Urban agriculture can be developed on roofs, walls, balconies and terraces.
Urban agriculture is the agricultural practices that take place in cities or very close to them. Therefore, it is a small-scale agriculture , since in urban environments there is not the same availability of land as in rural areas.
Urban agriculture usually takes place on the roofs of buildings, on the walls of houses and on the balconies and terraces of buildings. It can also be grown in public spaces such as bridges and streets .
Benefits of urban agriculture
Urban agriculture is usually intended to obtain fresh food . By having immediate access to crops , those who live in cities increase their food security , since they do not depend only on the raw materials that arrive from the fields .
Another benefit that urban agriculture provides is that it reduces energy use and, therefore, contributes to minimizing pollution. By not having to transport food from other areas, polluting vehicles with the corresponding load are not mobilized.
The creation of jobs (when small producers can market their production), obtaining food without the use of agrochemicals and the possibility of recycling certain waste are also among the advantages that urban agriculture can offer, which even helps cities to confront climate change.
Green cities are committed to urban agriculture.
Other advantages
In addition to all the advantages indicated, we cannot ignore others that, in the same way, are considered to bring with it the aforementioned urban agriculture at hand:
-It contributes to "greening" cities, therefore making them have more green lungs.
-Gets not only families but also neighbors and different communities to come together and work as a team to carry out their urban gardens.
-It is considered to improve the quality of the soil.
-It does its bit when it comes to giving important use to the so-called compost, which, otherwise, would be lost in the city.
-Allows you to make the most of rainwater.
-Beautifies the urban landscape.
-It allows children, through the urban agriculture spaces they have in their schools or homes, to begin from an early age to care for and respect the environment.
How to get started in urban agriculture
For all this and much more, more and more people are deciding to start an urban garden in their homes. In that case, what you should do is follow the recommendations that experts give in this regard:
-You have to buy containers such as pots, planters or growing tables.
-Close attention must be paid to the substrate that is purchased, because it will be what will allow the crop to succeed.
-You have to ask experts in the field for advice about what to plant, since the same will not be recommended to the person who already has experience in this regard as to the person who is just starting out.
It should be noted that, among the negative aspects mentioned by some critics, urban agriculture can be harmed by the use of poor quality water for irrigation and by the environmental pollution that usually affects large cities.