News and Society Blog-Economics: Tackling Food Security ...

In the midst of "The Great Recession" and muddling through a sluggish recovery, cities across the U.S. are tasked with developing creative solutions to the inevitable societal side effects-side effects like joblessness, vacant/neglected properties, and hunger (to name a few).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2012 report shows a national unemployment rate of 8.2% with the highest rates among teens, Hispanics, and African Americans. In November 2011, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported a nationwide increase in vacant properties of more than 51% between 2000 and 2010. And according to the February 2012 report published by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), food hardship for people across the nation is the highest in years-particularly in metropolitan areas across the U.S. These grim economic facts are made even more stark by the reality of current global economic instability, making the phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" all the more relevant.

City governments (and the residents who elect them) are in a unique position to either encourage or discourage vibrant local economies through the policies, codes, and ordinances they write and pass. As the national dialogue about local food and local economies continues to evolve, city governments wield significant power-particularly as it relates to land-use policy.

Currently, in most cities across the nation, city ordinances discourage or prohibit agriculture as a recognized land use. There's never been a better time, given our current economic environment and food hardship situation to reevaluate these policies. By rewriting or amending land uses to include urban agriculture, cities open the door for an increase in food production & availability, economic development & jobs, and improved neighborhood beautification & property values as vacant lots are transformed into beautiful gardens.

A handful of cities recognize the multi-faceted benefits of urban agriculture and are leading the way in developing land use plans that reflect these priorities. Since 2005, more than 16 major cities across the U.S. have included urban agriculture in their land use plans-some more aggressively than others. In most cases cities are beginning to formally recognize the value of community gardens and tailgate markets to their city's vitality. And though these are steps in the right direction, more aggressive action is needed to truly realize the economic and social potential urban agriculture has to offer.

One city-Cleveland, OH-is taking the lead in breaking the mold and aggressively promoting urban agriculture through their land use plan. In 2007, Cleveland created the Urban Garden District as a zoning classification-restricting use of land in this zoning district to urban agriculture activities. As more and more cities move to recognize the importance of agriculture and agriculture enterprise within the city limits, the national dialogue will continue to broaden and deepen-and rightly so.

It's important to keep in mind that not all zoning is good zoning when it comes to urban agriculture. In some cases, the restrictions that city planners and politicians impose restrict size, structures and activities in such a profound way that the policy essentially prevents what it is trying to achieve. As with any policy that affects the residents of a particular area and business of a particular type, those residents and businesses should be consulted as the policy is developed.

As cities continue to evolve and respond to the needs and pressures of an unstable global economy, a stagnant national economy, and increased uncertainty in the arenas of food security and environmental sustainability, they are challenged to think creatively and solve multiple problems simultaneously. By changing land use policy in such a way that encourages increased food production, additional agriculture jobs, and neighborhood beautification, cities will be ahead of the curve.

References:

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2011, November). VACANT PROPERTIES-Growing Number Increases Communities' Costs and Challenges. (Publication No. GAO-12-34).

Center For Disease Control. (2006). Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development.

Food Research and Action Center. (2012, February). Food Hardship In America 2011. Retrieved from FRAC data and publications database.

U.S. Dept. of Labor. (2011, June). The Employment Situation May 2012. (Press Release). Retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Safi Mahaba is the community garden manager in the Burton Street Community of West Asheville, NC and is passionately working on issues of food security and affordability in her larger community. Safi is also currently enrolled in the Master's Degree in Entrepreneurship Program at Western Carolina University. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as this article in its entirety, author's information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2012 by Safi Mahaba.

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