Four reasons why urban farming will flourish post-Covid

Since the lockdown, public interest in growing fruit and vegetables at home has soared. 

Fear of food shortages will have motivated some, but others with more time on their hands at home will have been tempted by the chance to relieve stress doing a wholesome family activity.

The seeds of enthusiasm for home-grown food may have been sown, but sustaining this is essential. Urban farming has much to offer in the wake of the pandemic.

Here are four reasons why food growing should become a perennial feature in our gardens and cities after Covid-19.

1. Growing greener towns and cities
More than half of the global population lives in urban areas, and this is expected to rise to 68 per cent by 2050. Weaving food growing into the fabric of urban life could bring greenery and wildlife closer to home.

Rooftops, walls and even underground spaces offer a range of options for expanding food production in cities while creatively redeveloping the urban environment.

2. Resilient food supplies

Diversifying where and how we grow our food helps spread the risk of disruption to food supplies. Uncertainties such as Brexit and Covid-19 could threaten the steady supply, while the problems created by climate change, such as water scarcity, risk disrupting imports of food from abroad.

Growing fruit and vegetables in towns and cities would help resist these shocks.

3. Healthier lives

Getting out into nature and gardening can improve your mental health and physical fitness. Our research suggests that getting involved in urban food growing, or just being exposed to it in our daily lives, may also lead to healthier diets.

Urban growers may be driven to make healthier food choices for a whole range of reasons. They have greater access to fresh fruit and vegetables and getting outdoors and into nature can help reduce stress, making people less likely to make unhealthy food choices.

4. Healthier ecosystems

While urbanisation is regarded as one of the biggest threats to biodiversity, growing food in towns and cities has been shown to boost the abundance and diversity of wildlife, as well as protect their habitats.