- Barza Wire - https://wire.farmradio.fm -

Notes to broadcasters on urban gardens

Urban farming can take many forms, from a few plant pots in a backyard, to a larger plot of unused land, as in this story. With city populations expanding quickly, urban agriculture has received increased attention in recent years from academics, funders and NGOs.

Further reading:

-Fighting poverty and hunger: What role for urban agriculture? http://www.fao.org/economic/es-policybriefs/briefs-detail/en/?no_cache=1&uid=45052 [1]

-DRC: Urban farming takes root http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93089 [2]

You may also find the website of the Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) useful: http://www.ruaf.org/ [3]

Find RUAF’s Urban Agriculture magazine here: http://www.ruaf.org/node/101 [4]

In  French: http://www.ruaf.org/node/825 [5]

You can read more about the growing trend of urban agriculture in these past FRW news stories:

-“Uganda: Finding space for urban farming [6]” (FRW 164, July 2011)

-“Uganda: Urban farmers fight eviction” (FRW 72, June 2009) [7]

“Kenya: Urban agriculture greens metropolis” [8] (FRW 40, October 2008)
“Africa: Wastewater in urban agriculture is harmful to health, but it also ensures subsistence for urban poor” [9](FRW 34, August 2008)
“Africa: Urban agriculture provides relief from high food prices” [10] (FRW 23, June 2008)

-Farm Radio International has also produced a number of scripts on urban agriculture, many of which offer suggestions for growing food in small spaces: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/urban.asp [11].

Urban gardens present various opportunities for improving income, health and nutrition. If you broadcast to an urban area, you could explore questions like these during a call-in/text-in show:

-What type of space do listeners use to grow food – for example, backyards, vacant land or a terrace/balcony?

-How much food do they produce and what impact does this have on their family’s food security?

-What materials (such as organic fertilizer or planters) do they use to make growing food possible in very small spaces?

-Do listeners have to spend a lot on equipment or inputs – or have they found innovative ways to grow food cheaply (for example by recycling containers or saving seed)?

-Which crops grow best with the limited space and resources they have available?

-What tips or innovations can they share?