In Berlin, community gardens are mainly abandoned plots that were saved by the inhabitants to transform them into gardens to grow vegetables and seasonal fruits for self-consumption. To me, what is interesting about these gardens is not the food itself, but the social relationships that emerge by taking part in the garden activities. In this sense, arise questions such as: can we consider community gardens as platforms for political articulation? Are they also places to raise people’s concerns about violence, poverty, marginalization or racism experienced in their everyday life? Who can take part in these gardens, and who does not? What social implications do community gardens have concerning care work and care in general? We will be discussing those few questions during the research.
Marlene Gomez is doing fieldwork entitled The politics of food in urban southern Europe.