Jorge Cantellano is a self-proclaimed "peasant agro-ecologist" and Gecko's July Guest Speaker. In this Gecko Talk, he introduces us to the idea of cultivating an urban ‘edible rainforest’ by using the Ediblescapes and its new agroforestry zone in Country Paradise Parklands as a case study.

"I have been a landless peasant for five years, cultivating common land in a public Edible Landscape Gardens", Jorge said. "We call it Ediblescapes, a forest garden where we grow social food for the local neighbourhood food relief service, serving the community in a food insecurity crisis."

Ediblescapes combine edible rainforests, urban green zones and social, community living. As well as re-imagining urban food systems in the face of an ever-growing population, Ediblescapes offer solutions to the climate crisis symptoms due to unsustainable global agriculture practices.

"Agroforestry is the practice of growing trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables together in a group mimicking a forest. And it is the practice that Ediblescapes aims to implement in a new agroforestry zone at Country Paradise Parklands," Jorge continued. "It will provide social solidarity food to local Neighbourhood Foodbank services and grow a permanent edible rainforest with many ecological and social benefits."

Jorge draws from his experiences and influences from Australian Permaculture, Korean natural farming, Indian Zero Budget Natural Farming, Japanese bokashi fermented composting, and Latin American campesino bio fertiliser fermentation for soil microorganism activations.

The Gecko Talks series is run monthly on the fourth Wednesday at Currumbin RSL. Please arrive by 6.45 pm for a 7 pm start. You can enjoy dinner beforehand at Currumbin RSL and bring a drink and/or dessert to the talk with you.

For all enquiries, please contact speakers@gecko.org.au or call 07 5534 1412.