Urban Agriculture: the growing of food (and utilitarian products) in cities and suburbs.
Within this definition, ‘utilitarian goods’ includes the (realm) of non-food produce that may prove beneficial/worthwhile/practical, such as: wood for fabrication (cabinetry, etc.) and fuel; bamboo and other fibres; etc. However, food production is the primary.
Henceforth, I’ll refer to ‘food*’ production, with the implication of other non-food crops.
So,
Urban Agriculture: the growing of food* in cities and suburbs.
Other useful definitions:
From Wikipedia; Urban Agriculture is “the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around (peri-urban), a village, town or city.”
The Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture & Food Security (RUAF Foundation), states “Urban Agriculture can be defined shortly as the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities.”
The main types of Urban Agriculture:
* commercial urban (peri-urban) farms
* community (allotment) gardens
* residential (backyard) gardens
* rooftop gardens (green roof; agr’oof) gardens
* vertical farming (conceptual purpose built high-rise farms).
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Urban Agriculture
My primary focus is the large-scale application of small-scale gardening: community, residential and rooftop gardening.
Historical perspective:
The history of Urban Agriculture is the history of both cities and agriculture, which are intimately, intricately tied together.
While there is disagreement about whether planned permanent settlements or agriculture came first … the two, certainly, are mutually co-supportive and interdependent. So, Urban Agriculture has existed throughout the history of cities, towns and all permanent settlements.
Indeed, agriculture is a fundamental component, a foundation, along with permanent settlements, of civilization. So, a new modern Urban Agriculture is the next logical stage for society … a natural progression of civilization.
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Current context:
Already, globally, over half of the human population in cities. In the U.S.A, roughly 80% of the population live in metropolitan areas..
As cities expand further, taking over prime productive soils, and as more such mega-cities develop, the greater the need for food* production to take place within the cities and their immediate sub/peri-urban areas.
The enlargement of the area of cities leaves us no choice but to utilize the land within the city for food* production, for two practical reasons: there is simply less land available (in absolute terms, and proportionate to population) outside the city; and, to minimize transport (for traffic; pollution; food freshness; etc.).
Urban Agriculture offers great potential in the production of healthy, local foods … as well as numerous socio-economic and ecological aspects.
More to come, soon.
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