Small Scale Soil-less Urban Agriculture in Europe

This Monograph focuses on the new approaches that urban agriculture offers to grow food in cities. The author paints a dynamic picture of soil-less and indoor techniques that are currently emerging. A growing number of small scale community-led and entrepreneurial initiatives are using such techniques for diverse objectives: to increase resource efficiency; to strengthen food security; to educate and inform or to exploit new market opportunities. The described studies demonstrate how technologies that are typically used in high-tech food production can also be harnessed in small projects to generate social and economic benefits at a local level.

The author puts a focus on three aspects: to outline the context within which small scale soil-less urban agriculture is developing in Europe; to give an overview of the state-of-the-art of projects focusing on this area through case study analysis and to elaborate on emerging questions. Such questions include: is the use of soil-less urban agriculture changing the relationship with, and perception of, what is natural and sustainable for urban farmers and small enterprises working in this sector? What is the perceived potential of these soil-less and indoor forms of urban agriculture to meet environmental, social and economic goals?

By answering these and other questions, the volume is a valuable resource for researchers in agriculture and sustainability, as well as urban farmers.

Auteur

Silvio Caputo is a UK-based architect and academic investigating urban resilience, urban green infrastructure and sustainable food planning. He is interested in the dynamics through which urban food growing modifies the urban landscape and the functionality of urban spaces, influences patterns of land use, utilises urban waste as an input and technology, and catalyses social innovation. He has published articles in high-impact journals, and co-edited and co-authored books.

Contenu

Chapter 1. Introduction.

Chapter 2. Recent developments in urban agriculture.

2.1 - Community-based urban agriculture

2.2. - Metabolic urban agriculture

2.3 - Experimental urban agriculture 2.4 - Profiles of gardeners

Chapter 3. The broader debate on Science, Technology, Society and Food.

3.1. Overview

3.2. Policy and the promotion of Science and Technology

3.3. New approaches to the production of technology

3.4. Technology and food production

Chapter 4. Histories, techniques and technologies of soul-less cultivation.

4.1. Hydroponics.

4.1.1. Introduction

4.1.2. Modern hydroponics

4.1.3. Hydroponic systems: functioning and technologies

4.1.3.1. Nutrient solution

4.1.3.2. Ph

4.1.3.3. Oxygen and temperature

4.1.4. Types of hydroponic systems

4.1.4.1. Deep Water Culture

4.1.4.2. Nutrient Film Technique

4.1.4.3. Aeroponics

4.1.4.4. Vertical farming

4.1.4.5. Flood and Ebb

4.1.5. Types of simplified hydroponics

4.1.6. Productivity

4.1.7. Policy context

4.1.8. Market context

4.2. Aquaponics.

4.2.1. Introduction

4.2.2. History

4.2.3. Aquaponic systems: functioning and technologies

4.2.3.1. Filters

4.2.3.2. Biofilters

4.2.3.3. Temperature and other factors

4.2.3.4. Animal wellbeing

4.2.4. Coupled aquaponic systems

4.2.5. Decoupled aquaponic systems

4.2.6. Productivity

4.2.7. Policy context

4.2.8. Market context

4.3. Mushroom Farming.

4.3.1. Background and history

4.3.2. Mushroom farming: functioning and technologies

4.3.2.1. Spawning

4.3.2.2. Substrate sterilisation

4.3.2.3. Climate control

4.3.3. Environmental efficiency, productivity and market context

Chapter 5. Methodology of the study: how success is measured.

5.1. General methodology

5.2. Scope of evaluation

Chapter 6. Case studies. 6.1. El Milagro de los peces

6.2. Asociacion Huerto Lazo

6.3. Real Food Wythenshawe / Geodome

6.4. UGH / Die Urbanisten

6.5. Mangrovia Scicli

6.6. Bioaqua Farm

6.7. Smart Farmers

6.8. GROWx 6.9. Farms that closed.

6.9.1. Unit 84 / GrowUp Urban Farms

6.9.2. Bristol Fish Project

6.10. RotterZwam 6.11. Small mushroom farms

6.11.1 Trueffelwerk 6.11.2 Containing mushrooms

6.12. Educational organisations

6.12.1. Sow the City 6.12.2. Hemmaodlat

Chapter 7. The web community of soil-less farmers: a case study (authors: Valentina Manente and Silvio Caputo).

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Methodology and results

7.3. Discussion

7.3.1. Practical motivations

7.3.2. Quality of food produced

7.3.3. Relationship with technology

7.3.4. Commercial reasons and other observations

Chapter 8. Discussion: analysing the case studies and the wider phenomenon of small scale soil-less urban agriculture.

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Motivations

8.2.1. Education

8.2.2. Self-supply 8.2.3. Commercial motivations

8.2.4. Sustainable food production

8.2.5. Environment

8.2.6. Technology

8.3. Outcomes

8.3.1. Small enterprises

8.3.2. Community-led projects

8.4. Productivity

8.5. Environmental performance Chapter 9 - Conclusions and future steps.

9.1. Context 9.2. Technology

9.3. Agricultural industry 9.4. Urban agriculture and soil-less technologies

9.5. Urban soil-less future scenarios 9.6. Unnatural

9.7. Small and big, urban waste and final remarks.