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The world population is growing but the earth is not. The worldwide population is forecasted to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050. This expected growth has planners, ecologists, and other forecasting figures cultivating ways to confront this growth. One of the key issues this expected growth will encounter is hunger. The current pace at which the population is growing is not the case for agricultural lands; the lands will not be capable of shadowing the same pace of this anticipated human growth.
Looking forward, the fundamental question is whether current day’s agriculture and food systems are adept at meeting the needs of the global population.
The difficulty is clear; we must find a resolution to feed the growing population. We must furthermore, challenge our solutions; could it be sustainable? Can we accomplish the necessary production increases, even as the pressures on already limited land and water resources, and the destructive influences of climate change strengthen? The solution which more of the population, especially urban areas, are turning to is urban agriculture.
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In the developing mecca of urban agriculture, we must take a step back and analyze solutions, the problems, and how to plan for this era of food production. Ultimately, the problem is unavoidable and must be solved, the question is if the solution could be urban agriculture and how do we plan for this method.
More people now live in cities than in rural areas, and this discrepancy is projected to increase as the population grows. Urbanization has been accompanied by a transition in dietary patterns and has had countless impacts on food systems (FAO, 2017, 11).
While it will not necessarily be easy to feed 10 billion people sustainably, it is achievable, specialists consider. “We are producing at such a pace that the natural cycle cannot recover fast enough,” stated Deutsche Dwelle, author of Sustainable Food for Everyone? The Challenge of Our Century. Global agriculture presently produces approximately 4,000 calories per capita per day, which is nearly the double of what each person requires. We are already manufacturing enough for 9 to 12 billion people, but we discard a third of the harvest worldwide (Dwelle, 2017, 2). If agricultural techniques are not enough and we are distributing the food unsustainably than a new solution must arise, urban agriculture.
An upbringing trend is developing in urban developments over the world, urban agriculture. So much so that experts are claiming that urban agriculture seems to be popping up everywhere. Urban agriculture is defined as the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around a village, town, or city. Other terms urban agriculture is also known as urban farming, guerilla farming, foodscaping (Network, 2015, 2). Urban agriculture serves several benefits in these metropolitan areas, including food security for people in the city, a reduction of energy used in conventional agricultural practices and food services, a reduction of carbon footprints, and environmental services for cities in providing open green space. All over the world, people are revolving unused brown lots, backyards, and even rooftops into gardens. With wishful thinking, professionals would hope that this movement could cultivate enough so that cities would no longer have to rely on rural and suburban agriculture to produce food for their own citizens (Network, 2015, 2). Elaborating on the benefits of urban agriculture we can examine reduced carbon emissions, job creations, economic growth, community building, public health, food quality, food security, education, and creating green space.
Food security is an absolute or prevalent issue in some urban communities. “Urban agriculture supports to correct this by reducing the price of healthy food by eliminating the middleman and increasing the opportunity for community members in need to participate in the growing of this food. Many urban farms also adopt charitable models in an effort to support communities in need through direct donation or by providing either discounted or free produce,” exclaims The Ecology Center experts.
Reducing carbon emissions through urban agriculture is demonstrated through localizing produce. Urban farms cut down significant fossil fuel consumption which otherwise, would be necessary to transport, package, and sell food. “The average meal has traveled 4,200 miles to reach a person” (The Ecology Center, 2016, 1). The use of urban agriculture diminishes a person’s “foodprint” by offering the opportunity to purchase food within their community, which eliminates distance of food traveled.
Urban agriculture promotes jobs within communities. As these farms keep popping up and becoming more and more prominent, opportunities to involve people in the community also increase. Urban farms have been shown to create jobs and small businesses which stimulate the local economy and support the community with those jobs. Hand in hand with jobs, economic growth is a popular trend correlated with these benefits. Urban farms stimulate local an economy by circulating income throughout the region. Without a complex distribution network, farmers are more connected to their market and able to adapt quickly to demand, in return, maximizing profit. In addition, several of these organizations are designed in a way which produces additional benefits to the community and support to low-income residents by stabilizing food costs and in many cases, offering discounted or free produce (The Ecology Center, 2016, 1).
Urban Agriculture promotes community building, health, and education. Bringing people together, urban agriculture creates a local project residents have in common and this results in community organization. Studies have also shown that increasing populations can correlate with malnutrition and over diet-related health issues. Bringing nutritious local foods directly into communities benefits the community by reducing heart disease, obesity, and diabetes (The Ecology Center, 2016, 2). Connecting the community to healthy food spreads public education on food culture involving both children and adults to learn about sustainable and local agriculture.
