Urban Agriculture Brings Convenience to Food Consumption - Essay Example

URBAN AGRICULTURE BRINGS CONVENIENCE TO FOOD CONSUMPTION Introduction The discovery and implementation of agricultural practices by human beings resulted in the rapid increase of the human population, as well as assorted domestic animals. Agriculture was solely responsible for transforming the human race from being hunter-gatherers to being urban dwellers. At present, there are more than 800 million hectares that have been dedicated to activities involving soil-based agriculture. This means that 38% of the earth’s landmass is used for the purposes of agriculture. To achieve this reality, humanity has had to arrange the natural landscape in all nations in such a way that natural ecosystems were cleared for the purposes of developing farming units. This ensures that there is a reliable supply of food for human beings throughout the world. The Activity of Farming There are more than 7 billion human beings in the world at present.1 The fact that this figured is expected to change as more people are born will put a strain on traditional kinds of farming activities. Over farming is something that severely affect the existing land. Among other ills, intensive farming can trigger soil erosion. It is in the areas that are densely populated that the top soil is most damaged due to over farming. Indoor farming has developed as a new concept for dealing with what will ultimately be a world wide crisis due to the shortage of food. There are different forms of food farming that have existed for sometime in various parts of the world. There are certain types of food products, for instance, that thrive in greenhouse conditions. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, spices, strawberries, and herbs. In the past 15 years, there has been a developing trend of establishments such as supermarkets purchasing produce from greenhouse structures. Greenhouse operations also have the capacity to produce crops all through the year, and not just on a seasonal basis. Reasons for Urban Agriculture Some of the nations that are deeply invested in the greenhouse production of crops include Canada, Japan, the United States, Scandinavia, and New Zealand. These nations have even began to invest in the cultivation of different fish types such as stripped bass, tilapia, and crayfish. In regards to urban farming, there are different factors that come into play. Urban agriculture is defined as the process of cultivating, harvesting, and distributing animal products as well as food crops in an urban setting. There are different types of urban farming. These include backyard gardening, community gardening, beekeeping, and rooftop gardening.2 In recent times, urban agriculture has grown even more popular due to the combination of community-building initiatives and concerns about preserving the environment. In spite of this reality, urban farmers still face challenges such as getting access to reliable sources of water, the need for capital, and the existence of zoning ordinances that hinder specific kinds of agricultural activities. In addition, there are certain technologies that are required to create buildings that can successfully house crops, while maintaining optimum temperatures. Developing nations do not usually have the capital to support the creation of such structures; and so are more likely to have urban farmers who only concentrate on generating crops in their own homes. Developing nations, though, have erected sky scrapers which are primarily used for the cultivation of crops, or even animal husbandry. In many developed nations where urban farming is a recognized activity, municipalities have tried to deal with challenges by supporting the review of city ordinances, participating in community outreach activities, generating zone specific agriculture, and inserting urban agriculture objectives in city plans. Most of the individuals who take part in urban agriculture are usually a part of the urban poor. This may constitute of mid level officials of government, lower government representatives, and teachers. The wealthy individuals who involve themselves in urban agriculture may do do for altruistic purposes, or to receive a good investment on their business capital. Furthermore, a large percentage of urban farmers tend to be women; who can easily combine their house-keeping duties with backyard farming activities.3 Urban farming activities in developed nations are likely to have more structure than those in developing nations. This is because urban farmers in developing nations are more likely to enter into this field as a result of the lack of formal employment, or a lack of options when seeking to purchase fresh produce due to high prices. The Part that Urban Agriculture plays in preserving Food Consumption Urban agriculture is important because it helps in reducing food insecurity as well as urban poverty, while also improving urban environmental management initiatives. It is a recognized fact that the expense incurred in distributing and supplying fresh produce from rural areas to urban areas is more than that which exists between two locations in urban settings. Urban agriculture also increases the social inclusion of the urban poor in economic processes, while also alleviating poverty. The effect that urban agriculture has on food consumption is probably its most significant asset. In most cases, people engage in food production in cities because they have inadequate, irregular, or unreliable access to fresh food. They may also not have the finances required to make the purchases. The prices involved in distributing and supplying foods from rural to urban areas are extremely high. When this results in hikes in food prices, poor consumers in urban areas are compelled to access the food from external channels such as bartering or engaging in home production of food. This has unforeseen benefits for the urban poor. In developing nations, it is usually the poor who consume more fruits and vegetables than those in milled classes, or even the rich classes. In addition, when urban farmers invest in cultivation, they tend to produce extra food that can be sold to other urban citizens.4 Vertical Farming Vertical farming refers to the cultivation of crops, or even preservation and maintenance of animal life on