Factors Contributing To the Need for Urban Agriculture by Roksena Nikolova

Since the world population is increasing urban quarters have turned out to be an essential new leading edge for food production. The city expansion and degradation contribute towards the crucial need for urban agricultural development. The economic and health problems resulting from malnutrition have caused great concern amongst planners and decision-makers.

A case study of an Ethiopian urban agriculture consultant, Yilma Getachew argues that “…organic agriculture is a valid strategy for both stimulating economic growth and developing markets…” and that he could verify this by his experience in supporting urban agriculture in three towns in Ethiopia. “Families in one town keep dairy cows either to supplement their meager salaries, or are totally dependent on milk and dung sales as their sole source of family income. In the other two towns, the main income source is the production of Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes together with a small amount of assorted vegetables not only selling to local markets but also to markets within a 200 kilometer radius. In this way, organic agriculture in an urban setting can both be a tool for community building (health and vitality) and development (income generation and marketing of scarce nutritious food).”

Guatemala City Problem and Solution

One of Guatemala's most alarming issues is the lack of access by all of its residents to a clean, safe water supply.Like other developing country cities, Guatemala City grew very quickly during the 1980s. Its population almost doubled in under 40 years, from 477,000 in 1955 to 946,000 in 1995, and the metropolitan region is even larger, comprising approximately 3 million people.

A large portion of the residents live in precarious and illegal squatter settlements.The residents of the squatter settlements have no legal rights to the land, pay no taxes, and receive no city services.Because of poor living conditions, including the lack of clean water and the consumption of contaminated water, people in these settlements suffer many health problems.

Two different models for improved water supply were developed: the single-source tank and the well. Both required active community involvement, outside technical help, and the institutional support of COINAP.

In Chinautla (one neighbourhood of Guatemala City), residents asked the city to install the single-source water tank. Such units are usually installed only on a temporary basis at construction sites. From this single source, the community created a supply network to reach individual residences. UNICEF provided the funds for the pipes and other materials, and each family provided its own home connection. The local community association receives the bill from the water company, and it collects payment from residents for the water they have used.

Roksena Nikolova

References:

1) Getachew, Yilma."The Living Garden". http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/The%20Living%20Garden.pdf  (accessed November 01, 2009).

2) UNESCO. "Water Supply - Guatemala City, Guatemala." 1995-2009. Learning Journal. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/TLSF/theme_c/mod17/uncom17t03s01.html (accessed November 01, 2009).

Hydroponics by Caelin Schneider

http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/garden/index.htm

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants and crops using only mineral nutrient solutions, therefore without soil. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to live. Most terrestrial plants are able to grow using hydroponics.  This would help conserve land, and if aggregate hydroponics are used it would also conserve water.  Using hydroponics makes it possible to easily grow plants for consumption in a city and indoors.  The two hydroponic systems are, aggregate hydroponics and liquid hydroponics.  Aggregate hydroponic systems have a solid medium of support such as sand, sawdust or peat-moss.  Where as liquid hydroponic systems have no other supporting medium for the plant roots, other than the water they sit in.

Hydroponics is also an important technology because it is one of the leading technologies that is being looked at to grow crops in the proposals for vertical farms.  

It also becomes possible to grow small personal farms very easily using simplified hydroponics, which is based on minimal inputs, requires no pumps, energy, or expensive equipment. The small scale farms or gardens are built with recycled or discarded containers, and are hand watered once a day with a hydroponic nutrient that can be bought off the shelf.

In 1985, in a small Columbian town of Jerusalen, a hydroponic project was established by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP).   The project used hydroponic growers, made of small containers and discarded wood pallets, these were than placed on rooftops, balconies, stairs, and any available space that was in the sun.

The people who participated in the project (around 130 families) ended up earning as much as three times more than they would have earned in semi-skilled jobs, and were also able to provide food for their families from overripe or less than perfect crops. They produced 30 types of vegetables in their hydroponic gardens.

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livingthings/biofarming.html

The gardens were built out of donated or recycled materials.  The costs of setting up each square meter of hydroponic garden was less than $5.00.

Wood pallets were set flat in the space and plastic sheeting rice bran surrounded by plastic sheeting was placed inside of the pallets.  The hydroponic nutrients come at a cost of about $9.00 per year. 

Surplus produce was sold to a supermarket cooperative for cash.

The Jerusalen project was a successful example of hydroponic farming in a developing country in a urban setting.  If it can be achieved in this situation it would be even easier to use this technology on a single family scale or in a indoor farm in any north american metropolis struggling for space.

Hydroponics, can be used inside, or outside, and is productive in small spaces regardless of soil or water.  These small barren or indoor spaces, will be the only spaces left for agriculture after the impending mass urbanization and expansion of our cities.  Hydroponics works in the scale of a fully functioning farm, yet unlike technologies like vertical farms it is also affordable to the individual person and even becomes possible for poor people living in developing countries to produce quality food and a source of income.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHBhyqowSEc

Caelin Schneider

References: 
.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics

-Jenson, Merle. H. "Hydroponics." October, 1997.http://ag.arizona.edu/PLS/faculty/MERLE.html

-Bradley, Peggy. "Simplified Hydroponics in Urban Agriculture." March 23, 2000.http://www.cityfarmer.org/hydroponicsBradley.html#bradley