– The food prices have definitely made the issue more urgent – many people want to grow their own food, says Ulrica Otterling, secretary general of the Koloniträdgårdsförbundet.
Today, there are around 50,000 allotments in Sweden, roughly half with cottages on them, the rest pure farming plots.
But the number of lots in the country’s municipalities has not increased for decades, the prices for a colonial cottage have shot through the roof and the queue for a cultivation lot can be many years. Many associations have already been forced to close their queues because there is no reasonable chance of getting a lottery ticket in the foreseeable future.
The Koloniträdgårdsförbundet brings together 229 member associations and over 23,000 colony owners across the country. Now the union demands that the municipalities arrange more places for those who want to grow.
– How hard can it be? Help people to farm, build more colony areas! says Ulrica Otterling.
Stockholm goes against the grain
The city of Stockholm has very high land prices, but is now going against the grain.
SVT Nyheter’s team stands on a strip that looks like a common in Skarpnäck. It is managed by Skogskyrkogården, but is outside the cemetery wall, on the border of an already existing colony area in the district.
– This is one of three or four locations we have identified so far. Brand new cottage areas, I honestly think it will be difficult to find land for. But more places for pure cultivation lots, I’m pretty sure we can shake things up, says Sara Stenudd (V), second vice-chairman of Stockholm’s city council.
It’s not just about growing your own vegetables, but just as much about contributing to people’s well-being and cohesion – and not least to the city’s biodiversity.
– We know that colony areas have the best biological diversity in Stockholm and more green areas is also an important issue for the climate. I advise more municipalities that are interested in searching for new, smart solutions, if it is difficult to create space for a completely new colony area.