Urban Horticulture Prospective to Secure Food Provisions in Urban and Peri-Urban Environments

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 Available online at www.ijpab.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.7469 ISSN: 2320 – 7051 Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) Review Article

Mahaveer Suman1* and Prerak Bhatnagar2 Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Jhalrapatan Campus, Jhalawar, Agriculture University, Kota, Rajasthan *Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected] Received: 12.04.2019 | Revised: 18.05.2019 | Accepted: 22.05.2019

ABSTRACT According to the latest estimate of the United Nations, the World's urban population is expected to increase at burgeoning explosion from 2.76 billion in 1995 to 5.34 billion in the year 2025 at which time more than half (2.72 billion) will reside in Asian cities. Insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is the probable reason for micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition in developing countries. With urbanization, globalization and a growing world population, it becomes imperative and of utmost importance to secure sufficient food supply for the world’s population. Many cities are expected to boom in the near future or are already entrenched with nearly insurmountable problems such as employment for often fairly uneducated migrants from rural areas, proper disposal of an abundance of refuse from households, commerce and industry by making available safe and sufficient supply of cheap but nutritious food rich in vitamins and minerals to feed ever increasing the population of these expanding urban centers. Solution to the present situation lies in increased food security among the world’s poor through the introduction of fruit and vegetable home gardens, plots for small scale vegetable production which can provide households with sufficient production as well as to serve a source of livelihood. The provision to secure social security by urban horticulture lies in solution through analysis of the economic, sociological, and anthropological situation of urban and peri-urban communities and small and medium-sized farm enterprises (SMEs) in these cities perceived different factors and constraints thereby affecting and limiting the potential for fruits and vegetable production by SMEs should be critically evaluated, sensitized and prioritized. Production technologies for upliftment of the socio-economic scenario and anthropological situation in the dwelling urban communities need to be developed as per the market demand and consumer acceptance.

Key words: Nutritional, Sustainable, Potential, Community, Socio-economic.

INTRODUCTION infrastructure and environmental degradation. In India, peri-urban areas are too often India occupies 2.4 per cent of the total land neglected. They are fraught with institutional area of the world, but supports 16.7 per cent of ambiguity, unplanned growth, poor the world population8.

Cite this article: Suman, M. and Bhatnagar, P., Urban Horticulture Prospective to Secure Food Provisions

in Urban and Peri-Urban Environments, Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7(3): 133-140 (2019). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.7469

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 Further, the land available for cultivation was population due to deficiencies. Deficiencies of decreasing from year to year in India. Land micronutrients like Vitamin A, iron, zinc and has always been a major natural resource for iodine are extremely common within urban generating agricultural based livelihoods in populations14. Horticulture is ideal for rural India. However, land is now increasingly conditions prevailing in urban areas as it is required for industry, residential and characterized by high turn-over, high resource commercial purposes which promotes real efficiency, high yield and good quality as well estate booming around the fringes of urban as flexible land use and production of several areas. In this process, people lost their crops during one season. Horticultural farmland, their source of food and fodder and production provides more efficient land use by all the improvements that had been built up allowing substantial cropping in limited areas through the generations. But, the question is through efficient low-tech production systems whether the lands purchased by private parties like vertical cropping. For example, were utilized for the purpose for which they production in bag gardens (cultivation in were purchased or they are keeping the land as hanging bags filled with soil and manure) has not yet constructed plots in order to make huge become more utilized and helps to increase profit after purchasing it from the farmers with food security and eco-social capital for low price. Demographic change without households. Horticulture in urban vicinity is a inclusion of key components of environment ray of hope nuterilized security and eco will be catastrophic in future as global friendly environment. Urban and peri-urban washing is playing havoc throughout the horticulture not only provides plant-based food world. Poverty is one decisive factor of high nutritional and health value, but also adventuring food security and an important offers secure livelihoods. However, to a large cause for mal- and under nutrition as well as extent, urban and peri-urban horticultural undernourishment. Migration from rural to production is undertaken without any official urban areas and expansion of urban areas recognition. Without support and regulations attributes to urban poverty but also to from governments, there is a risk that increased distance between the traditional sites optimizing economical returns leads to an for food production, i.e. rural areas, and unsustainable situation by unregulated use of consumption. Also the consequence of pesticides and polluted wastewater. Well- environmental damage, in terms of global managed vegetation cover from urban climate change, results in decreasing space horticulture has a positive impact on urban suitable for crop production, which feeds environments. growing urban and peri-urban populations. Challenges and Obstacles The conflict of land use, particularly food Food production through urban horticulture crops vs. energy crops, is another challenge illustrates obstacles at different societal levels facing food security. These scenarios may vary and is strongly interrelated. It displays a in different parts of the world. Growing urban classic example of the judicious use of reliance on rural sources of food as well as common pool resources in many cases, are agricultural production occurring in urban coupled with an uncertain situation regarding areas are important components of livelihoods land use. The lack of institutional structure and that operate along a rural-urban continuum5,13. permits regulating land use results in less Fruits and vegetables are the sound focus on long-term strategies to govern and basis of a healthy diet; horticultural produce is maintain public or common sites used for rich in fibers, minerals and bioactive growing food crops in urban areas; in turn, this compounds. With staple foods like cassava, has substantial consequences for sustainability, maize and rice, diets must be balanced by both for urban environments and for cropping consumption of vegetables and fruits in order systems. However, sustainability is not only at to avoid chronic diseases among the stake due to land use for urban horticulture, it Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 134

