This year Foodstream has partnered with New York City schools to bring edible gardening classes to help students better understand where healthy food comes from and how they can use what they grow to make delicious healthy meals. Growing food in an urban environment is a global practice as old as the cities themselves. Urban agriculture offers many positives to communities beyond just producing food. It can improve environmental resilience, increase local healthy food access, foster community and promote food sovereignty.
Urban Agriculture from Babylon to New York City
One of the ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging of Gardens of Babylon, had fruits and vegetables alongside ornamental plants in one of the first cities in human history. During WWII people in the United States were encouraged by the federal government to create Victory Gardens to grow food at home because of the disruptions in food production caused by the war. In the 1970’s in Downtown Manhattan, communities turned empty lots into gardens to fight urban decay and help revitalize their communities.
Types of Urban Agriculture
Urban agriculture is generally defined as producing agricultural products for consumption or distribution in an urban environment. There are different types of urban agriculture that serve different purposes in different locations. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the main types of urban agriculture are:
Institutional Farms and Gardens: Typically linked with an institution (such as hospitals, churches, prisons, schools, public housing) whose primary mission is not large-scale food production, but instead to provide health, educational, and lifestyle opportunities.
Community Gardens: Usually located on publicly-owned land or land trusts and managed by local resident volunteers. Community gardens mostly grow food, but some also grow flowers. Some community gardens provide space for community gatherings and events.
Community Farms: Communal growing spaces operated by a nonprofit organization that engages the surrounding community in food production as well as social and educational programming.
Commercial Farms: Some for-profit farms exist in urban areas, although they tend to be small and often produce niche products. Some small urban commercial farms focus on non-traditional growing techniques like vertical or soilless farming.
Benefits of Urban Food Production
As previously mentioned, producing food in cities offers both environmental, health and community benefits. Here are some of the main positives to urban agriculture.
Environmental Resilience:
- Planting and growing in urban areas can reduce the heat island effect of cities. During periods of high temperatures, buildings and other structures absorb heat and cause the area to become even hotter than the ambient temperature. This can cause inhabitants to suffer health problems or simply make the living conditions difficult. Plants can offer shade which blocks absorption of the sun’s rays. Also, through the process of evapotranspiration plants release water vapor into the air, which can lower the air temperature.
- Gardens can help with local biodiversity. Native species of pollinating insects and other animals can utilize garden spaces and help the overall ecosystem and environment of an area.
- Urban agriculture can help reduce waste by converting organic materials into fertilizer. This reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and the amount of energy needed to transport and process the waste.
Community & Health Benefits
- Producing food locally can improve food security by increasing the availability and access to healthy food. This is particularly useful in urban areas considered “food deserts”. These communities often have limited access to fresh food because of structural and socioeconomic conditions. Urban gardens can help mitigate the limited access to fresh food.
- Access to locally grown food whole foods like fresh produce are a healthy alternative to unhealthy processed foods offered by retail outlets and fast food restaurants.
- Community gardens and teaching farms serve as a place to teach children and adults about food production and healthy diet options.
- Urban agriculture can lead to greater food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is the idea of having more community control over food available and its production. In practice this means producing food in a way that reflects the local community and culture, with less reliance on the greater commercial food system. By growing food in a local community, people can choose the types of food that reflect their culture or particular needs.
Urban agriculture is a great way to help your local community. If you would like to learn more about Foodstream’s programs or need help with your local project, contact us at support@foodstreamnetwork.com
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