2021 Declaration of Urban Farmers in Response to Climate Crisis
World Congress of Urban Farmers in Seoul, November 11, 2021
Since declaring the 1st year of urban agriculture in 2012, Seoul has promoted urban agriculture through policymaking. By hosting annual international exhibitions and conferences where diverse cases of urban agriculture were presented, Seoul advocated the positive impact of urban agriculture. The 2021 Seoul International Conference on Urban Agriculture marks the 10th anniversary, signifying the important role that urban agriculture plays in policymaking for establishing a sustainable city.
Followings are the positive impacts of urban agriculture:
Urban agriculture creates a sustainable food system within the city. Urban agriculture makes the chain of production, transportation, and consumption of food between urban and rural areas more efficient. It also creates a food system that is sustainable and is inclusive of all communities, demographics and social groups.
Urban agriculture transforms the city into an ecological space where diverse forms of life thrive. Urban agriculture promotes a lifestyle based on ecological awareness, leading to the restoration of the ecosystem.
Urban agriculture revitalizes communities by nurturing interdependent relationships. Urban agriculture fosters cultural diversity, restores the lost relationships amongst communities of all socio-economic classes, and reconnects people with nature.
Urban agriculture contributes to vitalization of the local economy by creating opportunities for employment in local markets. Urban agriculture invigorates the development of the social economy through various activities including the creation of jobs related to urban agriculture.
Urban agriculture improves the general quality of city life by transforming the lifestyle. Urban residents, by joining agricultural activities, learn to honor the cycle of nature and live an enriched life in harmony with others.
The wide spectrum of the activities of urban agriculture demonstrates the crucial role that urban farmers can play in resolving social conflicts and issues of the city. By integrating nature, humans, and other lives as an interdependent community, urban agriculture plays an essential role in realizing the 17 goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The UN-released report, Habitat III for an Inclusive Society (2016), also emphasizes the importance of urban agriculture in creating an inclusive society.
Global Challenges of Urban Agriculture
Now is the time for global urban farmers to take collective action in response to the global climate crisis.
The IPCC Climate Change 1.5℃ Special Report (2018) recommends 1.5℃ as the proposed limit of the global temperature rise instead of 2.0℃, the previously suggested limit by the Paris Climate Agreement based on before the start of the industrial revolution. The recently released 6th report of IPCC further calls for achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 instead of 2050, demanding the world to prioritize taking prompt actions to combat the climate crisis.
Chapter 5 of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (2019) states the important role that urban agriculture plays in improving the urban food security, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and adapting to the changes caused by climate crises.
The elevation of the climate crises further calls for the urban farmers around the world to actively promote the role of urban agriculture and expand the practice.
Role of Urban Agriculture in the Era of Climate Crisis
Urban agriculture contributes to carbon-neutrality of the city. By growing plants that absorb carbon dioxide, urban agriculture serves as a carbon sink. Urban agriculture provides a buffer for pollution by returning methane and carbon generated from various organic substances back to the soil. It conserves and protects biodiversity by creating a space where native species and various forms of life thrive.
Urban agriculture makes the city more resilient. Urban agriculture based on grassroots and community-based activities cultivates a sustainable and resilient city. By actively including the socially disadvantaged who are also the most vulnerable to the climate crisis, urban agriculture promotes cultural diversity and builds a cohesive community of cooperation. with the spirit mutual support.
Urban agriculture establishes a sustainable and just local food system. In the era of climate crisis, urban agriculture provides an effective way of responding to the negative impacts of the food crisis.
As urban farmers are dedicated to integrating agriculture in urban areas, we declare to take a lead in practicing solutions in response to the threats and catastrophes aggravated by climate crisis. We, as climate farmers who embody the wisdom of practicing a life based on mutual cooperation, call for an action to create a sustainable local food system for building a more inclusive and resilient city. As the ambassador of urban agriculture, we urban farmers would commit to ethical management practices that align with followings:
Make compost using discarded organic resources of the city to reduce the emission of methane and carbon dioxide.
Sequester carbon by regenerating the soil destroyed from the use of the fossil fuel-based materials and pesticides.
Transform the city into an ecological space through gardening with nature-based farming technologies that contribute to biodiversity.
Create a sustainable local food system in response to the imminent food crisis from the climate crisis and realize food justice.
Create educational opportunities for communities to learn and practice the lifestyle that mitigates the climate crisis.
