An urban food forest symbolizes the city's ability to be resilient regarding climate change and food security issues. Thus, this system must manifest resiliency in itself, with a minimal vulnerability (to diseases, environmental or governance issues) and a maximal autonomy (energy, nutrients, water resources).

The urban food forest relies little on external resources for water and nutrients. Rainwater is collected through a rainwater collection system and then reused to refill the pond, clean the tools, and water the plants. Deadwood, leaves, fruit peelings, or weeds are composted in several compost bins. They will be transformed into very good quality compost and be reused in the forest garden to provide the plants with all the nutrients they need.

The food forest is made up of "tree guilds" which includes several layers of vegetation who mutually collaborate and help each other to grow faster and healthier. For example, there will be nectar plants to attract pollinators, associated with nitrogen-fixing plants, ground-cover plants to protect from weeds. Therefore, the urban food forest is resilient to environmental fluctuations and needs minimal human energy to be maintained.

Hsinchu Food Forest is a result of an open and participatory process between the municipality and several stakeholders of the city, like local residents, community groups, city agencies, schools, and even those that might not initially like the idea of an urban food forest. In order to assure public participation and support, it is essential to make every step of building the food forest an open and participatory process. We held over 30 hours of talks to educate local and surrounding communities the idea of a food forest, we even invited the co-founders of the Beacon Food Forest to share their experience with the municipal government and communities, which was a big help in getting the official to say yes. We also held a competition to collect people’s idea on the design of the site, and later asked a landscape designer to combine the ideas of the winning groups. We kept a close relationship with the managing official and local communities (and media) to make sure that the stakeholders would be informed of the latest progress of the food forest, and to modify the design in a timely manner when someone came up with concerns that had been neglected, such as people might trip and fall into the pond at night. We added a short hedgerow and lighting to prevent such possibilities.

The method used in training involves introductory lessons on Biointensive agriculture and other sustainable ideas carried out indoors. After this familiarization with the concepts, the farmers are subjected to demonstrations to aid in acquiring of relevant practical skills and finally participatory action based on-farm training. Discussions and sharing of ideas and experiences is highly encouraged at this stage and upholding is equally emphasized. Thematic approach based on soil conversation, long term soil fertility building, ecological farm management practices and energy saving are stressed. Initially, trainers of trainees are selected from famer groups. They are then trained at Manor House Agricultural Centre. They are then sent to establish mini-training centre in the community where they train other farmers

The purpose of this building block is to engage different stakeholders for ownership and sustainability. It works by creating a platform for leveraging resources, market linkages, policy formulation/ improvement and mainstreaming. For instance, NDRC Nepal actively engaged relevant government agencies for the project’s implementation, namely District Forest Offices (DFOs), District Agriculture Development Offices (DADOs), District Livestock Service Offices (DLSOs) and District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCOs). Local cooperatives, CBOs, NGOs and INGOs like Heifer International were also mobilized in the project’s endeavors for ownership and sustainability. The project efforts had direct benefits for the farming, forestry and fishery sectors. The involvement of local financial institutions helped link poor families to banks for financial stability. The project worked to link farmers directly with market networks, so that they continue to receive fair prices for their produce. Working with other relevant stakeholders, NDRC Nepal was successful in pressuring the Government of Nepal to draft a policy for addressing the issue of shifting cultivation in 2014.

Soariake is an IUCN category VI MPA, that aims at protecting natural ecosystems while allowing the sustainable use of natural resources. It is currently co-managed by WCS and local community gathered in Soariake Association.

Local communities are at the same time actors and victims of overfishing.  As MPA co-manager, WCS  is in charge of scientific research and monitoring to assess the value of the site, communicate, raise awareness and support local communities to identify and implement suitable conservation measures, identifying alternatives to better manage natural resources, and identifying key partners if needed. WCS also provides capacity building in terms of project management, social organization and fishing regulation; thus ensuring the integrity of the MPA and the livelihoods of the communities.

WCS also supports the local community to define different zoning of the MPA, local conventions on resource management, ensure patrolling through Community Control and Surveillance, collect  fish catch data, and promote alternatives that are environmental friendly.

Community involvement in the management of the MPA is key to build a local ownership, one pillar to warrant sustainability of on ground activities.

The farming program covers the whole process from production to marketing, including drying (for seaweed) and storage, to ensure that it will provide the expected quality sell the final product at a fair price to ensure their income.  Thus, we collaborate with the private sector through a “village farmer approach”: Ocean Farmers for the seaweed industry, and Indian Ocean Trepan for the sea cucumber industry. In addition to a global partnership between the private sector and WCS, each farmer has an agreement with the private sector that determines each party’s roles.

