Connecting Nature Aquaponics test system

Submitted by Alessandro Camp... on 23 June 2023

Area characterisation:

Grow Up installed two plants in Mirafiori Sud district: micro and semi-commercial plant.

A mini plant at Comunità Giulia, a local residential community hosting temporarily youngsters aged 11–17 with psych-social issues.

Mitte Garten’s greenhouse was built in Strada Castello di Mirafiori

Objective:

The overall goal is to test aquaponics systems in an urban context in the post-industrial district Mirafiori Sud. In synergy with diverse stakeholders including professional farmers, social and nonprofit organization and citizens in participatory, scalable, technologically advanced and sustainable processes.
Grow up test aquaponic horticultural cultivation through the planning, building and management of three demonstration plants:
(1) a micro plant,
(2) a mini plant installing together with residents of the Comunità Giulia;
(3) a semi-commercial plant. Carried out by Mitte Garten
Mitte Garten’s goal is to complement and support the systematic actions on urban green and food currently ongoing in Mirafiori Sud district, in particular those developed within ProGIreg.

Actions:

Planning and preparatory activities (administrative and technical procedures)

Grow Up constituted a Temporary Organisation of Purpose with some of the stakeholders involved
(Soluzioni Artistiche APS, Il Laboratorio CTM, ARCI Servizio Civile Piemonte) dated by 14/01/2022,
named Mirafiori Urban Farming in order to realize the ProGIreg Aquaponic project in 2022.

Co-design and engagement activities

Ongoing co-design processes for both projects open to different population groups for active involvement in testing the aquaponics system. Co-design activities also offered a source of inspiration for other initiatives, i.e. supporting entrepreneurship and initiatives aimed at promoting and valorising agricultural areas,
including the Gardens in Cascina Piemonte - Orti Generali (NbS 3).

Co-design activities addressed at schools are part of educational courses developed by Fondazione della Comunità di Mirafiori Onlus with students of I.I.S. (Secondary School) Sella. Inclusive activities with people with disabilities, children with learning difficulties, and autistic students of a professional training school through visits and internships. Adults in care of local residential communities were included in the management and maintenance of the aquaponic plant.

Potential impacts/benefits:

Complete implementation of the aquaponic systems in the Living Lab, and dissemination and education activities with the stakeholders.
Key result represents putting together a new way to cultivate vegetables, using a modern and low-impact technology with the involvement of the community in the ideation, planning and management of the facilities, an added value for a city impacted by air-pollution.
Including vulnerable groups, making the experimentations accessible within everyone’s reach.
One of Mitte Garten’s clients became aware of the project and visited the greenhouse. The client showed interest in collaborating and signed up for a paid internship from 1st February 2023.
Mitte Garten are willing to start a collaboration with Centro Puzzle, a rehabilitation centre for individuals with brain injuries and recruit patients for the company’s workforce.

The Living Lab in the Mirafiori district in Turin benefits in multiple ways:

First of its kind experimentation with aquaponics systems in an urban context in the city of Turin
Post-industrial areas have been renovated for innovative aquaponics cultivation systems that are not yet widespread.
Environmental valorisation of underused areas
Social impact on the community. New and renovated spaces offer educational courses to different citizen groups incl. vulnerable individuals
Resource and land use efficiency: Plants produced in aquaponics contain no phytochemicals, 95% water saving compared to soil-bound cultivation) and limited space required to cultivate

NbS benefits