A trilogy of short stories from Quito, Ecuador illuminates the importance of urban agriculture in cities, where people often lack connection with nature and its cycles as well as with other people. Community projects are transformational in how they connect people with each other through food, and these connections often have wider political implications. The Minga por la Pachamama community kitchen was initiated by Indigenous families during the 2022 national strikes and became a space that nourished resistance. A municipal urban agriculture scheme has seeded 4,700 community gardens that build physical health and offer healing. And the ‘Fruits of Our Land’ cultural initiative has transformed the relationship between the countryside and the city of Quito through a mixture of agroecology, communication and the arts.
Short story 1
Community kitchens in Quito: a beacon of hope in times of crisis
In June 2022, Ecuador experienced one of the most convulsive moments in its recent history. A national strike, led by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE), paralysed the country for 18 days. Demands of protestors in the streets included lower fuel prices, price controls on basic commodities, and policies to curb mining and oil exploitation in indigenous territories. The government’s response was forceful: military repression, gas cuts and food shortages in several regions. In the midst of this chaos, something extraordinary emerged: community kitchens, spaces that not only fed bodies, but also souls and hopes.
A refuge of solidarity
During the strike, community kitchens set up by Kitu Kara Indigenous families in Quito were transformed into humanitarian aid centres. Here, agroecology became the answer to deep problems. Our team at Minga por la Pachamama (‘Community work for Mother Earth’), together with other collectives, ensured that fresh, agroecological food was made available to people who mobilised on the streets of Quito. “At home I felt despair at seeing how the military treated their brothers and sisters so badly. It was nice to be able to offer something. I can’t go to the march, but I can be here and send this love in the form of food,” shared one volunteer in the kitchen.
In this way, many volunteers and protestors discovered little-known nutritious Andean foods. “I had never seen jícama before. Today was the first time I tried it. I liked it, it’s a sweet potato, brown on the outside, yellow on the inside. We should eat more of them,” commented one participant.
In times of crisis, these spaces become havens of solidarity, where ordinary people come together to care for each other. They are not just places to cook; they are points of encounter, of existence and of collective construction.“We are a family, an ayllu, not by blood, but by thought,” said a volunteer in one of the kitchens.”
Innovation in times of scarcity
The shutdown also brought practical challenges, such as waste management and gas shortages. In a paralysed city, the rubbish collection system collapsed. But collective creativity knew no bounds. Volunteers sorted, reused and composted the waste. Many of them learned new skills. “I have no experience with field work, I am a city dweller. I thought field work was heavy, people in the city don’t understand it until they do it like I am now,” confessed one volunteer while working on the compost bin.
In the face of gas shortages, rocket stoves that use firewood efficiently were implemented. In addition, with the lack of fuel, bicycles became the ideal means of transport to deliver food rations.
The community kitchens not only fed; they also healed. “We created a space that nourished resistance and sustained us. When we chopped onions, our frustration went away and we transformed it into food,” shared one volunteer.
In times of crisis, community kitchens based on agroecological practices are clearly able to solve deep problems. They invite us to reflect: is a more resilient and just future possible? We have learnt that the solution can start in a kitchen.
Authers: Eliana Estrella and Marcelo Aizaga lead Minga por la Pachamama, an organisation that has been facilitating people and communities in Ecuador for more than 15 years in the sharing of experiences and the promotion of food sovereignty, the solidarity economy and responsible consumption. Contact: mingaporlapachamama@gmail.com
Watch these videos about the community kitchens:
https://youtu.be/QpVN5i3FSUo
https://youtu.be/bkG4IL31oCI
Short story 2
Urban agriculture in Quito: a pathway to holistic health
In the heart of Quito, Ecuador, a comprehensive participatory urban agriculture scheme has showcased how community gardening can go beyond food production to build physical health and offer healing. Pioneered in 2002 by the municipality in collaboration with the United Nations, AGRUPAR provides sustenance, dignity, and improved mental and physical health to vulnerable populations – mostly women.
Over the past two decades, AGRUPAR has supported the creation of 4,700 vegetable gardens, primarily in areas with high poverty and malnutrition rates. Participants have learnt agroecological practices like composting, crop diversification and water management. Eighty-four percent of the gardeners are female heads of household, and together they have produced nearly 1.5 million kilos of food since 2007. Women gardeners in particular are empowered with a new sense of creativity, purpose and agency.
In a society dominated by patriarchy, these gardens allow women to reclaim autonomy and to nurture themselves and their families. In the words of one participant, “Urban agriculture has been essential to my wellbeing. It has allowed me to feed my family, save money, and heal emotionally after losing a child. This space has given me comfort, purpose, and strength to move forward.”
