Urban Agriculture: A Look at Cuba to Pave the Way For Barbados

CARMEN RAFFA AND ELENA CABOT

http://urbanomnibus.net/2012/02/seeing-green-urban-agriculture-as-green-infrastructure/

Objective:

To understand what urban agriculture (UA) entails, the benefits and challenges to successful UA, and to look at current UA practices in Cuba in comparing their potential success in Barbados

What is Urban Agriculture?

Integrated into, and interacting with the urban economic and ecological system

Takes place intra-urban (within cities) or peri-urban (urban outskirts)

Arose due to rapid urbanization in developing countries and rising population levels

Provides a complementary strategy to reduce urban poverty and to enhance food security and urban environmental management

Practiced by over 800 million people worldwide

Definition: the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing crops/ animals in, or around a village, town, or city.

https://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/tag/food-shortages/

Why the Shift Towards UA?

Growing populations (and increased urbanization)

Expansion of megacities

Megacity: a city with a population over 10 million people

Food shortages

Environmental impacts

Food deserts within cities

Growing expense of biofuel

Impact on quality of life for people within cities

https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/worldpop/graph_population.php

https://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/tag/food-shortages/

The Rise of Megacities from 1970 - 2010

http://www.geohive.com/earth/cy_megacities_anim.aspx

Types of Urban Agriculture

Micro-farming (in/around the house)

Roof gardens, container gardens, traditional gardens, raised beds

Community gardens

Institutional gardens

Schools, churches, even prisons

Small-scale commercial horticulturalists

Small-scale commercial livestock/fish-farming

Chickens, bees, goats, tilapia, trout

Small-scale specialist producers (in niche markets)

Ex. mushroom farming

Large-scale agro-enterprises (bringing large amounts of food to dense urban populations)

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-Farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg

AT&T Park in San FranciscoTokyo office building

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/15/3670618/baseball-urban-farms/http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg

Manhattan rooftop community gardenCapital District Community Garden

http://fromscratchclub.com/2012/06/06/fsc-podcast-episode-4-urban-farming/ http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg

InterContinental Hotel in Times Square

Have their own rooftop garden complete with an apiary. They use the honey from the bees in their restaurants.http://inhabitat.com/nyc/bees-in-times-square-intercontinental-hotel-unveils-new-rooftop-beehive/1-beehives-at-intercontinental/?extend=1

Benefits of Urban Agriculture

Improved food security and household diet quality

Community economic development

Mental health benefits to farmer

Urban design appeal

Educational/skill-building

Provides local food in a convenient way

Contributes to biodiversity

Makes productive use of vacant lots

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-new-york-rooftop_51631_600x450.jpg

https://www.wageningenur.nl/en/show/Urban-Agriculture-City-Network-boosts-urban-agriculture.htm

Challenges to Urban Agriculture

Producing the optimal amount of safe food Is it the optimal use of a certain space? Efficient use of resources what happens to

materials that are used? Connection to urban metabolism Contained/closed-loop farming Weather and water dependent

Year-round production may not always be feasible

Additional services can be costly or unavailable (energy, clean water)

Failure of governments to create policies or acknowledge the validity of urban agriculture http://www.haverland.co.uk/comparing-summer-winter-energy-tariffs-can/

Cuba’s Urban Agriculture Revolution

Cuba lost food imports and agricultural inputs due to the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989

Cuban Ministry of Agriculture supported the rising grassroots movement in Havana that had residents growing fruits and vegetables wherever they could find space

~50% of Havana’s produce is grown within city limits using organic compost and simple irrigation systems

Use huertas: private gardens to research gardens to popular gardens

As the urban food crisis began to cease, urban gardens continued to increase

Benefits: created jobs w/low investment, created a more beautiful city, lessened the burden of food insecurity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture

http://www.architectural-review.com/view/cubas-urban-farming-revolution-how-to-create-self-sufficient-cities/8660204.article

