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Federico

As explained to us some months ago on his blog and Territory Islands, one of the measures to combat the crisis is to cultivate our own garden with staples.

A part of the current economic situation makes us reflect on these aspects, there are other very interesting data on the other hand concern which should be evaluated.

By 2050, nearly 80% of the world's population reside in cities. Applying the most conservative estimates of population growth, global population will increase by 3 billion people on these dates. Continuing with the current agricultural practices, will need about 1000 million hectares of new land to produce food for this population. According to the FAO and NASA about 80% of productive land are currently in use. That is why you should look for new land suitable for primary use to cope with such a high demand ahead.

Currently there are trends that seek to introduce the agricultural uses in urban areas or else in their surroundings. This is what is called peri-urban agriculture or urban. Urban agriculture is not dependent on transport of products and is relatively immune to fuel price volatility, impacting heavily on energy efficiency. Quality usually improves products against those of industrial production, reducing preservatives for the reduction of travel. In turn generates employment greatly strengthen local economies.

In cities like Havana in Cuba that urban agriculture has emerged after the destruction of the third part of the island plantations by successive hurricanes occurred. However before the collapse of the Soviet Union had military plans in this regard to Cuba could be self-sufficient in case of war. Now it takes as much land available for productive uses. They are used to cultivate every vacant lot, the roofs of buildings and even parking spaces.

Huerta in Havana. City Farmer

This concept of using decks and basements as arable areas has been taken to another level in countries "ultra developed" as Japan. The roofs of large buildings in Tokyo have become authentic plantation and generate employment, help alleviate the warming of the island. Methods "high-tech applied to agriculture and hydroponics help get some productivity without adequate soils. Notwithstanding the need for artificial fertilizers hydroponic so sustainability is compromised.

Planting rice in the basement of a building in Tokyo. Flickr

The application of high technologies in agricultural techniques reaches its peak with the emergence of "vertical crop (skyfarming). Just as societies live in vertical cities, there is the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating buildings of a certain height for agricultural production, using the most innovative.

Architects SOA Proposal

In many cities, the existing open spaces have been converted in small gardens trying to raise awareness in society of its importance. Even in the White House with his new tenant Barack Obama, has decided to plant a garden, the first since grown by Eleanor Roosevelt during the Second World War. This seems to want to set an example to the public.

Michelle Obama in her new garden

We have seen that agriculture is introduced into the cities, however another issue requiring mention is how to adapt to urban growth into rural areas. For example the search of new building types that interact with agricultural environments. No doubt a very interesting and close to our profession in an island territory like ours. I hope someone will be encouraged to write about it ...

Valle de Guerra, Tenerife