Project Profile: FEW-meter
The FEW-meter – an integrative model to measure and improve urban agriculture towards circular urban metabolism
Who?
| Principal Investigators: | Dr. Lidia Ponizy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan - Institute of Physical Geography and Environmental Planning, Poland |
| Partners: | Dr. Jeanne Pourias, AgroParisTech, France Dr. Liliane Jean-Soro, IRSTV FR CNRS 2488, France Runrid Fox-Kämper, ILS - Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development Office Aachen, Germany Werner Heidemann, Landesverband Westfalen und Lippe der Kleingärtner e. V., Germany Guy Blanch, LEAP MICRO AD Ltd., United Kingdom Dr. Leszek Bednorz, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland Natalia Chyza, Miasto Gorzów Wielkopolski (City of Gorzow Wielkopolski), Poland Piotr Wilms, Polski Zwiazek Dzialkowcow Okreg Gorzow Wlkp., Poland Dr. Elizabeth Bartle, University of Portsmouth - School of Architecture, United Kingdom Ian Egginton-Metters, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, United Kingdom Joshua Newell, University of Michigan - School of Natural Resources and Development, United States Nevin Cohen, City University of New York School of Public Health - CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, United States |
| Sponsors: |
What?
| Full Project Title: | The FEW-meter – an integrative model to measure and improve urban agriculture towards circular urban metabolism |
| Full Call Title: | Nexus2016 |
| Website: |
Why?
| Project Objective: | The main goal of this project was to develop a methodology to measure the FEW nexus in Urban Agriculture, using urban metabolism (material flow analysis) and aco-creation process that involves a wide range of stakeholders. The project aimed to develop a comprehensive system (i.e., the FEW-meter) to measure existing urban agriculture practices that could enable urban farmers to understand and improve the efficiency of their practices in terms of FWE nexus. This involves measuring production efficiency, expanding knowledge about possible health risks due to soil contamination and opportunities for enhanced resource use(e.g. more efficient use of organic waste),and using this system to ascertain and identify approaches to advance the performance of diverse types of UA. We achieved this aim through an extensive case study analysis developed in a transdisciplinary perspective, encompassing key factors of the urban food production and supply chain. A second aim was to utilise data gathered through case study analysis to model flows of energy, water and other resources, complemented with surveys to measure changes in behaviours (e.g. shopping and eating habits) within the selected case studies. This, and the analysis of the city-wide context, will lead to the identification of urban conditions favouring or impeding the optimisation of the FWE nexus as well as the improvement of the resource efficiency and reuse of waste and urban by products of UA practice. One key characteristic of this project was the co-creation of the FEW-meter with urban farmers to ensure that it reflects their expertise and meets their needs. |
| Call Objective: | The Sustainable Urbanisation Global Initiative (SUGI)/Food-Water-Energy Nexus is a joint call established in order to bring together actors to find innovative new solutions to the Food-Water-Energy Nexus challenge. The ultimate goal is to increase the access and the quality of life. |
Where?
| Regions: | Europe, North America |
| Countries: | France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA) |
When?
| Duration: | 42 months |
| Call Date: | December 9, 2016 |
| Project Award Date: | February 15, 2018 |
