Management and Impact of Community Gardens on Community Development and Food Resilience

29 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many community gardens are there currently across Singapore; (b) how are these community gardens managed; and (c) what have been the impact of these community gardens on community development and food resilience.

Mr Desmond Lee: As of January 2024, over 1,900 community gardens have been set up across Singapore under the National Park Board (NParks') Community in Bloom programme, which aims to encourage gardening and community bonding.

Community gardens are managed by volunteers, who oversee the management and programming of the gardens. Within housing estates, community gardens are managed by residents, with support from the Residents’ Networks under the People’s Association. There are also community gardens located within schools and organisations that are managed by these entities. NParks supports community gardeners by advising them on site selection, landscaping and plant selection and horticultural best practices.

Community gardens serve as common spaces for people from different walks of life to come together, to bond over their shared interest in gardening. In addition, edible plants are grown in some community gardens and harvests can be shared with the community. There are also outreach and education programmes to promote the growing of edibles. Through such efforts, community gardens can raise awareness on food resilience and local produce and enhance community well-being and social resilience.