- Systemic changes
As a city experiencing rapid urbanization and soon to be the most populous in the world, Delhi offers a particularly relevant environment to study the integration of agricultural practices within a city. The project 'Delhi Agrocity (2050)' uses research and speculation to see how farmers and consumers could cohabit Indian cities and tackle food production challenges together.
This speculative project explores how spatial configurations in cities have the power to enable collective action — in this case, a symbiotic relationship between consumers and producers. How typological interventions enhance the role that built infrastructure and public institutions like farmer markets play in extending perspectives and ushering city-wide transformation.
Through the FA Platform, the project intends to demonstrate how forthcoming challenges around food, waste, water and energy can be tackled collaboratively — through transparency, comradery and care.
As of this moment, India witnesses a huge farmer protest with thousands setting up camp in Delhi to pressure the government to repeal the recent farm reforms. These new laws revoke market regulations which farmers have relied on for years and invite private corporations to modernise the Indian agricultural sector. Farmers unions have largely been excluded from the policymaking decision processes. (Photo via Twitter)
A new model — With farmers extremely marginalised and consumers unaware, the future raises critical questions for Delhi's food systems. The proposal imagines a future where farmers, businesses, policymakers, innovators, and consumers come together to face agricultural challenges. Urban agriculture invites farmers to move to the city, while giving urban dwellers opportunities to deepen their engagement with food production.
A place in the city — Freelancing farmers work directly with consumer groups to cultivate in parks, backyards and rooftops in return for salaries. Seeking better nutrition, consumers help out with land, resources and effort — sharing responsibilities and setbacks in case of poor harvest and crop failures. Peer to peer barter exchange becomes common, with automated blockchain platforms facilitating easy transactions.
Role of public infrastructure — Physical spaces in the city like vegetable and fruit depots’ (called mandis in Hindi) step in to act as interfaces between consumers and producers, enabling collaborations to catalyse a city-wide local food culture. The Urban Agriculture Institute serves as a place where different actors come together and form a shared ecosystem.
Delhi 2050 — Delhi’s masterplan incentivises public and private developments to offer cultivable areas, prioritizing agricultural land use. Farmer households moving to the city are able to continue pursuing agriculture as a source of livelihood while accessing urban amenities like healthcare, education, information technology. Delhi becomes a farming-friendly city with a flourishing locavorian culture and promises nutrient-rich diets to its dwellers.
