CoFarm4Cities: Creating a sustainable model for urban fringe farming in Central Europe as an effective tool to prevent urban sprawl and to transition to a more sustainable food system and society
Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Central EuropeDescription
Solutions collected in the jointly developed urban farming-based sustainable land use model (UFSLU)(EN)
Jointly developed UFSLU-based, city-level Action Plans for PP cities(EN)
Jointly developed and implemented urban farming pilot intervention - OBM(EN)
Jointly developed and implemented urban farming pilot intervention - TOR/KAIROS(EN)
Jointly developed and implemented urban farming pilot intervention - KRA(EN)
Jointly developed and implemented urban farming pilot intervention - ZAGR(EN)
Jointly developed and implemented urban farming pilot intervention - LJU/DOVES(EN)
Jointly developed strategy for adaptation of UFSLU model(EN)
Website: https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/cofarm4cities/
Thematic information
Priority: (VI-B_CE_2) Cooperating for a greener central Europe
Priority specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution
Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility
Type of intervention: 079 Nature and biodiversity protection, natural heritage and resources, green and blue infrastructure
Partners (9)
Lead Partner: Budapest Főváros III. Kerület Óbuda-Békásmegyer Önkormányzat
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 892318036
Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU15735667
Address: Fő tér, 1033 Budapest, Hungary
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: https://obuda.hu/
Total budget: EUR 452 730.00
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 362 184.00
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 90 546.00
Contractors:
-
Name: FLORABONE Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 32092909-2-42 -
Name: Tender Terv Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: HU11148081 -
Name: HBH Stratégia és FejlesztésKft
VAT registration or tax identification number: 10412426-2-41 -
Name: Spatialist Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 29293330-2-13 -
Name: PART LAB Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 25730618-2-13
- Drustvo DOVES - FEE Slovenia
-
Name: Drustvo DOVES - FEE Slovenia
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 946622807
Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI50989812
Address: Cesta solinarjev, 6321 Portorož, Slovenia
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs
Website: https://www.doves.si
Total budget: EUR 128 120.90
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 102 496.72
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 25 624.18
- Óbudai Egyetem
-
Name: Óbudai Egyetem
Department: Environmental Engineering and Natural Sciences Institute of the Rejtő Sándor Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Engineering
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 986279123
Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU19308760
Address: Bécsi út, 1034 Budapest, Hungary
Department address: Bécsi út, 1034 Budapest, Hungary
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations
Website: https://uni-obuda.hu
Total budget: EUR 170 829.99
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 136 663.99
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 34 166.00
- Institut za cirkularnu ekonomiju
-
Name: Institut za cirkularnu ekonomiju
Partner’s ID if not PIC: HR57903760371
Address: Gospodska ulica, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs
Website: https://bit.ly/3h8tr0F
Total budget: EUR 148 412.00
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 118 729.60
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 29 682.40
Contractors:
-
Name: RRA Podravje - Maribor
VAT registration or tax identification number: SI33925950 -
Name: E-zavod
VAT registration or tax identification number: 46683518 -
Name: Zavod za trajnostni razvoj
VAT registration or tax identification number: 95321284
-
Name: RRA Podravje - Maribor
- Mestna občina Ljubljana
-
Name: Mestna občina Ljubljana
Department: Department for Environmental Protection – Section for Rural Development
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999851557
Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI67593321
Address: Mestni trg, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Department address: Zarnikova ulica, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: http://www.ljubljana.si
Total budget: EUR 356 553.40
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 285 242.72
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 71 310.68
- Gmina Miejska Kraków
-
Name: Gmina Miejska Kraków
Department: Municipal Greenspace Authority
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 984168306
Partner’s ID if not PIC: PL6761013717
Address: Plac Wszystkich Świętych, 31-004 Krakow, Poland
Department address: Reymonta, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: https://zzm.krakow.pl/
Total budget: EUR 282 812.00
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 226 249.60
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 56 562.40
- KAIROS CONSORZIO DI COOPERATIVE SOCIALI - SOCIETA' COOPERATIVA SOCIALE - O.N.L.U.S.
-
Name: KAIROS CONSORZIO DI COOPERATIVE SOCIALI - SOCIETA' COOPERATIVA SOCIALE - O.N.L.U.S.
