Urban Agriculture: A Historical Overview and Marketing Strategies, Resúmenes de Inglés

¡Descarga Urban Agriculture: A Historical Overview and Marketing Strategies y más Resúmenes en PDF de Inglés solo en Docsity! HISTORY OF URBAN AGRICULTURE Thousands of years ago, proximity to food was essential for survival, and necessary for any type of growth or prosperity. Farming is what gave rise to the first cities in human history. Eridu, considered the first city to ever exist (it was founded over 7,000 years ago), was located in Mesopotamia, on the extremely fertile land nearby the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In the 1600s, the first European colonizers with help from the Native Americans, they learned their grow food within settlements. Throughout the modern United States history, the relationship between Americans and urban farming has fluctuated; there have been several resurgences of individuals and comunities growing their own food in economic depressions and times of war (First and Second World War)1, but in general, farming has been phased out of the cities and suburbs since the Industrial Revolution2 in the 19th century. At present, Agriculture supported by the community on urban areas and family farms located in metropolitan green belts and its limits is called urban agriculture, this includes the production, distribution and marketing of food and other products. In many countries, urban agriculture is still informal and sometimes illegal. In 2010 in Colombia, more than 10 institutions created The Interinstitutional Colombian Group of Support for Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (GIAUP), whose Executive Coordination is in charge of AGROSAVIA3; all this in order to contribute to improving food security, income generation, nutrition and health of the poorest and most vulnerable population of Colombian cities. Urban agriculture feeds around 900 million people in the world with some 220 million producers, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 1 (1914-1918) First World War; (1939-1945) Second World War. 2 (1760-1840) We call Industrial Revolution the fundamental change that takes place in a society when its economy stops being based on agriculture and crafts to depend on the industry. 3 Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation. before CORPOICA MARKETHING OF URBAN AGRICULTURE According to the FAO4, it is estimated that more than 90 percent of households dedicated to urban agriculture also conserve and store part of their production. A large part of the products of urban agriculture are destined for own consumption, while surpluses are sold in the local market. Agriculture is also a business, and it’s important to plan accordingly. The choice of a marketing option is one of the most critical decisions produce farmers must make. There are many marketing opportunities for urban farmers. The following resources provide more details about direct marketing and other strategies:  Certified farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): are often a point of entry for beginning urban farmers.  Roadside Stands  Cooperative Marketing Groups and Producer Cooperatives: groups of farmers can collaborate to address the many economic disadvantages that small-scale growers face due to increasing consolidation the industry.  Regional Marketing to address the issue of small farm viability: These organizations promote community education and facilitate business relationships between local producers and food retail enterprises.  Institutional Buying Arrangements and Farm to School Programs: direct sales to institutions such as schools and hospitals; these arrangements can secure stable markets for growers and provide institutions with fresh, locally produced foods.  Selling directly to restaurants 4 FAO: Organization of the United Nations for Agriculture and Food