New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Project category

Identify the award category for which this project is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
nashiatkvartal@gmail.com

Basic information
Project title
Food for Earth and communities

Full Project Title
Food for Earth composting communities for climate

Please provide a short, catchy description of your project to be used in communication towards the public.
“Food for the Earth” (FfE) builds beautiful climate neutral composting facilities and communities aiming to stop sending bio wastes to landfill, strengthen social cohesion, inclusiveness and input. FfE accelerates the green transition for the households and wide public, contributes to the regeneration of the soil and supporting a climate friendly way of everyday life which ensures a better living together for all.

What was the geographical scope of your project?
Cross-border/international

Where was your project implemented?
Location 1
Bulgaria

Location 2
Romania

Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries
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If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Sofia municipality, Vitosha district, Bulgaria
Bucharest, Romania
Chirpan Municipality, Bulgaria

Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

Does your project refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Has your project benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your project won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
Yes

What was the prize?
Climate Community Lab 2020 for the whole project 10 000 Euro

Is your project fully completed
Yes

Please indicate a date (mm/yy)
2022-12-09

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Our neighbourhood Association for sustainable practices
  Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation
  First name of representative: Irena
  Last name of representative: Sabewa
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Bulgaria
  Function: manager
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Div kesten str. 1, fl. 3
  Town: Sofia
  Postal code: 1619
  Country: Bulgaria
  Direct Tel: +359 87 843 2789
  E-mail: nashiatkvartal@gmail.com
  Website: https://foodfortheearth.eu/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://foodfortheearth.eu/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://www.facebook.com/OurNeighborhoodASP,
- URL: http://ourneighborhoodasp.blogspot.com/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): https://instagram.com/food_for_earth_composting?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
In case my project is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my project in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the project
Please provide a summary of your project.
“Food for the Earth” (FfE) builds a network of beautiful net-zero carbon community composting facilities and does low carbon services on site. FfE applies integrated circular economy and social model. FfE accelerates the green transition for the households and wide public, contributes to the recovery, inclusiveness and supporting a climate friendly way of everyday life which ensures a better living together for all. where the community provides the raw materials and benefits from the end product. It creates spaces for social cohesion, and trans-generational connections – adults, kids and elderly. It empowers local communities and promotes climate friendly behavior with active care for the health of the soils.
We are partnering and with municipalities with the aim to reach the goals of the Green Deal agenda to harmonize all EU countries for a separate waste collection which is key, to stop landfill and dumps of organics, restoration of the soil and to accelerate a circular economy transition. FfE is aiming to bring a impactful change and to increase the well being oh the inhabitants in the cities.

