Can urban farming feed the future?

Francis Wachira shows it is possible to transform urban lots into productive green spaces. (Jake Meyers / University of Arizona).

Related Topics:
Adaptation, Agriculture, Climate, Food, Green Living, Past Storyfest Entries, Sustainability

In 1985, Nairobi had a population of 1 million people. By 2035, over the span of just 50 years, Nairobi is on track to have an estimated 8.5 million people. Millions of people are migrating from rural to urban areas as large-scale farming coupled with climate change force small farmers to abandon their livelihoods and pursue economic opportunity in urban areas.

Countries like Kenya will need to reimagine their food systems to feed a growing urban population with fewer farmers. As food security concerns grow for the city of Nairobi, farmers like Francis Wachira are transforming urban lots into highly productive green spaces to raise livestock, grow vegetables, and fight climate change. Cities like Nairobi will depend on urban farmers like Francis to produce sustainable food systems to confront this growing food security crisis.

Francis dreams of a world where more urban residents produce their own food to escape poverty and fight climate change. Will others adopt his model of urban farming to feed the future of Nairobi? Learn from Francis and see how urban farming can help move the planet forward.

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agriculture, farming, food security, livestock, storyfest, urban farming, urban living

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