Project in brief Poverty and social exclusion take complex and multi-dimensional forms which require the mobilisation of a wide range of policies and actors. Alongside employment policy, social and intercultural dialogue has a pre-eminent role to play, while the importance of other factors such as housing, health, culture and communication should also be acknowledged. The Mediterranean area is facing a significant increase in urban groups at risk of social exclusion, although no public campaign involves Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) as a poverty and exclusion remedial tool. In addition, UPA is an activity which has been managed primarily by private citizens and it is only recently that local governments have started to seriously look into supporting UPA activities. In this context, SIDIG-MED project aims to use Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture as a means to improve governance processes for public authorities and to promote social and intercultural dialogue through cooperative organizations and associations fighting social exclusion and poverty. Implemented in cities and territories characterized by vast agricultural areas (Rome, Al-Balga, Mahdia and Barcelona), the project will adopt permaculture* and organic farming concepts including innovative and energy-efficient techniques for water harvesting, composting to enrich the soil and beekeeping for income generation and pollination. Specific objectives • To improve capabilities of project partner cities and public administrations towards implementing governance policies and strategies on local Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) • To fight urban social exclusion and poverty in city groups involved in Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Expected Results: • Four strategic UPA plans to fight urban exclusion and poverty planned and implemented • Joint UPA governance committees created including local associations, cooperatives and local authorities taking care of and involving people at risk of social exclusion • Increased involvement of marginal communities, cooperative organizations, associations and NGOs in the processes of governance • At least 4 pilot projects implemented to test the governance model in the project partner cities/territories • Increased capacity of cultural mediators in public administrations (Rome, Barcelona, Mahdia and Al-Balga) to promote social dialogue and support UPA governance processes • Surface of urban and periurban agricultural areas of the four target areas protected and valorized through UPA increased • Increased involvement of marginal community members in UPA fields in three areas (Al-Balga district, Mahdia and Rome)