Roshini Pushparaj

Food and the City

Urban Dwellers and Farming in Bengaluru City
As we distance ourselves from the notion that city dwellers do not associate themselves with farming, we are yet left with the question of “What farmlands are possibly present within the city?”. The imminent answer is definitely to move outskirts, as with Bengaluru, but this does not directly translate to an urban Indian picking up the plough and getting to work. This paper aims to indulge in a detailed study of what farming for an urban dweller entails - by exploring the various techniques and decisions the urban Indian makes regarding conventional agriculture. It talks about the agricultural land-owning clause of the Karnataka state and the choice of crop and trade network a land-owning urban dweller will have to associate with. The selection of agricultural methods and irrigation will also be discussed in this segment. This paper aims to observe patterns of city dwellers concerning Urban Farming and establish their preferences. After understanding the trend of farming of urban dwellers in and around Bengaluru city, the paper will also elucidate how those who do not fit under those clauses reach out through multiple methods around it (i.e., roof farming, vertical farming, agrarian land ownership, lease, conglomerate involvement, etc.). The research will also encompass discourses on organic produce and organic farming, looking at the various ways it is achieved. By questioning the ulterior motive of the Urban Indian in the domain of agriculture, we also aim to uncover the involvement of the Urban dweller and their knowledge of healthy, sustainable food. Keywords: Urban Farming, City-dwellers, Organic farming, Sustainable food, land ownership Introduction