“Carbon footprint of homegrown food five times greater than those grown conventionally” read a January 2024 Telegraph UK headline. According to a study published in the journal Nature Cities on January 22, 2024, by the University of Michigan, fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have a carbon footprint that is, on average, six times greater than conventionally grown produce.
The main reason for this difference is the infrastructure used to grow the food, such as raised beds, garden sheds, and pathways. The study involved data from 73 urban farms and gardens in five countries.
However, it’s important to note that some city-grown crops equaled or outperformed conventional agriculture under certain conditions. For example, tomatoes grown in the soil of open-air urban plots had a lower carbon intensity than tomatoes grown in conventional greenhouses, and the emissions difference between conventional and urban agriculture vanished for air-freighted crops like asparagus.
The global greening continues despite increased drought stress since 2000, however meteorological droughts do not show any substantial changes at the global scale in at least the last 120 years. These findings indicate that the impact of urban farming on the environment should be carefully evaluated, taking into account various factors such as crop type, local climate, and water availability.
The study’s results have sparked concerns about potential restrictions on home gardening and farming.
However, it’s essential to consider the broader benefits of urban farms and gardens. Backyard farming can be nearly 100% self-sufficient, requiring no transportation, refrigeration, fertilizer, factories, or clear-cutting. It allows individuals to be self-sufficient and able to feed themselves without permission from the government.
Additionally, CO2 has been reported to continue greening the Earth between 2001-2020, indicating its positive impact on plant life.
Despite the increased carbon footprint, urban agriculture can still play a vital role in local food production, community engagement, and food security.
The study’s findings should be considered in the context of the overall impact of urban farming, taking into account its potential to reduce food miles, provide access to fresh produce in urban areas, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
Urban farms and gardens have the potential to make significant contributions to cities, and their overall impact should be evaluated based on a comprehensive assessment of social, environmental, and economic factors.
WEF is attempting to use the Climate Scam as a pretext to ban farming, ban meat consumption, control the global food supply and restrict you to a diet of fake "food" and insects, in order to make you weak, ill and dependent on them for your sustenance. pic.twitter.com/idU8lwcKpM
— Francesco (@Frances89805199) August 19, 2023
Opinions that the World Economic Forum is attempting to use the climate change narrative as a pretext to ban farming need to be considered in light of their recent rhetoric at Davos, emphasizing concerns about farming.
Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest men in the world, has recently become the largest private owner of farmland in the United States, with a portfolio of 242,000 acres of cropland across the country. This news has raised concerns among farmers and others about what he could possibly want with so much land.
The shift of farm ownership to non-farmers and foreign entities has some very real implications for farmers, rural communities, and the environment. For one, it has pushed up the price of farmland, making it difficult for small-scale and beginning farmers to purchase their own land or even afford leases.
As the value of farmland has skyrocketed, the largest, wealthiest operations have been able to hoard land, diminishing the role and influence of small-scale farmers in the agricultural sector.
In light of the recent push towards alternatives like Beyond Meat and the changing landscape of food production. The shift towards plant-based meat alternatives is driven by several factors, including concerns about the environmental impact of meat production, animal welfare, and health. The production of plant-based meat alternatives requires less land, water, and energy than traditional meat production, and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the shift towards plant-based meat alternatives is not without its challenges. Some critics argue that these products are highly processed and may not be as healthy as advertised. Others point out that the production of plant-based meat alternatives requires the use of industrial-scale processing facilities, which can have their own environmental impacts.
Note that Bill Gates has invested in Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat alternative company, through his private investment firm, Cascade Investment LLC. In addition, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made sizable donations to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the past. According to the WEF website, the Gates Foundation is a strategic partner of the organization and has supported its initiatives on global health, education, and other issues.
In conclusion, the sudden push to ban urban farming, and the large-scale purchase of agricultural land by wealthy individuals needs to be considered with a healthy dose of scepticism when there is a concerted media push about carbon, restrictions on farming and the future of food production and sustainability.
