URBAN FARMING

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Balcony Farms Sprout In City

Urban Farming In Shanghai

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Scares about food safety and the high cost of organics in Shanghai are prompting some city residents to grow their own veggies that are clean, safe, cheap and fresh. Yao Minji visits balcony farmers. Kevin Liu will have stir-fried green onions with scrambled eggs for dinner tonight, since the leeks he planted last spring on his windowsill are ready to be harvested.

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Liu started growing vegetables at home last spring and he is only one among thousands of balcony farmers sprouting up around Shanghai. With the increasing concerns about food safety in China, it has become popular among urbanites to grow their own vegetables – they are safer, fresher and cheaper – and the balcony makes an excellent garden.

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By 2050, 80 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban centers, creating a huge challenge for governments to feed them in a way that is sustainable. The concept of urban farming – including rooftop gardens, community plots, hydroponics, and aeroponics – is not new in cities around the world. An estimated 800 million people are involved in urban farming.

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Balcony Farms Sprout In City: Urban Farming In Shanghai - The urbanTimes - May 9 2011 - Read more....