vertically inclined surfaces such as skyscraper greenhouses. One of the reasons why vertical farming is so profitable is because it enables large tracts of farming land to be allowed to support natural features in order to assist in the restoration of natural ecosystems. Vertical farming also makes it possible for urban farmers to make good use of organic waste in generating energy.5 Vertical farmers tend to use unused as well as abandoned spaces to cultivate crops, or in animal husbandry. There farming efforts ensure that urban communities are supplied with fresh produce in all seasons.6 Vertical farming is also beneficial in terms of the environment. Urban farmers actually contribute to making urban centers cleaner in terms of air circulation. Vertical farms can be used to cultivate vegetables, fruits, grains, or even breed and keep animals such as poultry, fish, and pigs. Vertical farming is also beneficial because it has the potential to generate its own energy or power from any waste collected for reuse. In any city, vertical farming structures such as green skyscrapers can easily generate a self-sustaining environment. Vertical farming is extremely beneficial for food consumption because it facilitates the optimum development of produce. In indoor operations, it is likely that the plants will be exposed to the best conditions which will be well monitored in order to make sure that crops are grown in the best conditions.7 This means that a simple acre, in vertical farming, could be comparable to as many as ten acres in conventional farms because the improved conditions in vertical farming will likely improve its yield. In addition, cultivating food stuffs in regions that are closer to home is likely to drastically lower the energy, in terms of fossil fuels, that is used to distribute them to different clients. Vertical farming is also beneficial because it does away with agricultural runoff. The consumers of produce generated from vertical farming are not likely to be inconvenienced by crop failures attributed to the weather, or diseases brought about by vermin.8 Products from vertical farming operations are also less likely to be affected by harmful chemicals that come with fertilizers and pest killers. Urban Agriculture and the Convenience of Food Farming There are two main ways through which urban agriculture brings about food security. This is through the increase of income of urban farmers, and by effecting improved access to various fresh food products. Food products that are cultivated at home increase the food that families have access to and, therefore, prevent incidences of malnutrition, or even hunger. When the urban poor have direct access to fresh food products, they are able to consume a more balanced diet than would be the case if their consumption was dependent on their daily income. Animal husbandry is particularly important, because it allows the urban poor to have access to products that they would otherwise not be able to access. In all developing, as well as some developed nations, the urban poor are either jobless or under-employed. Those poor citizens who are under-employed are also often paid in daily wages, which means that they can only purchase food products in small amounts. This means that unless they opt to become urban farmers, the urban poor have to pay more for any food products they purchase because of the existence of diseconomies of scale. In addition, they are not able to store food, and thus remain highly vulnerable to incidences that interrupt the normal distribution of food. Urban agriculture can also be perceived as a factor that generates opportunity cost. Urban farmers, whether poor or rich, are able to save on expenses through the consumption of food products that are cultivated at home, and thus are cheaper than the option of purchasing from the market. In addition, they can add to their basic incomes by selling the food products that they cultivate. Conclusion In urban area, companies need to use less space to grow crops. Unlike rural area, which has unlimited land to use as farmland. Moreover, according to the presentation and the observation from the filed trip on May 15, urban farming uses less dirt while growing crops,since they use less agriculture land; they also need fewer employees to manage the farm. In addition, it is important to note that urban food can be considered as local food. In this way, it is closer for people to buy them and raise the convenience in people’s daily food consumption.Urban farming makes food become more convenient for the population. Increasingly, cities in developed as well as developing nations are creating programmes and policies that regulate urban agriculture. There is also the move to utilize multi-stakeholder approaches of planning for the purposes of detecting effective ways of incorporating urban agriculture into sector policies that allow for the development of multi-functional urban agricultural practices. Urban agriculture in different cities around the world could potentially become a dynamic sector that swiftly adjust to changing demands. For instance, productivity could easily be transformed in order to align with urban needs. Bibliography Clifton, Kelly. “Mobility Strategies and Food Shopping for Low-Income Families: A Case Study.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 23, no.4 (2004). Despommier, Dickson, and Majora Carter. The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. New York: Picador, 2011. Levkoe, Charles. “Learning Democracy through Food Justice Movements.” Agriculture and Human Values 23, no.1 (2006): 89-98. Mandel, Lauren. EAT UP: The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture. New York: New Society Publishers, 2013. Mougeot, Luc. Agropolis : The Social, Political, and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. Sterling, VA: Earthscan, 2005. Short, Anne, Julie Guthman and Samuel Raskin. “Food Deserts, Oases, or Mirages?: Small Markets and Community Food Security in the San Francisco Bay Area.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 26, (2007): 352-364. Wekerle, Gerda. “Food Justice Movements: Policy, Planning, and Networks.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 23, (2004): 378-387. Winne, Mark. Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Beacon Press: Boston, 2008. Read More