Carrie Dellesky ~ The City Dwellers Who Are Growing Food in India, China And Brazil

As urban agriculture becomes an increasingly important issue for cities like Udaipur, India, community gardens can be one tool for securing residents’ access to food. Photo by Didi/Flickr.

In the northern hemisphere, the days are growing longer and warmer, signaling the first day of spring. For many, it’s time to start sowing seeds, and for those in cities, it’s time to dig into community gardens. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), around 15 percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas. In the developing world, urban residents have long had to grow food or tend livestock for extra food security, but in recent years urban farming has become more practical for many income groups in cities around the world.

Urban agriculture enhances sustainability, secures public space, and provides much needed food security and health benefits for communities. Whether in backyards, on rooftops, on balconies, or in vacant lots, ingenuity in urban agriculture yields abundant solutions for those who put in the effort.