Urban Agriculture Symposium in Berlin (2000)

From the archival site of the Urban Agriculture Symposium which took place in Berlin in 2000. The outcome of which should surely provide references and resources for our upcoming Grow Lab.

http://www.cityfarmer.org/symposiumBerlin.html

"Most of highly developed ancient societies benefitted from the advantages of urban gardens. Modern societies, though much more urbanized, generally forgot about this rich culture. Only very recently, faced with increasing poverty and ecological degradation, the potentials of Urban Agriculture and Horticulture are being rediscovered.

The advantages of Urban Agriculture are manyfold: better nutrition, less loss of food from transport and storage, poverty reduction through income opportunities and possible home production, education leisure, and - last not least - a greener city with all its ecological benefits.

Hence, international Development Agencies are establishing special investigation into the issue, and new University careers in the subject have recently been opened in the Americas and elsewhere. A quick search in the Internet will provide hundreds of links under the term 'Urban Agriculture'. However, the practical implementation of the concept still remains an uncoordinated practice in most cities and its smooth integration into modern urban life and planning requires more research, ingenuity and mediation between the stakeholders involved. The objective of this symposium is to update and compare the link between research, practitioners, trainers and supporters. Special emphasis will be put on placing Urban Agriculture, which in the past was predominantly discussed between agronomists and economist, on the agenda of Urban Planning, Housing and Landscape Design, too."