Economic Development Agency CONQUITO
The Pitch
The Municipality of Quito’s Economic Development Agency (CONQUITO) established a comprehensive urban agriculture system that provides residents with fresh food, job opportunities, training and access to green spaces.
The Problem
Quito lacked a system of urban agriculture and access to green spaces, and its residents were separated from food production.
The Process
- Signed the Quito Declaration in 2000, which committed the city to promote urban agriculture
- Piloted “El Panecillo,” the first of their urban gardens
- Institutionalized AGRUPAR under the Metropolitan Agency for Economic Promotion in 2005
- Included urban agriculture in Quito’s Climate Action Plan and Resilience Strategy
- Trained farmers in sustainable agricultural practices and increased public awareness about healthy eating
The Impact
- Connected 4,500+ urban, peri-urban and rural farmers that produce 960,000+ kilos of produce annually
- Trained 21,700+ people in agricultural practices
- Reached 40,000 responsible consumers per year through 17 Bioferias (organic markets)
- Increased participants’ knowledge about healthy eating and agriculture: 50% now have a greater knowledge about agriculture and 95% have changed their eating habits and/or improved their family’s food quality
- Improved community connections: 78% of people say they are now more active in their communities and feel a stronger sense of connection
- Increased participants’ happiness levels
- Enabled participants to teach their children about urban agriculture
- Provided more opportunities for women to be involved in the community through trainings and cultivation of healthy food
- Increased the number of residents who follow responsible environmental practices through education; participants felt a higher responsibility towards improving city environmental practices
- Inspired similar projects in other cities in Latin America
