Food is big business. This has lead to farms moving to more large scale commercial ventures, rather
than your local farmer supplying your store with produce. And people are noticing. There has been a sustained movement towards buying local over the last several years, such as the market Made in Madrid, a showcase for local farmers in Madrid, Spain. There has also been an increase in local markets as a showcase for what can be acquired relatively close to home.
This trend has been noticed by entrepreneurs, even locally in Madrid, who are coming up with a whole range of new and innovative ways for you get your food locally – right in the middle of the city. These ideas address the problem lack of space with solutions involving old shipping containers and vertical farms.
Speaking of which, a great success story is Sky Greens, the Singaporean
company that has come up with an effective method of farming vertically. This project is taking on the problem of increased population in Singapore and winning. Wouldn’t this be great in some of the old neighbourhoods of Madrid?
There is light at the end of the (hydroponic) tunnel. A growing trend in urban gardening is enabling us urban city dwellers to grow fresh produce in relatively small spaces.
Look out for your locally grown vegetables at a store near you soon!