Field Notes on Food Culture: Lisbon by Carra Santos

PAVEMENT TO PANTRY In a seemingly never-ending stream of socio-environmental ingenuity, the brains behind Cozinha Popolar have also realised an agro-urban innovation project, Muita Fruta.

Muita Fruta (which means ‘Lots of Fruit’) plots the city’s plentiful fruit trees on an interactive online map, and provides the framework and knowhow for volunteers to effectively harvest the fruit, protect the trees, and plant more where suitable space is available. In the spirit of community development, sustainability and zero waste, the harvested fruit is then distributed to those in need, or sold to fund the project’s continued growth.

The project’s impact is rooted and extended further with classes and demonstrations on horticultural and food preservation techniques. Workshops, events and dinners with renowned chefs complete the experience from pavement to pantry.

The community network nurtured alongside this reconnection with nature embraces everyone from the underprivileged, the unemployed, the elderly and immigrants, to the eco-conscious, tourists, students and more. Forging powerful and enduring bonds through purposeful, hands-on participation, Muita Fruta is an inspiration to progressive cities everywhere. www.muitafruta.org 16