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UN includes Rio City Hall's Hortas Cariocas program on the list of essential actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
Published on 28/08/2020 - 10:40 | Updated
Hortas Cariocas program receives recognition from the UN. Photo: Marco Antonio Rezende / Rio City Hall
More than 33 tons of food have been distributed since the beginning of the pandemic, benefiting 4 families in situations of social vulnerability
The Hortas Cariocas program, run by the City of Rio de Janeiro, has been added to the list of actions classified as essential to achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The announcement of the inclusion of the Rio program was made this week on the Organization's official online platform, which records projects committed to a global sustainable development agenda that must be fulfilled by 2030.
The text published on the platform about the Brazilian project highlights that Hortas Cariocas “encourages urban agroecology and provides access to healthy food in the most vulnerable regions of the city”. The website also states that “by identifying areas with potential for urban gardens, the project offers the local population inputs and materials for the development of organic agriculture, in addition to promoting environmental education”.
Hortas Cariocas, from the Municipal Department of the Environment, was one of the programs used by the City of Rio to alleviate difficulties in accessing food for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 42 units of the program (18 located in municipal schools and 24 in communities) were instructed to donate all of their food production to low-income families in the communities. Since March, more than 33 tons of food have been donated, benefiting 4 families.
– The inclusion of Hortas Cariocas in the list of UN partner projects for sustainable development is recognition of the success of the Rio City Hall's strategy of concentrating the program's actions on those who need it most at this time of the pandemic, which is the population in a situation of social vulnerability – highlighted the Municipal Secretary of Environment, Bernardo Egas.
International Award
The UN’s inclusion of Hortas Cariocas on the online platform was in response to an initiative by the International Relations Coordination Office of Rio de Janeiro City Hall, which earlier this month registered the Rio de Janeiro program as a candidate to join the entity’s official list of accelerator projects for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (UD SDG Accelerated Actions). The inclusion of the Rio de Janeiro program can be seen at this link (click here).
Last year, the Hortas Cariocas program had already received international recognition when it won the honorable mention award in the Food Production category (Urban Food Systems) in October in Montpellier, France, competing with 104 candidates from the main signatory cities of the Milan Pact, which seeks to replicate good examples of sustainability around the world.
Producing around 70 tons/year of biofortified organic foods, including fruits, vegetables and legumes, the program is now entering a new phase with the introduction of animal protein into the menu offered by the 42 units.
The aquaponics system is scheduled to open in September. This is the integration of aquaculture with hydroponics, enabling the production of fish and vegetables in a single system using the same water in a recirculation mechanism. This means that the waste produced by the fish can be used as a source of nutrients for the vegetables, which in turn improves the quality of the water that returns to the fish. The pilot project for raising tilapia is in the final stages of assembly at Horta do Jardim Anil, in Jacarepaguá.
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