Could city farming be a solution for Bangkok’s urban poor?

[Lite Beer]

Could city farming be a solution for Bangkok’s urban poor?
By Flora Bagenal

A group of nutritional experts say the trend could be harnessed to improve access to food for Thailand’s growing numbers of urban poor.

At first glance there’s nothing remarkable about the Laksi District Office building on the outskirts of Bangkok. The concrete building is like any other government office in the city, on a busy road surrounded by skyscrapers and a car park. But hiding behind its white brick walls on the seventh floor is a luscious rooftop farm, housing more than a hundred varieties of vegetables that could help the country’s urban poor.

The garden was set up in 2003 by a group of janitors who decided to use empty space on the building’s roof to grow food to take home to their families. In the 10 years since, it has blossomed into a fully functioning urban horticulture center, complete with trellises crisscrossed with vines and rows of potted herbs and spices. It covers an area roughly 4,000 sq. meters (about 4,300 sq. feet), that otherwise would be an expanse of unused concrete.

The guerrilla garden is one of several small city farms dotted around Bangkok. And now, a group of nutritional experts say the trend could be harnessed to improve access to food for Thailand’s growing numbers of urban poor.

“Historically, community gardens have served many functions in Europe. Bangkok could benefit in the same way,” says Robert Holmer, a German agriculture expert who is regional director of the World Vegetable Center.

Dr. Holmer was one of several authors of a new study carried out by Bangkok’s Kasetsart University and the University of Freiburg in Germany, which set out to assess Bangkok’s suitability for producing more fresh produce inside the city limits. In the year 2000, Bangkok’s population was 6.3 million, roughly 10 percent of the total population of Thailand. Today it’s ballooned to more than 9 million in the capital, 15 million with the surrounding suburbs.

Read More: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2013/0810/Could-city-farming-be-a-solution-for-Bangkok-s-urban-poor

--The Christian Science Monitor 2013-08-11

[sms747]

They are called allotments in the UK, people steal the produce, im sure they would here as well

[Bluespunk]

They are called allotments in the UK, people steal the produce, im sure they would here as well

Might be bit difficult to steal veg from a rooftop. This movement has worked well in the USA in a number of large urban centres. It's a good idea. I doubt it will be a solution for the urban poor, but could help those willing to put in the labour.

[jpeg]

They are called allotments in the UK, people steal the produce, im sure they would here as well

Congratulations! You win the prize for the first negative post on this thoroughly good idea

[Soi Sauce]

bak 2 skool for mafs agen. 4000 sq m = about 43,000 sq ft. duh!

[Rimmer]

Off topic reported post removed

[bigbamboo]

Good idea.... nice little rooftop garden. It could be very therapeutic after a stressful day avoiding the 'Like' button to get the deck chair out, pour a cold one and listen to England winning the Ashes again on Test Match Special.

And of course it won't be too long before they'll be able to grow rice at ground level in Bangkok anyway.

[IMA_FARANG]

Oh yes, it can be done.

Even in an apartment with a balcony or terrace you CAN grow things like herbs and small vegetables in pots for your own use.

All it takes is a little space, some effort on your part, and the willingness to work to do it.

But, "city dwellers" are trained from birth to go buy their "food" from a market .... and don't believe you could grow your own herbs or vegetables outside of their apartments.

Growing your own food is "weird" and "abnormal" .... because it stops you from being dependent of the market capitalist cartels for all your food.

And that means they can't totally control your life.

They don't like that idea.

(Guerilla Gardening)

One thing that amazed me in Ho Chi Minh City was that I could look out from my hotel and see many small gardens growing flowers and herbs on the roofs and balconies of buildings around me.

You don't see such a thing in Bangkok.

Edited August 11, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[sms747]

not negative just true, watched allotment wars on the bbc today, hilarious the lengths people will go to not only to steal but to ruin other peoples hard work. Are Thais any different? they even steal each other rice in the mrs village and crops from fruit trees, don't think a roof would make the stuff thief proof.

[ginjag]

Oh yes, it can be done.

Even in an apartment with a balcony or terrace you CAN grow things like herbs and small vegetables in pots for your own use.

All it takes is a little space, some effort on your part, and the willingness to work to do it.

But, "city dwellers" are trained from birth to go buy their "food" from a market .... and don't believe you could grow your own herbs or vegetables outside of their apartments.

Growing your own food is "weird" and "abnormal" .... because it stops you from being dependent of the market capitalist cartels for all your food.

And that means they can't totally control your life.

They don't like that idea.

One thing that amazed me in Ho Chi Minh City was that I could look out from my hotel and see many small gardens growing flowers and herbs on the roofs and balconies of buildings around me.

You don't see such a thing in Bangkok.

Roofs and balconies ???/ Apartments ???? All very good Ideas FOR THE BETTER OFF. the topic is URBAN POOR.

To my mind urban poor are the people that live in shacks-butting up to each other, along the canals, and under flyovers alongside rail tracks.

Urban Poor---they cannot do what the topic mentioned.