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 is also affected by the general institutional horticultural goods. According to Orsini et structure for sustainable development within al.11, urban horticulture is the most the country, as common pool resources such as competitive branch of urban farming. Due to water, soil or air may be signed keeping the high cost of urban land, vegetables with cognizance of environmental pollution. This their high water and fertilizer efficiency are puts food safety and thereby public health and more profitable than growing other crops. food security at risk. Such issues need to be They further have the advantage of having a addressed critically with viable solutions. special nutritional value as well as short life Opportunities span and that no further processing after Food security is over hauled by different harvest is needed. As vegetables have a very indicators based on static and dynamic short cycle, they can supply growing demands determinants describing availability, physical very quickly. For example, after a catastrophe, and economic access, utilization, vulnerability, some vegetable species can be harvested just and outcomes, in terms of access and 60–90 days after sowing and when cultivated utilization. The presence of infrastructure with seedlings, even less4. Dubbeling et al.4 results in production of fruit and vegetables in report an achievable yield of up to 50 kg a year urban areas that increases access to fresh on only 1 m2 with fruit and vegetable produce of high nutritional value; this impacts cultivation. In comparison to other crops, this the quality of diets and, consequently, supports is a very high yield. As Hamilton et al.7 the struggle against undernourishment. In reported, the amount of land currently used for developing countries, urban horticulture offers global cereal production in developing another dimension to secure food as it countries is approximately ten times the land contributes to livelihoods12. Furthermore, occupied by cities worldwide, whereas global closure of resource flows within urban areas vegetable and fruit production each cover an may display an attractive approach to area roughly equivalent to that of cities. This sustainable city environments. Also, leads to the assumption that vegetables are horticultural cropping systems in urban areas suitable for urban cultivation, both for high- may be linked to production of animal proteins tech equipment as well as for the self sufficient in aquaculture through the use of aquaponics, supply of poor urban residents, and that urban where fish production is linked to horticultural horticulture has the potential of a certain crop production. Urban horticulture also degree of self-sufficiency for nutritional contributes to ecosystem services other than feeding of residents. food provisioning; it affects ecological A. Traditional growing systems processes and dimensions in cities, including Globally, there are various approaches of climatic factors such as, air quality, urban and peri-urban horticulture such as biodiversity and water management. allotments for self-consumption, large-scale Depending on the choice of cropping system commercial farms, community gardens, and and site, it also affects energy provisions. even edible landscapes. There are lots of However, the multi-complex nature of vacant spaces which can be used for urban synergies achieved through urban horticulture horticulture such as rooftops, fallow land, and does not always go hand in hand with high smaller areas like roadsides or private food quality and efficient use of resources. It balconies. The availability of fresh, healthy, requires action not only on a local, but also on nutritional and cheap food is a major reason to a national and international level. Fruits tree engage in urban and peri-urban horticulture. with low inputs have dual purpose i.e. Locally produced food is usually fresher, early environmental enrichment as well as source of accessible and more nutritious than imported income to the population. food and therefore has the potential to increase One of the main benefits of urban the overall food intake and improve nutrition. agriculture worldwide is the production of Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 135

