This urban forest feeds an American neighbourhood

The idea of the food forest – also known as the "forest garden" – was first developed in Europe in the 1980s, notably by the British horticulturist Robert Hart. Photo: AFP

In the vast green space, home to fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and more, local residents can help themselves to whatever they like, for free. That's the idea behind this food forest, created in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States.

This former farm, which once grew pecan nuts, covers an area of over 28,000sq m. Among other things, it is home to mushrooms, herbs and a wide variety of fruits.

The entire zone is managed using methods of permaculture, so that its upkeep and the cultivation of its various plants requires minimal human intervention and no chemical input with products such as pesticides.

The Atlanta "Urban Food Forest" is located in the Browns Mill district, where one in three residents lives beneath the poverty line. This forest is therefore a precious and sustainable resource in the fight against food poverty, while also bringing communities together and teaching local people about urban farming.

The idea of the food forest – also known as the "forest garden" – isn't new. It was developed in Europe in the 1980s, notably by the British horticulturist, Robert Hart. The concept quickly spread to the US (where there are now over 70 forest gardens), as well as elsewhere in the world.

These ecosystems are set up in a way that reproduces the natural models of the forest, while offering a certain level of self-sufficiency by growing food for personal consumption, as well as other resources for domestic life, such as wood to heat homes.

The idea promotes a way of life that respects the environment, and where humans are at the service of nature, rather than the other way round. – AFP Relaxnews