For the sea cucumber, IOT provides (i) juveniles at a competitive price, (ii) technical support to farmers; and then buys the product to the farmers at an agreed price. WCS ensures (i) raw materials and equipment for the enclosures, and (ii) organizational support to farmers. The farmers manage and look after the farm and the equipment. Farmers’ can commit to more than one production cycle. If they withdraw from the program they must leave the equipment and enclosure to the local association for other farmers.

For the seaweed farmer, Ocean Farmer provides plants, equipment, technical support and buy the product at an agreed price. Villagers manage the farm and build the storage. WCS ensures organizational support. 

Global warming and climate-change is a global issue and solutions to avert climate change from tipping over and slow down global warming should likewise be global in nature.   

"While we are relatively small individually…I believe that working together for a greater purpose, we can achieve our goals; many in body and one in mind." Ken Lee, Lotus Foods.

 ZIDOFA's attainment of near completed status for the targetted closed-loop organic SRI rice value chain in the span of just two years despite the absence of a resident sponsoring NGO or support organization is attributable to its strategic partnerships with both private organizations and government agencies.  As such, the various components of the value chain, mainly infrastructure, logistical and equipment support were granted by varying organizations and agencies.

At the start of the project, ZIDOFA submitted the Project Plan to as many private and government entities as possible and a year after project start, also submitted Executive Briefs to heads of agencies outlining the milestones, achievements and constraints met by the farmers.  As such, by year two, the concerned organizations and agencies were well aware of the project and eventually became project partners thereby setting an unprecedented model for convergence.

To make sure the project stayed on track to its aim and commitment to provide safe, affordable and healthy food for consumers, restore, protect and conserve biodiversity and to promote farmers' welfare, ZIDOFA farmers were actively engaged in the creation of ZIDOFA's Mission and Vision Statements by conducting a Strategic Plannig workshop by CORE, Philippines.  Additionally, a Communications Planning workshop was conducted by leading communications and media experts to ensure that ZIDOFA members were on the same page on how to market SRI as well as its flagship product, the Oregena (abbreviation for Organic REGENerative Agriculture) line of organic SRI Rices.
 

The ZIDOFA Mission: To advance holistic, farmer-managed and environment-friendly programs utilizing leading edge processes promoting quality agricultural and aquaculture products

The ZIDOFA Vision: ZIDOFA envisions itself as a reputable producer of quality and globally competitive organic agriculture and aquaculture products. It envisions a resilient and productive community where families are healthy,  happy and living harmoniously in a sustainable environment.

As ZIDOFA farmers trained on SRI, training for organic fertilizer manufacture was also incorporated so that the organic inputs can be available once the cropping cycle started as and such, the farmers can focus on the SRI agronomic management principles instead of having to still worry about making organic inputs. 

As the ZIDOFA farmers started planting and cultivating their organic SRI rice plants, ZIDOFA was already seeking market linkages with potential customers for the upcoming harvested paddy rice and the eventual milled organic paddy rice. 

All throughout the chain of activities, ZIDOFA was aggressively joining national and regional exhibits as well as trade fairs in order to promote SRI and to increase public awareness on the benefits of organic pigmented rice as part of consumer diet. The environmental ramifications of organic-based SRI was also highlighted with ZIDOFA adopting the following tagline "That Farmers, Soils and Oceans May Live" in all its communications engagements including social media. 

All throught the cropping year, ZIDOFA submitted project proposals for its needed equipment and infrastructure and persistently followed up on their statuses

Continous seeking of funding sources.

This ensures that the most basic concept for sustainability is practiced by participating farmers and that it is nutrient recycling to veer away from input intensive dependence and transforming into low-input organic practices.  Successfully carrying out this objective supports the  participating farmers but also other farmers, who may want to try their hands on organic farming, the readily available supply of organic bokashi, vermicast and natural farming systems concoctions.  The organic inputs will provide much needed nutrients and micronutrients required by rice plants in order for it to manifest its maximum potentials at optimum conditions.  Healthy rice plants establish what is known as the "positive feedback loop" where it develops healthy and substantial root architectures which feed the upper biomass resulting in better photosynthetic capabilities which can then provide nutrients for the roots to develop even more.  Once this loop is established, the plant can easily ward off pest and disease attacks. The preparation of organic inputs also offers an opportunity for farmers to sell to other parties outside of ZIDOFA and can supplement their income while waiting for their rice to be harvested. Sufficient supply of organic inputs lessens dependence on chemicals.