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Category FAQs Search : Urban Farming

Question: Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture: Planting Justice, Oakland

Answer: Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating food crops and raising livestock in cities. It differs
from traditional agriculture because it is integrated into densely populated areas and must
address some unique challenges such as city ordinances and lack of arable land and open space.
In the U.S., urban agriculture has become increasingly popular and is referred to in a variety of
ways, e.g., urban gardening, urban homesteading, and edible landscaping.
Numerous community organizations are drawing on urban agriculture to address an array of
environmental, social, and economic issues that include concerns about the current food system,
food security, and “green job” creation. More specifically, although California is the largest
food-producing state in the country (CDFA 2011), many residents in cities like Oakland and
Richmond live in what are called “food deserts,” defined as places lacking access to fresh
produce and food (UCANR and UC Small Farm Program 2008). The Bay Area is at the forefront
of efforts to transform cities into food-producing landscapes. San Francisco and Oakland are
adopting urban agriculture as a permanent component of their City’s General Plan.

(Source: , 23 Sep 2021)

Source Link: https://pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sustainable_water_management_for_urban_agriculture3.pdf