Department: International Relations
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 950261956
Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT08134210015 | E10117438 | OID (EN)
Address: Via Lulli, 10148 Turin, Italy
Department address: Via Lulli, 10148 Turin, Italy
Legal status: private
Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs
Website: https://consorziokairos.it/
Total budget: EUR 158 878.50
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 127 102.80
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 31 775.70
- Comune di Torino
-
Name: Comune di Torino
Department: Innovation and EU funds department
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 986538792
Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT00514490010
Address: Piazza Palazzo di Citta, 10122 Turin, Italy
Department address: Piazza Palazzo di Citta, 10122 Turin, Italy
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: http://www.comune.torino.it/
Total budget: EUR 216 898.00
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 173 518.40
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 43 379.60
Contractors:
-
Name: AVVENTURA URBANA SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: 09117680018 -
Name: UNIVERSITA' STUDI DI TORINO
VAT registration or tax identification number: 02099550010 -
Name: RICCARDO PETRIGNANI
VAT registration or tax identification number: 08057830013 -
Name: ARTE E GUSTO CATERING SNC
VAT registration or tax identification number: 08092490013
-
Name: AVVENTURA URBANA SRL
- Grad Zagreb, Gradski ured za gospodarstvo, ekološku održivost i strategijsko planiranje
-
Name: Grad Zagreb, Gradski ured za gospodarstvo, ekološku održivost i strategijsko planiranje
Department: Department for preparation and implementation international and regional projects
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 989531727
Partner’s ID if not PIC: HR61817894937
Address: Trg Stjepana Radića, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Department address: Park Stara Trešnjevka, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Local public authority
Website: https://www.zagreb.hr/
Total budget: EUR 326 279.60
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 261 023.68
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 65 255.92
Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner
Summary
Project acronym: CoFarm4Cities
Project ID: CE0100253
Project start date: 2023-04-01
Project end date: 2026-03-31
Project status: ongoing
Relevant linked projects:
- CityZen (Interreg Europe) (EN) | CityZen (running between 2019-2023) aims to explore successful business values that urban farming brings to the ecosystem and link them to innovative entrepreneurship and supply chains. The creation of a knowledge pool of urban farming policies, initiatives and business processes is meant to support decision makers and leverage the efficiency of their actions.
- CoFarm4Cities does not focus only on the supply chain and the business values of urban farming, but building on CityZen’s experiences and results through consultations with them, aims to combine business values with environmental, social and health values as well, to create a comprehensive model for urban fringe farming. (EN), OpenAgri (UIA) (EN) | Open Agri (2017-2019) runs in Milan (IT) and focuses on sustainable food systems from a job creation and community building perspective. The project looks at accelerating new food enterprises in peri-urban areas, to foster skills and competences to lower the environmental impacts of farming and to strengthen social cohesion through community-led initiatives.
- CoFarm4Cities, incorporating OpenAgri’s results, will go beyond finding solutions to a local challenge and focusing only on traditional employment-based model. It will study different urban farming management and business scenarios at 5 locations, including farmers’ community-led, school-farm relation-focused, volunteering and circularity-based, mixed land use-based and bio-waste-based urban farming and aims to create a replicable and comprehensive model for urban farming-based sustainable land use for other CE countries. (EN), Fusilli (H2020) (EN) | Fusilli (running between 2021-2024) focuses on supporting cities to facilitate their transition towards more sustainable food systems. In the project, the city of Turin, also a partner in CoFarm4Cities, is responsible for the implementation of the “Food Innovation Living Lab”, in which it experiments with circular business models for the production and processing of food for local commerce.
- CoFarm4Cities will transfer Turin’s knowledge from Fusilli, and incorporate circular solutions in the urban farming scenarios, but will have a wider perspective by looking at other aspects as well, like the education of future generations through primary school programs and orientation of young people towards agriculture, social employment, and community-led urban farming. (EN), RU:RBAN (URBACT) (EN) | RU:RBAN’s Good Practice is the Management model of Urban gardens in Rome to be transferred to newcomer cities, like Krakow - which is also a partner in CoFarm4Cities - to ensure sharing of experiences to enhance the capacities of local governance.The project is running between 2021-2022.
- CoFarm4Cities will draw on Krakow’s experience in replicating RU:RBAN’s management model, which builds heavily on citizen engagement, and it will take it further towards urban farming, exploring also the potentials and benefits of a mixed, farming-gardening model and creating a model specifically for the sustainable land use of peri-urban territories. (EN), ProGIreg (H2020) (EN) | ProGIreg’s (running between 2018-2023) aim is to turn unused urban land into productive community gardens, which contributes to improved mental and physical health through exposure to nature and healthy sources of food and a community feeling.
- CoFarm4Cities partner, Zagreb participates in the project, during which a city garden with organic vegetables has been established. Another location of ProGIreg is Turin, where Sangone Park will be redesigned and used for community urban gardens, while Piemonte Park will be used for social farming activities including training and job placements.
