54 million in U.S. May go Hungry During the Pandemic – Can Urban Farmers Help?

Commercial urban agriculture is on the rise, with small-scale farms in New York City like Gotham Greens, which reduces the amount of energy, land use and food waste in tight, underutilized spaces to produce herbs and roughage for the masses. In Austin, Texas, backyard farms and urban gardens sell ingredients to restaurants and markets throughout the region, as do similar projects in Los Angeles. In fact, innovations allowing farmers to grow without soil or natural light expand the potential for food sourcing in urban areas. Urban farming has increased by over 30 percent in the past 30 years, with no indication of slowing down. Urban land could grow fruit and vegetables for 15 percent of the population, research shows.

Journal of People Peasants and Workers's avatarJournal of People

HUNGER IN U.S. 

54 million in U.S. May go Hungry During the Pandemic – Can Urban Farmers Help?

Melissa Kravitz Hoefner

People’s World | September 08, 2020

54 million in U.S. may go hungry during the pandemic – can urban farmers help?
An example of urban farming is seen on this Chicago rooftop. Linda / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0

When I call Chef Q. Ibraheem to discuss urban farming in her own cooking career, she’s in the middle of placing an order for microgreens from a small farm in Lake Forest, a ritzy suburb just north of downtown Chicago. Now’s a great time for her to chat, actually, because the Chicago-based chef is immersed in what she loves, sourcing ingredients as locally as possible.

“It’s really important we know where our food is coming from,” she says. “I know my farmers by name. I can go to the farms, see how they are growing everything, see it in the soil. It’s always…

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