8th Annual City Farm Festival

Posted on 6 September 2023

WWF Thailand are co-organsing the 8th annual City Farm Festival: ‘Urban Food Space’ at the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation (Thailand).

This relationship came to be as the Festival and the SCP Phase II Project on Establishing Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) share a symbiotic relationship in addressing the growing concerns related to food systems, health, and sustainability in Thai society.

This relationship is a continuation of the SCP project which in the past has focus on enhancing knowledge and awareness, encouraging business adoption of SCP practices, and transforming harmful production practices provides a critical foundation for enhancing sustainable food systems.

Building upon this foundation of precious work, the 8th City Farm Festival: 'Urban Food Space' serves as a public festival focused on developing urban food areas to foster sustainable food systems and promote collaboration across various sectors.

The rationale for the City Farm Festival stems from the need to address complex food and health issues such as degradation of natural resources, overuse of fertilizers, climate change impacts, and food accessibility challenges.

By promoting urban agriculture and integrating urban planning for self-reliance and resilience, the festival aims to create a connection between urban and rural production, leading to a more diverse and sustainable food system.
Through seminars, exhibitions, and showcasing sustainable practices, the festival also aligns with the SCP project's goals of increasing awareness and fostering sustainable consumption patterns.
Knowledge which will be shared with consumers who attend the City Farm Festival encompasses a wide range of topics in the sustainable food space, including,

Sustainable Foundations for Well-Being
Addressing current challenges
The promise of urban agriculture.

The Festival is also a hub for collaboration, enabling citizens, communities, governmental, and private organizations to engage, learn, and collaborate. The festival aims to foster common consciousness in developing urban food areas, reduce impacts in urban zones, and cultivate a sustainable food system. Through a wide array of activities, such as seminars, exhibitions, showcases, and product presentations, the festival will drive awareness and adoption of sustainable practices.
Event objectives

Promote innovative urban food solutions
Facilitate knowledge exchange and networking
Raise awareness and influence policy

Activities which will help achieve these objectives include

Seminar titled "Designing the City's Future with Food Spaces"
Workshops, Training and demonstration areas on urban farming, urban food preservation, and processing, local product transformation
Exhibition showcasing knowledge, innovations, and norms
Vegetable garden therapy area, food spaces, comfortable spaces, children activities
City Farm Market area distributing good, connecting producers to consumers.

Apart from the objectives the City Farm Festival is also expected to generate many benefits for consumers and producers alike, these include

Enhanced knowledge integration in relation to urban food spaces, including the exchange of ideas, techniques, innovations, and various experiences. This will build more comprehensive understanding of how urban food systems interact with various societal aspects, while also developing real connections across food spaces.
Network expansion and adaptation - Expand of urban food spaces networks to seamlessly connect cities, suburban areas, and rural regions. While also equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to adapt to future changes, ensuring the sustainability and resilience of food systems.
Community Collaboration and Consciousness Building - Advocate for public policies that endorse sustainable production and consumption methods. On the consumption end, facilitate a learning process to change individual and societal consumption behavior, ultimately contributing to overall health, environmental protection, and social equality in food production and transformation.

Download the Concept Note for the Festival

Promotional Materials