Create an open and public community garden where everyone including the socially marginalized can access, and together create a life where the community heals and thrives.
Build a network of solidarity for climate justice through urban agriculture with other grassroots movements that work in response to the climate crisis.
We call on all governments to incorporate urban agriculture on an actionable policy level for planning a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable city that actively responds to the climate crisis. We request policies that strengthen the relations between rural and urban residents, protect people’s right to garden, foster and financially support grassroots movements for spreading urban agriculture.
We anticipate that converting public land use as community farms will take a strong root in the city, turning the city into a more ecological and transformative space to live. We support the solidarity amongst all urban farmers around the world in their proactive responses to the climate crisis. Let the global urban farmers work in solidarity to cultivate the city and the Earth into a more ecological friendly space.
Cultivate an Edible Landscape through Agriculture !
Reference
All Information about the past presentations listed blow can be found under Resources.
Presentations relevant to urban agricultural policy.
Jennifer Cockrall-King (Canada).’ Urban Agriculture Initiatives Around the World (2014),’ Christian Ulrichs. ‘Urban Gardening in Western Europe - Trends and Technologies(2014),’ Myeong-il Jeong (Korea). ‘Current Status and Main Results of Domestic Urban Agricultural Research for Sustainability(2014),’ Wan-sun Kim (Korea). ‘Seoul’s Choice of Urban Agriculture(2015),’ Sang-guk Lee (Korea). ‘Contribution of Urban Agriculture to the Spread of Public Values of Agriculture(2015),’ Dong-wuk Min (Korea). ‘Proclamation of the First Year of Urban Agriculture in Seoul(2015),’ Chang-rok Ko (Korea).’Seoul Urban Agriculture Master Plan and Future Vision 2.0(2015),’ Jong-suk Lee (Korea). ‘Perspective on the Seoul Urban Agriculture Master Plan 2.0(2015),’ Jyunhan Fan (Taiwan), ‘Embracing Diverse Farm City value(2017),’ Penelope Komites (France). ‘Urban Agriculture Policy in Paris (2018),’ Chang-woo Lee (Korea). ‘Urban Agriculture in Transition (2018),’ Jung-wuk Kim (Korea). ‘Urban Agriculture in the Era of Climate Crisis (2019),’ Gyung-Mee Gim (Korea). ‘Healing Effects of Farming and Social Values (2019),’ Chung-hyun Oh (Korea). ‘Agricultural Biodiversity and Social Urban Agriculture (2020),’ Michael Levenston (Canada). ‘National Strategy of Urban Agriculture (2020),’ Jun-hyung Lee (Korea), ‘Proposal for Seoul to Revitalize Social Agriculture in Response to Climate Change (2020).’
Presentations relevant to sustainable food systems.
Nam-hyuk Huh (Korea). ‘From Urban Agriculture to Food Policy (2013),’ Tae-geun Lee (Korea). ‘Urban agriculture and Food safety (2013),’ Bo-eun Lee (Korea). ‘We plant the farming in the city - Market with a talk, Marche@ (2014),’ Chun-mi Nam (Korea). ‘Gangsangangso, Produce in Gangdong Consume in Gangdong (2014),’ Kyong-su Lim (Korea). `From Exchange Value to Social Value of Food - An instance of Wanjoo Local food and Urbanrural exchangebusiness (2014),’ Greene Dean (Australia). ‘Urban Agriculture in Australia (2016),’ Scott Behmer (US). ‘Growing and Giving: Seattle Solid Ground (2017),’ Nick Rose (Australia). ‘Addressing the Australian Common Health Crisis: The Role of Urban Agriculture (2019),’ Martin Richard (US). ‘Bridging the Gap: The Role of Urban Agriculture in Enhancing Access to Healthy Foods in Kentucky (2019),’ Warren T.K. Lee (Thailand/FAO). ‘Urban Food System for Improving Diets and Nutrition (2019),’ Atsuhisa Emori (Japan). ‘Expansion of Daveru Communication to Meet and Exchange between Cities and Provinces) (2019),’ Eunja Kim (Korea). ‘Health from Healthy Food (2019),’ Hideyuki Watado (Japan). ‘Sustainable Food System: Nerima District (2020),’ Gaelle Bigler (Switzerland). ‘Public Procurement as a Tool to Support the Transformation of a Sustainable Food Circulation System (2020),’ Cecilia Marocchino (Italy). ‘The FAO Urban Food Agenda: building sustainable and inclusive Urban Food Systems (2020).’