[OzMick]

Well they could try hydroponics suspended over some of the klongs, which seem to have plenty of "nutrients". Whether it would solve poverty is another matter, as it seems most of the country's poverty is caused by farming in plots too small to be economical and using medieval methods.

[rosst]

not negative just true, watched allotment wars on the bbc today, hilarious the lengths people will go to not only to steal but to ruin other peoples hard work. Are Thais any different? they even steal each other rice in the mrs village and crops from fruit trees, don't think a roof would make the stuff thief proof.

Consider yourself snubbed

[xen]

There is so much vacant land and empty rooftops , that could be used for the purpose of providing food for the urban masses but getting thru,over, under and between the bureaucratic hurdles will be the hardest part plus challenging the thai mindset .Food for free (after a bit of work) will also bring objections from local traders.

[Payboy]

Where can I apply to raise pigs on the roof of Siam Paragon?

[PoodMaiDai]

As if the wealthy are going to allow the poor roof access to their buildings.

Pipe dream. Sorry.

In theory it would work, but in reality, society is too divided here for this.

[Soi Sauce]

It is a wonderful idea, and so would all condos and apartments having window boxes.

Imagine how much cleaner the air would be with millions of flowers and plants soaking up the pollutants, not to mention the increase in the architectural aesthetics of a seriously ugly city.

Should be compulsory.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Soi Sauce

[CIHUAHUA]

What ever it takes to get good nutrition and alleviate some of the problems with poverty is a very wonderful thing. Eating good vegetables that you grow yourself is nourishing to the body and the soul. I believe that if people are encouraged to do the right thing, they will. Using small areas on top of buildings has good benefits like insect control.

[ginjag]

It is a wonderful idea, and so would all condos and apartments having window boxes.

Imagine how much cleaner the air would be with millions of flowers and plants soaking up the pollutants, not to mention the increase in the architectural aesthetics of a seriously ugly city.

Should be compulsory.

Topic Urban Poor

[seminomadic]

I agree with the supportive posts - more plants are desperately needed in this city, for the sake of filtering the rancid air as well as aesthetics. It would also encourage self-sufficiency and longer-term planning, something urban poor are surely not so adept at.

I also agree with the negative posts. The urban poor are all huddled under expressways rather than multi-storied buildings and building managers not to mention tenants cannot be faulted for not allowing non-paying tenants to go up to their roofs. I could imagine burglars excusing themselves "we were coming up to haa mahkeuathet and thought this room was where you got rooftop access"

That said, I don't think that the idea should be shelved. Give it a swing, see where it goes, fine tune on the fly and find some way for the successful to transmit their methods to one another. Maybe the media might think about pitching in there.

Edited August 11, 2013 by seminomadic

[Soi Sauce]

It is a wonderful idea, and so would all condos and apartments having window boxes.

Imagine how much cleaner the air would be with millions of flowers and plants soaking up the pollutants, not to mention the increase in the architectural aesthetics of a seriously ugly city.

Should be compulsory.

Topic Urban Poor

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

Edited August 11, 2013 by Soi Sauce

[tonneke breda]

Another thing they try to blame us foreigners for.

wait until the Isaan farmer knows about this, and they will ask to expel all foreigners with good ideas from the land

[PoodMaiDai]

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

And no one is stopping the poor living in shoddy apartments in polluted areas (or in any area) from making gardens without the media (ironically, in English) telling them they should. But then again, the poor are usually poor for a reason.

Instead they dump their garbage everywhere, including the waterways for those who live along the water. Most of these people live in complete filth, and much of it is of their own doing.

Perhaps they should first teach the poor how to clean up after themselves and how to property dispose of waste. Otherwise, any gardens they build will turn into trash dumps. And this is not a Thailand problem, it's the same world wide.

[harryfrompattaya]

As if the wealthy are going to allow the poor roof access to their buildings.

Pipe dream. Sorry.

In theory it would work, but in reality, society is too divided here for this.

I known the Hi So in Bangkok will be very glad to give the poor roof access if they asked. Most of all they can raise pig on the roof and feed them the garbage to eat. This way the rich and poor will save money

[sms747]

It is a wonderful idea, and so would all condos and apartments having window boxes.

Imagine how much cleaner the air would be with millions of flowers and plants soaking up the pollutants, not to mention the increase in the architectural aesthetics of a seriously ugly city.

Should be compulsory.

Topic Urban Poor

who neither have the space, nor the time for this fantasy.

[Soi Sauce]

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

And no one is stopping the poor living in shoddy apartments in polluted areas (or in any area) from making gardens without the media (ironically, in English) telling them they should. But then again, the poor are usually poor for a reason.

Instead they dump their garbage everywhere, including the waterways for those who live along the water. Most of these people live in complete filth, and much of it is of their own doing.

Perhaps they should first teach the poor how to clean up after themselves and how to property dispose of waste. Otherwise, any gardens they build will turn into trash dumps. And this is not a Thailand problem, it's the same world wide.

I was not aware that the urban poor visited a lot of Thai beaches, or is that the urbane mob?

[ishouldknow]

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

And no one is stopping the poor living in shoddy apartments in polluted areas (or in any area) from making gardens without the media (ironically, in English) telling them they should. But then again, the poor are usually poor for a reason.