- Since Zagreb and Turin are partners in both projects, it ensures that ProGIreg’s results and experiences will be directly transferred into CoFarm4Cities, although the approach of the two projects is different, in the sense that CoFarm4Cities specifically considers urban farming as a potential profit-oriented commercial activity in the long run - not (just) a recreational one -, which uses peri-urban agricultural areas and regards this practice as socio-economic and environmental drive for transitioning to sustainable food systems. (EN), Urbfarm (Erasmus+) (EN) | Urbfarm, which is running between 2020-2022 is set to create a blended-learning program for low-skilled adult learners fostering green competencies, targeting low-skilled adult learners interested in urban farming and entrepreneurship.
- Education and training is only a segment of CoFarm4Cities, while other elements, like urban farm creation, community building, stakeholder engagement are equally important in it. Moreover, its educational target groups are wider, including local landowners, school children and their families, as well as local catering businesses and decision makers on all levels. (EN)
Total budget/expenditure: EUR 2 241 514.39
Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 793 211.51
Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%
Co-financing sources:
- ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 793 211.51. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.
Investments, deliverables, policy contributions
(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)
Infrastructure investments:
- I2.4 - Creating an educational urban garden in Torino - EUR 27 600.00 - country: Italia (IT), town: Turin, street: Strada Cuorgné, 109, postal_code: 10156, Piemonte (ITC1), Torino (ITC11)
- I2.3 - Establishing an urban orchard in Zagreb - EUR 23 300.00 - country: Hrvatska (HR), town: Zagreb, street: Close to: Av. Većeslava Holjevca, New part: Podbrežje, postal_code: N/A, Grad Zagreb (HR05), Grad Zagreb (HR050)
- I2.2 - Establishing a mixed-use urban farm in Krakow - EUR 50 000.00 - country: Polska (PL), town: Krakow, street: Orla, N/A, postal_code: 30-244, Małopolskie (PL21), Miasto Kraków (PL213)
- I2.1 - Setting up an urban farm in Óbuda - EUR 55 000.00 - country: Magyarország (HU), town: Budapest, street: Vadászles, 21087/1, postal_code: H-1037, Budapest (HU11), Budapest (HU110)
Deliverables:
- Co-designed methodology for analysing successful business models of existing urban farms globally
- Report on joint discussion of the overview and description of around 20 farming practices to PPs
- In-depth analysis and joint discussion of 5 urban farms and their management and business models
- Co-designed methodology to analyse local opportunities for and challenges of urban farming
- Analysis of urban farming opportunities in each PP city
- Joint workshop report discussing the findings of overall (A1.1) and local (A1.2) analyses
- Documentation of working out management and business aspects for 5 urban farm scenarios
- Documentation of working out social and environmental aspects for 5 urban farm scenarios
- Jointly finalised 5 urban farm scenarios to be partially tested in pilot interventions in WP2
- Joint post-pilot comparative analysis and co-evaluation workshop report
- Jointly developed Urban Farming-based Sustainable Land Use Model (UFSLU)
- City-level Action Plans
- Cooperation framework for piloting process
- Co-designed pilot concepts for the 5 pilot sites testing urban farming (UF) scenarios
- Documentation of pilot action testing local farmers' community based urban farming (UF) scenario-OBM
- Docu of pilot action testing circularity, soc. cohesion, education based UF scenario - TOR/KAIROS
- Documentation of pilot action testing mixed-use UF scenario - KRA
- Documentation of pilot action testing public orchard and bio-waste reuse based UF scenario - ZAGR
- Documentation of pilot action testing school program based UF scenario - LJU/DOVES
- Peer visit reports / video documentary
- Joint online pilot experiences workshop
- Peer-to-peer evaluation reports of pilots' results testing elements of urban farming scenarios
- Joint guidelines on outreach to and engagement of production-side stakeholders (PSS)
- Mapping and assessment of potential PSS’ participatory involvement in urban farming
- Reports on engagement events to build a long-term local production stakeholder community for UF
- Joint guidelines on outreach to and engagement of demand-side stakeholders (DSS)
- Assessment of potential stakeholders in demand for healthy local farm products
- Report on the local events aiming at the demand side stakeholders
- Training metho and material for decision-makers on sustainable agricult practices & food systems
- Report on modular training sessions on sustainable agricultural practises for decision-makers
- Documentation of local pilot site visits for decision-makers and the press
- Report on online knowledge transfer workshops for interested follower cities and organisations
- Report on developing a joint Strategy for adaptation of the UFLSU model by other cities
- Report on conference on conclusions
Contribution to wider strategies and policies:
- EuropeanGreenDeal The relevant goals set in the European Green Deal are to ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, to reduce the environmental and climate footprint of the EU’s food system, to strengthen the EU food system’s resilience and to lead a global transition towards competitive sustainability from farm to fork, elaborated in the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F).
