MicroHabitat is a major leader of the urban farming movement in North America, and we advocate for the benefits of sustainable agriculture in reducing pollution and creating healthier and greener urban environments.
Our ecological urban farming practices, organic from seed to soil, are key components of MicroHabitat’s approach. Our urban farming activities mainly involve growing crops on rooftops that are otherwise not being used; but also on some terraces and in schoolyards. Our methods not only reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture but also help to reduce overall pollution in cities, for example by filtering the air (absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis). Urban farming can even help to reduce overall global emissions, by providing a more direct and local source of food for residents within the cities in which we operate.
MicroHabitat recognizes that urban farming can also help to reduce water pollution and waste. The use of our urban farms can help to reduce runoff from rainwater, which can help to reduce the amount of pollutants and other contaminants in nearby bodies of water. In addition, urban farming can reduce the amount of chemicals and other pollutants that are released into the environment from conventional agricultural practices. At MicroHabitat our organic farming practices also extend to every supplementation of nutrition to our plants throughout the season, as well as any form of pest control we use, which therefore does not pollute. Moreover, each of our urban farms is implemented with our custom geotextile pots and smart irrigation systems that allow for optimal efficiency & water usage, which is essential to make our operations even more sustainable, and to limit water waste.
Another significant benefit of urban farming is waste reduction; an area in which MicroHabitat is thoroughly consistent throughout our operations with recycling, composting, etc. Moreover, by providing fresh produce to local communities, MicroHabitat and Urban Farming help to reduce the amount of food waste generated by traditional agriculture practices. Additionally, MicroHabitat delivers its harvest in reusable baskets which reduces the use of disposable packaging that is usually, mostly plastic, a major environmental pollutant.
In conclusion, MicroHabitat’s commitment to growing the urban farming movement demonstrates the significant benefits of reducing pollution, and water waste through sustainable and local agriculture practices. By using our unique urban farming methods, MicroHabitat helps to create healthier and more sustainable urban environments, while also reducing the amount of pollutants released in rural areas from conventional agricultural practices.
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Bibliography:
- Mougeot, L. J. (2014). Growing better cities: Urban agriculture for sustainable development. International development research centre.
- Poulsen, M. N., Freudendal-Pedersen, M., & Schipperijn, J. (2015). The relationship between urban farming and green space management. In Green cities in the world (pp. 23-34). Springer, Cham.
- Rogge, E. (2018). Urban Agriculture: a response to Climate Change? JPI Urban Europe.
- Sanyé-Mengual, E., Anguelovski, I., Oliver-Solà, J., Montero, J. I., & Rieradevall, J. (2016). Rescaling urban metabolism: An analytical framework to study urban agriculture. Cities, 55, 125-134.
- Smit, J., & Nasr, J. (2012). Urban agriculture for sustainable cities: Using wastes and idle land and water bodies as resources. In Smart technologies for sustainable urban environments (pp. 1-25). Springer, Dordrecht.