For most of the history of man, most people across the world lived in small settlements or communities. Today, about 55% of the world population lives in urban communities, a proportion expected to increase to 68% by 2050. Projected data shows that urbanization, the gradual shift in residence of the human population from rural communities to urban communities, combined with the overall growth of the world population could add another 2.5 billion people to urban areas by 2050.
The Urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 715 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018.Tokyo (Japan) is the world's largest city with an agglomeration of a whooping 37 million inhabitants. Understanding the key trends in rural
urban migration likely to unfold over the coming years, providing access to healthy and sustainable foods despite rapid urbanization has to be an agenda. As the world continues to urbanize, sustainable development depends increasing on the successful management of urban growth. Promoting urban agriculture projects is advisably the best solution for providing equitable and affordable access to healthy and low carbon food in these urban communities.
Around 15% of the word's population food is now grown in urban communities. Urban farms already supply food to about 700 million residents of cities, representing a quarter of the word's urban population. Urban farms and gardens grow organic produce, cultivate food in their various communities and revitalize urban land. Urban agriculture not only contributes to food security, but also to environmental stewardship and a cultural reconnection with the land through education. Other objectives of urban agriculture projects include reducing food waste by teaching ways of preserving food, saving seeds, storing food correctly and composting of left over. Examples of inspiring urban agriculture projects include:
1. Alternatives' Feeding Citizenship: though a nonprofit, promotes social and environmental justice in Montreal, Canada, Alternatives' Feeding Citizenship is growing healthy food to fuel healthy communities. The project engages community through horticultural training programs while supporting school and neighborhood gardens.
2. Detroit Dirt: is a compost company that helps in food production by degenerating waste into resources. Through partnerships with community coffee houses and local businesses, the organization is hoping to instill a self
sustaining culture of recycling organic waste and provide a valuable resource to urban farms and gardens in Detroit.
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