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 This is of particular importance for household used untreated or inadequately treated, members with special nutritional needs. epidemics can be caused by eating the 1. Home gardening contaminated food10. Roof top gardening is One way of responding to future food another new vista for urban dwellers having demands as well as to the hidden hunger can limited land space which is mainly used for be the ancient food production strategy of cultivation of vegetables. home gardening. This food production system 2. Community gardening has been more or less overlooked during the Community gardening means a collective industrialization of agriculture and the green cultivation of plants by various people on a revolution, but has gained attention again from shared area. The garden organizations range development agencies since the 1980s. Home from very close-knit associations along with gardens include the mixed cropping of fruits, interactive mutual activities to loosely vegetables, trees and condiments that serve as organized ones which only share the facilities3. supplementary sources of food and income. The close-knit associations which act on a The home gardens vary in size and complexity larger scale often have small shops or cafes from a small creeper growing on a fence to where self grown products are sold. large organized cultivation plots. The distance Community gardens also differ in the way they between residence and home garden can differ are cultivated. Some gardens do not have any from just next to the residence to kilometers private vegetable patches but are completely away. Small plots can provide food and cultivated on a collective base. The shared improve the nutrition of rural families as well areas of community gardens are mostly urban as increase options for income generating open spaces. These can be roof-tops and other activities and to raise a household’s status in a fallow land in a city and range from small community. plots to larger areas. Limited access to land, Home gardening is a worldwide lack of tenure on property and insufficient popular phenomenon perceived through all infrastructure and services for urban growers levels of society and is the most common form are among the main restrictions of urban of urban agriculture3. Proximity to the home of horticulture according to Lovell9. Community the growers, the cultivation of various gardens can be either supported through non- vegetables and the use of low-cost inputs are governmental organizations, municipalities or generally considered fundamental financed through a private sponsor or various characteristics of home gardens. The donors. In other gardens, individuals or groups production is usually more supplementary than own or rent a private patch and share the being the main source for the consumption6. facilities with the other gardeners. In this way, This type of urban horticulture is seen by unusual areas can also be exploited, and there many people as a hobby and an opportunity to is no risk of plants becoming contaminated spend time outdoors for aesthetic through polluted soil. This is a simple form of beautification and production of pot pourrie9. plant cultivation in ―growing media‖ that Enabling urban poor to produce their own food theoretically could be applied everywhere. would allow them to save a great amount of This means in closed-up or cemented areas of money and has a positive impact to their the city such as city squares, bushes walls or happiness index. To achieve sufficient yields terraces. Community gardens exist all over the and a healthy produce, adequate and sufficient world in both developing and industrialized irrigation is necessary. Source for this can be countries. In developing countries, the matter rain, harvested water, tap-water, or of food security plays an important role and wastewater. Using untreated wastewater can community gardens are often established pose a great risk to human health, and because of poverty and necessity for unfortunately, modern treatment technology employment generation. Through community remains too expensive for poor farmers7. If gardens, a resident have the opportunity to use Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 136

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 shared or subsidized land and thus enhance cultivation methods include systems without a their nutrition and gets nourished through solid medium, as well as aggregate systems, in aesthetic parts and gardens with crop cafetaria. which inorganic or organic substrates and 3. Continuous productive urban landscapes additions are used. In addition, an adaptation Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes, or of cultural management to the specific cultural ―edible cities,‖ are holistic approaches of system of soilless culture, as well as crop making urban infrastructures more sustainable demand, can further result in an improvement by integrating urban horticulture, green of the quality of horticultural products. With corridors, and areas for leisure outdoor the steady increase of soil erosion and the loss activities into cities’ infrastructures as of arable land, the importance of soilless essential elements. Within continuous cultures is likely to increase in the near future. productive urban landscapes, cultivation Because of their light weight and their practices usually range from small-scale sustainability in terms of resource efficiency, gardening to high-yield commercial soilless systems are especially suitable for gardening1. This would make the city urban areas. In hydroponic systems, vegetables environmentally more sustainable and would are grown in water which contains minerals also improve its social and economic and nutrients needed by the plants. This makes performance. The intention is to improve the an exact dosage and application of nutrients overall dimensions of the city and connect it to possible. This technology is suited for growing the rural area to improve supply chains of high value vegetables like tomato, capsicum, agricultural produce9. In order to implement it lettuce, water melon, musk melon etc. and in cities without a lot of vacant land, fruits like strawberry. The countries like Israel infrequently used roads could be converted and Netherlands are using this technology into a continuous productive urban landscapes successfully. green space with enough space for a pedestrian C. Indoor farming systems and bicycle path to enrich the nature. The Due to risks of contamination, some locations army units in their cantonment area are in urban areas or even entire cities are rather maintaining farms for fruit and vegetables unsuitable for large scale urban horticulture production for soldiers. outdoors. Indoor farming systems use the B. Innovative cropping systems combined effort of agricultural production and Low soil quality and water availability, the buildings and create an integrated whole need for yield maximization, and reducing within the protected environment of a environmental impact are still current issues in building. They can be established as leveled horticultural production. New cropping indoor farms in multistorey buildings, or as technologies have been developed in order to storefront greenhouses using such address these issues and make horticulture technologies. There are many different more sustainable. These cultivation systems approaches of integrating indoor farming are very intensive and are usually found in systems in urban areas. The important visitors urban areas with limited cultivation space. The need to integrate essential components of people inhabiting in canal command areas architecture along with gardening. have the potential to develop horticulture with 1. Building integrated agriculture profuse water availability. The major aspects that lead to the idea of 1. Soilless cultures integrating vegetable production into existing The term ―soilless culture‖ is defined as the buildings are the saving of resources and cultivation of plants in systems without soil higher resource efficiency. Caplow2 sees ―in situ.‖ In recent years, a multitude of rooftops of schools, hospitals, hotels, prisons, innovative cultivation procedures using bags, supermarkets, and shopping malls as ideal mats, and containers, in addition to nutrient settings for building integrated agriculture. solutions, have been developed. These These rooftops can be used for the installation Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 137

