Cloughjordan
Smart village initiative promoting renewable energy, local food security and collaborative digital solutions
Description
Cloughjordan Smart village is a community-led initiative in central Ireland to address the challenges of an aging population, a scarcity of local employment and the low uptake of digital technologies by local farmers. Under the Smart Rural 27 initiative, in 2008 the village of Cloughjordan launched the Cloughjordan Community Farm to promote local food and small-scale, community-supported agriculture. One of the smart initiatives established by the Cloughjordan Community Farm is the Open Food Hub, where the local farming and producer communities can sell their products through a digital platform – the Open Food Network – creating a direct connection between producers and consumers. The village has also developed the WeCreate Enterprise Centre – an incubation centre that supports digital fabrication projects in such areas as green buildings, renewable energy and local food – through which open-source hardware and software solutions that improve community resilience are shared.
Technology
- Big data
- Desktop/web-based application
- E-commerce/online marketplace
- Mobile app
- Online community
Several solutions and enterprises have been developed under the initiative: 1) Open Food Hub – an online marketplace utilizing an open-source platform for the marketing of locally produced products aimed at increasing the sales of producers; 2) Wecreate Fablab workspace – a fabrication laboratory equipped with an array of computer-controlled tools, such as laser cutters, a computer numerical control (CNC) mill, 3D printers and Internet of things (IoT) systems; and 3) the Digital Cloughjordan Community Farm database – hosting land use, yield and production level records and other data that can be used to assess what worked/didn’t work to support the creation of an appropriate production plan.
Target
- Agriculture cooperatives
- Civil society organizations
- Farm advisors
- Food consumers
- Private sector
- Public sector
- Rural communities
- Smallholder farmers
Cloughjordan Ecovillage is home to telecommuters, commuters and local start-up businesses that aim to meet local needs. There are around 45 businesses engaged in farming, tourism and horse training activities and the provision of services. The Open Food Hub targets local producers, farmers and artisans.
Impact
Remote collaborations that make use of digital platforms and softwares can have had a significant impact on local livelihoods in Cloughjordan ecovillage. Cloughjordan’s digital transformation has led to a reduction in work-related journeys, supported by the advent of collaborative platforms, and amplified by the pandemic response. This has contributed to a reduction in carbon emissions, a rural repopulation and a strengthening of local economies, as well as an improved quality of life.
Partners
European Commission; GEN Europe/International; UK Permaculture Network; Cloughjordan community farm; Cultivate; Django Hostest; Fabrication laboratory (Fablab); Gaia Ecotecture; Instant Dissidence; LimeTree Botanics; Red Gardens; Ryot Rye; Sheelagh na Gig; WeCreate