Urban agriculture proves to severe several benefits which extend from people to communities, and to the world. Although with benefits comes problems, and urban agriculture associates with some vital issues one must consider.
Problems with Urban Agriculture
Experts believe that although urban agriculture serves pronounced benefits, that there are several challenges facing this agricultural practice and potential problems to rise. The disadvantages of this agricultural practice include use of space, water requirements, pesticides, and aesthetics.
A disadvantage of urban farming is the use of space. The question is efficiently and how economically practical is the land being used. All to frequently, large metropolitan areas are limited on spaces, putting dampers on spaces left to build. The price of land for sale, both private and public can tend to be high marketed and priced. Although agricultural practices are deemed proactive, other use of the land may be more economically efficient. Practicability issues may get in the way of progressive urban farming. “The government usually believes that where the use of land is not managed and an economic rent is not paid, urban farming may be an economically or environmentally inefficient use of the property. These land rent issues sometimes become the biggest obstacle to urban agriculture when a government does not pay enough attention to regulating land use to encourage farming,” states Network Land8’s article.
Additionally, another disadvantage is the high water requirement for agricultural activities. Some urban farmers are still using water from the potable municipal water supply, which can create water shortages in the city (Network, 2016, 3). It has been estimated that the water demand could increase by more than 50% if urban agriculture were scaled to a significant degree (Does Urban Agriculture Use Too Much Water, 2015, 1). Treatment of agriculture directly correlates with water supply but also reflects on the use of the upkeep and pesticides.
According to FAO, inappropriate and excessive use of agricultural inputs from pesticides, fertilizer, nitrogen, and raw organic matter can pollute the soil in an urban area. These chemicals are implemented into the soil which in turn makes the soil less luxuriant and possibly poisonous over time. The residue from these pesticides may become runoff and get into the supply of main water sources in the urban area. These contaminations are shown to lead to waterborne disease such as dysentery, salmonella, cholera, and schistosomiasis. (Network, 2016, 4). With the possibility of runoff and contamination in the water and soil, another key element is contaminated food which is being produced. Urban agriculture is highly vulnerable to containing toxic substances such as heavy metals. These metals originate from emissions from factories, automobiles, and sewage (Network 2016, 5). The long term effects of the metals in food can leave to health concerns for those consuming. Quoted from the article, “What’s the Problem with Urban Agriculture” they stated more specific illnesses, “For urban agriculture, it becomes even worse, because harmful chemicals applied in the middle of the city travel into the atmosphere of the dense and crowded urban environment, potentially harming a big population. Allergies, cancer, birth defects, male sterility, contamination of breast milk, genetic mutations, respiratory diseases, behavioral changes, and a variety of intestinal disorders could add another problem for the city if the pesticides issue not handled properly.” Clearly regulation is essential to keep the food safe and editable.
Ultimately, another disadvantage of urban agriculture is aesthetics and the image of a city. The image of urban farming is entirely subjective. One side of the argument coins that it provides beauty while others deem the space as an unpleasant view of the city. The disadvantages directly lie with the design of the space and the opinion of the beholder. As stated, this disadvantage is subjective but a city’s plan may not follow the design of urban agriculture’s development and image.
With disadvantages comes advantages and urban agriculture is attempting to tackle world hunger in a sustainable and functional way. Urban agricultural is attempting to tackle a colossal world issue, although the method holds disadvantages, it is worth trying to resolve in light of tackling the issue of food security in relation to population growth. Planners and other experts are planning for this agricultural method, they are analyzing past plans, current plans, and future implantations.
Planning and Policy Solutions
Planning for such a large and possible everyday practice is essential. Urban agriculture clearly serves enough beneficial impacts as well as disadvantages to make a considerable impact. If planned strategically, planners can implement sustainable solutions for their city in preparation for the new agricultural mecca.
According to the American Planner’s Association, ideally, the starting point is community engagement through which these planners identify how urban agricultural contributes socially, economically, and environmentally to their city. Local and regional governments play vital roles in legitimizing urban agriculture as a acknowledgeable land use or community development strategy. By recognizing existing community requirements that urban agriculture can address, inventorying necessary local resources, and evaluating current policies and legislation, local governments can work to effectively assimilate urban agriculture into the plan-making process (American Planners Association, 2).
