Touch the Soil News #1952 (Feature Photo – Urban Farming at the Town Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka – (Photo courtesy of International Water Management Institute)
Sri Lanka is an island Nation of over 22 million people in the Indian Ocean. About 35 miles from India, this nation recently experienced a dramatic economic crisis in the aftermath of the now infamous supply chain kinks – threating many lives. The nation went from 9 percent food insecurity to 32 percent food insecurity in 2022.
Facing multiple economic challenges from a depreciated currency, supply chain kinks and problems with its mainstream agricultural production, the nation is turning to urban agriculture. In the city of Colombo, the nation’s executive and judicial Capitol, Sri Lanka leaders are acting. They are encouraging schools and residents to cultivate every inch of unused bare land, home gardens, balconies and rooftops to fight back against food insecurity. To inspire the public forward, the government turned the land in front of the Town Hall into urban farming. You can read the full story here: https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/urban-agriculture-during-economic-crisis-lessons-cuba-sri-lanka-and-ukraine
One must ask the question: Should governments (including local) of larger nations develop their urban farming infrastructures in the light of the predictable economic volatilities? Since 1797, the American economy has experienced a recession, depression, financial panic or crises on an average of once every five years. Yes, our resilient nation survives, but it could avoid a lot of pain and discomfort.
