COMMUNISTS
And now that I have your attention, I am not going to talk about
communism but rather about the importance of food security in an urban
environment and look into Cuba’s food shortage at the end of the Cold War as a
case study to reduce food dependency.
La Habana, Cuba
Less and less I look at cities as human environments
or man-made ecosystems [stay with me]. Cities to me are now more like giant
machines, interconnected to many other similar machines, with whom we have a
symbiotic relationship; we keep them running and they keep our society running.
It is a complex system, but also quite vulnerable to unpredictable events as
they are completely dependent on the part that brings great amounts of
resources in and send tons of waste out every day.
We have already discussed the importance of energy
efficiency and self-sufficiency in many classes. However, another point in
which architects, landscapes architects, and urban planners could intervene to
get our cities closer to resemble a self-sustainable environment is food-security.
After all, food is more important to our survival than energy is. We could be
without electricity for a couple of months or make substantial cuts to our
energy consumption if we absolutely have to, but if we were to deal with a
sudden food shortage instead, it would be much more difficult to get through it
in an effective way (and if you have any hope in humanity’s rational thinking
during uncertain times just look at the whole toilet paper mess).
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba went through
an unprecedented food crisis in which residents lost access to one-third of
their daily caloric intake. Food imports evaporated and so did access to the
animal feed, fuel, and fertilizers that supported the island’s agricultural
sector. As a response to the crisis, residents of La Habana started setting up
improvised urban farms in underutilized spaces and rooftops throughout the
city. With no other option, the Cuban government responded by incentivizing
these practices and provided the infrastructure to bring it to a larger scale.
Almost 3 decades later, 75% of the food consumed in La Habana (a city of 2
million) is produced in the city. Making it the largest semi-sustainable
foodshed in the world. What made urban farms possible in La Habana, a rather
dense city for American standards was the all the empty space left after many
Cubans left the island. Now, not all American cities have a decreasing
population, but they have plenty of underutilized space, and here is where we
come in. We could make use of American cities' mayor disadvantage and turn it
into an advantage. As we look at ways to consolidate this country’s sprawling
metropolis into more sustainable environments, we should not forget about these
cities’ foodshed. This would make them more self-sufficient, save energy,
reduce waste, reduce the high prices of organic food and add to the ecology of
the urban environment. It will also make cities feel less like machines and
more like human ecosystems.
La Habana, Cuba
Houston, USA
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ReplyDeleteRoberto, you are right about the seriousness of food insecurity, and I believe that you are also right about the opportunities that exist for cities to attack this problem. In 2018, the USDA reported that 14.3 million U.S. households experienced food insecurity (Source: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx). I like the idea of local communal gardens or greenhouses that supplement families' nutritional needs while uniting people socially and culturally through food, gardening, and healthy habits. Your post, however, also made me consider whether any cities have large scale agricultural projects that reduce dependency on massive commercial farms.
ReplyDeleteI came across the NYC Agriculture Collective (http://www.farming.nyc)--a group of 15 commercial ventures collaborating to promote urban agriculture by offering local farming experiences, influencing policy, promoting workforce development, offering volunteer opportunities, and sharing data. Expecting to find information about small project and enterprises, I was surprised to read about Seed & Roe, a high-tech manufacturer of fish and greens in an indoor hydroponic environment in Brooklyn. In a company video (https://vimeo.com/311248731), a co-founder talked about disciplines driving this company to produce on a massive scale; interestingly, those disciplines were physics, biotechnology, data science, and building construction.
What if every city was its own food shed? Or even if that's not feasible, what if every major city had land about the size of central park where food could be grown in the city that would supplement food needs for families needing it? I like the example that Cindy brings up, and to build off of that - I think that the solution of most of our problems will be solved by merging different sectors whether it be agriculture and technology, agriculture and architecture etc...
ReplyDeleteYou already know this based on your example, but it's human nature to not change unless you have to. This is especially true in America. To the average American, food is unlimited and cheap. So why the hell you telling me to grow my own food right here in my city?
ReplyDeleteWhat is really interesting about your post is its context. COVID-19 has brought our entire global infrastructure to its knees. It has brought an unprecedented level of awareness to where and how our food gets to our tables. Maybe we'll start to ease our dependence on a global supply to more local solutions.