Urban Farming Is New Future Of Agriculture

Quick Fact Checks :

India has world's 2.4 per cent land 
But has to Feed world's 17.7 per cent population.
We presently  have almost 35-40 per cent of our population lives at urban centers
It is estimated that by 2025 60 per cent of  our population will live at urban centers

With this kind of migration urban food security is becoming a matter of serious concern and urban poverty is reflected in the nutritional status of people.

So what is the best solution ? 

Urban farming, especially out of the box methods will show the way out. It should use space in and around the urban boundaries.

Many cities across the globe are adopting Good Practice Urban Agriculture, it includes farming, fishery, poultry, horticulture, forestry and live stock development.
In this model, land unsuitable for use as 'built up' space
such as steep slopes, wetland, land cover,and aquifers can be utilized for agriculture purpose. Ancillary spaces along the railway tracks, highways, river banks, coastal zones under electric power lines, at airports, prisons, land around institutional buildings, peripheral areas around schools and parks, etc where fruit trees and seasonal vegetables can be grown.

Indian urban agriculture is in very nascent stage, however has lot of potential. The land adjoining to the railway track in Bombay was given to the laborers and local people , they grew spinach, fenugreek, coriander and other green vegetable, this experiment was a  success, the only problem was that instead of fresh water they used gutter water which was highly contaminated.

Urban farming not only provide an opportunity to create a diverse ecology where fruit trees, vegetable plantations and fish can easily co-exist with an in-built environment-a economically sustainable eco-system.

During mid of nineties China took a lead in this area. During mid of nineteen century eight out of sixteen cities in the world  with population over 5,00,00,000 were in China. All of those cities have effectively regulated agriculture for over 100 years and it is a fact that today's China is highly dependent on urban agriculture. We,in India, can learn a great deal from it.

Another innovative initiative in the area is rise of vertical farming. Vertical Farming Market size is likely to cross $13 billion by the year 2024. Vertical farming is relatively something out of box, it is capable to provide impetus for growth in indoor farming sector due to the advent of LED lights and growth mechanism such as aeroponics, hydroponics etc. Low labor costs, location closer to consumer bases, accessibility to the fresh produce, zero pesticides usage are key market dynamics sprouting up the growth. 

I was in Seattle last summer and saw a very exciting experiment by local municipal council. Wherever the council finds space near public places like parks, lakes, it converts into small pods and give on low rental to the residents of nearby area for growing vegetables. The residents feel overjoyed growing their own pure organic vegetables, when cooked very fresh and tasty.

The possibilities are endless, here in Bombay, space is limited,  residents can be encouraged to grow there own vegetables in their balconies, society terrace. Okay fine, the yield may be small in volume but definitely the impact will be significant.