Earth Day 2014: 10 groups working for greener cities
April 22 is Earth Day鈥攁n annual celebration of the planet鈥檚 biodiversity and an important opportunity to highlight solutions to some of the world鈥檚 most pressing environmental and social challenges. Through more than one billion pledges to buy local produce, start composting, eat less meat, reduce energy consumption, and many other actions, the聽聽is creating an international movement to protect the plant and secure a sustainable and healthy future for all.
The focus of Earth Day this year is urban revitalization through the theme of Green Cities. According to the United Nations, more than half of the world鈥檚 population lives in cities and by 2050 some 6.3 billion people will be living in urban areas. In addition, there are at least one billion urban farmers and gardeners around the world, providing food and nutrition to poor and wealthy consumers alike.
And urban agriculture produces more than just food鈥攆ood forests, gardens on rooftops, backyards, balconies, and city parks create green spaces for gardeners and eaters to gather, talk, and eat!
There are countless individuals and organizations across the globe working to promote urban agriculture and encourage investment in growing cities:
- organizes and hosts forums and events furthering positive and healthy nutrition practices that are sustainable for the planet. Additionally, BCFN produces publications encouraging responsible food choices on a personal level, such as the Double Pyramid which highlights diets that are conscious of human bodies and the planet.
- 聽conducts research on development options in regards to expanding, improving, and supporting agricultural and forest biodiversity. With increased biodiversity, food and agricultural systems can become more productive, efficient, and robust.
- 聽hosts Food Day, a year long venture culminating on October 24th and advocating for Americans to 鈥淓at Real,鈥� through education efforts, community festivals, and infrastructure adjustments aimed at improving diets, whole foods, and fixing the modern food system.
- , was founded by former professional basketball player and one of Time Magazine鈥檚 100 most influential people, Will Allen. Growing Power works to secure sustainable, affordable, and healthy foods for communities around the U.S.
- , the international peasant鈥檚 movement, amplifies farmers鈥� voices around the world and protects food sovereignty by creating sustainable food communities and agricultural models.
- 聽is an independent research and development organization based in Nairobi, Kenya. Its founder, Diana Lee Smith carried out the first survey of urban agriculture in Kenya in 1985 and has more 20 years of experience in research, policy, and advocacy work on urban poverty, gender, development, and environment issues. She recently highlighted work her at the Food Security, Agriculture and Livestock Forum and strives to improve urban farming in Nairobi.
- 聽is an independent think tank serving as a center of information, knowledge, and problem solving for pressing environmental and agricultural issues the planet faces today.
- 聽is a global network working towards improving sustainability and policy options to optimize modern urban life. RUAF鈥檚 work focuses on core ideas including; productive reuse of waste and wastewaters, city adaptation to climate change, food security and social inclusion, short food chains and local economy, and planning resilient urban food systems.
- 聽has a vision of local, community-oriented food away from the world鈥檚 industrial agricultural model. Slow Food hosts workshops and provides educational models of urban, small-scale agriculture and farming.
- , a global project on food loss and waste reduction, operates on four core tenets: awareness raising and collaboration efforts working to lessen food loss and waste reduction, policy, strategy, and program development through field studies, and support to investment programs and projects in both the public and private sectors.
I would love more suggestions about organizations you would like us to feature on Food Tank. Email me anytime at danielle@foodtank.com!
