An evaluation on urban agriculture practices in Sao Paulo and Istanbul

Urban agriculture, the cultivation of land within city limits for purpose of food supply, has been practiced from time immemorial as a source of food for the inhabitants of the cities, but has become a prominent subject of study in modern times, when the boundaries of city and countryside have become more identified and their distance more marked, urbanization has become more intense and citizens have started to experience unique difficulties in the quality of their life and the access to healthy food. It is often claimed that urban agriculture can solve the problem of hunger and food supply for large cities. This thesis aims to verify the effectiveness of urban agriculture in solving the problems created by modern urbanization by observing examples from two developing cities. This thesis questions the effectiveness of urban agriculture in large scale applications and looks for examples that urban agriculture can be an all-compassing solution to the problems of food supply and sustenance of the whole population of the cities. Urban agriculture is unlikely to turn any city or most households fully self-sufficient in all of the food which they may require. (Mougeot,2000) The thesis consists of two main parts, theoretical framework and case study developed in four sections. Section one consists of a general introduction with a brief summary of the current problems, and solutions and the methodology of the study. In section two, there is a brief introduction to urban agriculture and hypothesis found in much literature with recent examples. Sao Paulo and Istanbul have been chosen because there is a large literature on urban agriculture in developed countries but not in developing countries, and their size in poverty present specific challenges to the food supply to their citizens. Section three makes a comparison between Sao Paulo and İstanbul and talks about the urban agriculture activities in and presents urban agriculture examples from different parts of the city. In the last section, conclusions and recommendations are presented. Academic researches and the actual application of urban agriculture in practice seem to point out that full self-reliance of cities in food production is unlikely: apart from exceptional situation dictated by emergency in case of war, no example of selfrelying cities exist and the percentage of land required to be dedicated to food production would be so large that self-reliance, thou possible, does not seem the immediate purpose of urban agriculture. This research postulates that, on the other hand, urban agriculture, when well planned, can provide employment and relief to large part of the poorer population of large cities, in relatively large scale and in a continuous sustenance. High degrees of food self-reliance are easier to achieve at smaller scales (specific city districts, income groups, households) and for specific food items. (Mougeot,2000) In the case study, with this aim, this research examines urban agriculture in Sao Paulo and Istanbul, two exceptionally large cities in developing countries, with striking similarities in their challenges and potential. Istanbul, the oldest of the two, has experienced Urban Agriculture since classical times, and still preserves example that provide food supply and income generation for families of immigrants from rural Anatolia. For the purpose of this research, these sites have been visited and interview have been conducted with the actors of these gardens. The thesis confirms their endurance, but also how lack of planning and support, a non-sustainable model and missed cooperation between the private and public make the survival of these realities questionable. Sao Paulo has experienced large urbanization in much more recent times and in many ways has much larger problems of poverty and hunger than Istanbul. In such context the thesis has identified and researched at least one remarkable example, the NGO Cidades Sem Fome, offering a working model of urban agriculture that produces food supply and generates income for a sizable number of impoverished families in a sustainable and scalable project. This model not only survives but thrives and expands, and offers a model of development for other countries, potentially also Turkey. The thesis explored this reality with parallel interview and questionnaires with those of the gardens in Istanbul, and highlights their similarities but especially their differences. Therefore, the conclusion of this thesis is that urban agriculture might not offer an all-encompassing solution to the problem of Urbanization, but examples of simple urban cultivation can offer the possibility of food generation and self-sustenance, and access to healthier food, for the poorest inhabitants of the city. This can be achieved with good planning, private initiative, clear property rights and contractual obligations, and with the support if not the active involvement of the public sector.