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 of greenhouses. Suitable greenhouses for the teachers and the like involved in agriculture, as positioning on rooftops could be hydroponic well as richer people who are seeking a good systems because of their light weight investment for their capital. Women constitute compared with conventional greenhouses2. To an important part of urban farmers, since achieve a sustainable level of efficiency, it is agriculture and related processing and selling important to integrate efficient management activities, among others, can often be more cycles. Efficiency can be achieved through easily combined with their other tasks in the different means such as proper management of household. Women have high work efficiency resources, energy consumption, nutrient vis a vis men in terms of deliverance in key delivery, waste management and of course operations of agriculture. land use through sustainable cropping patterns. 2. Location Nowadays, there is a broad range of highly Urban and peri-urban horticulture may take efficient greenhouse systems which are being place in locations inside the cities (intra-urban) used worldwide. By linking these greenhouses or in the peri-urban areas. The activities may to the energy cycles of buildings, emitted take place on the homestead (on-plot) or on energy such as waste heat from air- land away from the residence (off-plot), on conditioning systems and refrigerators can be private land (owned, leased) or on public land reused and recycled. This is a special (parks, conservation areas, along roads, advantage in temperate climates as it could streams and railways), or semi-public land secure appropriate heating of the greenhouses (schoolyards, grounds of schools and during colder months2. Furthermore, it is hospitals). The proper connectivity with the possible that the water requirements of the main stream is must for proper transportation greenhouses can be covered by using recycled and handling of the produce. or harvested rain water. In terms of nutrition 3. Food Products and fertilizing, the use of organic waste in the Urban and peri-urban agriculture includes food form of animal waste, plant residues, or waste products, from different types of crops (grains, from food industry or households can be root crops, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits) and considered. When placing greenhouses on animals (poultry, rabbits, goats, sheep, cattle, rooftops, it is important that the weight- pigs, guinea pigs, fish, etc.) as well as non- carrying capacity of the building has been food products (like aromatic and medicinal examined. Therefore, it is necessary that herbs, ornamental plants, tree products, etc.) or greenhouse materials such as roof covering combinations of these. Often the more materials are light weight. Another factor for perishable and relatively high-valued static reasons is the wind which is especially vegetables and animal products and by- important with taller buildings. The material products are favored. Production units in urban used for greenhouses therefore must meet agriculture in general tend to be more several requirements. They must be energy- specialized than rural enterprises, and saving, suitable for high-quality products, and exchanges are needed across production units. suitable for static reasons in terms of Consumer’s acceptance is the key for recycling. The great challenge material that popularization of any food product within the combines all these characteristics in terms of city domain. optimum output is to find suitable. 4. Product Market Factors Involved In Urban and peri-urban Urban and peri-urban horticulture includes Horticulture horticultural production activities as well as 1. People related processing and marketing activities as Large part of the people involved in urban and well as inputs (e.g. compost) and services peri-urban horticulture is the urban poor. In delivery (e.g. animal health services) by many cities, one will often also find lower and specialized micro-enterprises or NGOs, etc. In mid-level government officials, school most cities in developing countries, an Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 138