From a local level, governments are making connections among comprehensive planning through neighborhood development and revitalization. Also in the comprehensive plans, urban agriculture contributes to health, food, and sustainability. Planners are planning for more open-spaced policies which will directly embolden vacant or abandoned land to be implemented into agricultural space. Economically planning, planner’s goals and policies can lead to new financing tools for urban development. For example, tax incentives, which may encourage location in environmentally underserved properties. Housing could benefit by implementing these urban agricultural locations near affordable housing. Examples which could benefit neighborhoods with the right planning and strategic placement could mean for community gardens, rooftop gardens, and even community kitchens which benefits low-income neighborhoods. The community health is another aspect planners are considering. In their plans community health goals and policies directly support access to fresh fruits and vegetables through these community agriculture techniques. Furthermore, sales of produce from these areas spread public education to residents for the healthy fresh foods (American Planning Association, 2).
These planning benefits and fixations seem apparent, however, a commonly city barrier for urban agriculture is zoning codes, ordinances provisions, and other local policies. Zoning codes, however, are being revised to accommodate for community gardens and urban agriculture as a permitted use in existing zoning districts. Some cities have generated new zoning districts to set aside particular areas for community gardens or urban farms. Others cities have incorporated urban agriculture as an predicted amenity within planned unit development (PUD) project guidelines or in conservation subdivision regulations (American Planning Association, 2). Zoning being a major factor in limitations, ordinance provisions are similar factors to plan for.
Ordinance provision recognizes different intensities for urban agricultural activities. A common dissimilarity is between gardens that grow food for personal consumption or donation and market gardens or urban farms that grow food for sale. Some communities in urban areas demonstrate supplementary distinctions based on size or the range of allowable activities on a said site (American Planning Association, 2). Use of standards may address elements such as setbacks, hours of operation, storage, accessory structures, odor and noise, fencing, lighting, composting, and whether animals or on-site sales of produce are permitted (American Planning Association, 2). Cities have standards for accessory agriculture-related constructions such as greenhouses and others have enhanced ordinances that allow for them to keep of urban livestock, including bees, chickens, and goats. Zoning and ordinances can seem selective for small issues, but legal actions can arise from the smallest of gardens and areas.
Lastly, there are other local policies that can encourage specific activities towards urban agriculture. “Policies include land-use policies that permit public land to be used for gardens or farms, land disposition policies that permit surplus municipal properties to be acquired by for urban agriculture, and policies and regulations that strengthen the infrastructure for widespread urban agriculture” (American Planning Association, 2).
In summation, the implantation of past planning policies was insignificant to urban agriculture as it was a relatively new method and is growing at a fast pace. Current planning policies allow for agricultural growth in the urban area through the correct zoning, ordinances and policies, but must be adjusted to plan for the future. Planning for the future, urban agriculture is coming and planners are noting it in their cities comprehensive plans. Planners are forecasting for benefits in their community which include the implementation of urban agriculture and doing so in preparation allows for safe and the most beneficial ways to implement the agricultural practice.
Recommended Alternatives
In my opinion, urban agriculture sounds great in retrospect but there are several considerations to consider getting the job done correctly. With the risk of developing an urban farm on the contaminated land, or growing in the contaminated air is a huge risk. I believe that local governments and planners should create food policy councils which ultimately work towards safety and zoning and local production. The benefits would be mass while making sure any progress is safe and reliable. Ultimately, food policy councils could help regulate and lead for better success in cities.
Future Outlook
A future’s glance at urban agriculture demonstrates an inevitable new mecca of food supply. City council and planners will be incorporating these into their comprehensive plans for their city and that will try to tackle major issues which reside from their towns, cities, states, and our nation involving food security, health, and education. People should expect a change in cities and the way their neighbors and themselves get food.
Conclusion
In summation, the population is growing and agricultural lands are projected to not keep up. Urban agriculture was then introduced providing a solution to hunger, food security, health, and overall a cities’ well-being. Urban agriculture serves several benefits, but with benefits come disadvantages. If urban agriculture proves to solve more issues than it creates, experts must try to solve the disadvantages it creates a new and proficient method. Urban agriculture is growing and to deem the practice safe and beneficial city planners and council must regulate the use foe the practice to extend the agriculture to its most beneficial use. Urban agriculture is here to stay and the future holds promise but also a sizeable change.
Urban Agriculture and Benefits. (2022, Feb 28). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/urban-agriculture-and-benefits-essay
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