We hear so much about agriculture that we imagine it refers to the country, yet there are other forms of agriculture that do not necessarily concern the country such as urban agriculture.
Urban agriculture means just what its definition commands, it is the raising of animals and growing of plants in and around urban areas.
The amazing aspect of urban agriculture is that it can perfectly integrate within its city surroundings and live just as it would in the country areas. It is a harmoniously interacting system that functions within the urban ecosystem and produces the same results as any agricultural system in the country would.
The world of urban agriculture owes its amazing development around typical urban resources, including waste water and other organic waste such as compost. In fact as the city grows so does the development of urban agriculture, it therefore has bright prospects for the future.
Many factors and elements compose urban agriculture as well as different areas within the city.
These namely include the poor people living in the cities, although these are not immigrants, rather people belonging to a lower salary class. Often teachers, government officials who are part of the middle and lower level, but who have a good education contribute greatly to the implementation of urban agriculture. Amongst these women probably can be counted amongst the larger percentage of urban farmers as they can easily combine this activity alongside the everyday domestic chores.
Urban agriculture activity is usually found in locations on the city outskirts, on small plots within residences, in parks, along streams, railroads and even on public land. Often in schools and hospitals you can find small plots of land that are being used to grow plants and vegetables that can be useful for the small or larger community.
The types of products grown are quite varied and these include root crops, grains, vegetables and fruits. You may also find animals in larger plots in the city, such as rabbits, goats, sheep and poultry as well as cattle, pigs and fish. In smaller areas of the house herbal plants can also be privileged for more aromatic cuisine or as medicinal use.
The main objective of this urban agriculture lies in self-consumption. Private individuals will be producing farm products for their own private use or for their small communities. You might find others selling the limited produce in the neighborhood, in markets or local shop, but this commerce is usually restricted to the locals. Generally however, the produce is processed or cooked to be sold on the streets or to the neighbors.
Although urban agriculture is gradually developing as cooperative farms and small commercial enterprises it is still slow, for farming technology is still greatly concentrated in more intensive and mass agricultural production.