Report of the KICS Sharing Session on Urban Agriculture on 8th August 2008

REPORT

KICS Sharing Session on Urban Agriculture
on 8^th August 2008

Centre for Education & Documentation and Academy of Architecture on behalf of Knowledge in Civil Society (KICS) organised a workshop on Urban Agriculture at Rachna Sansad, Academy of Architecture, Prabhadevi Mumbai. The event took place on 8th August 2008, Friday between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm. Lunch was organised for the participants at 1.30 pm.

CED designed the programme which was titled "Climate Changes Cities- recycle waste, grow food, save water" and invited the speakers. The invitations for the workshop were sent to around 200 persons selected from CED mailing list by email. Special invitations and posters were sent to architecture colleges, teachers from different colleges in the city, Notices and posters were also put up on Mumbai Mirror: Events columns, Academy of Architecture.

Notices were also put up on KICS website, as well as sent to the mailing list. Similar invites were sent to Karmayog mailing list, Clean-Up Mumbai campaign. Speakers and Special invitees were also contacted by telephone.

Ajay Nayak Managing editor, Indian Architect & Builder Magazine moderated the programme and gave his opening remarks.

The programme began with the screening of CEDâ€™s film "City farming".
Snehalata Shrikhande shared her experience of doing Urban Agriculture and composting. She explained how we can use of waste in the house, and convert it to food in the urban situation. She also highlighted the therapeutic and educational aspects of this activity in the city context.

Bharat Mansata who recently wrote a book "Organic Revolution" highlighted how Cuba after the collapse of the Soviet Union, were short of food, and how every little space in the city, was used to grow food, and that too without the use of chemical inputs which had been blockaded. More importantly, he stressed how urban communities shared the food grown, with urban poor.

Preeti Patil made a presentation of her effort on terrace garden at Mumbai Port Trust with the employees of the central kitchen. She shared some of her learnings on issues like pests, compaction of soil, her efforts at getting street children from the neighbourhood involved.

Valerie Fernando, an intern from RITIMO at CED made a presentation on permeable pavers. She highlighted how societies in Mumbai were paving their compounds and reducing the seepage of storm water into the ground, forcing the water down to low lying areas causing flooding. She also spoke of how this water could be harvested.

The presentation was followed by discussion.
Participants shared some details about how to compost, deal with pests etc.
-Workshops on urban agriculture and a mailing group has not resulted
in practice by individuals or any agency.
A professor of architecture said that the conventional studies and curriculum of present day architecture does not include such innovations and practical ideas. She felt that she could now include it, and draws on the resources of practitioners for this.

They suggested a site visit to the Urban Garden at Mumbai Port Trust. Some others felt that we could have a short three-hour workshop to share techniques of dealing with pests, as well as composting in small scale at home - perhaps in October or November.
Other suggestions included
Visit to Van-vani, Karjat
A sub-group on KICS on Urban Agriculture & Urban Environment.

Walter Mendoza concluded the proceeding with brief explanation about KICS, and a vote of thanks.

40 people were present for the sharing session The profile of the participants - students of architecture, Two or three teachers, a journalist, a few environmentalists, but more important a few middle class women who felt attracted to the idea of urban agriculture a way of cleaning up their wastes.

Annexures
1. Invitation
2. Notes
3. Preparatory Paper
4. Poster
5. Times of India article
6. Statement of Expenses incurred for the workshop