A COMPARATIVE FIELD STUDY ON URBAN FARMING PRACTICES IN THE WARM-HUMID REGIONS OF INDIA

Urban Farming (UF) as compared to its conventional counterpart is a highly intense method of farming. As the global population shifts towards cities, UF may be seen as a necessary alternative to meet the rising demands for food since essential resources are easily accessible in cities. By controlling the environmental factors, this method allows the farmers to produce crops throughout the year. However, UF practices in Indian cities remain under-reported in scholarly works. In this context, the authors investigated twenty-five existing UF practices in eight Indian cities of the warm humid climate zone. A literature-based theoretical framework was first prepared to identify the required sets of data and design the interview questionnaire. Data was collected through a primary field survey, first-hand observations, photo documentation, and in-depth interviews with the practitioners. Three types of farms were found - personal, community, and commercial farms. The main resources used in farming, various techniques adopted and vegetable choices including yield were closely examined. Techniques like semi-soil-less and soil-less farming, preparation of various growth media, nutrient sources, compost types, and waste decomposers were noted. Annual average water and energy consumption per unit area of farming were assessed, which were found to be 1135.67 litre/m 2 /year and 56.06 kWh/m 2 /year across all farm types. The annual average yield of the farms was also recorded. The annual average water and energy efficiency of the farm productions were found to be 58 litre/kg and 1.93 kWh/kg. The commercial farms were more water-efficient with higher yield compared to the other two classes, while the personal farms were the most energy efficient. These findings are presented in this paper to understand the functionalities and merits of UF in the Indian context.