The city feeds itself
, Aliyeh Rizvi learns more about growing food in Bangalore city, eating right and contributing directly to replenishing green cover.
It just may be possible that the term `weapons-of-mass-destruction’ may
not really refer to intangibles hidden in the deserts of Iraq anymore, but allude
more specifically to something equally life threatening – the food we put into our
mouths. If the spiraling prices don’t kill us prematurely, then pesticides,
contamination, artificial preservatives, adulteration and poor quality produce
might just do the trick.
Indigenous knowledge insists that for food
to be truly nourishing, it must be created with respect for the earth and with
love and reverence for the fact that it sustains us. Growing and preparation
are both intrinsic to the sacred experience of eating. But while the process of
preparation is within our control, what of the growing? Our
lives are eked out in an urban environment made of concrete and steel with no
access to soil slipping through our fingers or grass beneath our feet. No
wonder then, urbanites are busy raising cows, gifting milk, adding tomatoes to
their vegetable patches and de-weeding regularly on Facebook’s Farmville.
But
even as we speak, seeds of new thought are being sown by people immersed in
real time agricultural activity – raising real saplings, using real equipment
and growing real carrots in an urban environment: the urban agriculturist.
What
is Urban Agriculture ?
In simple terms, urban agriculture is
defined as “the
growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities.” This
includes roof gardens, wetland development, commercial farming, poultry
farming, and livestock raising. Almost a decade ago, the FAO in
its report `Urban
Agriculture For Sustainable Poverty Alleviation and Food Security ‘ estimated
“ (UNDP 1996; FAO 1999) that 200 million urban residents provide food for
the market and 800 million urban dwellers are actively engaged in urban and
peri-urban agriculture in one way or another " … and..." a global
estimate (data 1993) is that 15-20% of the world’s food is produced in urban
areas. “ This provides a backdrop for current UPA ( urban -peri urban
agriculture ) efforts being made globally to address food quality and scarcity
issues, leading to the emergence of a revolutionary, self- sustaining format,
as in Havana, where the city feeds itself.
In 2006, The RUAF Foundation (
Resource Centres for Urban Agriculture and Food Security) identified
Bangalore (urban and peri-urban areas ) for one of its pilot initiatives
in South Asia. The municipalities of Anekal, Kanakapura and Magadi were
shortlisted for this project which aimed at examining the UPA situation,
building capacity among multiple stake holders, creating livelihood
opportunities, promoting self –sufficiency through growing pesticide free
vegetables in city spaces, recycling waste into compost and implementing
rainwater harvesting.
In North
Bangalore, Sangita Sharma, Director, (Annadana Soil and Seed Network ),
well known campaigner for `Safe Food,' has
been running interactive workshops on sustainable agriculture, solid waste
management and works on Seed Saving at her farm in
Jalahalli. Nearby, HR Jayaram, organic
farmer and environmental activist builds awareness on `Slow Food'
from Sukrushi, his farm in Neelamangala and Era Organic, his outlet in
RMV Extn.
But
then, what of the urban gardener who has no access to tracts of agricultural
land, manpower and farming techniques ? Jagadish Shri, (
Technical Manager, Wipro Technologies ) set up his own 40 sq ft organic
vegetable terrace garden at his home in Banashankari in 2009, where he now
grows vegetables for his own kitchen. “ I feel urban agriculture/terrace gardening is very relevant from the
perspective of building connections between people, soil, and plants - in
short, the ecosystem. I feel the world is moving more and more into a state of
disconnect. “ says Shri. He adds “ Economics should not become the key driver for this (or any other area
of life such as healthcare, education and so on). Fostering healthy
relationships between us and the food we eat is far more important."
Apartment
terraces, balconies, office complexes, even unconventional
containers like ice cream cups and tins can all be
utilised effectively to create green spaces in the city. Theoretically,
any roof surface can be greened - even sloped or curved roofs can support a layer
of sod, vegetables or wildflowers. Switzerland has just passed a bylaw which
states that while new buildings must be designed to relocate the green space
covered by the building's footprint to their roofs - even existing buildings
( including historical buildings) must now green 20% of their
rooftops.
Why
Terrace Gardening?
Terrace Gardening offers you the
option of cultivating safe, nourishing food for a fraction of the market
prices, right at your doorstep. Eating fresh food grown in tune with the
seasonal cycles of the earth contributes to overall wellbeing and good health.
It increases access to private outdoor green space ( at home or at work ) within
the urban environment. It increases green cover, supports urban food
production, improves air quality and reduces CO2 emissions caused by vehicular
traffic. It delays storm water runoff, provides a habitat for birds and insulates buildings. Most
importantly, it cuts down on food miles, the energy required to get food to
your plate.
Bangalore
( the erstwhile Garden City), is now witness to Terrace Gardening efforts
that encourage citizens to go beyond online farming activities and get
their hands dirty. Dr.
BN Vishwanath , well-known scientist and Organic Terrace Gardening ( OTG ) pioneer
and expert, regularly conducts one-day training courses through the well known,
AME Foundation. These
workshops have provided guidance and inspiration for many gardening enthusiasts
in Bangalore, as has his book “ A
Handbook of Organic Terrace Gardening” .
Before you begin, avid city gardener , Raja Panda has
a few tips “ " first figure out the space that you can spare for your
plants. Ideally it should receive 4+ hours of sunlight if you want to
grow vegetables. The second step - think about the size and kind of containers
that you would like to have in those spaces. Choices abound to suit one's
budget and style. Next is the selection of, or rather the combination of
growing materials (like soil + sand + compost + coco peat etc..) and ensuring
an ideal combination of these to ensure proper nutrition for your plants and
porosity for the right amount of water retention. While BC Sai Kiran, who
grows vegetables in the heart of Chamrajpet adds, “Rodents are another
major cause of worry, so protect and nurture your garden with care and
patience".
Another
Bangalore resident, Vinay P Chandra has made J Garden one of his life’s
missions. J Garden, is
a social enterprise which aims to become a one stop shop for all kitchen
gardening needs from seed to soil, and a common networking point for everyone
interested in the subject. It currently offers Kitchen Garden
installation services and equipment for those contemplating on greening their
rooftops. For
a city facing a problem of rapid loss of
agricultural area on the periphery and water bodies/green cover within the
city, UPA offers Bangalore a ray of hope.
In the face of issues such as random tree cutting and depleting green cover, Terrace Gardening offers Bangaloreans a pro-active, positive way to re-build what is being lost. Even though one day, farming systems on the periphery will eventually be overtaken by the urban sprawl, they could also be incorporated into the urban landscape in the process.
"There are no gardens left in the Garden City" says BC Sai Kiran, an avid terrace gardener. "In 1975, when
I grew up in Pondicherry, there were two special inter-state buses that
used to bring in special 'Bangalore Vegetables' such as peas,
cauliflower, carrots and the famous `Bangalore Chillies ‘ (capsicum). In 1995,
I remember shopping in Domlur for vegetables fresh from the field right behind
the shop! Now, there’s a bus stand there and vegetables come in from Hoskote
and Kolar."
