefore to put a new model of intervention from below into practice, that encompasses a circular, sustainable and inclusive approach and shares botanics- and ecology related expertise with the citizenship.
Keywords that at best sum up the values promoted by Orti Generali are: social and environmental sustainability, organic farming, technological innovation to avoid waste of resources, democracy and participation, social inclusion.
What makes the organization particularly interesting as an example?
By its nature, the project is inspirational for people, who are addressed in courses and trainings provided by experts of forest and environmental sciences. The integration of practical, participative activities with the collective efforts for soil and biodiversity restoration, promotes at the same time a balance between inhabitants and the environment and individual self- care, triggering a sense of responsibility towards a local space and network, where the meaning and impact of actions are directly experienced.
What societal benefit does the organization create?
A major part of Orti Generali social related initiatives falls under the scope of the following SDGs: SDG 1 - Overcoming poverty and SDG 3 - Health and well- being.
Orti Generali gardens are part of a former agricultural area occupied at the early stages of the construction of a low- income housing neighborhood. Therefore, the main vocation of the project was to transform an area characterized by social and economic fragilities, and to ensure that within the new model of social enterprise, the local citizens would play an active role.
In addition, Orti Generali host work grants and training placements, particularly for disadvantaged people. In cooperation with the ASL, local health units, and associations, they carry out rehabilitation and horticultural therapy courses.
What new urban trades are created in the project?
From a natural capital prospective Orti Generali focuses on the following SDGs: SDG 13 - Fight against Climate Change SDG 15 - Life on Land
Orti Generali contributes to soil regeneration by reintroducing trees of old varieties in its area, with a special focus on plants that facilitate the repopulation of pollinating insects. In addition, to reduce water wastage, a centralized irrigation system for all the garden is activated depending on temperature, need and humidity.
Through the initiative " Orto Collettivo", Orti General supplies the chain of the ' Mirafiori Quartieri Solidali' circuit: by collecting and distributing fresh, zero- km vegetables through the ' Casa nel Parco - Casa del Quartiere' hub in southern Mirafiori, providing access to quality food for people in economic difficulty. In 2019 a ton of vegetables was produced for the neighborhood’ s social realities.