South Milan Agricultural Park, Italy

The South Milan Agricultural Park is made up of 47,000 hectares of land including agricultural and forested areas, rivers and historic estates. It sits along the peri-urban belt of South Milan. The main activities undertaken throughout are agricultural and include the management of silvicultural resources, crop production, livestock breeding, and the ‘transformation and management of it’s products’. The parks main objectives are to protect these agricultural activities, and the environments around them, and to connect the local residents of Milan to the source of sustainable and fresh food.

User paths are being created throughout to encourage visitors. (source: Hotel Rex Milano 2022)

The park is being developed further to attract citizens and tourists, allowing them to use services directly and partake in courses and leisure activities. User paths are being established throughout to allow residents to cycle, run, walk or otherwise tour the parklands in order to see produce being grown. The aim is that by making the park accessible as a place for leisure that the people of Milan will grow an appreciation for the quality of it’s produce. People can shop directly at many farms in the park buying not only fresh but unique products hard to find within the city. Twice a month The Earth Market takes place in the centre of Milan. The Earth Market is a large farmers market which lends stalls only to farmers from the province of Milan, many of whom are located within the South Milan Agricultural Park. The sellers have to meet requirements regarding organoleptic or technological growing standards for their crops or products.

The Earth Market in central Milan offers farmers the opportunity to directly sell their produce and products from the park to the city. (source: Urban Reforestation 2022)

Already in the peri-urban belt of the city, the South Milan Agricultural Park has further dissolved the barrier between the urban landscape and the agricultural one by becoming an attraction and offering an escape from the urban bustle. It’s proximity to the city also means that the food produced in the park travels significantly less and that it is easy to attain sustainably grown produce within Milan.

The South Milan Agricultural Park is in the peri-urban belt of South Milan. (source: Food Policy 2022)

For further information see the city council’s website.

For information on the Earth Market see here.

Image: The park offers many recreational activities for city-dweller to partake in. (source: With Locals 2022)

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