About the FACTS Conference:
Our FACTS Conference to be held on 29th and 30th March will provide a wonderful opportunity to network with UA stakeholders from around the Globe. We are planning an exciting and inspiring programme for our event. First and foremost, we want to make our digital conference, lively, stimulating and fun for you. Along with our research findings, we’ll be presenting very diverse content; with videos, storytelling and interactive media, all intended to retain your attention over the 2 days.
The FACTS conference will collect, conceptualize and highlight local and global experiences of Urban agriculture, starting out from the perspective of Rome itself. It will open the door to further networks and activities. Broad themes will cover Urban Agriculture and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), knowledge sharing with Less Developed Countries (LDCs), challenges within the Mediterranean and the Maghreb Regions and UA in the post pandemic era. In particular content will focus upon:
- Networking and roundtable sessions
- Typologies and benefits of Urban Agriculture (UA)
- EU policies and UA
- Urban planning perspectives on UA
- Story telling on Urban Agriculture, using film and media content
- Local initiatives in the Rome area, including urban farms and gardens
We’ll be keeping you updated with detailed information about how to register and join in the Conference. In the meantime:
Highlights of the FACTS Conference:
Learn about the latest developments in Urban Agriculture – Highlights will include:
Keynote Speakers:
We have inspiring Keynote speakers lined up from the World of Urban Agriculture to set the scene for the FACTS Conference and to highlight some of the main current global themes and “hot topics” which set the context for our activities. These will identify and define the opportunities and challenges facing us within the discipline.
EFUA Project Updates:
EFUA working groups have been busy behind the scenes, pulling together a number of key pieces of research, which we intend to share during the FACTS Conference. In particular we intend to feature results and outcomes from these projects:
Urban Agriculture Typology:
This investigates the variety of types of Urban Agriculture initiatives across Europe. Our survey and follow up research focusses upon different dimensions of UA including: products and services, people and organizations, product destination, location, production methods, ownership and maintenance, and the relationship with governance.
Benefits of Urban Agriculture:
This work aims to gain a more in-depth understanding of the benefits of Urban Agriculture (UA), especially in the European context. The data collected is analysed to identify similarities and differences between UA initiatives. Outputs will help to define the benefits of UA, possible disservices or unwanted effects, the monitoring and assessment of these benefits and linkages with other urban oriented concepts, such as urban metabolism, rural-urban linkages and food systems.
Policy review:
EFUA has been looking at the policies which impact upon UA and those which might benefit from inclusion of UA as an additional theme. In doing so, EFUA aims to synergise key EU agendas and priorities to enable better support and funding for UA. This will be a multiscale approach; from European level to individual city level, whilst also recognising the increasingly significance for Less Developed Countries (LDCs).
Round Table Sessions:
These will provide a chance for you to engage actively with experts in the field and to present your own questions and perspectives. We intend that these sessions generate lively and informed dialogue.
Virtual Tours:
Of course, we want to provide a local flavour, as best we can, albeit within a virtual format. We want to take you on a tour of some of the inspiring local Urban Agriculture Projects within the Rome area. We can’t promise it will be quite the same as being there, but we’ll certainly be doing our best to bring some real “Italian Flair” to the proceedings.
See you in Rome ! We look forward to your participation in our unique FACTS Conference 2022.