Where are the vegetables that I eat coming from? Who grows them and how? And how many days old are they by the time that I consume it? The answer is likely to be anything from two to five days old – is that fresh enough for your fresh vegetables? How much of pesticide use did you approve in your vegetables and fruits? Every type of vegetable has hundreds or sometimes thousands of varieties. With so many different types of cabbage, how come our supermarkets don’t feature them? If there are so many varieties of tomatoes, how come we have access to only 2-3 varieties over the year? If the advantage of markets is choice, how come we just don't see CHOICE? It is slowly becoming apparent that food systems in urban places requires a massive overhaul. After several experiments with farmers and on our own urban organic farm (www.yogifarms.com), we have developed conceptual model that addresses the concerns associated with the current food system. This Alternative Food Network (AFN), looks at connecting organic kitchen gardeners, small farmers and customers, with the primary focus on quality of nutrient content of the food. This talk will provide an insight into the conceptual model of AFN and particularly, emphasize on the role of the kitchen gardeners, as one of the main stakeholders of the network. Based on our research of examples of food sufficiency models (such as those in place in Cuba), we will share our experiences of urban food gardening: its successes, trials and tribulations. In the end, this is an opportunity for you to learn through our experiences about what it means to enjoy farm-fresh meals, access to tastier varieties of ingredients and better health through active and informed food choices.

1. Can
Kitchen Gardening help
avert an Urban Food
Tragedy?
Presented by Karan Manral and Yogita Mehra

2. Every story has a beginning.
This one began when we
stopped believing the urban
myth of “good food”

3. Any Evidence?
• Just ask grandma…she’s always
complaining about the ingredients.
• Why do mangoes and other fruits
nowadays seem so tasteless?
• What’s all this about the about
pesticides inside our food.
• Why despite our increasing education
about nutrition, are we seeing more
food related diseases?

4. All good research should
begin with asking the right
question.
• Why does food quality suck?
• Does food quality really suck?
• Does food quality suck everywhere?
• What is food quality?

5. The urban consumer?
• By and large, in urban situations (in our generation),
no one really seems to know.
• Less and less people cook themselves, and most are
eating out, or using food “products”
• As more people buy in “supermarkets” instead of
“markets”, there seem to be less opportunities for
comparison

6. BUT,
Food is
now our
blind spot
URBAN
QUALITY?

7. ALL URBAN FOLKS
WANT TO KNOW
ABOUT FOOD

8. TRUTH IS…
WE ARE LARGELY
IGNORANT OR
UNCONCERNED ABOUT
FOOD QUALITY, AND
AREN’T DEMANDING IT
FROM PROVIDERS.

10. We don’t have a clue
about natural ingredients
and almost no one can
even understand the
artificial ones…

11. What quality of
food is currently
available to us??
NO ADULTERATION:
C-
GREAT FLAVOUR:
C
GREAT FRESHNESS:
D
Great VARIETY:
B
Great AMBIENCE:
A+ Great HEALTH:
C
Great CONVENIENCE:
A

12. The Consensus:
There isn’t much that we
can do about it.
The problem is universal…

13. MYTH NO 1.
The Food Quality Problem is Universal
NOPE, ITS LARGELY AN URBAN PROBLEM. FOLKS IN VILLAGES GET
MUCH BETTER QUALITY.
MYTH NO 2.
The Problem is the market
UMMM…THE MARKET USUALLY PROVIDES WHAT WE ASK FOR,
UNLESS WE LET IT DECIDE FOR US.
MYTH NO 2.
We can’t do anything about it…
WRONG AGAIN. SOME IDEAS FOLLOW…

15. The Farmers
The Traders
US

The Retailers
The Supermarkets
Restaurants
The Status Quo: What’s happening now?
Waste?
Freshness
lost?
More
costs?
Quantity
above
quality?

16. Freshness?
Greater
convenience
Varieties
with great
taste?
Lower prices?
Making
things
available out
of season
Health?
RE-THINK:
WHAT DO WE
WANT FROM OUR
FOOD?

17. MAYBE
FOOD
QUALITY
IS…
LOCAL
(Fresh)
ORGANIC
(Health)
MUCH MORE
VARIETIES
(Stimulating)
REAL
/SLOW FOOD
(Retain
nutrition) NATURALLY
RIPENED
Taste and
health)

18. How can we
change the quality
of our food? Can
we?
NO ADULTERATION:
Buy from a trusted source –
who could this be?
GREAT FLAVOUR:
Buy from a discerning
grower, where can we find
them?
GREAT FRESHNESS:
Buy from a source close by
so freshness is a given.
Great VARIETY:
Demand quality from
your food vendor so he
goes out to seek it
Great AMBIENCE:
This is possibly the
easiest to achieve, in
urban settings
Great HEALTH:
Stick to seasonal, organic
food producers so
pesticides are eliminated

19. Organic City farms in Cuba

20. Farmers Markets in France and US?

21. NYC Rooftop farms
© Brooklyn-Grange

22. MOST COMMON
QUESTION
Why is organic
food so
EXPENSIVE?
Needs a
separate supply
chain
Certification is
Expensive
Its Supply vs
Demand
FACT:
Its NOT more
expensive to grow
organic (except at
industrial scale)

23. FRESH AND NON PERISHABLE
Photos by American photojournalist Peter Menzel

24. OPTION NO 1: Scour the Market
Develop a relationship with “your vendor”
US Farmers who
are producing
what we want
Quality
sensitive
veggie vendor
at the
“markets”
The Traders or
Wholesalers
DEAD END
Not geared for
freshness and
organic – it’s a
market of scale
primarily

25. OPTION NO 2: Buy from the organic store
Look to organic specialists for a solution
US Organic
farmers who
produce what
we want
Organic Store
that retails
only organic
produce
FACT:
Certified organic
produce is expensive,
mostly non-
perishable and can
we trust it?

26. OPTION NO 3: Befriend the Farmers Group
Convince farmers to provide you with produce
US Farmers who
are producing
what we want
Farmers
groups or
NGO’s who
link many
farmers
FACT:
There is
unfamiliarity and
communication of
needs is
complicated

28. Small
“farmers”
within
100 km

US
OPTION NO 4: The Food Triangle
Connect with Small Growers you Trust
Small urban
in-city farms
and gardens
Quality over
Quantity
Outsourcing
your food needs

30. How about growing your
own food? Possible?
(Yes, if you look at it as a fundamental and
necessary skill)

31. Organic Kitchen Gardens
© The Hindu

32. Cabbage

33. Brinjal

34. Lettuce

35. Tomatoes

36. Chinese Cabbage

37. Red Radish

38. Broccoli

39. Cauliflower

40. Zucchini

41. Spring Onions

42. Zucchini

43. But what can YOU do to
fix it for yourself..?
(collaborate – if we lead the
market will follow)

44. The Farmers
The TradersUS

The Retailers
The Supermarkets
Restaurants
Join hands
with
Kitchen
Gardeners
CHANGING THE MODEL:
Creating an Alternative Food Network (AFN)
Form
Organic
Consumer
Groups
Better
Taste!
Better
Health!

47. It’s already
happening in India
(and in your
countries)
…NOW

50. © Uma Hoysala

51. © Uma Hoysala

54. © Abdul Nassar

56. © Windowfarms TM

59. Perhaps you can
play a role too…?

60. bon appétit
(enjoy your food)