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 important part of urban agricultural production emerging cities. The ever increasing awareness is for self consumption, with surpluses being among urban and peri-urban people about the traded. However, the importance of the health benefits of fruits, vegetables and other market-oriented urban agriculture, both in food items and their availability with regard to volume and economic value, should not be their nutritional value inspires the city dwellers underestimated. Products are sold at the farm towards positive approach in context of gate, by cart in the same or other horticulture for human health wellness for neighborhoods, in local shops, on local nutritional security. (farmers) markets or to intermediaries and supermarkets. Mainly fresh products are sold REFERENCES but part of it is processed for own use cooked 1. Bohn, K., Viljoen, A., The edible city: and sold on the streets or processed and envisioning the continuous productive packaged for sale to one of the outlets urban landscape. Field J. 4(1): 149–161 mentioned above. (2011). 2. Caplow, T., Building integrated CONCLUSION agriculture: philosophy and practice. In: Urban and peri-urban horticulture is an Urban futures 2030: Urban development emerging important factor in providing city and urban lifestyles of the future, ed. dwellers with nutritious food along with Heinrich Boll Foundation, 54–58 (2009). aesthetic recreation and its socio-economic 3. De Neergard, A., Drescher, A. W., importance will develop further as the overall Kouame, C., Urban and peri-urban advancement of society is progressing at rapid agriculture in African cities. In: Pasquini, pace. It will also be an increasing driver of C. M., Drescher, M. W., Shackleton, A. growth in the horticultural business W., (eds) African indigenous vegetables in entrepreneurship. However, the full potential urban agriculture. Earthscan, London, pp of urban horticulture as a food and livelihood 35–58 (2009). provider will only be achieved when it is 4. Dubbeling, M., de Zeeuw, H., van integrated in consonance with urban land use Veenhuizen, R., Cities, poverty and planning and policy making thereby food—multi-stakeholder policy and addressing both potential benefits` and risks planning in urban agriculture. RUAF for nutritional benefits and nutritional Foundation, Rugby, p 173 (2010). empowerment. Well-managed urban 5. Foeken, D., & Uwuour, S., Farming as a horticulture will be an important tool to reduce livelihood source for the urban poor of poverty, improve environmental management Nakuru, Kenya. Geoforum, 39: 1978-1990 and further economic development in many (2008). cities of developing countries. When these 6. Galhena, D. H., Freed, R., Maredia, K. M., concepts can be transformed into operational Home gardens: a promising approach to standards and actions, urban horticulture can enhance household food security and contribute to food security, food safety and wellbeing. Agric Food Secur 2: 8 (2013). livelihoods, while offering considerable 7. Hamilton, A. J., Burry, K., Mok, H. F., potential for innovation. The entire pathway in Barker, F., Grove, J. R., Williamson, V. urban and peri-urban vicinity holds the great G., Give peas a chance? Urban agriculture potential for inclusion of horticulture under the in developing countries. A review. Agron present scenario. The inclination towards peri- Sustain Dev 34: 45–73 (2013). urban horticultural through new vistas like 8. Kumar, S. S., Land Accounting in India: protected cultivation, home gardening, roof Issues and concerns. Central Statistics top gardening, holds the key to deliver Office, Ministry of Statistics & nutritional output and sustainable livelihood Programme Implementation, New Delhi, and changing food habits as a result of India (2012). cosmopolitan societies ushering in big and Copyright © May-June, 2019; IJPAB 139

Suman and Bhatnagar Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7 (3): 133-140 (2019) ISSN: 2320 – 7051 9. Lovell, S. T., Multifunctional urban 12. Parrot, L., Dongmo, C., Ndoumbé, M., & agriculture for Sustainable land use Poubom, C., Horticulture, livelihoods, and planning in the United States. urban transition in Africa: evidence from Sustainability 2: 2499–2522 (2010). South-West Cameroon. Agricultural 10. Mbaye, A., Moustier, P., Market-oriented Economics, 39(2): 245-256 (2008). urban agricultural production in Dakar. In: 13. Tacoli, C., (ed), The Earthscan Reader in Bakker, N., Dubbeling, M., Gündel, S., Rural-Urban Linkages. London / Sterling, Sabel- Koschella, U., de Zeeuw, H., (eds) VA: Earthscan (2006). Growing cities. Growing Food. Dtsch Stift 14. Tenkouano, A., The nutritional and int Entw, Feldafing, pp 235–256 (2000). economic potential of vegetables. In The 11. Orsini, F., Kahane, R., Nono-Womdim, World watch Institute (Ed.), State of the R., Gianquinto, G., Urban agriculture in world 2011: Innovations that nourish the the developing world: a review. Agron planet (pp. 27-37). New York, London: Sustain Dev 33: 695–720 (2013). W.W. Norton & Company (2011).