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words.
soil

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
regeneration

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
community

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
care

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
conscious

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
FfE builds a network of climate neutral physical places each for 30 direct households beautifully designed and equipped composting facilities for municipalities.
FfE does bottom-up service for educating, operating and creating climate neutral composting communities. It uses simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials with a very natural composting process. FfE shows how biodiversity and soil conservation can be respected and promoted through low carbon building and planning. Psychological surveys are conducted with every new place. After 3 successful implementations of FfE in Sofia, Bucharest and Chirpan can be scaled. We plan to build a system of franchising for other municipalities, organisations and people are passionate about the community composting and to implement it in the other cities and villages in Bulgaria and in European countries.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
FfE is a climate neutral human-centered inspiring model which practically connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces in a beautiful, sustainable and inclusive approach.
FfE builds beauty designed community composting places with active participation of the local people for planting, cleaning, assembling composters, shaping flower garden, ets. Our approach includes public education, community connecting events, workshops etc.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
FfE demonstrates and engages citizens to tangible experience to meet and share how spaces can be used for positive exchanges and community-building for climate, soil and human care towards people. The community composting places are accessible for all the people in a securing way with an access code. Our organization does public education, active support in the first 6 months for maintenance of the process and follow up help when it is necessary.
Composting on site provides an opportunity for everyone to take responsibility for the solid waste stream with a high social purpose and a low carbon footprint.
FfE model ensures trans-generational inclusive learning.
It is about bridging the global challenges with the local solutions to achieve EU climate targets, supporting a broader transformation perspective and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds and souls.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the project and civil society have been involved in the project and what has been the impact of this involvement on the project
FfE offers a well designed and beautiful community composting facilities, where the community provides the raw materials and benefits from the end product - compost for their flowers, gardens and public spaces as well. FfE creates spaces for social cohesion, and trans-generational connections – adults, kids and elderly. It empowers local communities and promotes climate friendly behavior with active care for the health of the soil.
The composting places connects people and supports neighbors to know each other and share a common activity with care for soil, environment and climate. The social live is activated and people gather together for communication and action for better living.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the project. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was.
Over the years FfE model was designed from experts with different expertise: social psychologist and European climate pact ambassador, architect, mayors , municipality administration (Sofia, Bucharest, Chirpan), university expert in developing a psychological survey (Warsaw, Poland), PR expert, engineers, business start-up (Urban Cultor, Romania), mentors on local, regional and European level. The interdisciplinary interactions enriched development of the model and its improvements which led to a more sustainable and working model.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your project. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was.
FfE model includes different knowledge fields: waste management, composting, social psychology, architecture, landscaping, administration and law, education, PR and marketing, event management, financial management.
The interaction between different representatives created a group dynamic which supported fruitful and meaningful meetings and exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience. Over the time these interactions led to establish partnerships and friendships as well.

Please give information on the results, outcomes and impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for. This includes also benefits from the project for direct and indirect beneficiaries
FfE successfully run and operate: 2 compost places in Sofia, 1 in Bucarest (from our partner Urban Cultor), 1 in Chirpan with local volunteers.
Through participation in different professional events, working groups, communication campaigns, social media groups, a lot of presentations and media broadcasting - interviews, short videos thousands of people were reached and many were inspired for actions. Many people contacted us for more information, meeting, education, transfer of know-how ets.

Please provide documents showing the results, outcomes and impacts of your project
Both
PDF
Web link
Please highlight the innovative character of the project, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the project
FOOD FOR EARTH is pioneer in Bulgaria and builds climate neutral composting facilities and communities for a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls. It highlights the value of simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials without compromising the need for comfort and attractiveness in our daily lives.
FfE is directly working with local households through training, communication campaigns, activities, events, everyday Q&A support - FB groups, other platforms. This makes a social innovation in comparison with other actions. Also it works with schools, kindergartens and the wide public.
FfE mitigates climate change, air pollution, restoration of the soils, creates spaces for human communication, engagement and reconnection with nature and to accelerate the development of a circular economy and society in Europe. The holistic and interdisciplinary approach connecting all these elements is a model FfE is a social innovation.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your project.
FOOD FOR EARTH builds climate neutral composting facilities and communities for a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls. It highlights the value of simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials without compromising the need for comfort and attractiveness in our daily lives. FfE mitigates climate change, air pollution, restoration of the soils, creates spaces for human communication, engagement and reconnection with nature and to accelerate the development of a circular economy and society in Europe.

Please describe which elements of your project could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and context. This may involve for example aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings etc.
FfE model with 3 different places of replication shows its vitality and capacity for scaling. FfE uses simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials and it make it easy for adaptation in different contexts.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addresses by providing local solutions
FfE is a climate neutral human-centred inspiring model which addresses global challenges with climate crisis, lost of fertile soil layer and air pollution. FfE practically connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces in a beautiful, sustainable and inclusive approach. It demonstrates and engages citizens to tangible experience to meet and share how spaces can be used for positive exchanges and community-building for climate, soil and human care towards people. It is about bridging the global challenges with the local solutions to achieve EU climate targets, supporting a broader transformation perspective and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images (or other types of visual representations, if images are not possible) to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed project has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the project and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary.
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their projects, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted project, is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes