How can we continue to put food on our tables?

The Biospheric Project, Urban farm, laboratory, research centre, Manchester International Festival, UK

4 – 21 July 2013,

This summer, MIF and the Biospheric Foundation will be opening the doors to The Biospheric Project for the first time to share the transformation of a post industrial building into a thriving, green growing space and offer a glimpse at the future of urban agriculture. Part farm, part laboratory and part research centre, the River Irwell will be filled with innovative sustainable food systems, from agroforestry to aquaponics.

The Biospheric Project will be investigating some possible issues to the food systems crisis exploring the relationship between cities and food production. With rising food prices and decreasing oil supplies, the project will see how we can feed our growing urban populations and how cities can become more smarter, fertile and productive places.

A programme of related events, including special activities for schools and families, will bring the research to life, exploring how these experiments into food, technology and design can help forge a new way of urban living. During the Festival the public programme will host a series of talks, tours, family events and how-to workshops to explore the many ideas and skills that brings this project to life. The Biospheric Project has grown out of work conducted for MIF11’s Vertical Farm and The Biospheric Foundation’s own research, supported by partners including Manchester Metropolitan University and Queen’s University, Belfast. The project will help to put Greater Manchester at the forefront of this vital area of international research and activity, and will continue to flourish beyond 2013.

For more information : click here  and here

By Marion Wolfer

Marion Wolfer is a French Master student in cultural policy and management at the European Institute of Paris 8 University. She is working on cultural networks. She did an internship at Cutura21 for three months. Marion Wolfer est une étudiante de master I en politiques et gestion de la culture à l´Institut d´études européennes de l´Université de Paris 8. Elle travaille sur les réseaux culturels et a effectué un stage de trois mois au sein de Cultura21.