#ThisIsRealClimateAction
Who We Are
Food Forests Ireland is a national, environmental, education charity that works with schools and communities across Ireland to design and plant food forests. We want to transform public infrastructure into living classrooms.
A food forest is a layered, self-sustaining ecosystem, modelled on natural forests but designed to produce food, fuel, and other useful products. It includes a mix of edible trees, shrubs, herbs, and groundcover plants that work together to regenerate the land, increase biodiversity, and provide sustainable yields for communities.
Founded in 2018 and registered as a charity in 2023, Food Forests Ireland was honoured with the 2025 National Climate Action Award for our innovative work.
What We Do
We have been planting edible landscapes or food forests with school and community groups as a means of creating awareness of food system resilience. We work with those partners to help them design, plant and care for food forests across Ireland.
Our educational programmes combine practical learning, with environmental action, giving people the skills to grow food, increase biodiversity and create greener, more resilient communities. By bringing together local communities, educators, businesses and environmental organisations, we help create lasting spaces that benefit both people and nature.
Education Programmes
Education is at the heart of Food Forests Ireland's work.
Our most recent programme is the Infrastructure Enabled Edible Landscape (IEEL). The pilot IEEL Community Food-Forest Programme began in Westport in collaboration with Westport Tidy Towns and Trinity College Dublin (TCD), was awarded the National Climate Action Award by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and is expanding to schools and villages along the Great Western Greenway (GWG), including Mulranny and InishTurk.
Further expansion nationally of IEEL is underway in towns and communities including along the Royal Canal Greenway at TUDublin (Blanchardstown) and in Carlow, along the Barrow Way.
Latest Updates from FFI
Discover inspiring stories and project updates from communities across Ireland:
Why We Are Circular by Nature
Nature is circular. In healthy ecosystems, nutrients cycle, nothing is wasted, and life regenerates. Our food forests follow these principles — restoring soil health, producing food, supporting biodiversity, and creating local circular economies. We teach communities to work with nature, not against it.
Growing Together Across Ireland
Why Partner With Food Forests Ireland CLG?
• Join a national network of biodiversity and climate educators
• Get expert support in food forest design and implementation
• Align with national climate and biodiversity goals
• Share your impact as part of a growing national movement
Partners and Collaborators Include:
• Community Foundation Ireland (CFI)
• Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Westport Tidy Towns
• TU Dublin (Blanchardstown)
• Munster Technological University (MTU)
Food Forests Ireland Partners & Funders