Current Economic/Agricultural Issues in Barbados

Barbados is a small island developing state (SIDS):

High level of dependence on imports

High cost and uncompetitive production systems (and limited production capacity)

Limited technical/financial capacity to respond to major challenges

Food sovereignty

Environmental/agricultural sustainability

Environmental restraints:

Intense pests and diseases (moreso than temperate regions)

Excessive rain causing erosion

Leaching of soil http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jul/15/urban-agriculture-introducing-the-office-farm#img-1

Food Sovereignty

Food sovereignty is the right to people to define their own food and agriculture

To protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade

To achieve sustainable development objectives

To determine the extent of self-reliance

To restrict the dumping of products in their markets

Food sovereignty promotes the formulation of trade policies and practices that serve the right of people to safe, healthy, and ecologically sustainable production

http://www.bajanreporter.com/2012/11/slow-foods-farm-to-table-barbados-dinner-series-creating-stronger-linkage-between-local-farms-consumers-restaurateurs/

The Potential for UA in Barbados

Domestic socio-economic development seeing increased demand for land for urban development

Declining area under agriculture (arable land declining)

Land is being subdivided for residential and business (tourism) use

Agriculture as a factor of Barbados’ Sustainable Development Policy

Like Cuba, government is key to effective implementation of alternative agricultural systems

Current incentives for urban irrigation and free technical advice by the Ministry of Agriculture

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf

% of arable land in Barbados compared to the rest of the world

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS/countries/BB-CA?display=graph

Barbados is currently moving towards a ‘green economy’, which they define as:

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf

Policies to Aid UA Promotion

Promote organic UA by banning chemical pesticides within cities

Offer spaces for urban population to use (on as much space as possible, in as creative a way as possible)

Official allocation of urban land plots for farming

Dependable, affordable, and accessible fresh water infrastructure

Provision of certain inputs, research and development (R&D), and technical support

Create market incentives for engagement in agriculture ex. establish farmers markets for selling local produce

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/SYNTHESIS%20REPORT_Barbados.pdf

Works Cited

2010. Barbados National Assessment Report. 14 July 2015. <http://www.sidsnet.org/msi_5/docs/nars/Caribbean/Barbados-MSI- NAR2010.pdf>

2010. Urban Agriculture. 15 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/urbanhomesteader/urban-agriculture-presentation-2? qid=9641e67f-a57b-4a1b-894e-3af89b32b6b0&v=qf1&b=&from_search=4>

2012. Havana urban farming. 14 July 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/?204427/Havana-urban-farming>

2015. FAO's Role in Urban Agriculture. 13 July 2015. <http://www.fao.org/urban-agriculture/en/>

2015. Urban and Peri-Urban Horticulture. 13 July 2015. <http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/greenercities/en/projects/index.html>

Giedych, Dr Renata. 2013. Urban agriculture: structure, forms, future challenges. 13 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/CIFOR/giedych-presentation>

Lum, Zi-Ann. 2015. This floating solar farm may one day grow over 8,000 veggies per year. 13 July 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/02/floating-solar-farm_n_7455034.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010>

Rideout, Karen. 2010. Urban Agriculture: Issues for Public and Environmental Health. 12 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/NCCEnvHealth/urban-agriculture-issues-for-public-and-environmental-health?qid=9641e67f-a57b-4a1b-894e-3af89b32b6b0&v=qf1&b=&from_search=3>

Wesoff, Eric. 2011. Can Agriculture Go Urban?. 13 July 2015. <http://www.ecomagination.com/can-agriculture- go-urban>

Wilt, Jan. 2015. Urban Agriculture: a Dutch Perspective. 14 July 2015. <http://www.slideshare.net/JanDeWilt/21042015-de-wilt-ph-de-zwijger>

Wright, Carolanne. 2014. $300 Underground Greenhouse Grows Produce Year-round. 12 July 2015. <http://wakeup-world.com/2014/02/13/300-underground-greenhouse-grows-produce-year-round-even-in- severe-climates/>