The vertical farm

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster?

Victory gardens

Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort.

What is a Freegan?

Vegans are people who avoid products from animal sources or products tested on animals in an effort to avoid harming animals. Freegans employ a range of strategies for practical living based on our principles: Waste Reclamation, Waste Minimization, Eco-Friendly Transportation, Rent-Free Housing, Going Green, Working Less / Voluntary Joblessness

LA STRATEGIA DELL'ORTO (URBANO)

Le grandi città hanno sempre costruito la propria identità in opposizione alla campagna, eppure da qualche tempo tra i terrain vagues e i cortili di condomini e piazze cementificate nascono e si diffondono i community gardens, microspazi in cui potrete trovare frutta e verdura seminata e coltivata in città. Questa nuova vocazione al giardinaggio, o per meglio dire alla coltivazione di piccoli ortaggi sfruttando gli spazi residui tra gli edifici o negli appartamenti (corti comuni, terrazzi, etc.) è tutt'altro che una moda e in alcuni casi può rappresentare la risposta più economica e più domestica ai problemi legati all'erosione dei poteri d'acquisto delle classi sociali più deboli. Oltre che un modo per garantirsi del cibo genuino e un buon passatempo. Kelly Coyne ed Erik Knutzen ci spiegano come e perchè tutto ciò può accadere nel loro manuale di agricoltura urbana intitolato The Urban Homestead. www. homegrownrevolution.org

MISSIONE ”ENDURING CHEESE” , UN PROGETTO DI COOPERAZIONE DECENTRATA

"La pecora abruzzese? E' molto simile a quella afgana". Una semplice constatazione di un pastore, Nunzio Marcelli, presidente dell'Arpo, Associazione Regionale Produttori Ovicaprini d'Abruzzo ha dato vita ad un progetto che ha come obiettivo quello di insegnare ai kuchi, i nomadi dell'Afghanistan, a produrre formaggio stagionato.

Why grow food in cities?

For some people, the idea of urban agriculture may be new, or even rather odd – agriculture, surely, is a rural activity? In fact urban agriculture has a long history, a vibrant present and, many would argue, a vital future.

Grow Bags

What-if: projects place GROW BAG installations in Hoxton Square, Store Street and Cheapside to promote the use of vacant, neglected and undefined spaces in the inner city of London for the growing of vegetables.

London Festival of Architecture

Farm to college

Farm-to-college programs connect colleges and universities with producers in their area to provide local farm products for meals and special events on campus. These programs may be small and unofficial, mainly involving special dinners or other events, or they may be large and well-established, with many local products incorporated into cafeteria meals every day.

Prototype of a micro urban farm in Karosta

LATVIA / Liepaja / Karaosta / EXYZT art project At the 1994 latvian independance, the soviet army left Karosta, one of the military soviet quarters on the Baltic coast in Latvia. Labichampi(Labi: well, good)is an Exyzt proposition for the Karosta neighbourhood. Aware that a political strategy has already been engaged for a ten year period progressive destruction of the old soviet blocks, we reacted to the current local issues with a short-term project.....We propose therefore to develop a prototype of a micro urban farm. It should be able to supply alternative ressources of the whole neighborhood in terms of local food production and potential incomes.....Among the alimentary habits and cultures in Latvia, the mushroom culture seems the most adapted to micro urban farming.Thus the creation of a Karosta informal mushroom company. The urban farm project should be a sustainable and shared activity that would incite local inhabitants to participate and get involved with their environment.

ESCULENTA

Azione collettiva di raccolta e consumo alimentare di materiali naturali

Un progetto di Andrea Caretto e Raffaella Spagna

Une salle de traite mobile à eau chaude solaire

Messieurs ALLAGNAT et SOUVIGNE sont réunis dans le GAEC de l'Abreuvoir et exploitent une ferme de polyculture élevage située sur la commune de Saint Sorlin de Morestel. Pour un bon développement de leur activité agricole et au regard de certaines contraintes, ils ont investi dans une salle de traite mobile qui fonctionne à l'énergie solaire thermique.

pig city

Pig City

In 2000, pork was the most consumed form of meat at 80 billion kg per year. Recent animal diseases such as Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth disease are raising serious questions about pork production and consumption. Two opposing reactions can be imagined. Either we change our consumption pattern and become instant vegetarians or we change the production methods and demand biological farming. Let us assume that we remain pork-eaters. Do we then have enough space for biological pig farming? With a production of 16,5 million tons of pork, The Netherlands is the chief exporter of pork within the European Union. In the case of organic farming, pigs would be fed with 100% grain, leading to a required 130% more field surface due to the reduced grain production. This would mean that 75 % of the Netherlands would be dedicated to pigs. Pig City studies the combination of organic farming with a further concentration of the meat production area, avoiding unnecessary transportation and distribution, and thereby reducing the spread of diseases.

MVRDV