CUNY POLICY BRIEF | OCTOBER 2018 Say Yes to Urban Agriculture

Written by Anna Li

What is the issue?

There is simply “a lack of coordination, integration, transparency, and equity in decision-making processes related to urban agriculture.” 2 Empty lots end up being unused or sold to real estate companies. Community farms aren’t used to its full potential. Oversight and regulations around zoning and agricultural development perhaps are potentially addressed in silos such as different parts of governmental infrastructure. These are unintended barriers, Introduction working against the expansion of urban agriculture. Urban agriculture can address issues in urban environments such as food insecurity, A comprehensive urban agricultural plan access to healthy food, sustainability, soil can resolve these issues by regulating health, public health, and community gardens and farms, as well as allocating development. available land to become green spaces.4 It can also improve access to healthy food and New York City is home to over 900 farms be a form of community empowerment in and gardens. 1 However, these spaces aren’t underserved neighborhoods. utilized to maximize their capacity for food. The underlying cause is due to the lack of “The real weeds in the soil that we must support, resources, funding, and policies in pluck and remove are the countless place to support urban agriculture. Farmers regulations and lack of information that and gardeners reported experiencing really is prolific throughout the entire resource gaps, which affect food production system. We have a real problem with food and maintenance of gardens.2 deserts, we have a real problem with lack of proper land space, we have a real problem of In addition, throughout the city, there is a clarity… New York City can lead the way on plethora of empty lots. The Urban Design urban farming if we deal with all the issues that we’re now seeing.” 5 Lab reported that there is over 5,000 acres of -Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough land available for agricultural purposes in President New York City.1 Proposed Policy • Promote the development of green spaces throughout NYC. The proposed legislation, Intro #1058 requires the Department of City Planning to The successful passage of Intro #1058 will create a comprehensive urban agriculture integrate urban agriculture into urban life. plan that will further the growth of urban This will allow for innovative strategies to agriculture in New York City.5 An urban rebuild communities, maximize land use, agriculture plan will create a centralized improve health outcomes, address resource source for urban agricultural information gaps to urban agriculture, and build a more and address: food and health inequities in resilient and sustainable New York City. underserved communities, development and sustainability of community and rooftop Sources gardens, access to healthy food in low- 5 income areas, and land use. 1 Ackerman K. The potential for urban agriculture in New York City. Urban Design In order to achieve this, the legislation Lab. 2011. intends to do the following: 2 Cohen N and Reynolds K. Resource needs for a socially just and sustainable urban agriculture (1) Develop a list of current urban system: lessons from New York City. agricultural spaces and available land Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. (2) Prioritize the use of urban 2014;30(1):103-114. 3 McPhearson T, Kremer P, Hamstead ZA. A agriculture; social-ecological assessment of vacant lots in (3) Change land policy; New York City. Landscape and Urban (4) Evaluate current codes to ensure Planning. 2013;120:218-233. integration of urban agriculture 4 Gungor O. Advocating for an urban agriculture (5) Increase access to healthy foods in plan to grow more food and jobs. Design Trust low income communities; for Public Space website. December 7, 2017. (6) Integration of urban agriculture in Accessed September 23, 2018. city plans; 5 Held L. A new season for urban agriculture in (7) Educate youth on food systems; New York city. Edible Brooklyn. August 16, 2018. Accessed September 23, 2018. (8) Create new jobs; 6 (9) Form an office of urban agriculture. 6 Committee on Land Use. Developing a comprehensive urban agriculture plan. Int 1058-

2018. Recommendations http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=3597652&GUID=8C4E5F5E-90C7- • Urge your city council member to 45F2-80E0- support urban agriculture and vote to 6BDA38D16DF2&Options=ID|Text|&Search= support Intro #1058. Urban+agriculture. • Advocate for funding opportunities for development of community

gardens and rooftop gardens. • Protect current community gardens. • Prevent the sale of vacant lots and allow community groups to use empty spaces as urban agricultural spaces.