The pace of urbanization is unprecedented. Economic migrants seek better opportunities and jobs in cities while many rural economies stagnate. In 1960, there were 17 cities with a population of more than 100,000; now there are more than 300 cities of that size.
Many who move to urban areas do not find the jobs and opportunities they seek. Therefore, adopting Urban Agriculture is a common survival strategy used by the poor not only to deal with food insecurity and poverty. Smit et al (1996) estimate that 15–20 percent of the global food output is grown in cities.
The classic and widely used definition of Urban Agriculture comes from Mougeot (2000):
Urban Agriculture is an industry located within, or on the fringe of a town, a city or a metropolis, which grows and raises, processes and distributes a diversity of food and non-food products, (re)using largely human and material resources, products and services found in and around that urban area, and in turn supplying human and materials resources, products and services largely to that urban area. (p10)
In India, there are few increasing number of examples of Urban Agriculture practice in the areas such as vegetable cultivation, composting and vermiculture, pig farming, dairying, ornamental trees, shrubs and plants, sericulture, medicinal and aromatic plants, food processing, and many others.
The status quo response of governments in their reaction to UA has tended to be to prohibit the practice. Often this is a policy that stems from simply regarding UA as a form of resistance to urban development priorities as determined by planners. Some cities have, by virtue of being exposed to UA and farmer groups, changed their perspective and put in place systems that are designed to support UA, or at least remove the most draconian restrictions on the activity. However, even when rules are in place, they are often not well understood or enforced. In this volume, Mutonodzo points out that in Harare 40 percent of the people practising UA were unfamiliar with any laws related to it. Moreover, one in five considered the existing legislation to be hostile towards the practice.
Nonetheless, progress is being made. The number of municipalities that have policies in favour of UA has increased dramatically in recent years. Accra, Beijing, Brasilia, Buluwayo (Zimbabwe), Governador Valdares (Brazil), Havana, Hyderabad, Kampala, Rosario (Argentina) and Nairobi are a short list of a growing number of cities that are being proactive on the topic. Another popular way of supporting urban farming has been food-policy councils. These represent an increasingly common way of bridging community groups with municipal politicians and bureaucrats. Amsterdam, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Detroit and Pittsburgh all have councils that encourage locally-based food systems.
Given the challenges such as limited land, water and very little encouragement from policy makers, do you think urban agriculture can still be able to succeed and produce enough food to address food-security problems?
Vote now and share your opinion with the world!
1 comment:
Urban agriculture (mainly processing and allied activities) can prove to be highly complimentary to rural agriculture. And both of them together can address the food security issues. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses which can be leveraged in a holistic way. For instance, urban agriculture has the benefit of access to better infrastructure, technology and larger markets, while rural agriculture has the advantage of low cost of production, larger scale and scope. Individually both of them suffer from inherent inadequacies, but in a combination they producer larger impacts. And this has been happening anyway. But probably the need of the hour is conscious promotion of such partnerships through favorable policies and linkages.
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