While the term urban agriculture is often associated with picturesque community gardens, the industry is a lot more impactful than most would expect. The vast (and expanding) range of activities and initiatives in New York City have had many positive effects on the city’s social, economic and ecological framework.
Five Borough Farm, a project led by NYC community organization The Design Trust for Public Space, sheds light on the activities associated with urban agriculture in the city and their corresponding community benefits. According to the group, initiatives like cooking and nutrition classes, rainwater harvesting, and farmers markets all have positive effects on public health, conservation, and community development.
Five Borough Farm’s website explains that very little of the research on urban agriculture has a specific focus on New York City or the neighborhoods within it. The information in the graphic was found using a mix of academic and anecdotal research. The work is detailed in Five Borough Farm: Seeding the Future of Urban Agriculture in New York City, a book that aims to provide a comprehensive picture of NYC’s urban agriculture activity.
The Design Trust’s ultimate goal is to influence elected officials and City agencies to increase the number of urban agriculture initiatives in the city. In the meantime, this handy infographic demonstrates how an activity as simple as planting trees can be associated with stewardship, conservation, soil improvement, biodiversity and habitat improvement and something as natural as a farmer’s market can help to create jobs and increase food affordability.
Check out the graphic below:
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