On the occasion of the opening of the Agricultural Show this weekend Porte de Versailles in Paris, Jean-Pierre Montanay is interested in urban agriculture which is widening its furrow more and more. It provides local organic stores and the opportunity to experiment with innovations and modernize agriculture, but what will feed the planet tomorrow are field crops.
The Salon de l'Agriculture opens this Saturday at Porte de Versailles in Paris, a sector turned upside down by the arrival of urban farms. Tomorrow, will the campaign take hold in the city?
On the occasion of the opening in spring of the largest perched urban farm in Europe, 14,000 square meters of culture will be installed on huge roofs in Paris. More than a ton of fruit and vegetables should be produced per day. The Agronaute, the first town farm spreads out on the island of Nantes. Tomatoes, cucumbers and squash have been growing above ground, in greenhouses, for six months. In Rotterdam, a floating farm was born in the port. Unheard of with 40 cows that provide milk, yogurt and cheese to local residents.
North of Paris, 3,500 m2 of underground car parks, abandoned and squatted by drug addicts, now welcome watercress, broccoli and radishes, which have therefore chased crack. The endives are allowed full black to grow and the mushrooms flourish in the straw under LED lights. Scraps of countryside nibble on concrete, it pushes hundreds of it all over France and around the world from Shanghai to Vancouver.
Where was this phenomenon born?
In New York, the birthplace and laboratory of urban farms since the 1990s, we had the idea of placing agricultural production in the heart of cities as close as possible to consumers. In Newark, New Jersey, the largest vertical farm in the world has opened on 12 floors, indoors and indoors. Temple of the Agriculture of the future and of new technologies, it looks more like a lab than a farm in Larzac. Everything is controlled by computers, these above-ground crops are produced using aeroponics. This is an incredible innovation, the roots of the plants are in the air, fueled by splashes of water and nutrients. This technique allows to produce 10 times, without pesticides, consuming 95% less water than on a traditional farm. And all this without waste.
Can urban agriculture feed cities tomorrow?
Self-sufficiency is just a fantasy. According to the UN, in 2050, seven billion people will live in urban areas. Suffice to say that all terraces and parking lots in the world will be transformed into farms where strawberries, spirulina, salads and aromatic plants would grow. However, they will never be enough to feed everyone. It's perfect for supplying local organic stores, it's great for experimenting with innovations and modernizing agriculture, but what will feed the planet tomorrow are field crops, cereals that take up a lot of space, fields of wheat, corn and rice fields in the middle of the skyscrapers. It will not be possible!