Academicians, NGOs push benefits of urban farming Urbanisation is on the rise worldwide and a strategy to deal with the necessities of urban living, in particular food and energy usage, is one of the main challenges of the 21st century. The World Health Organisation (WHO), via its Global Health Observatory noted that this year, urban populations (with a large proportion concentrated in less developed regions of the world) accounted for 54% of the world’s total population, increasing from 34% in 1960. WHO, the coordinating authority for health within the United Nations, also estimated that by 2017, an even larger majority of people will be living in urban areas. With this phenomenon, together with climate change, it is becoming more important to consider food security. Universiti Putra Malaysia Assoc Prof Dr Yahya Awang added that the plants used in urban agriculture are types that people need daily with economic benefits that people tend to overlook. “You don’t need to drive to buy a few leaves of lemon grass from a shop, which would cost you time, money and eventually cost the environment more than what the lemon grass would cost if you can just cut them from your backyard,” he said. UPM agriculture faculty dean Prof Dr Abdul Shukor Juraimi added that UA offers many benefits, ranging from supplementing the income of urban poor to serving as stormwater capture system and getting people together. more: thestar.my/News/Community/2014/11/28/How-green-does-the-rooftop-grow-Academicians-NGOs-push-benefits-of-urban-farming/
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 02:37:26 +0000