Read at :
Urban container gardening empowers households to produce backyard food
Bong D. Fabe / Correspondent
(Part 4 of five)
BUT what really is urban container gardening (UCG)?
For its developer, it is a food-production system established in a limited space to serve as a nutrition garden of the household; a household activity that utilizes containers in growing fruits, vegetables and herbs for family consumption; the cheapest and healthiest way of food production as it utilizes household bio-waste as sources of fertilizers in growing crops; and a system that facilitates the utilization of household waste (including idle time) for productive activity.
“In short, it is an advocacy to democratize agriculture and empower households to participate in food production and ecological sanitation [Ecosan],” said Perfecto “Jojo” Rom of Davao City.
UCG is also effective since it enables households to practice intensive gardening method through maximum utilization of limited space; allows for intercropping (planting a variety of plants in one container) which ensures the health of plants due to diversity; conserves both soil and water since containers prevent runoffs of soil and excessive watering; makes use of urban wasteland (vacant lots, brown fields, unused parking lots, and roof tops); provides meaningful employment for persons with limited skills and formal education; a very inexpensive way of growing food; and gives household opportunities to embark on creative ways to recycle containers that otherwise would be thrown into landfills while re-using bio-waste materials as fertilizers thus reducing material waste thrown into the garbage dump.
“Container gardening, as I see it, is the only doable strategy of democratizing agriculture where people will now have a form of control in the area of food security. Through container gardening, social enterprises flourish and more jobs are generated and lessen migration to other countries. This will also result in lower incidences of food-borne diseases or illnesses,” Rom said.
(continued)
