Yahya Awang, Halimi Mohd Saud, Anjas Asmara Samsuddin

and Mohd Ghazali Mohd Satar

Faculty of Agriculture Universiti Putra Malaysia

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Outline Scenario on urban food security

Defining urban agriculture (UA) and its benefits

Characteristics of UA and urban farmers

- Urban environment/production systems/

urban farmers

Knowledge transfer strategies: Technology push vs market pull

Snapshots of knowledge transfer activity

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Year M”sia Popn (% in cities)

2000 65

2012 72

2020 75*

Malaysian statistics

Trends in urbanization and Food

demand The scenario

2. … How to meet the requirement to feed the world, specifically the urbanites through methods that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable?

1. …OECD-FAO Agriculture Outlook (2009-2018) predicts that food demand will grow by 50% by 2030 and 70% by 5050 to feed ca. 9.0 bill world population.

Urban popn.

Rural popn.

Key challenge to food security

World popn.

World statistics; In megacities – ca. 80% population live in city

Raising productivity through large investment in fertilizers, irrigation and mechanization

Extending farming to degraded, abandoned or pasture lands.

(Deutsche Bank, 2009). How about with another option: …Re-introduction (re-emergence) of small, self-sufficient farms, characterised as local, multi-crops, energy and water efficient, low carbon, socially acceptable and self-sustaining….URBAN AGRICULTURE (Kanter, 2009)

The scenario: Solutions to food demand

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Urban agriculture (UA) is the growing of plants and the raising animals for food and other uses within and around cities and town. As city and population grew, the conventional

farms moved outward to accommodate infrastructural and physical facilities

Forcing the cities to produce their food!!!

800 mill urban and peri-urban involve in UA (FAO, 2000)

Est. 14% of the world’s food is produced in urban areas

ECOLOGICAL

(Environmentally healthy City)

Greening, recreation, Use of waste, Reduction ecological footprint, Improved microclimate, Landscape & biodiversity

SOCIAL

(Inclusive city)

Food security & nutrition,

Poverty alleviation, Social integration, Community building, Social safety

ECONOMIC

(Productive city)

Income generation, Employment generation, Enterprise development,

Market chain development

(Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture & Food Security Foundation, 2013)

BENEFITS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE

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UA Production Systems Diversity of UA that fit for different

groups with specific project philosophy and operational models: Home gardens – small, adjacent to a house, managed by residents, primarily for home use, may generate small-scale income.

Community gardens and institutional – large gardens, plot is subdivided into small plots, land owned by local authority/utility provider or institutions/developments.

Commercial gardens and farms – usually larger than those in homes and community gardens; located in vacant land lots in commercial or residential areas either owned or leased by the producers.

Commodities/ Activities Heterogeneous Fruit, vegetable,

dairy, cattle, goats, poultry, bees keeping, fish, mushroom, pigs, food processing

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Urban Agro-Ecosystems 1. Environmental conditions :

temperature, light

2. Substrate: urban soils

3. Contamination

4. Residents and other organisms and their residual effects

(Pickett et al., 2011)

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House gardens

Kajang Shah Alam Kajang

Cheras Sungai Besi 9

Community/Institutional gardens

Community garden, Sg Besi, Selangor

Agriculture Faculty, UPM

Community garden, Shah Alam, Selangor

Puchong 10

Commercial farms and gardens

Garden centre, Sg Buloh, Selangor

Community garden (Shah Alam, Selangor)

Kelulut farm, Shah Alam, Selangor

Putrajaya

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Marketing: Agri-Food Supply Chain Producers

(Typical commercial growers)

Wholesalers

Retailers (Conventional

Grocery Store, etc.)

Consumers

Shipper/

packing house

Retailers (Supermarket,

Warehouse)

Import

Export

Urban Farmers

market/con-ventional retailers

Urban subsistence/ community gardens

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Appropriate Technology

(Affordable, Feasible and Manageable)

Considerations:

Level of commercialization: Goals of operations

Type of space available

Income generation Food safety Recreational/hobby/social integration Commercial farming

Ecological setting/ neighborhood

Production system adopted

Open space with arable soils, paved areas, flats, plant factory

Housing estates, brownfield, wetlands, indoor farming

Organic farming, Vertical farming, Hydroponic/soilless culture, aquaponics

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WHICH ONE IS CALLED APPROPOPRIATE TECHNOLOGY?

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Education Income Source of

main income

Differences in motivational driving forces

High income group/ High educational background

Low income group/ Low educational background

Health and safe food, Recreation

Income generation, Saving

Accessibility to information Time allocation for farming

Face-to-face contact vs E-extension

Technology Transfer and clientele background (Do we have appropriate (infra)structure

for effective TT in UA for different)

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Knowledge Transfer strategies Acknowledge two basic types of technology transfer:

- Technology push & Market pull strategy

Technical and market Linking

Emphasis on needs (market)

Emphasis on technical capability

Low High

Low Low Linking: Weak venture potential

Technology-pull

High Market-pull Double Linking: Strong venture potential

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Tasks/Aims Clients/Partners Activity Impacts

Formulation of policy and programs

DBKL and other local authorities and government agencies

Seminar/ workshops/ meetings

Development of extension program; Create awareness/inclusion of various aspects of green idea/technology related to UA

Create awareness Staff of UPM and other government agency, school children, public members

Short courses, briefings, visits, media

Increase capacity building; create awareness

Technology & method demonstrations

Urban farmers, Implementing agencies

Demonstrations, technology briefing, advisory services

Increase knowledge and skills

Expert clinics Urban farmers/public members

Technology briefing, problem solving

Increase product knowledge and technology know-how

Promoting direct market access – participating in farmer’s markets

Local authority, urban farmers

Direct selling of urban-agri- produce

Increase income; develop entrepreneurial skill; create networking

Snapshots of Activity

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Snapshots of Activity

Short course at DBKL Advisory service at PPR Visit to Agric Faculty UPM

Production of Organic liquid fertilizer

Workshop on good agric practices Media

UA at Sg Besi Method demo

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SOME ENABLERS FOR UA TO SUCCEED Support and co-operations from different walks of life

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Education & capacity building

Co-operations

Publicity/extension

Policy & Support Financing

Environment & health risks

Marketing

Challenges Varying practices and production systems involving different investment intensity, require different appropriate technology and level of sophistication; Technology for home and community gardens may be widely available how about technology for food production in controlled condition indoor or

under limited light, Vertical gardens? As some people involves in urban farming may not be familiar with

farming activity then social awareness program and technology transfer processes could

become more important than the other initiatives at the beginning of the projects;

Urban setting is as a sensitive area attention must be given to ensure the program to be implemented are well

planned so that it would not lead to environmental deterioration.

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Challenges (Cont’d) Differences in farming objectives, requirement and

characteristics of the UA must be acknowledged;

Knowledge transfer activity and methodology must be adapted to suit the requirement of UA production system, production ecology and socio-economic background of urban farmers.

Compared to conventional/rural agriculture, our current understanding on appropriate technology, effective extension/knowledge transfer methodology and infrastructure required is still limited.

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CONCLUSION

… and therefore we need the following:

Find the solution urgently

Across disciplines

Research is crucial

More funding is necessary

Ignite a passion in future generations

Networking will facilitate progress and success

Grow the community (and the plants!)

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With Knowledge We Serve

Thank You

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