Executive Summary

Infrastructure Enabled Edible Landscape is a Community Food Forest initiative established in 2018 in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland. The project uses existing, repurposed and newly built infrastructure as a framework for creating edible landscapes and connecting communities.

Tracks, trails, greenways, canals and river paths provide visible routes around which food forests can be developed. By transforming these shared corridors and nearby land into productive and educational spaces, the initiative helps people understand the relationship between physical infrastructure, community connectivity, local food systems and climate resilience.

The project operates across urban, suburban and rural settings and includes sites at different stages of development, from planning and implementation to fully operational spaces. Approximately 100 people are involved through a community self-management model supported by local organisations, public institutions and landholders.

Approach, Activities and Expected Impact

Infrastructure Enabled Edible Landscape works across community, educational and neighbourhood spaces, using both public and private land. Potential and existing locations include municipal areas, public housing, schools, churches and land managed by associations or local communities.

The size of each intervention is adapted to its context. A typical municipal site may cover approximately 15 by 10 metres, while smaller school installations can begin with areas of around 2 by 2 metres. This flexible approach allows food forests to be introduced at different scales and connected through the wider infrastructure network.

The project combines planting and land regeneration with training, workshops, environmental education, school activities, community events, research and experimentation. These activities allow residents, pupils and local organisations to participate directly in the creation and care of edible landscapes while developing practical knowledge of food production, biodiversity and ecological systems.

Its approach draws on agroecology, permaculture, food sovereignty, social inclusion and popular education. Food forests are used as accessible community spaces where people can learn together, build relationships and participate in decisions about their local environment.

By creating new connections between communities and productive landscapes, the initiative seeks to strengthen both food-system resilience and the capacity to adapt to climate change. Its distributed model also demonstrates how small sites can form part of a wider ecological and social network when they are connected by familiar public infrastructure.

The expected impact includes greater access to environmental education, stronger community participation, more visible local food production and increased understanding of regenerative land use. The project also aims to create practical examples that can be adapted to schools, neighbourhoods, public spaces and community-managed land in other locations.

European Collaboration and Contact

Infrastructure Enabled Edible Landscape is supported by Community Foundation Ireland and local authorities. Collaboration with communities, schools, landholders and public organisations is central to identifying suitable sites and adapting each intervention to its local context.

As a member of the European Community Food Forest Network, the initiative is interested in exchanging experience, participating in pilot projects and contributing to research and documentation. It is also open to joint European funding collaborations that could extend its distributed model and connect it with similar initiatives in other countries.

The project can contribute particular experience in using infrastructure corridors and small land banks to establish Community Food Forests across urban, suburban and rural environments.

Contact person: Caithriona McCarthy
Email: info@foodforests.ie
Website: https://www.foodforests.ie‍