An Introduction to Urban Agriculture: Cuba Paving the Way For Barbados
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Transcript of An Introduction to Urban Agriculture: Cuba Paving the Way For Barbados
http://urbanomnibus.net/2012/02/seeing-green-urban-agriculture-as-green-infrastructure/
Objective:
To understand what urban agriculture (UA) entails, the benefits and challenges to successful UA, and to look at current UA practices in Cuba in comparing their potential success in Barbados
What is Urban Agriculture?
Integrated into, and interacting with the urban economic and ecological system
Takes place intra-urban (within cities) or peri-urban (urban outskirts)
Arose due to rapid urbanization in developing countries and rising population levels
Provides a complementary strategy to reduce urban poverty and to enhance food security and urban environmental management
Practiced by over 800 million people worldwide
Definition: the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing crops/ animals in, or around a village, town, or city.
https://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/tag/food-shortages/
Why the Shift Towards UA?
Growing populations (and increased urbanization)
Expansion of megacities
Megacity: a city with a population over 10 million people
Food shortages
Environmental impacts
Food deserts within cities
Growing expense of biofuel
Impact on quality of life for people within cities
https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/worldpop/graph_population.php
https://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/tag/food-shortages/
Types of Urban Agriculture
Micro-farming (in/around the house)
Roof gardens, container gardens, traditional gardens, raised beds
Community gardens
Institutional gardens
Schools, churches, even prisons
Small-scale commercial horticulturalists
Small-scale commercial livestock/fish-farming
Chickens, bees, goats, tilapia, trout
Small-scale specialist producers (in niche markets)
Ex. mushroom farming
Large-scale agro-enterprises (bringing large amounts of food to dense urban populations)
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-Farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg
AT&T Park in San FranciscoTokyo office building
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/15/3670618/baseball-urban-farms/http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg
Manhattan rooftop community gardenCapital District Community Garden
http://fromscratchclub.com/2012/06/06/fsc-podcast-episode-4-urban-farming/ http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg
InterContinental Hotel in Times Square
Have their own rooftop garden complete with an apiary. They use the honey from the bees in their restaurants.http://inhabitat.com/nyc/bees-in-times-square-intercontinental-hotel-unveils-new-rooftop-beehive/1-beehives-at-intercontinental/?extend=1
Benefits of Urban Agriculture
Improved food security and household diet quality
Community economic development
Mental health benefits to farmer
Urban design appeal
Educational/skill-building
Provides local food in a convenient way
Contributes to biodiversity
Makes productive use of vacant lots
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg
https://www.wageningenur.nl/en/show/Urban-Agriculture-City-Network-boosts-urban-agriculture.htm
Challenges to Urban Agriculture
Producing the optimal amount of safe food Is it the optimal use of a certain space? Efficient use of resources what happens to
materials that are used? Connection to urban metabolism Contained/closed-loop farming Weather and water dependent
Year-round production may not always be feasible
Additional services can be costly or unavailable (energy, clean water)
Failure of governments to create policies or acknowledge the validity of urban agriculture http://www.haverland.co.uk/comparing-summer-winter-energy-tariffs-can/
Cuba’s Urban Agriculture Revolution
Cuba lost food imports and agricultural inputs due to the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989
Cuban Ministry of Agriculture supported the rising grassroots movement in Havana that had residents growing fruits and vegetables wherever they could find space
~50% of Havana’s produce is grown within city limits using organic compost and simple irrigation systems
Use huertas: private gardens to research gardens to popular gardens
As the urban food crisis began to cease, urban gardens continued to increase
Benefits: created jobs w/low investment, created a more beautiful city, lessened the burden of food insecurity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture
http://www.architectural-review.com/view/cubas-urban-farming-revolution-how-to-create-self-sufficient-cities/8660204.article
Current Economic/Agricultural Issues in Barbados
Barbados is a small island developing state (SIDS):
High level of dependence on imports
High cost and uncompetitive production systems (and limited production capacity)
Limited technical/financial capacity to respond to major challenges
Food sovereignty
Environmental/agricultural sustainability
Environmental restraints:
Intense pests and diseases (moreso than temperate regions)
Excessive rain causing erosion
Leaching of soil http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jul/15/urban-agriculture-introducing-the-office-farm#img-1
Food Sovereignty
Food sovereignty is the right to people to define their own food and agriculture
To protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade
To achieve sustainable development objectives
To determine the extent of self-reliance
To restrict the dumping of products in their markets
Food sovereignty promotes the formulation of trade policies and practices that serve the right of people to safe, healthy, and ecologically sustainable production
http://www.bajanreporter.com/2012/11/slow-foods-farm-to-table-barbados-dinner-series-creating-stronger-linkage-between-local-farms-consumers-restaurateurs/
The Potential for UA in Barbados
Domestic socio-economic development seeing increased demand for land for urban development
Declining area under agriculture (arable land declining)
Land is being subdivided for residential and business (tourism) use
Agriculture as a factor of Barbados’ Sustainable Development Policy
Like Cuba, government is key to effective implementation of alternative agricultural systems
Current incentives for urban irrigation and free technical advice by the Ministry of Agriculture
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf
% of arable land in Barbados compared to the rest of the world
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS/countries/BB-CA?display=graph
Barbados is currently moving towards a ‘green economy’, which they define as:
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf
Policies to Aid UA Promotion
Promote organic UA by banning chemical pesticides within cities
Offer spaces for urban population to use (on as much space as possible, in as creative a way as possible)
Official allocation of urban land plots for farming
Dependable, affordable, and accessible fresh water infrastructure
Provision of certain inputs, research and development (R&D), and technical support
Create market incentives for engagement in agriculture ex. establish farmers markets for selling local produce
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf
Works Cited
2010. Barbados National Assessment Report. 14 July 2015. <http://www.sidsnet.org/msi_5/docs/nars/Caribbean/Barbados-MSI- NAR2010.pdf>
2010. Urban Agriculture. 15 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/urbanhomesteader/urban-agriculture-presentation-2? qid=9641e67f-a57b-4a1b-894e-3af89b32b6b0&v=qf1&b=&from_search=4>
2012. Havana urban farming. 14 July 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/?204427/Havana-urban-farming>
2015. FAO's Role in Urban Agriculture. 13 July 2015. <http://www.fao.org/urban-agriculture/en/>
2015. Urban and Peri-Urban Horticulture. 13 July 2015. <http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/greenercities/en/projects/index.html>
Giedych, Dr Renata. 2013. Urban agriculture: structure, forms, future challenges. 13 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/CIFOR/giedych-presentation>
Lum, Zi-Ann. 2015. This floating solar farm may one day grow over 8,000 veggies per year. 13 July 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/02/floating-solar-farm_n_7455034.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010>
Rideout, Karen. 2010. Urban Agriculture: Issues for Public and Environmental Health. 12 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/NCCEnvHealth/urban-agriculture-issues-for-public-and-environmental-health?qid=9641e67f-a57b-4a1b-894e-3af89b32b6b0&v=qf1&b=&from_search=3>
Wesoff, Eric. 2011. Can Agriculture Go Urban?. 13 July 2015. <http://www.ecomagination.com/can-agriculture- go-urban>
Wilt, Jan. 2015. Urban Agriculture: a Dutch Perspective. 14 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/JanDeWilt/21042015-de-wilt-ph-de-zwijger>
Wright, Carolanne. 2014. $300 Underground Greenhouse Grows Produce Year-round. 12 July 2015. <http://wakeup-world.com/2014/02/13/300-underground-greenhouse-grows-produce-year-round-even-in- severe-climates/>