Urban farming is gaining new relevance this year
“Vertical farming is a modern version of what ancient Romans called ‘villa farming’,” she says.
By Carolyn Steel
Monacle
Nov 2020
Urban farming is gaining new relevance this year as the pandemic shines a light on our food sources and vulnerable supply chains. That’s why, for Monocle’s November issue, we profiled four of the most promising such projects around the world, ranging from Asia’s largest urban rooftop farm in Bangkok to a sprawling Parisian space (pictured) that aims to become the European equivalent. Although these options won’t be able to replace bulk food production, urban farms could help to ease the potential shortage of fresher products such as fruit and vegetables, which proved hard to come by during lockdowns.
London-based author Carolyn Steel explains that it’s a little bit like going back in time to an age when railways and easy cargo-transport options didn’t exist. “Vertical farming is a modern version of what ancient Romans called ‘villa farming’,” she says. “You get your grain from a long way away and grow the expensive stuff locally.”
