Urban gardening is the cultivation of plants and the raising of animals in the city or urban settlements. Urban gardening can be small, medium or large scale, it can also be owned by individuals or a group of people.
Urban gardening includes community gardens, urban beehives, aquaponic farms, hydroponics, greenhouses, vertical farms, etc.
Over the past decade and more, many people have moved from rural areas to urban settlements and some rural areas have become urban areas. While that’s a good thing in some cases, in many others it’s not. The FAO predicted that by 2025, more than half of the world will live in urban areas, which will affect people’s health, increase food insecurity, increase energy footprint and many other effects.
Governments in many countries are looking for ways to increase agricultural activities in urban settlements to address the problems that urbanization can cause.
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Here are some of the reasons for these decisions:
1. Food security
†Food security is a situation in which all people have physical, social and economic access at all times to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their nutritional needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. With the rapid movement of many people to urban areas, the drive to produce healthy foods, leading to a decrease in the quality of food consumed, which also makes healthy foods more expensive and scarce.
Urban gardening will increase food resources, a large number of people provide food in this way, it will help the poor to cope with food shortages or hunger and also serve as a source of income, you can also be sure that the food produced is healthy and nutritious.
Food loss can also be prevented, this is because a community garden, an aspect of urban gardening, cares for many people, it means food is shared with people who need it, and there are leftovers, they can be packed up and stored. properly. This way, no food is wasted and everyone has to eat.
2. Urban agriculture improves the quality of life
Consumption of processed foods and junk foods often leads to diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other health problems. These foods are dangerous and can shorten the lives of consumers. Urban gardening produces affordable food, fruit and animal products that are beneficial to the body and health.
Urban gardening also increases emotional and mental well-being, sense of belonging, and the process of planting, cutting, digging, climbing stretches the muscles of the body, which makes the gardener physically healthy.
3. Improved environmental benefits
The environment is one of the main benefits of urban gardening. An urban area where sustainable agriculture is encouraged will result in reduced food transport, CO2 emissions and water runoff. Urban gardening reduces noise and air pollution, erosion, and provides shelter and food for animals and insects.
Some of these insects help in the reproduction and dispersal of plant seeds.
Urban gardening beautifies the environment and also solves the problem of the urban heat island effect. Urban gardening is one of the measures to save the earth.
4. Local economy
Urban gardening offers entrepreneurs opportunities to grow and also to create new jobs, farm shops, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. It will take more than one gardener or farmer for a medium or large urban horticultural enterprise, it will provide employment and income for the local man. The money is also spent locally and is in constant circulation. This will give a boost to the local economy.
Refinement
Beyond the reasons mentioned here, urban gardening also allows a certain audacity and a certain solidarity between the inhabitants of a district. People are becoming more aware of the source of their food and connecting to the practice. We keep talking about the benefits of urban gardening.
Some developed countries owe urban gardening to its contribution to the economy. An important way for governments to instill the culture of urban gardening in their citizens is to introduce the study and practice of gardening to urban areas at different levels of education. Urban gardening has its tough times, but the benefits outweigh those times.
In recent times, with the movement of people to urban settlements, in order to avoid various problems, it is important to integrate gardening into our urbanization, then we can be sure of a beautiful environment and a healthy life.