urban farming initiatives

• Urban farming initiatives involve using unused/underused land in larger urban areas like towns/cities to grow crops and/or plants
• Intention is to grow more sustainable food in areas where a substantial proportion of the food would be imported
• Approach to urban farming initiatives varies depending on the country's wealth
• In HICs, schemes are run by volunteers with ambitions towards a greener future
• Growth of food is not as vital in HICs as it is in LICs
• Examples of effective urban farming techniques:

  • Rooftop gardens
  • Greenhouses
  • Vertical farms (stacking crops in beds on top of each other)
  • Green walls (growing vegetation on the edges of walls)
  • Aquaponics (using fish waste to provide nutrient-heavy water)
  • Street landscaping (growing vegetation along roads and pathways)
• Urban farming is effectively used in China due to high population density, scarce land, and rising food demand
• Benefits of urban farming initiatives:

  • Reduction in food miles and carbon emissions
  • Enhancing local ecosystems and urban biodiversity
  • Attracting pollinators like bees and birds
  • Providing green spaces to counter the urban heat island effect
• Economic benefits:

  • Training for jobs and for living
  • Creating local goods and services
  • Building an alternative economy
  • Stimulating volunteering
  • Reviving allotments
• Social benefits:

  • Combating discrimination
  • Preventing crime and rehabilitating offenders
  • Learning at school
  • Acquiring skills beyond school
  • Involving people with special needs
  • Improving diets
  • Encouraging physical activity
  • Promoting mental health
  • Developing arts and crafts
  • Regenerating housing developments
• Environmental benefits:

  • Generating sustainable tourism
  • Tackling waste
  • Reducing transport
  • Diversifying parks
• Environmental disadvantages:

  • Soil, water, and air pollution from chemicals or animal waste
  • Abuse of urban flora for grazing
  • Erosion or flooding in areas due to lower infiltration and increased runoff during storms
  • Urban soils may be contaminated and unsuitable for food production
  • Finding space is hard in cities
• Social disadvantages:

  • Spending too much time managing crops can lead to neglect of familial obligations
  • Potential for child labor
  • Further erosion of rural communities
  • Potential for disease transmission without proper safety precautions
• Economic disadvantages:

  • Taxation challenges
  • Urban agriculture sites may occupy spaces that could be used for higher rents
  • Uses expensive or limited potable water
  • Requires extra monitoring for food and environmental safety
  • Finding suitable land can be difficult
  • Often too densely populated
• many residents in china have used balcony or rooftop farming to produce fresh, organic, healthy and cheap foods