Reading for Wed. March 2:
Question for discussion: What are the reasons McClintock believes we should farm the city?
ECON2505 Env Econ, SP2016 Wed. D728
A City Tech OpenLab Course Site
Reading for Wed. March 2:
Question for discussion: What are the reasons McClintock believes we should farm the city?
The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.
Reasons for farming the city is to lower food cost according to the article “Why Farm the City” by McClintock. Using a lot of farming is more fresh and the taste of food like vegetables will taste better and have a different flavor to it. Most of the cities is difficult but it can’t hurt for them to have more property or even a private park for people to plant there vegetable plants. McClintock also believe why we should farm the city is to make money for businesses in restaurants. I think farming is best for the city and should be like that from now to the future on.
McClintock argues that urban farms would be able to bring balance to the widening gap between Nature and humanity. First he explains the economic pressures and forces that propagate urban agriculture, such as rising food costs due to rising oil pricing. Secondly introduces the concept of ecological aspect of having a sustainable urban farm where he explains environmental need and impacts of having functional food producing farms within an urban area. The third concept is there is a rift between land and the people who work them; the other rift is between us the urban locked consumers and the food production process. Though he makes a sound argument about current urban food politics and distance most city dwellers are kept from their foodâs origins, I feel that having urban agriculture (UA) is a good idea however I think UA should remain small scale and stay away from large scale industrial agricultural practices.
Urban Agriculture is very beneficial in a lot of ways as McClintock states some of those in his article which I think are great. I think that farm in the city could benefit neighboring businesses and cities. Moreover Urban Agriculture got famous during the time when the economy was in really bad shape and some business were struggling cause cost of the increase in the prices of oil and food. Furthermore, Urban Agriculture should come to cities cause it can benefit homeless people who are struggling to get back to there feet, so with the help of help of Urban Agriculture they won’t have to steal and won’t be getting in trouble. For Example, Ron Finley who has his own in LA where he plants vegetable for his neighbors and people can take it as they like. During tough time and economic depression many new opportunities risen up to help people and as well as save money.
Contribute improving the urban landscape, and the sustainability of the territory. It is respectful to all elements of the natural environment and also consistent with the landscape values of the environment. Promote good organic farming practices based on criteria environmental sustainability, acquiring knowledge of the processes
natural and healthier eating. Rescuing agricultural traditions in the city. Encourage the use of public space for citizens, ordering the use and
activity promoting consumption and interlink all social activities; recreational and educational character. Encourage community management, ensuring participation both active users and the administration. Promote participatory strategies to involve different social agents in the garden projects. Exert dual-use function, as a garden and as a green area. Contribute to mitigate air pollution to improve air quality, also creating short transport channels for consumption.
In the article McClintock argues that there are many benefits to UA. He suggests that UA is âmultifunctionalâ, it makes food more available especially to lower income communities, it creates employment, and it also serves the environment. Growing food locally will reduce the pollution and save money because food wonât have to be delivered over long distances. It is also mentioned that UA leave a lower impact on soil, especially if organic waste is use for fertilization, compared to farms that run on a big scale and exhaust natural resources of the land. He believes that by developing more UA it will be possible to reconnect people with the nature and therefore will provide an opportunity to grow own food to those who wishes; UA will also make fresh and nutritious food more available.
McClintock asserts that the implementation of Urban Agriculture will bridge the gap, both intellectually and socially, between between Nature and humanity. McClintock goes on to explain that the theory of Metabolic Rift( in regards to Urban Agriculture) has three dimensions: social, Ecological, and individual. Metabolic Rift, as described in the article is Metabolic rift’ is an effective framework for differentiating UA’s multiple origins and functions across the Global North and South
McClintock explains that the social dimension of UA stems from the various the economic concerns such as the ever changing price of food and rising prices in oil and gas that should move people to accept the concept of Urban Agriculture. The ecological aspect of Urban agriculture involves the topic of sustainability. he explains that that implementing a complete sustainable urban farm will functional food, that is easily accessible to city dwellers, or does that promulgate and urban environment. The individual concept of the rift, suggest that their is a disconnect between land and the people who work them. The second rift occurs between urban consumers and food production processes.
