2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Urban horticulture comprehends everything from small community gardens to complex vertical farms. It brings together what has always been separated: agriculture and urban space. Although urban gardens may not be the one single solution to supply food for a growing global population, due to their potential to provide high yields in small, formerly unproductive areas, they have the capability to significantly change the world’s horticultural scenery. They stand for food sovereignty for unprivileged neighborhoods, healthy diets in big cities, low transport costs, efficient resource use, and mitigation of environmental impacts. It is an area of interest for absolute newcomers in horticulture and for local initiatives. Public institutions (schools, hospitals, or universities) represent potential markets. And: it is definitely an area of opportunity for horticultural consultants, nationally and internationally. This workshop deals with success stories of urban horticulture in developing countries, highlighting both the most recent developments and historic achievements. However, since this year’s conference is held in a truly cosmopolitan city, the workshop also involves fruitful initiatives from the urban areas in the USA, where university-community partnerships are growing all over the country. In detail, the workshop features eight presentations with examples from Japan, Senegal, Mexico, Iran, Tajikistan, Washington DC, Minneapolis, and Fairfax (Virginia). In a final group discussion round, the presenters interact with the audience: Questions from the audience will be taken and answered by a determined workshop speaker. Eventually, the audience and the speakers discuss the nature of successful urban farming projects.