The rapid urbanisation in developing nations is accompanied by a rapid increase in urban poverty and urban food insecurity. This scenario is further aggravated by the fact that high food inflation, which by now is a global phenomenon, is expected to continue in future.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has invited people world over to celebrate the annual World Environment Day on June 5 with the theme for this year as "Think. Eat, Save".
The World Environment Day (WED) designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 is a people's event. The first WED was observed in 1973. This is the most widely-celebrated global day for positive environmental action. It inspires action by governments, industries, community groups and individuals to improve the environment. It provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness on environment and mobilise action by all stakeholders.
The issue of food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines three facets of food security: food availability, food access and food use.Ensuring food security ought to be an issue of great importance for a country like India where more than one-third of the population is estimated to be absolutely poor. Food security at the national level refers mainly to the availability in the country of sufficient stocks of food to meet domestic demand, either through domestic supply or through imports.
The world's population is likely to reach 9.1 billion by 2050. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that by 2050, global food demand will increase by 70 per cent in order to feed the global population of 9.1 billion. This is going to put a tremendous pressure on the already scarce land and water resources, thereby implying an urgent need for an alternative way to combat food shortages.
Urban Agriculture (UA) has the potential to provide millions with some secure access to food.UA is defined as the production of crop and livestock goods within cities and towns. UA can also involve animal husbandry, aquaculture, agro forestry and horticulture. These also occur in periphery-urban areas as well. Urban Agriculture contributes to food security and food safety.
India is experiencing a shift over time from a largely rural and agrarian population residing in villages to urban, non-agriculture centres. Presently, India has a population of 1.2 billion as per the Census of India, 2011 and is the second most populous country in the world afterChina. However, it is projected that India will be the world's most populous country by 2025 surpassing China. By 2050, it will have over 1.6 billion people.
Hence, with limited natural resources, water, limited land area and a vast majority of poor, uneducated and underutilised human resources, the cities will be unsustainable. Good practice of UA is one of the solutions for food security in the country.
Integration of Urban Agriculture with urban greening programmes can provide food to urban residents, to reduce urban pollution and temperatures as well as to offer recreation opportunities to improve quality of life for all urban residents. Urban Agriculture in India is just witnessing its beginning with a few initiatives in some of the cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai.
As India progresses towards a rapid phase of urbanisation and as the concept of sustainable cities becomes increasingly acceptable, there are opportunities to build environmentally and economically sound Urban Agriculture systems involving waste and water management that can be incorporated from the beginning itself and make it an
integral part of urban planning. Urban Agriculture is probably the most efficient tool available which can help manage a city's waste by utilising it for food cultivation and creating jobs.
It creates a diverse ecology where fruit-bearing trees,
vegetable plantations and even fishing, etc., could co-exist and build a wholly ecologically sustainable scenario.
land policies in and around cities need to be designed in such a way that it accepts agriculture as a legitimate usage of land. Urban Agriculture has to be integrated in the agriculture policies and urban planning.
As more of the world's population lives in cities, questions of food security and food sovereignty increasingly take on an urban dimension. A greater attention is now being paid to the production and supply of food within urban areas. However, to maximise its contribution and impact, Urban Agriculture must be integrated into broader food systems and into more comprehensive programmes of city planning.
There are hundreds of cities both in rich and poor countries that have set targets to make their cities green and sustainable with food security. The cost of greening and cleaning can be borne by urban food production and Urban Agriculture. Different countries in the world like China, Australia and many Asian as well as African countries are doing it and constantly improving on this. In India, though the concept of Urban Agriculture is beginning to become popular, the concept of good practice Urban Agriculture is yet to gain momentum.
However, 'Good Practice Urban Agriculture' efforts have to become much more popular in India for the survival of Indian cities and their citizens. It has the potential for providing much higher benefits in nutrition improvement, income generation and land as well as waste management.
China is a very good example of 'Good Practice Urban Agriculture' and today China is highly dependent on urban agriculture.
Urban fringes in Indian cities are mostly used as dumping sites for city wastes. If appropriate agricultural practices are adopted in these sites, it would be beneficial to all.
Urban Agriculture, with good practice, introduced to the fringes has several environmental benefits, namely reduced pollution, beneficial reuse of wastes, increased tree cover and better living conditions for the urban poor living in the urban fringe areas.
'Good Practice Urban Agriculture' has to be linked with food system planning and land use planning of a city and surroundings. Hence, 'Good Practice Urban Agriculture', food system and land use patterns should be closely interlinked.
There is a need for identification of land for urban development with agriculture. Agricultural land within urban area is to be protected under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act.
New townships should incorporate urban agriculture like city farming, horticulture, etc at the very beginning in the planning stage. This will provide food security and urbanresilience in a sustainable way.
There is a need for greater awareness about urban
agriculture. Socially-oriented enterprises can play a significant role to spread knowledge-intensive techniques in this area. The Government at the same time should facilitate UA through various schemes for food security in the city.
(Dr Mayarani Praharaj
works at the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)