Energy

80% of the energy in America’s food system goes to processing, packaging, transporting, storing, and preparing food. Produce in the U.S. travels, on average, 1300 - 2000 miles from farm to consumer. (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)

With consumers' increasing awareness of 'food miles' and the 'true cost' it takes to produce their food, preference is shifting towards local, sustainable agriculture.

Pollution

U.S. agriculture as currently practiced emits a total of 1.5 trillion pounds of CO2 annually into the atmosphere. (Rodale Institute)

Combating global warming depends on creative solutions to large scale problems. Urban agriculture in controlled environment greenhouses dramatically cuts down on CO2 emissions because it doesn't rely on farming open fields or long distance transportation.

Population Growth

More than half the world's population, 3.3 billion people, live in towns and cities, a number expected to swell to almost 5 billion by 2030. (U.N. Population Fund)

If we're to feed the world sustainably, now and in the future, we need to grow food closer to where it will be consumed: cities. If we don't, vital ecosystems worldwide will have to be replaced with farmland needed to feed our growing population.

Oil

"We have an entirely oil-based food economy, and yet oil is running out. The impact of that on agriculture is one of the drivers of the volatility in the world food commodity markets." (Tim Lang, UK Food Council)

As the world has already seen, when the price of oil goes up, the cost of food goes up. Urban farms drastically reduce the distance from farm to fork and don't rely heavily on petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides.

Economy

Every dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When consumers buy imported goods, money leaves the community at every transaction. (New Economics Foundation in London)

Closing the loop makes good economic sense: by supporting local agriculture we will keep our money recirculating in the local economy. Plus, local food is fresher, tastes better, and makes us more secure than relying on imported food.

Water

70% of all available freshwater is used for agriculture. Overpumping of groundwater by the world's farmers exceeds natural replenishment by at least 160 billion cubic metres a year. (UNESCO)

The time has come for us to become better stewards of this most precious of natural resources. Representing less than 1% of all water on Earth, freshwater is essential to all life, and we can no longer afford to waste it.