The comparison between urban agriculture and sports highlights their shared role in community engagement and economic value. By emulating the balance of community involvement and entrepreneurship seen in Australia’s sports culture, urban agriculture can create a resilient, culturally enriching ecosystem. Collaboration with conventional agriculture and innovative approaches are key to establishing a distinct path towards global food sustainability.
Contemplating the future of any human endeavour, like urban agriculture, can often be facilitated by drawing parallels with other fields. These comparisons, whether intuitive or the result of meticulous analysis, offer insights into potential trajectories. Urban food cultivation has garnered increasing interest within communities, attracting both lifestyle enthusiasts and those eyeing commercial opportunities. This trend mirrors the norm in various urban activities.
A striking 82% of Australians believe in the health and well-being benefits of sports, while an even higher 88% recognise its role in community cohesion. Notably, the economic value of sports in Australia is remarkable—each dollar invested in sports yields a seven-fold return through combined economic, health, and education benefits. Community sports participation generates an annual social capital value of nearly $19 billion, supporting 128,000 jobs and $3 billion in additional value from volunteer efforts.
These indicators reaffirm a sentiment that many suspected all along—sports constitute a significant part of Australian culture. One interesting aspect of sports as a community activity lies in its broad participation, a cue that urban agriculture and food production should consider for their future roles. The story of sport can be understood metaphorically as yin and yang. One part of sport is soundly grounded in community participation and another in elite level professional events that bring it all together. The latest such example is the Matildas euphoria.
Reflecting on sports, we discern a model that can potentially apply to the realm of food. Urban agriculture, like sports, can embody a yin and yang complementarity. The challenge lies in adopting this model effectively. Urban agriculture should embrace its quarter-century of community roots while collaborating with emerging entrepreneurial efforts that attract individuals to urban food cultivation. Recognising that urban spaces are contested, collaboration – despite potential adversities – is crucial.
The narrative of food in Australia embodies a new currency. Urban agriculture, a multi-layered asset, must be founded on robust governance and economic principles. It can serve as a platform for diverse community engagement, intelligent green spaces, biodiversity, and cultural well-being. Acknowledging that nearly 90% of Australians see sports as a community-building mechanism implies that urban agriculture should heed this sentiment. There’s a profound need for cohesiveness. Urban agriculture should reinforce its commitment to excellence, even if it remains a niche in Australia’s broader food production landscape. Collaboration with conventional agriculture, environmental considerations, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, communities, and the political system is essential. Influence stems from excellence.
Reflecting on Australia’s agricultural journey, we observe major themes such as innovation and adapting practices to soil resilience and changing climatic patterns. Understanding the importance of resilience in cities—embracing economic, social, cultural, and ecological aspects—creates a balanced ecosystem. Notably, urban agriculture draws a diverse range of participants, from tech-savvy individuals to ecological enthusiasts; each contributing unique perspectives.
The ongoing Parliamentary Inquiry into Food Security in Australia provides a starting point for contemplating the future of urban agriculture. Recognising food security as a priority, similar to other nations like the UK, emphasises its role in a resilient nation.
Various factors, from climate events to health emergencies and technological progress, can disrupt industries, including agriculture. Hence, the future of urban agriculture matters. However, it only matters as part of the broader food narrative. To make it effective, more thoughtful and inclusive dialogues are needed. Patience, education, and an entrepreneurial spirit are vital. As conveyed to the recent Food Security Inquiry, we could benefit from Charles Darwin’s motto: “Be careful and dare.”
It should not be forgotten that story of food in Australia has been evolving for a long time. Urban agriculture is a development. And it needs to be managed as part of the growth of our national story of food so that it does not become a disruption and a threat by accident and narrow thinking. Urban agriculture will, like all areas of human endeavour, face more disruptions and threats in the global economy. Therefore, those challenges need to be faced collaboratively and above all innovatively.
A potential starting point involves focusing on better education, sound policies, and realistic strategies for Australia’s food story. Those who’ve shared their narratives for a long time must continue to do so, while also embracing the emergence of new stories. Conventional agriculture, a cornerstone of the economy, should be preserved and nurtured for sustainable innovation. Urban food cultivation should dovetail with agriculture, urbanism, ecology and community, retaining its unique identity rather than imitating mainstream practices. By emphasising the narrative of food, urban agriculture can carve a distinct Australian path. And, while it’s tempting to adopt overseas models, caution is advised. Healthy competition underpins progress. By embracing competition as a guiding principle, Australia can cultivate an agricultural system with a distinctive approach, making it a global competitor—integral to a food-secure nation.
AUTHOR
Jelenko Dragisic is a co-founder of Gleanr and writes regularly about various aspects of resilience, strategy, and collaboration.