Health enhancers
Multiple benefits to physical and mental health have emerged through the process. Eating fresh, chemical-free vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs and honey and raising animals have all improved nutrition and addressed chronic malnutrition, especially in children. Gardening activities such as seed starting, transplanting, tilling, composting, watering and pruning have promoted cardiovascular health, reduced stress and fostered emotional balance. The surplus produce is sold at 17 ‘bioferias’ in public parks throughout Quito. Until 2019, these markets were linked to ‘Salud al Paso’ (Health on the Go) health centres where citizens could undergo free assessments and receive information on healthy diets.
Research shows that gardeners have also benefited from improved mental health: exposure to nature has lifted moods, reduced stress and anxiety, enhanced cognitive functioning, and promoted overall wellbeing. By alleviating food insecurity, urban agriculture has also decreased stress and anxiety. Furthermore, collaborative gardening has strengthened support networks and created a sense of belonging, which are both essential contributors to mental health. We also found that taking an agroecological approach generally helps to ease anxiety associated with climate change, while better air quality, reduced heat islands and sustained biodiversity are all improving the physical and mental health of urban communities.
Although municipal support over the past two decades has helped to sustain the gardens by providing training, resources and market spaces, one important challenge has been the shifting of priorities when new city leaders fail to recognise the projects’ benefits – unfortunately, this was the fate of the ‘Salud al Paso’ health centres. Additional obstacles have been the struggles of farmers to access urban land and to compete with supermarkets, making it difficult for them to sustain their livelihoods.
Beyond the economic opportunities, these spaces demonstrate agroecology’s broader impact: the fostering of mental and spiritual wellbeing by reconnecting people with the land. They serve as a replicable model for integrating urban agriculture into public planning, and thereby for addressing public health, food security, social equity and environmental justice.
Author: Amaya Carrasco-Torrontegui, PhD, specialises in agroecology and food systems that support communities in planetary health, climate change and food sovereignty. She is a postdoctoral associate at the Institute for Agroecology in Vermont. Contact: Amaya.carrasco@uvm.edu
Short story 3
Fruits of Our Land: Culture and health in Quito’s markets
Culture arises from our relationship with food: changing the way we produce, distribute and consume food involves profoundly transforming our social and community dynamics. In this sense, access to healthy food is not only a question of supply and demand, but of social perception, justice and food sovereignty.
In Ecuador, Indigenous peoples have sustained agroecological practices for centuries, but these have been made invisible by agroindustrial models and hegemonic discourses. Through communication and art, we seek to disseminate this ancestral food-related knowledge and to combat structural discrimination, promoting recognition of the contribution of Indigenous peoples to the care of nature, food security and the national economy.
Since 2013, we have promoted conscious and sustainable food in Quito, redefining production, consumption and cultural identity linked to food. ‘Fruits of Our Land’, as our initiative is called, has transformed the relationship between the countryside and the city of Quito through agroecology, communication and the arts.
Over the years, we have been organising cultural fairs where agroecological products are presented alongside artistic expressions such as dance and theatre. These activities not only break down prejudices towards Indigenous farming communities, but also function as pedagogical tools to encourage the consumption of local and sustainable food. Through art, we transmit knowledge about phytotherapy and the importance of agroecology, integrating physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this evolved into the Canasta AgroEcológica de Carcelén, a solidarity distribution model that brings fresh food at fair prices directly to households in the north of Quito. Beyond access to agrochemical-free products, it promotes a varied and nutritious diet, integrating ancestral knowledge such as phytotherapy and apitherapy. It has also included urban gardens and artistic workshops that strengthen a sense of community and solidarity.
During the first months of the pandemic, together with various agroecological collectives, we initiated the #SinVenenoEnLaComida campaign, a communication effort that involved activists from Ecuador and Latin America. With more than 20 hours of live broadcasts on social networks, the campaign generated a space for reflection on the future of food and strengthened a regional network committed to agroecology and integral collective health.
From training in agroecological practices to recycling strategies and campaigns, each activity is aligned with the principles of food sovereignty, fair trade and sustainability. The elimination of abusive intermediaries has allowed for the construction of more equitable marketing circuits, prioritising the welfare of producers and consumers.
‘Fruits of Our Land’ is sustained by a multidisciplinary team composed of farmers, agronomists, communicators, cultural managers and artists. They demonstrate that agroecology, supported by communication and the arts, not only responds to the challenges of the industrial food system, but also promotes social justice, environmental sustainability and collective health. It is a living testimony of how the solidary distribution of agroecological food can transform our relationship with the land, with our own health and with each other.
Author: Sayri Wladimir Cabascango is a communicator, photographer and cultural manager. He directs the Aya Hatariy Cultural Foundation, where he promotes projects that integrate agroecology, art and interculturality. Email: teatro.aya.hatariy@gmail.com
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This article is part of Issue 2-2025: Cultivating health and healing