Presentations relevant to ecological space in the city.
Hiroshi Tomiyama (Japan). ‘City Planning for the Ecological Life (2013),’ Shenglin Elijah Chang (Taiwan). ‘Capital Growth, Cabbage Growth: Urban Agriculture in Metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan (2013),’ Cheol-hwan Ahn (Korea). For a Sustainable City with Urban Agriculture (2014),’ Jin Park (Korea). ‘Current Status and Possibilities of Urban Beekeeping in Seoul and Korea (2014),’ Bjorn Low (Singapore). ‘Urban Farming in Singapore (2014),’ Willian Nichols (US). ‘Biodiversity as a Model for Urban Living (2014),’ Fujiho Hirata (Japan). ‘Unique Situation and Various Efforts for Matching Between Farming and Residential Land Use -Overview and Perspective of Japanese Urban Agriculture (2014),’ Ren Tomizawa (Japan). ‘Creating a Network of Local Communities of Co-ops in Urban Agriculture (2015),’ Jung-suk Choi (Korea). ‘Proposal for Improving Spatial Policy for Revitalization of Urban Agriculture (2015),’ Seung-man Baek (Korea). ‘About Architecture for Urban Agriculture (2015),’ Wan-sik Ahn (Korea). Wan-Sik Ahn (Korea). ‘Korea’s Urban Agriculture And Native Seeds (2016),’ Toshiya Kotani (Japan). ‘Utilizing Farmland in Urban Areas for Reducing Disaster Damages in Japan (2016),’ Francesco Faccin (Italy). ‘Honey Factory: Micro-architecture for urban beekeeping (2016),’ Marie Dehaene (France). ‘The Rise of the Paris Urban Agriculture Movement (2016),’ Chen Hai (Taiwan). ‘Guerrilla Spirit in Taiwan Urban Farming Context (2016),’ Sung-hoon Kim (Korea). ‘How to Integrate Biodiversity into Building? (2017),’ Young-hyeon Cho (Korea). ‘Vegetable Garden Structures Made with Mutual Support Structure (2017),’ Hortense Serret (France). ‘Gardening at work place (2017),’ Tom Kendall (England). ‘Designing for Growing (2017),’ Frauke Hehl (Germany). ‘Shape cities in the good way (2017),’ Vanessa Kwiatkowski & Mat Lumalasi (2018). ‘Melbourne City Rooftop Honey (2018),’ Robert J. Holmer (Germany). ‘Application of German Allotment Gardens to Growing Cities in Southeast Asia - Philippine Case (2018),’ Ng Jia Quan (Singapore). ‘Roof Gardening through Use of Insects (2018),’ Nahee Kim & Youngsuk Ju (Korea). ‘Future City and Urban Agriculture (2018),’ Chin-hung Liu (Taiwan). ‘The Design and Implementation of Chicken Coops in Urban Farms (2019),’ Matthanee Nilavongse (England). ‘Community and Arts, Incredible Edible Todmorden (2019),’ Junho Choi (Korea). ‘Urban Agriculture that Saves the Earth and Neighbors (2019),’ Moo-young Han (Korea). ‘WEFC Nexus (Water-Energy-Food-Community Nexus) Garden (2019),’ Nadina Galle (Netherlands). ‘The Internet Of Nature: Exploring the intersection of cities, technology, and ecology (2020),’ Josh Whiton (US). ‘The Technological Foundation For The World's First Decentralized Food System (2020),’ Luke Monteil (France). ‘Urban biodiversity and Property Labels (2020),’ Mike Maunder (England). ‘Urban Agriculture as a Tool for Building the Ecology and Identity of a City (2020),’ Soonyoung Hwang (Korea). ‘Current Status of Urban Beekeeping and the Role of Design (2020).’
Presentations relevant to community initiatives.
