Changes at "El Trisquel del Sur: A Regenerative Peri-Urban Hub for Soil Literacy and Commons Stewardship"
Title (English)
- +El Trisquel del Sur: A Regenerative Peri-Urban Hub for Soil Literacy and Commons Stewardship
Body (English)
- +Summary of the challenge
- +In the face of historic drought and resource pressure from intensive monocultures in Málaga, El Trisquel del Sur presents a challenge to the dominant agricultural model by creating a resilient, replicable prototype of Peri-Urban Productive Agriculture (APPU). Our challenge integrates three core pillars: 1) Technological and hydric resilience through innovative water capture and regenerative techniques. 2) A true circular economy where all "waste" is a resource, ensuring economic viability. 3) An open-knowledge "farm-school" model dedicated to fostering soil literacy and empowering our community. We aim to serve as a living laboratory for the future of local food systems in arid regions.
- +Detailed description
- +El Trisquel del Sur is a family-run APPU (Peri-Urban Productive Agriculture) initiative located in Málaga, a region suffering from extreme water scarcity exacerbated by the expansion of subtropical monocultures. Our project is not merely a farm; it is a holistic response designed as an open-source prototype to build local resilience. We structure our challenge around three interconnected pillars: Pillar 1: Hydric & Technological Resilience (Our Shield Against Drought):** We are implementing a multi-layered system to maximize water autonomy. This includes rainwater harvesting from all available roofs, subterranean irrigation systems that reduce evaporation by up to 80%, and enriching the soil with coconut fiber to act as a natural spong. This is augmented by soil moisture sensors for automated, hyper-efficient watering and small-scale hydroponic systems for high-yield, low-water crops. Pillar 2: Circular & Sustainable Economy (Our Engine for Viability):** We operate on a "zero-waste" principle. Organic residues are transformed into high-quality compost and substrate for mushroom cultivation, creating new value chains. We are expanding our capacity to produce our own bio-fertilizers, achieving 100% self-sufficiency and creating a surplus to support other local, small-scale growers. This circular model ensures our economic resilience and reduces dependence on external inputs. Pillar 3: Shared Knowledge & Community (Our Social Commitment):** The heart of our project is a physical training and demonstration center on the farm. Our mission is to be an "open-source farm-school", documenting and sharing our methods, successes, and failures. We will offer workshops and practical training for local farmers, students, and urban citizens on regenerative techniques, water management, and circular economy models. Our goal is to empower others to replicate and adapt these solutions, fostering widespread soil literacy and creating a community of practice rooted in care and collaboration. By integrating these pillars, our challenge aims to provide a proven, scalable, and open-source model for how peri-urban agriculture can ensure food security, restore soil health, and build economic justice in the face of climate change.
- +Which SoilTribes priority area(s) does your challenge address?
- +Territorial Justice
- +Commons Stewardship
- +Regenerative Transitions
- +How does your challenge respond to the selected SoilTribes priority area(s)?
- +Territorial Justice: Our challenge directly addresses the inequalities of resource access in a peri-urban territory squeezed by urban expansion and water-intensive industrial agriculture. By developing low-cost, effective strategies against desertification and for water autonomy, we empower small-scale farmers and provide a model for food sovereignty in structurally vulnerable regions. Commons Stewardship: We are committed to managing both our land and our knowledge as a shared resource. Our "open-source farm-school" model is designed to make our innovations in water management and regenerative agriculture freely available, fostering a community of practice and collective responsibility for soil health. Regenerative Transitions: We are prototyping a new socio-economic model for small farms that moves from extraction to regeneration. Our circular economy approach not only ensures our own viability but also provides an alternative to conventional, high-input agriculture, demonstrating a tangible pathway for a regenerative and just transition.
- +Which EU Soil Mission goal(s) does your challenge contribute to?
- +Prevent erosion
- +Reduce soil sealing / reuse urban soils
- +Conserve soil organic carbon
- +Reduce desertification
- +Enhance soil biodiversity
- +Challenge typology
- +Seeds (small, replicable initiatives)
- +Expected outputs / actions
- +Awareness-raising / communications
- +Creative or cultural events
- +Capacity-building (training, guides, mentorship)
- +Participatory processes
- +Prototyping or technical testing
- +Who is involved or affected by the challenge?
- +* **Territorial Justice:** Our challenge directly addresses the inequalities of resource access in a peri-urban territory squeezed by urban expansion and water-intensive industrial agriculture. By developing low-cost, effective strategies against desertification and for water autonomy, we empower small-scale farmers and provide a model for food sovereignty in structurally vulnerable regions. * **Commons Stewardship:** We are committed to managing both our land and our knowledge as a shared resource Our "open-source farm-school" model is designed to make our innovations in water management and regenerative agriculture freely available, fostering a community of practice and collective responsibility for soil health. * **Regenerative Transitions:** We are prototyping a new socio-economic model for small farms that moves from extraction to regeneration. Our circular economy approach not only ensures our own viability but also provides an alternative to conventional, high-input agriculture, demonstrating a tangible pathway for a regenerative and just transition.
- +Where is your challenge located?
- +Malaga, Andalucia, Spain
- +Which SoilTribes pillar(s) are you connected to?
- +Academia, Education & Research
- +Civil Society
- +Business: Social Economy & Cooperative Sector
- +What public policies or institutional frameworks does your challenge engage with or seek to change?
- +Our challenge engages with several policy frameworks by providing a grassroots, evidence-based model. We seek to influence: * **Local and Regional Water Management Policies:** By demonstrating successful rainwater harvesting and water-saving techniques, we provide a practical model for drought-resilience plans. * **Urban and Land-Use Planning:** Our APPU model actively contributes to the EU goal of 'reusing urban soils' and preventing soil sealing, challenging conventional land-use policies and promoting productive green belts around cities. * **EU Soil Strategy & Common Agricultural Policy (CAP):** We aim to be a tangible example of how the EU Soil Strategy can be implemented on the ground. Our project can serve as a case study for designing CAP incentives that better support small-scale, regenerative, and circular farming systems
- +How do you imagine the Bootcamp will benefit your initiative — and others?
- +For El Trisquel del Sur, the Bootcamp offers a critical opportunity to refine our model with expert mentorship, particularly in scaling our training programs and measuring our social and ecological impact. Access to a European network will be invaluable for establishing long-term collaborations. For other participants, El Trisquel del Sur will serve as a transparent, "open-source" case study and living lab. We bring practical, hands-on experience in a high-pressure environment (extreme drought). We can share proven, low-cost solutions for water management, soil regeneration, and building a viable social enterprise. We don't offer theory, but a tested reality that we want to co-develop and share with the entire Soil Tribes ecosystem.
State
- +Accepted
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