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Alright, urban gardening or urban farming is not new. We know that. Around 800 million people worldwide, that’s over one-tenth of the global population, practice urban agriculture, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO).
So, why are we bringing this up today? Well, it turns out, more people are jumping to the urban gardening wagon, and we’re pretty excited about this.
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But First. What’s Urban Gardening?
Urban farming can be described as the growth of plants in and around cities. Animals are also included under that term, but we’re going to focus on veggies and fruits for the sake of this article. Urban gardening in the 21st century takes on many forms, including:
- Commercial city farms
- Community gardens
- Indoor vertical farms
- Hydroponic greenhouses
- Rooftop gardens
- Small-scale homestead farms
All of these urban gardening facilities produce a range of goods for local consumption or retail. Anything from grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey.
Why Is It Becoming Popular Just Now?
It hasn’t. Urban farming has been growing in popularity over the past 15 years. It is estimated that by 2050, more than half of the developing world will live in urban areas. It is eventually leaving rural, low-income regions struggling with issues like poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity. Urban gardening has been seen as a way to fight back.
However, more prosperous nations are still seeing growth in urban agriculture. Why? You can thank the return to localism, the rise of local business, the push for social entrepreneurialism, and ethically-minded startups. Environmental sustainability is a big part of today’s CEO and new businesses’ agenda. Urban gardening helps meet those expectations.
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