Urban Agriculture Combats Food Insecurity, Builds Community
Innovations in urban agriculture—from creative reuse of stormwater to soil rehabilitation—can help fight food insecurity and prevent further food issues.
By DJ McCauley
EOS
25 January 2021
Excerpt:
“In times of crisis, people become really passionate about their food supply,” says Rachel Surls, sustainable food systems adviser for the Los Angeles County Cooperative Extension. “We saw a boom in urban agriculture during the recession in 2008, and we’re seeing it now.”
This observation isn’t confined to sunny California: Across the country, consumers are getting creative when it comes to their produce. Outlets like Forbes, CBS, and the BBC have likened the uptick of interest in gardening to a modern renaissance of wartime victory gardens. When you’re not sure grocery store shelves will have the produce you’re looking for, what better assurance than growing it yourself?
Though gardening made headlines last spring, urban farming is not a new concept. Extension agents and researchers in big cities have been running all sorts of operations for years, helping people grow nutritious food where it’s needed most.
From backyard plots to community gardens, all the way up to full-time, commercial operations supplying farmers’ markets, restaurants, and grocery stores, urban farming serves a vital role in food security, community education, and outreach.
