Today, 55% of the world’s population can be found in cities, while nearly all of the food for residents is sourced from outside city limits (The World’s Cities, 2018). The global food system has put a strain on communities and the environment with the production of cheap produce and products that utilize destructive mass agricultural practices. As populations continue to grow, and more people move to cities, a new food system is necessary for the sustainability of communities and the environment. 

Issues with the current global food system are vast. Nearly 80% of the healthy agricultural land is consumed for growing crops to feed livestock and their grazing lands (Collins, 2019). The convenience we have come to expect at the local supermarket, such as a fully stocked produce aisle in the winter months, has ramifications far beyond the local community.  These products are shipped globally, a process whose carbon emissions are not negligible, and often reach your plate with a generous helping of preservatives. Mega-farms also have a dependence on harmful pesticides and herbicides that can have lasting, chronic effects on those exposed. Finally, about a third of all food is not sold due to cosmetic imperfections (enough to feed two billion people), so instead of making its way to your table, it finds itself in the trash (Royte, 2018). 

Looking beyond the environmental impacts of the current food system, there are some social and humanitarian issues worth discussing. Data from the World Health Organization suggests that both obesity and undernutrition continue to pose a serious threat to the health of populations (Malnutrition, 2019). Moreover, there is an increasing disparity between people with and without access to healthy foods and those living in nutritional deserts, and the UN estimates that 2 billion people do not have access to nutritious food (Food, 2019). We need a system where healthy, affordable food can be equally accessed, education regarding the nutritional value of foods is ubiquitous, and quality food is a right, not a privilege. 

A potential solution to this issue is localized, community-supported urban farming initiatives. Even in a city where infrastructure and population are dense, there is still space for urban agriculture to take place. Empty lots, rooftops, vertical walls, and indoors with hydroponics, aquaponics, and greenhouses are all viable options. A localized farming system utilizes and modifies pre-existing spaces, putting them to use for something entirely more functional. This removes the necessity for further destruction of land for agricultural purposes and rids the need for the transport of goods from one place to another, drastically decreasing the distance food travels from farm to table, largely reducing the carbon footprint of transportation. Smaller-scale farming also makes organic products more accessible through biological or physical pest control, rather than poisonous chemicals. 

Not only do community-based urban farms support environmental sustainability, but also have indisputable positive effects on communities and food security. With such high rates of nutritional deficiencies, urban farms provide people with the opportunity to access fresh, organic produce. Moreover, the community aspect involved in this approach to farming opens the doors for education and local engagement. Connecting people with their food, having them participate in the growing process, and bringing them back to the soil from which they have possibly forgotten, but are naturally familiar and comfortable creates a sense of intimacy with their food and a responsibility to their community and the environment. The movement towards a more localized food economy is a movement towards a sustainable future within communities, cities, and the globe. 

Author: Ren Golembieski

References:

Collins, R. (2018-19). Food and Drink Report [PDF]. United Kingdom: Waitrose and Partners. https://www.globalagriculture.org/fileadmin/files/weltagrarbericht/Weltagrarbericht/04Fleisch/WaitroseReport.pdf

Malnutrition. (2020, April 1). World Health Organization. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition

Royte, E. (2016, March 01). How 'Ugly' Fruits and Vegetables Can Help Solve World Hunger. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/03/global-food-waste-statistics/

 The World’s Cities - Data Booklet (2018) United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. https://www.un.org/en/events/citiesday/assets/pdf/the_worlds_cities_in_2018_data_booklet.pdf

Food (2019) United Nations, Global Issues  https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/food/index.html#:~:text=Considering%20all%20people%20in%20the,in%20North%20America%20and%20Europe.