I am a member of an urban community garden. Its goal is not just to produce food, but to be a recreational amenity for city-dwellers. Because it wants to be accessible for future potential gardeners, it has concrete pathways and ramps, and raised beds, and is wheelchair accessible. All of these have intrinsic carbon, and mean that a significant area of the total lot is not actually used for growing food. Add to that that many of us gardeners are very inexpert, so yields are quite variable.
But I don't think kg of CO2e per kg of produce is the right way to evaluate this. The choice is not where we grow the same fixed amount of produce. Important questions include:
- what would have been done with the land if it weren't a community garden?
- what would those gardeners be doing with their time if not gardening?
- do those participating in the gardens / their friends/family eat more fruits or vegetables on net?
Comments
I am a member of an urban community garden. Its goal is not just to produce food, but to be a recreational amenity for city-dwellers. Because it wants to be accessible for future potential gardeners, it has concrete pathways and ramps, and raised beds, and is wheelchair accessible. All of these have intrinsic carbon, and mean that a significant area of the total lot is not actually used for growing food. Add to that that many of us gardeners are very inexpert, so yields are quite variable.
But I don't think kg of CO2e per kg of produce is the right way to evaluate this. The choice is not where we grow the same fixed amount of produce. Important questions include:
- what would have been done with the land if it weren't a community garden?
- what would those gardeners be doing with their time if not gardening?
- do those participating in the gardens / their friends/family eat more fruits or vegetables on net?