Rooftop Farming is a new urban farming model, and it the best way to utilize the rooftops, vacant spaces in cities. Therefore, it has emerged as a healthy transition where people can enjoy homegrown food and be close to nature.
The decline of Hong Kong’s Agriculture Sector owing to Realty Sector Rise
With the realty market of Hong Kong soaring to great heights, it is nearly ‘unaffordable’ to own a house in Hong Kong. Once a land of farms and fishing, most of the densely populated region is now home to skyscrapers and industries. Hong-Kong holds a large population of 7.4 million in its small land area. Having established itself as an abode of international trade and investments, Hong Kong has now drifted away from the agricultural sector.
The farming and fishing sector saw a sharp decline with time owing to urban progression in Hong Kong. According to statistics, Hong Kong has only around 7 square km of actively farmed land. With minimal production on the home ground, the local population of Hong Kong depends mainly on the food imports from Mainland China.
Rooftop Farming Is The New Age Farming Style
Although the space crunch has made it difficult to implant farms in the city, Hong Kong is now evolving with the concept of the urban farm lifestyle. The Rooftop Republic, a social enterprise, is one such organization that has brought this movement to the fore. As a result, various rooftops in Hong Kong are now transformed into organic and urban farms.
As many as 60 rooftop farms and 1500 farmers have emerged since 2008, with more people showing interest in the same. From commercial banks to large malls, the rooftop farms are set up for people to cultivate flowers and fruits through learning the basics of farming.
Rooftop Republic – Pioneer in Rooftop Farming
Rooftop republic is coaching students in organic farming. Therefore, they encourage the use of fresh goods to grow locally and are instrumental in managing many urban projects in Hong Kong.
According to Professor Matthew Pryor at the University of Hong Kong, Urban farming has bright prospects in Hong Kong in the coming future. He suggests that rooftop farming practices will bring happiness in communities and bind them through nature. People indulge in growing their vegetables and are happy to use fresh products for consumption.
Building Nature & Relations
People may engage in farming activities in a nearby building or community if they don’t have unused rooftops. Elderly people have a great opportunity to enhance their mental and physical health through these practices.
The Rooftop Republic has been actively working with developers to include rooftop farm designs in blueprints for any infrastructure. As a result, we may see a fully green Hong Kong touching the sky as more and more urban farms are being set up. Even China is adopting the concept of rooftop farming. Many projects are in the pipeline to be set up for the same. Paris has numerous rooftop farming setups since it is implementing this concept for a decade. Also, Paris will soon inhabit the world’s largest rooftop farm as per the sources.
