Nested Institutions for Nested Problems: Commoning for Rural Revitalisation in the Peri-Urban Setting

• – Interviews: Principle investigator (2017, 2018, 2019), Senior project manager (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022), Project manager (2021), Senior project officer (2021, 2022), village chief (2017), Indigenous villager 1 (2021) and Indigenous villager 2 (2021)

• – Documents: meeting minutes, progress reports, information book

• – Had to re-define concept of community to include those working in the village (not just those living in the village).

• – Outsiders have bought ‘liveliness to the village’

The increase in the number of settlers has motivated indigenous villagers to return to the village more frequently

• – Interviews: Senior project manager (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022), project manager (2020), project officer (2020), village chief 2017, Collaborating NGO B (2020)

• – Documents: progress reports, programme records

• – Rebuilding of water channels and the resumption of paddy farming in farming rehabilitation works can help restore the ecological value of Lai Chi Wo instead of destroying it

• – Villagers are an example of human-nature symbiosis

• – Farming brings a sense of belonging and community cohesion to LCW

• – Farm apprentice have established small farm at LCW at the completion of the apprenticeship

• – Interview: Senior project manager (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022), Village chief (2017), Non-Indigenous villager 1 (2021), Non-Indigenous villager 2 (2021), Non-Indigenous villager 3 (2021), Non-Indigenous villager 3 (2021), Collaborating NGO B (2020)

Documents: Farmer group meeting minutes, progress reports

• – Non-Indigenous villagers contribute to the village by taking part in village cleaning activities and other maintenance work, while Indigenous villagers have also offered help to them at their farms.

• – Indigenous and Non-Indigenous villagers work together in resource and infrastructure management.

• – The annual maintenance of the village reservoir highlights the culture of collaboration.

• – During farmer group meetings, rules are established and clarified, e.g. on the collective management of boundary areas and electric fences surrounding the farms

• – LoCoKITCHEN provides a ‘one-stop’ approach to incubate local agricultural produce into commercially attractive products

• – the LCW Programme implemented agroforestry to diversify the production modes in LCW and developed an agroforest coffee and native forest species model to serve production and conservation purposes. The native forest trees provide shade and shelter for the coffee trees as well as moderate temperature

• – The training programme has helped improve the brands’ production process, improving efficiency, precision and offered manpower assistance.

• – The brands also found the training provided on marketing, sales, connection building with farmers and retailers very useful. The incubation process prepare the food processors for more stable business growth.

• – Small food processors develop partnerships with small to large retailers and other businesses for cross-over events.

• – The importance of helping consumers to feel like they are part of a larger community working towards rural revitalisation. Consumers developing an interest in learning more about LCW products and revitalisation project, as well as continuing to support LCW products.

• – The Rural in Action Start-up Scheme generated innovative ideas regarding rural-urban connections, such as how to manage or enhance the flow of resources and create new networks between urban and rural areas. Similarly, the Hackathon generated innovative ideas for sustainable food systems in Hong Kong