Southern Romania: New Zealand-inspired project to plant fruit trees in urban areas around Buzău

Local authorities in Buzău, southern Romania, plan to transform green areas into fruit tree orchards, providing people with access to natural, untreated products. The project titled “Orașul Comestibil” (“the Edible City”) is inspired by New Zealand as well as cities of the European Union.

Apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees, as well as fruit bushes or plants that can be used for teas, could be planted in the municipality of Buzău.

“An initiative that aims to transform some public green spaces into zones with fruit trees, edible shrubs, and aromatic plants, freely accessible to all residents. The goal of the project is to provide the people of Buzău with direct access to healthy, chemically untreated fruits and plants, as many products from the market are imported and sprayed with substances that can affect health,” said the initiator, local councilor Laurențiu Stîlpeanu, cited by Agerpres.

“The stages of the project include: identifying suitable green spaces in the city, planting fruit trees (apple, plum, cherry, walnut) and edible shrubs, setting up 3 pilot edible urban gardens, creating an interactive digital map of edible plants in the city, organizing educational workshops for students, and community activities for space maintenance,” he added.

Stîlpeanu noted that the project is inspired by successful international examples, such as Auckland, Nelson, and Waiheke Island in New Zealand, where the concept of ‘urban foraging’ has been implemented with excellent results.

Funding will be provided from the 2026 local budget, with the possibility of attracting sponsorships and non-reimbursable funds.

The project will be submitted for a vote in the city council.

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