Hello all,
Today lets discuss about a fresh topic- FOOD! We
are all exposed to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the market. We
have apples from Kashmir and Himachal, mangoes from Andra (banganapally,
neelam) and Karnataka (alphonso) ,litchis from Bihar and so
on. We also have Washington apples, New Zealand kiwis and China Pears in our markets. Fruit imports are growing at a rate of more than 25% each year. These foods travel hundreds of
kilometers requiring significant energy consumption for handling, storage and
transportation with a good amount spoiling during the course of travel. It is scientifically proven that fruits and
vegetables start losing vitamins and nutrients from the minute they are picked,
so long distance travel from other states leads to less healthy and nutrient vegetables and fruits.
We have always known the advantages and importance of Local
Food Production. Locally grown fruits and vegetables generally end up in our
hands at their peak of flavor because they are picked ‘in-season’. The only way
to get it any fresher is to grow it yourself! One can notice the difference in
the just-picked, mouthwatering taste of the fruits and veggies from local
farms. Not just the taste, consuming local food has lot of other advantages.
- By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their most freshest, most abundant, and least expensive.
- Supporting local food systems generally means less energy, emissions and food kilometers associated with our food.
- When you shop locally, it benefits the local farmers the most and help them sustain their livelihood.
These days, organic food is gaining importance with super
markets and online food apps having separate organic food sections. People are conscious
of what they eat. The negative effects of pesticides are increasingly gaining
attention and organic food is bought at
high prices. Also, these organic items have reduced shelf life and hence should
be consumed at source.
In this context, kitchen/terrace gardens have gained
prominence in urban households. I was
always fascinated with the idea of growing our own food at home. Growing up in Kerala where all
typical house has a kitchen garden with curry leaves, spinach, ginger , mango
trees, coconut trees, plantains etc, it was lovely to see you grow your own
vegetables and have it. As cities grew and there was a shift from independent
houses to flat system, these traditions started to wane. But high pesticide uses in farming should alert us to go back to
concept of terrace and balcony gardens. It
has lots of advantages.
- Organic food availability.
- Practical learning for children.
- Less energy use ( as compared to using food from far places).
- Green terrace – a positive environment.
- Enhances micro climate by increasing oxygen production.
In smart cities, terrace/balcony gardens should source a
portion of total food supplies of all citizens.
Planning is important in terrace gardens. Depending on the number of
people in the household and the space available on the terrace and climatic conditions
of that place, one can plan the terrace garden and achieve good yields.
I request all terrace/balcony gardeners to share information on their terrace/balcony
gardens so that we can adopt your good practices
in other parts of Pune as well.
EAT LOCAL… STAY HEALTHY, STAY GREEN!
 |
| My small balcony kitchen garden - Aundh, Pune |
*Check organic markets in Ludhiana here.
*There are organisations like iKheti (Mumbai), Edible routes (Delhi), Squarefoot farmers(Bangalore) who help in rooftop farming and related services.
anukuncheria@gmail.com
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