By Tomi Koivukoski

Urban gardening has always been there but in recent years it has gained more popularity. Reasons for its growing popularity vary from an increasing awareness and need for nutritious and healthy food to that it is trendy. Either way it is an ecological and sustainable way to produce food. The 7^th Earth Charter principle states “7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.” Urban gardening offers means to put into practice this ideal. Here are 3 main reasons that explain why.

1.      A Sustainable opportunity to safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities

At a time when corporations are trying to take over food production all around the world including the seeds, urban gardening is a great opportunity to stand up and challenge that risky development. Urban gardening means growing food in urban setting. Food can be grown in bins, inside old tires, in various settings. There are for example a lot of empty rooftops in cities that can be used as a surface in food production.

Urban gardening can be a huge part in solving environmental problems. Food that is produced near the place where it is eaten has a small carbon footprint. The use of pesticides can also be controlled better when the crops are smaller than in mass production and you can choose more natural options comparing to chemical pesticides.  Related to urban gardening, people can also do beekeeping in cities. Bees are really important part of food production but because of intensive use of chemical pesticides the amount of bees has been decreasing (Schiffman, 2012). Reintroducing them in our environment is a great way to act for biodiversity and toward environmental security.

2. And to increase the community well-being

Around the world, urbanization has taken people away from the roots of food production. Many people can buy everything that they need from markets and all the products are packed in plastic and metal. As a way of bringing people together and closer to the roots of food production, urban gardening can be a great way of bringing a community together. Suburbs or neighborhoods can have their common gardens where people take turns in different stages of growing process to eventually provide food for everyone. After growing process people can have a nice community gathering in the form of harvest festival. There is also possibility to share information between people from different cultures and backgrounds and learn new techniques of gardening.

In Chicago young inmates get a chance to develop their gardening skills in a project that is organized between the Chicago Botanic Garden and Vocational Rehabilitation Impact Center (VRIC). They use their time in prison in productive ways that helps community and inmates learn skills that can also help them for their reintegration to society. Thus, inmates develop skills that can empower them  and community also benefits from it on a sustainable way. (Chigago Botanic Garden, 2013)

3.       That Benefit our health

Considering the Earth Charter principle “14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life”, urban gardening has been introduced in several schools around the world as an opportunity to bring children closer to nature and to the roots of food production. For example in the United Kingdom some schools have adopted gardening in their curriculums. As childhood is the best time to learn things that will probably stick with you during lifetime, these schools are actually offering a great opportunity to these kids and for their future development. Gardening will teach valuable skills and will benefit our children’s health. (The growing schools garden, 2013)

Indeed, gardening has proven to have physical and mental health benefits. Working in a garden provides physical exercise and mental health that comes through relaxation and satisfaction. Gardening also provides nutritional benefits when people consume more fruits and vegetables than they might do otherwise.

Considering all these diverse benefits related to health, environment and community, urban gardening is a pretty simple but significant way of changing things when we are heading to a more sustainable future. In overall, urban gardening benefits humans and our earth. It is also a great way for young people to engage themselves in sustainable activities in accordance with some core Earth Charter principles. (The Editors of PureHealthMD, 2013)

Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.” Earth Charter Principle 7

“Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life” Earth Charter Principle 14

Sources:

Chigago Botanic Garden, 2013. Vocational Rehabilitation Impact Center (VRIC).[online] Available at: <http://www.chicagobotanic.org/windycityharvest/wch_ccbc.php>  [Accessed 17 December 2013]

Discovery fit & health, 2013. Health benefits of a garden. [online] Available at: <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/health-benefits-of-a-garden.htm> [Accessed 17 December 2013]

Schiffman, R., 2012. Mystery of the disappearing bees: Solved! Reuters. [blog] 9 April. Available at: <http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/> [Accessed 17 December 2013]

The Growing School Garden, 2013. Available at: <http://www.thegrowingschoolsgarden.org.uk/> [Accessed at 17 December 2013]

Written by: Tomi Koivukoski