Located just outside the city of Castelo Branco, in Portugal, the Quinta do Chinco gardens are a case study on how communities can grow their own food, while nurturing social cohesion.
- 19 February 2021
Quinta's atmosphere invites one to contemplate the importance of the environment, sustainability, conservation, healthy eating, and the implications that all this has on our quality of life.
Quinta do Chinco is more than a community park or a simple vegetable garden. It’s a new concept called a social garden. Here, citizens of all ages and backgrounds can grow their own, healthy food, learn about organic farming and sustainability, while interacting with other members of the community.
By empowering the less fortunate and engaging all citizens, the Quinta do Chinco social gardens have succeeded at growing a new sense of community spirit.
A sustainable approach to cohesion
The main goal of the project was to promote social development, social cohesion, and active citizenship through family gardening. By providing economically disadvantaged citizens, or those with a disability, with a garden, the project aimed to help this population group learn new skills, support themselves financially, eat healthier, and become more involved in their communities.
To accomplish this, the project rehabilitated the Quinta do Chinco, an area just outside Castelo Branco. The renovated gardens include 88 plots, which have been intertwined within the area’s existing architectural and natural heritage.
With sustainability at the heart of the project, the gardens are 100 % organic, meaning that no pesticides or fertilisers are used. All gardeners attend a mandatory training on best practices in organic farming, where they learn about topics such as communal water use and traditional soil cultivation.
The garden’s mission grew
As the gardens developed, they started attracting the attention of citizens of all ages and backgrounds. In response, the project expanded its scope beyond providing gardens for lower-income citizens.
Having now also become an ‘outdoor community centre’ or ‘living lab’, Quinta do Chinco regularly holds classes and activities on environmental protection, the use of natural resources, health and wellbeing, personal nutrition, and outdoor recreation.
Exceeding expectations
Quinta do Chinco has far exceeded its aim of increasing community cohesion and encouraging active citizenship. Already, over 8 000 people have been involved with the social gardens, and the numbers continue to grow. This includes 3 400 people who have participated in one of the garden’s many workshops and educational activities.
All the available garden plots have been claimed. The gardeners themselves represent a range of age groups and backgrounds: 41 % are female, 58 % are between the ages of 40 and 60, and 63.5 % are active workers. Together, they have grown over 13 tonnes of produce, which has been shared with other family members, neighbours, and friends.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Quinta do Chinco - Hortas Sociais” is EUR 1 009 479, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 680 307 through the “Regional Operational Programme Centro” for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Strengthening social and territorial cohesion”.