Sunhwan Min (Korea). ‘Gilhyeon Garden, Imagining the Unlimited Village (2013),’ Sun-jung Kim (Korea). ‘Hannae Garden for the Welfare for the Elderly (2013),’ Blaz Kriznik (Slovenia). ‘Urban Gardening in Slovenia: Continuity or a Recent Trend? (2014),’ Chen Yu Lien (Taiwan). ‘The Interaction Happened between Interest Communities and Place Making through Urban Agriculture in Taipei (2014),’ Eun Kyoung Gu (Korea). ‘What Do We Cultivate in an Urban garden?- By the Experience of Managing Seoul Mapo Community Garden (2014),’ Won-il Kim (Korea). ‘Warm Heart Dining Table, Happy Community (2014),’ Noh Soon-ho (Korea). ‘Social Communication of Urban Agriculture and Developmental Disabilities (2017),’ Shinya Takeda (Japan). ‘Community Organizing for Food and Breath Sovereignty (2018),’ Nick Rose (Australia). ‘Land-sharing to Enable Urban Agriculture: Connecting Old and New Australians (2019), Nari Jeon (Korea). ‘Urban Agriculture and Family Health (2019),’ Jeong-hyeon Ahn (US). ‘Cultural Diversity in Kentucky Urban Agriculture (Working with Immigrants and Refugees) (2019),’ Atsuhisa Emori (Japan). ‘Possibility of Relationship through Urban Agriculture: What’s Known via IburiGakko (smoked pickles) (2019),’ William LoSaso (US). ‘Community Gardens as Gateways to Sustainable and Resilient Communities (2020).’
Presentations relevant to local economy and employment.
Shenglin Chang (Taiwan). ‘The Taiwan Blue Magpie Tea: Tasting New Ruralism Social Enterprise Dream Re-connecting Rural and Urban (2014),’ Alex Bryan (US). ‘Urban Agriculture in Detroit: One Perspective of a Resilient and Sustainable Farm Business (2014),’ Hye Sook Baek (Korea). ‘Urban Agriculture in Detroit: One Perspective (2014),’ Christopher Leow (Singapore). ‘Urban Farms as a Social Enterprises: Edible Garden and Citizen Farm (2017),’ Bjorn Low (Singapore). ‘Job Creation and Urban Farming Particularly on the Creation of Jobs for the Mentallly Disadvantaged (2018),’ Adi Reza Nugroho (Indonesia), ‘Mushroom Cultivation Using Urban Organic Waste (2018),’ George Gardiner (US). ‘Detroit and Urban Agriculture (2018),’ Ng Jia Quan (Singapore). Roof Gardening through Use of Insects (2018).’
Presentations relevant to transformation of lifestyle.
Yasuyuki Fujimura (Japan). ‘Spend Less. Be Happy (2013),’ Mi-ae Lee (Korea). ‘Healing Garden (2013),’ Jin Jang (Korea). ‘Proposal for Vitalizing Seoul School Farm (2013),’ Hye-ran Nah (Korea). ‘Fragmentation Rises with Passion for Farming (2013),’ Jin Jang (Korea). ‘Growing Schoolfarm with School Community (2014),’ Hyun-ji Ahn (Korea). ‘Green Farm with Plants and People (2014),’ Ho-gyun Cheon (Korea). ‘Farming is Art (2014),’ Marco Clausen (Germany). ‘Prinzessinnengarten and Neighborhood Academy Berlin (2016),’ Sara Epstein (US). ‘Children's Garden Programs at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (2016),’ Bjorn Low (Singapore). ‘Citizen Farmer - Empowering everyone to farm (2016).’ Andrew Tsui Ka (Hong Kong). ‘Transforming Cities with Sustainable Lifestyle (2016),’ Park Jung-ja & Ha Mi-hyun (Korea). ‘Marketplace where Farmers and Chefs Meet (2016),’ Sun-hong Park (Korea). ‘Macrobiotic Cuisine Resembling Nature (2017),’ Inose Kohei (Japan). ‘Agriculture, Art and Work: Welfare Farm (2017),’ Ming-Hsien (Taiwan). ‘DIY Beeswax Lip Balm and Beeswax Food Wrap (2017),’ Greene Dean (Australia). ‘- The Benefits of Urban Farming for an Aging Population (2017),’ Sheng-Yu Huang (Taiwan). ‘Kaohsiung in Transition Period: City-farming and Aging Society (2018),’ Huan-Ching Yang (Taiwan). ‘Urban Poultry Contributes to the Welfare of the Elderly (2019),’ Mathanee Nilavonse (England). ‘Foraging at the Incredible Edible (2019),’ Sarah Ann Rodriguez & Marketing and Rebecca Neo (Singapore). ‘Edible Dye Art Workshop (2019),’ Bjorn Low (Singapore). ‘The Emergence OF A New Agriculture Paradigm (2020).’