About Us
What is the Biggest Mini Forest?
The Biggest Mini Forest is a transformative initiative aiming to create a network of edible and regenerative forests, based on a standard 2m x 2m (4m²) design module, planned to produce food not only during the first few months after implementation, but also over several generations without depending on chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This module can be replicated once, twice, or more times, alongside the initial implementation, contributing to the creation of an increasingly resilient, more productive system with a more significant impact.
The creation of this network is done through a simplified design, created to enable people to implement their own Mini Food Forest, as quickly as possible and requiring a much smaller number of resources than those that would be necessary for a large-scale implementation. Furthermore, each person involved will be able to receive support from a local and online community that shares the common goal of developing this network of biodiversity islands. Islands that allow the creation of fertile soil, the regeneration of ecosystems, the development of food sovereignty and that also contribute to the fight against climate change.
This model, which involves the people engaged in the creation of Mini Food Forests—whom we refer to as 'Mini Foresters'—provides a system that demands less maintenance compared to a larger edible forest or a agroforestry system. It facilitates continuous learning throughout the forest's growth process, knowledge that can be applied in the preparation of a new 2m x 2m plot.
This incremental implementation process allows everyone to do so at their own pace, thus creating the conditions for each Mini Forester to have a regenerative system ready to be expanded in a more sustainable way, and with a greater probability of success.
Therefore, we give each Mini Food Forest the opportunity to grow constantly, and we encourage the dissemination of the model for creating Mini Food Forest systems, throughout the territory. Hence the name, “The Biggest Mini Forest”.
Furthermore, all interested parties can always count on the support of The Biggest Mini Forest Network, an online platform that allows the integration of each Mini Food Forest into an interactive map, the sharing of knowledge and information with other people involved in the network, and the creation of local groups to implement Mini Food Forests in different locations.
Overall, The Biggest Mini Forest project is a holistic and sustainable approach to food production and ecosystem restoration, inspired by two different methodologies: the Japanese reforestation method of Akira Miyawaki and the techniques of Syntropic Agriculture, created by Ernst Götsch.
The project aims to create landscapes that are regenerative, productive and biodiverse benefiting both the environment and communities.
This Mini Food Forest model is expected to have the fastest growth rate compared to other designs of Food Forest. Due to the higher density, all the plants grow taller and faster to reach the sun they require. Usually at least 10 times faster than any conventional fruit tree plantations. The annual plants will quickly grow and protect the perennial species from the wind and from the sun, starting producing food in the first months up to 1 year.
We also expect this Food Forest to produce more biomass to feed the life in the soil, allowing chop-and-drop more often, which will accelerate the nutrient cycling and the growth of the whole system.
