Building on the model of zero-waste and circular economy, SiEUGreen demonstrates how technological and societal innovation in urban agriculture can have a positive impact on society and the economy. It focuses on applying novel, resource-efficient agricultural techniques in urban and peri-urban areas, developing innovative approaches for social engagement and empowerment and investigating the economic, environmental and social benefits of urban agriculture. 

SiEUGreen brings together a multi-disciplinary consortium of European and Chinese researchers, technology providers, small and medium-sized enterprises, financiers, local and regional authorities, and citizen communities. It involves the preparation, deployment and evaluation of ‘showcases’ in five European and Chinese areas. These include a university in Norway, community gardens in Denmark, unused municipal areas with dense refugee populations in Turkey, and urban community farms in Beijing and Central China. The EU and China share technologies and experiences, contributing to respective developments in urban agriculture and resilience. 

Impact measurement during and beyond the project is key. Information and results from the project will be disseminated through diverse communication tools including social media, an innovative urban co-design app, stakeholder conferences, hands-on training workshops, showcase demonstration forums, and municipality events. Private investors, governmental policy-makers, citizen communities, academia and technology providers are also joining forces to plan a sustainable model for SiEUGreen beyond the project period. The involved districts and zones are as follows: Brownfield zones (Hatay province, Turkey; Changsha, China); Districts (Aarhus, Denmark; Changsha, China; Campus Ås, Norway); Agricultural zones (Beijing, China).

SiEUGreen aims to improve the resilience of urban centres in Europe and China and increase food security. This includes re-assessing value chains and developing sustainable business models that may be replicable across regions and countries. The project develops evaluation methods to measure the economic, environmental and social impacts of urban farming and its value chains on urban communities. The project also works towards enhancing citizens’ sense of social participation and building up social care for older people, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups (e.g. through demonstrations of Happy Vegetable Gardens and balcony vegetable gardens).

Programme(s):

• H2020-EU.3.2.: SOCIETAL CHALLENGES ‒ Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy (Main programme)
• H2020-EU.3.2.1.1.: Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
• H2020-EU.3.2.1.3.: Empowerment of rural areas, support to policies and rural innovation

Topic(s):

• SFS-48-2017: Resource-efficient urban agriculture for multiple benefits – contribution to the EU-China Urbanisation Partnership

€ 8 377 867.50 (EU contribution: € 6 999 999.38)

Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet

Contact the project: https://www.sieugreen.eu/Home/Contact

• Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi (NIBIO)
• Institute of Vegetables And Flowers (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
• Nordregio, Emetris Symvouloi Anaptyxis Organosis Kai Pliroforikis Ae
• Aarhus Kommune
• ViLabs (Cy) Ltd, OKYS Ltd
• Beijing Eco-Creative Agricultural Service Alliance
• Beijing Green Valley Sprouts Co Ltd
• Scandinavian Water Technology AS
• Hatay Metropolitan Municipality
• Rural Development Institute (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
• Sampas Bilisim Ve Iletisim Sistemleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
• Hunan Hengkai Environmental Protection Science & Technology Investment Co.Ltd
• Seecon International GmbH
• Leibniz-Institut für Gemuse- und Zierpflanzenbau Großbeeren/Erfurt e.V.
• Beijing Photon Science & Technology Co. Ltd
• DRAXIS Environmental SA