It is known that by 2050 more than 70% of the population will live in the cities. Urban agriculture offers a feasible solution to the food supply challenge. Selection of 5 movies gathered and presented by Teresa Beck offered visitors an insight to ongoing urban and peri-urban agricultural projects around the World.
Morning session of Tropentag 2013 film festival provides visitors with a solution for conflict between growing urbanization rate and ever-growing need in food production. Brief content of the movies:
Movies #1 “Urban Agriculture”. Main terms of urban agriculture are explained. Authors stress on the need to implement gathered knowledge.
Movie #2 “Small urban producers organizations: key partners for sustainable development”. Importance of cooperation between small producers is being shown. Examples of the communities that were able to increase their income, partnership stability and land-use, using cooperating methods in urban agriculture, encouraged the audience.
Movie #3 “Aquaculture in Action”. Overview of increasing importance of aquatic plant cultures for consumers and producers, is the main topic of the movie. In South East Asia, in cities like Bangkok, Hanoi, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi - sewage water used to grow aqua-plants like Morning Glory and Mimosa. Some farmers have even abandon rice fields in favor of aquatic plants as it is more viable economically. Food security is a main challenge though – as embodied chemicals in sewage water are increasing over the years and treating waste water has become problematic and expensive.
Movie #4 “Animals in the city”. With simple example of sheep farmers in Qarantina, Lebanon, the authors show different approach to urban agriculture – livestock production. Farmers, of nomadic descent, are having their farms in the cities. They need to meet certain criteria on noise and smell reduction, as well as pollution and disease control, but majority still have their occupation within the industries, since they don’t have other employment option.
Movie #5 “Gardens in South Africa” is a short overview of community gardens and urban agriculture - important source of income for the local population. They use basic principles of sustainable perma-culture in their gardens and mixed farming in controlling pests. Earned money helps them not only to support their families, but also people with HIV.
Documentary movies with real examples of development that were presented play an important role in education. They encourage and stimulate development of urban agriculture in critical regions.