Instead they dump their garbage everywhere, including the waterways for those who live along the water. Most of these people live in complete filth, and much of it is of their own doing.

Perhaps they should first teach the poor how to clean up after themselves and how to property dispose of waste. Otherwise, any gardens they build will turn into trash dumps. And this is not a Thailand problem, it's the same world wide.

For quite some time I have been reading your comments and I did like them. They were a bit cynical and did highlight issues here - they were valid, interesting and often gave me a smile.

However, you have lost a reader with your above post that shows you really do not care about the poor, innocent and those that are outside the system and not responsible for the sytem that you often criticise.

Poor for what reason? Because they are stupid? Lazy? Ignorant? DIRTY? Do not fight for your cause/battles? Try, they are poor because that is the maximum they have been able to achieve under limited resources in such a country...

You may not realize that garbage collection costs about 50-100 Baht per house - trivial for us, but for them???

Your handle here is pood mai dai (cannot speak) - maybe you should follow it!

Edited August 11, 2013 by ishouldknow

[ginjag]

It is a wonderful idea, and so would all condos and apartments having window boxes.

Imagine how much cleaner the air would be with millions of flowers and plants soaking up the pollutants, not to mention the increase in the architectural aesthetics of a seriously ugly city.

Should be compulsory.

Topic Urban Poor

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

1 Problem the people that reside here, if you got 1 % to have a go fine, but in these very cramped conditions, most wouldn't even think about it--the biggest problem being is buying the seed, and small plants, they would cost the earth and at the end of the day little if no rewards for the time spent. cheaper for then to go to the local market.

Their balcony's are full of junk. The only place as you say would be the roof, but it's used for washing and drying clothes, + getting them to be fair and share---near impossible. The topic looks o.k. and is a good idea for non poor. could work for a few but it won't change a city slum persons habits.

[winstonc]

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

And no one is stopping the poor living in shoddy apartments in polluted areas (or in any area) from making gardens without the media (ironically, in English) telling them they should. But then again, the poor are usually poor for a reason.

Instead they dump their garbage everywhere, including the waterways for those who live along the water. Most of these people live in complete filth, and much of it is of their own doing.

Perhaps they should first teach the poor how to clean up after themselves and how to property dispose of waste. Otherwise, any gardens they build will turn into trash dumps. And this is not a Thailand problem, it's the same world wide.

its not just the poor throwing there rubbish anywhere,seen plenty others doing it,unfortunatly,when your financially forced to live in shit,doesnt really inspire one to go all environmental,that old chestnut education,or leading by example,just saying.....

Edited August 12, 2013 by metisdead
Bold font removed, please stop posting using bold font.

[wpcoe]

A secondary benefit of rooftop gardens on otherwise bare concrete roofs is a reduction of the sun's heat being held by the roofs and released back into the cool night air and down into the top floor of the building. I recall reading an article about a city (New York?) where there was a measurable drop in temperature from the greening of roof tops. Another part of the green rooftop effort was painting non-greened rooftops white to reduce the heat-soak of the roof. People living in the top floor of a white-washed roof claimed the heat reduction in their living quarters was dramatic.

In Pattaya, aren't new highrises now required to have green areas on their roofs?

[ginjag]

There's a lot of poor living crammed into shitty apartments in highly polluted areas.

These apmts generally have a small balcony and flat rooves that can be used for the threads topic..

And no one is stopping the poor living in shoddy apartments in polluted areas (or in any area) from making gardens without the media (ironically, in English) telling them they should. But then again, the poor are usually poor for a reason.

Instead they dump their garbage everywhere, including the waterways for those who live along the water. Most of these people live in complete filth, and much of it is of their own doing.

Perhaps they should first teach the poor how to clean up after themselves and how to property dispose of waste. Otherwise, any gardens they build will turn into trash dumps. And this is not a Thailand problem, it's the same world wide.

For quite some time I have been reading your comments and I did like them. They were a bit cynical and did highlight issues here - they were valid, interesting and often gave me a smile.

However, you have lost a reader with your above post that shows you really do not care about the poor, innocent and those that are outside the system and not responsible for the sytem that you often criticise.

Poor for what reason? Because they are stupid? Lazy? Ignorant? DIRTY? Do not fight for your cause/battles? Try, they are poor because that is the maximum they have been able to achieve under limited resources in such a country...

You may not realize that garbage collection costs about 50-100 Baht per house - trivial for us, but for them???

Your handle here is pood mai dai (cannot speak) - maybe you should follow it!

Your a bit harsh, Most of which was posted from poodmaidai was correct, I could have replied like yours but the truth is there.

We can dismiss the elderly/dissabled/sick they are in need of help, the others of working age not much to say, only without help they have an uphill task but local corrupt officials could put some of that money into these said areas.

Speaking of garbage--it's rubbish in U.K. you also have to realize that having it collected is a lazy way, get money for it--yes even I do, aluminium,plastic glass, paper, people pay for it and collect free.

No good handing money to these poor people, local government assistance and encouragement. My thinking only-but you will not shut me up, like you told poodmaidai. the poster gave their opinion thats all.