Urban Agriculture

By  Adeline Leroy & Omar Faris

Urban agriculture refers to a number of different activities related to the cultivation of the production, distribution, and marketing of food and other products within urban and peri-urban areas. It is an industry with many opportunities and growing new challenges with a key facet being knowledge and competence are constantly evolving which must be shared to create synergy effects and growth.
 
A key aspect of these new challenges is ensuring all urban agricultural practices fall in line with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations; i.e. ensuring and attempting to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The following are recent changes and urban farming techniques that have allowed urban farming to follow these global goals, largely thanks to recent technological as well as digital transformations:
 
Vertical Farming
The integration of vertical farms throughout urban areas allows for the utilization of urban spaces to be more productive and efficient while providing citizens with access to fresh products.
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IoT Based Smart Farming
Agricultural producers across urban and peri-urban locations are required to track a multitude of parameters on a daily basis to ensure a high quality of crops and mainitiang an efficient and satisfactory yiled. Internet of Things sensors [IoT Sensor] are developed to assist in reducing the challenges they face by mining data on matters such as water, air, soil, and climate which help in future forecasts in determine what plants need, as well as any urgent and immediate changes.

Appro 77
Regarding the prevention of food waste APPRO 77 is a concrete and innovative solution which fights against food insecurity. It develops and conducts a multitude of activities concerning anti-waste food, food aid, and has already distributed an estimated 1.172 Tons of food
 
All in all, it is essential to look at modern urban agriculture practices as a solution to the ever evolving climate crisis, all the while ensuring millions have access to food, products, and more at a faster rate, with producers being more efficient, and countries enacting more climate friendly agricultural practices. 

Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels

Photo by Charlie Marchant on Flickr
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