One of the most important benefits that urban farming would have on society according to the author is the socio-cultural factor. Which he explains that people can get together and learn about new methods in farming and how to use less of the most important resources and eat off the land in a healthy way. A way in which there will be less diseases and other illnesses from consuming unhealthy food. Another important benefit is the economic one , where you will have all the farms collectively in one area that will produce more efficiently for the local people and they will not have to pay higher prices on food products that come from far away. Another benefit is the Marxian perspective of farming, which is basically that humans get de-alienated by seeing the fruits of their labor when they are made to cultivate the land and produce for their families just enough as to not abuse “mother nature”. This would probably be the return of man to his physical surroundings just as in the past in the farm , in the wilderness. Even then this can play a beneficial role to his own self-being and psychology.
Comment Redo
McClintock asserts that the implementation of Urban Agriculture will bridge the gap, both intellectually and socially, between between Nature and humanity. McClintock goes on to explain that the theory of Metabolic Rift( in regards to Urban Agriculture) has three dimensions: social, Ecological, and individual. Metabolic Rift, as described in the article is Metabolic riftâ is an effective framework for differentiating UAâs multiple origins and functions across the Global North and South
McClintock explains that the social dimension of UA stems from the various the economic concerns such as the ever changing price of food and rising prices in oil and gas that should move people to accept the concept of Urban Agriculture. The ecological aspect of Urban agriculture involves the topic of sustainability. he explains that that implementing a complete sustainable urban farm that specializes in the growing of functional food, that is easily accessible to city dwellers who live in a densely populated urban environment. The individual concept of the rift, suggest that their is a disconnect between land and the farmers and agriculturist who work them. The second rift occurs between urban consumers and food production processes. The reason being is because those who live in the city have no access to rural natural food production facilities, because of location. The implementation of Urban Agriculture will offset this problem.
According to the article âWhy Farm the Cityâ urban agricultural development would improve the urban landscape and promote organic farming which will rise habits of healthy eating among the tenants. Also urban farming will bring back the farming and agricultural traditions to the city, which almost forgotten it’s connection to the soil. Local farming would promote social interaction and rise sustainability values of the community. McClintock states that economic challenges as changing price of food and rising prices of oil and gas will promote economical benefit of urban farming. Among that the gross area of land used for urban farming serves dual usage as an recreational space as well. Green gardening would improve the air quality for the surrounding neighborhood and reduce the load to the sewage system. According to the author, the total positive impact of the urban gardening to the environment is tremendous and the idea of connection the city to the agriculture would benefit every aspect of urban living.
In The article, âWhy farm the city? Theorizing urban agriculture through a lens of metabolic riftâ, by Nathan McClintock, he points out âMarx ascribed this rift to the expansion of capitalist modes of production (the rise of wage labour, in particular) and to urbanization arising from industrialization and the displacement of small-scale agricultureâ (McClintock, 2009). The reasons McClintock believes that we should farm the city is because the urban agriculture is a type of local economy that is growing to reduce food price, to get more local food, to save some of the money we spend in fossil fuel to transport the food that we consume, to produce better quality of food in small scale, to create more local jobs, and to use available space for the community growing farmers.
What are the reasons McClintock believes we should farm the city?
A couple of reasons McClintock believes for why there should be farming in the city is to reduce cost of food for local markets as well as reduce carbon emissions by reducing the need for large trucks running on fossil fuels to transport farm produce from very long distances. However is this were to be implemented, the trucking industry may be greatly affected and will result in truck driving job losses. Aside from that side effect, at least the gardens and vegetation are able to absorb some of the carbon dioxide in the air which improves air quality for many homes near manufacturing plants. People will also be inclined to be in tune with the plants and trees and gardens, and narrow the gap between humanity and nature to create sustainable balance.