Following a number of get-together’s of European city farms and their country organisations from 1983, in 1990 the original membership established the European Federation of City Farms (EFCF).
A federation is a form of governance that is made up of self-governing membership organisations, is owned by the voting membership and is managed by a Board, elected by the voting membership. A Federation is a mutual form of organisation, (that is working together for benefit of all our members); and this is reflected in our mission statement, values, aims, objectives and work plans.
The European Federation of City Farms is run by volunteers. National and regional city farm federations are the voting members of EFCF. Individual city farms are members of their own national and/or regional federations.
The working language of the EFCF is English, but every effort is made to provide translations as required. The EFCF uses e-mail written and audio visual material, website, Skype and Facebook to communicate between city farms. The EFCF communicates with member federations who in turn commit to communicate with their individual city farm members. Alternatively, the EFCF website is updated regularly with all relevant EFCF information.
The EFCF Board is elected annually by the Annual General Meeting and meets and works to implement the policies and to manage and evaluate the EFCF programmes and services. The Annual General Meeting, (AGM) and General Meeting (GM) takes place in the spring (usually Friday to Sunday). Each member federation can send two delegates to the AGM - to review the year's work, approve accounts and budgets, address submitted resolutions, elect Board members and set the EFCF programme for the future.
The role of EFCF members is important for it is the members who are the EFCF and therefore they decide on EFCF policies and on EFCF projects to be carried out. They supply the EFCF Board with the required contributions, information and comments. The EFCF operates a number of national, bilateral and multilateral working groups who are becoming more and more responsible for implementing particular programmes, publications and policies.
The Board and the working groups can produce discussion documents on agreed topics, ''Green Papers''. Following discussions and amendments the paper becomes a ''White Paper'' which is a policy proposal. If agreed at an Annual General Meeting, it becomes an EFCF Policy.
A four or five day European conference is held each year in a member country to further European co-operation and understanding and to promote, training, ‘seeing is believing’, networking and communication of good practice. The EFCF Conference Guidance Paper is updated after every conference and is available for organisations which offer to organize a European conference.
A newsletter is published seasonally four times a year and the EFCF annual information booklet ‘Working together in Europe’ is published prior to the European conference.
The EFCF maintains a central point for city farm work in Europe and beyond, establishing an up to date database of addresses, activities, services and projects. The EFCF encourages the exchange of ideas, methods of working, expertise and new developments in the field of city farm work.
The EFCF commissions in-house research and good practice and seeks permission to provide relevant research papers from academics and researchers.
The EFCF encourages countries to have bilateral and multilateral youth exchanges organised by individual city farms with help from their national federations. The EFCF also encourages the exchange of city farm workers and students in Europe
On request the EFCF delivers lectures and takes part in discussions, meetings and conferences.