- The project’s approach is largely based on the F2F strategy and will contribute to the aforementioned goals by creating a sustainable land use model for agricultural food production locally in the peri-urban areas of cities and by launching extensive awareness raising and capacity building activities using participatory and other engagement methods.
- The EU Biodiversity Strategy, which is the core part of the EU Green Deal, aims to build our societies’ resilience to future threats such as food insecurity and the impacts of climate change.
- The project’s overall aim is to offer a solution to food insecurity and climate change impacts by creating a sustainable land use model based on urban farming, which also takes into account environmental and socio-economic aspects.
- TerritorialAgenda2030
- The project contributes to the following priorities of the Territorial Agenda 2030: Balanced Europe - to cooperate on responses to global societal challenges and strengthening socio‑economic prosperity; Healthy Environment - Better ecological livelihoods, climate-neutral and resilient towns, cities and regions; Circular Economy - Strong and sustainable local economies in a globalised world, by creating a sustainable agricultural land use model in which environmental and socio-economic aspects are equally represented and which strengthens cities’ resilience and self-sufficiency in food production.
- EUStrategyAdriaticIonianRegion
- Pillar 3 of EUSAIR seeks to contribute to the goal of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them in so far as feasible, by addressing threats to marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
- It also seeks to improve waste management by reducing waste flows to the sea and, to reduce nutrient flows and other pollutants to the rivers and the sea.
- The project contributes to the safeguarding of biodiversity and improvement of waste management in HR, IT, SI by promoting an environmentally sustainable, agricultural land cultivation, namely urban farming, with circular elements to harvest rainwater and reduce water waste.
- EUStrategyAlpineRegion
- The objective of the 3rd Thematic Policy Area: Environment and Energy is to create a more inclusive environmental framework for all and renewable and reliable energy solutions for the future, where it prioritises the reinforcement of Alpine natural and cultural resources as assets of a high quality living area.
- One of the CoFarm4Cities project pilot sites will be Cascina Falchera in TOR, IT, an old rural farmhouse, which will be revitalized to accommodate among others sustainable energy (water) solutions. Besides, the project will contribute to the strategy’s goals by educating primary school children and their families on environmental-friendly choices in LJU (SI)
- EUStrategyDanubeRegion
- EUSDR’s Priority Area 06 is to preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils, and maintain and restore Green and Blue Infrastructure elements through integrated spatial development and conservation planning.
- This is the main challenge the project tackles by aiming to recover biodiversity in HR, HU, SI through creating sustainable agricultural uses and offering a tool to prevent urban sprawl, and by improving soil quality via introducing regenerative and organic farming methods. The project will also implement green infrastructure elements at the pilot sites in HR, HU, SI to help sustainable irrigation and rainwater harvesting.
- Other Food 2030 is the EU's research and innovation policy to transform food systems and ensure everyone has enough affordable, nutritious food to lead a healthy life. It aims to achieve a resilient food system that is fit for the future. Food systems need also to deliver co-benefits for people’s health, our climate, planet and communities.
- The project’s objectives are in line with the Food 2030 policy, as it seeks to ultimately create a resilient food system for cities that comes with environmental, social and public health benefits.
- EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion Policy Area (PA) ‘Bioeconomy’ of EUSBSR aims at reinforcing sustainability of agriculture, forestry and fisheries by promoting an integrated approach, promoting a sustainable use of marine, agricultural and forest resources, as well as to speed up spreading of new sustainable practices and productions in agriculture, forestry, and sustainable use natural resources.
- The project will contribute to these goals in PL by aiming at developing a sustainable land use model for peri-urban agricultural practices.
Programme Common Output Indicator:
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RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
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RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
-
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
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RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
Delivered output indicator(s):
- (RCO87) Organisations cooperating across borders: 9.0
Programme Common Result Indicator:
-
RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
-
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
-
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:
Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR
EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:
EUSBSR Degree of compliance:
Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSALP
EUSALP Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:
EUSALP Degree of compliance:
Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR
Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSAIR
EUSAIR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:
EUSAIR Degree of compliance:
Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project
Financing programme
2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Central Europe
Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme
2025-03-31
No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)
100 / 100 (100%)
No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)
1 017 / 1 018 (99.9%)
Notes on the data
Programme's webpage last visited on 2025-03-17.