Sunday 19 February 2017

Urban Farming for Sustainable Development



The habitants living in Karachi presently are confronted with multifaceted predicaments relating to civic, social, economic and environmental concerns. Just take on the environmental civics front, where the diminishing  green cover and growing food security are bigger challenges in days to come. As illegal but unstoppable chopping of trees, encroachments on green belts are continued while poor quality and quantity of public and community parks are serious threat to environs of the city.

On the other hand rapid yet unchecked urbanisation widening the gulf between supply and demand of food in the city, where maleficent profiteers are filling the vacuum by supplying unhygienic and poor quality of edible stuff. However these challenges of environmental civics can largely be overcome at individual level and with minimum efforts.

Urban farming is not modern but an ongoing solution of these problems. Integrated green roofs, patio gardens and flowering balconies along with indoor plantation help to make the living environs cool and cleaned. Besides an entire family can also be benefitted with enough food specially vegetables and herbs for all season, which would surely be organic and healthy.  

The main benefit of the urban farming is surely that it can add greenery and cooling to the cities, reducing harmful runoff, increase shedding and countering the unpleasant heat island effect. But the health benefits of home grown edibles, in which one can avoid inorganic, bi-carbonated  and genetically-modified food stuff in daily diets, has much greater significance.   

Even if you are living with little space, you can still benefit from growing vegetables and fruit. A window balcony, patio, deck or roof receiving six or more hours of sun is all you need, in addition to a few containers, planters and pots.

Containers-grown vegetables will produce an adequate supply of agricultural production for a single home requirement. With containers you can grow anything from  lettuce and tomatoes to beans and peppers. Typically small containers are used for more shallow-rooted crops like carrots, lettuce and radishes. Vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes and beans will benefit from using containers that are big enough to accommodate their larger root system. To make use of all available space consider growing vegetables plants in hanging baskets too.


These city gardens can fit any lifestyle. Rooftop gardens make use of space that might otherwise remain unused. Fresh home grown vegetables taste delicious, are good for health and safe from chemicals. You do not need to acquire a regular garden or grow them, you can grow these on a balcony or terrace.


By 

Editorial, Infocus

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