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Industry Brief: Green technologies for urban food production

26 July 2021

GreenCape has published a market brief looking at green technologies for urban food production. This work has been graciously supported by the City of Cape Town.

As the population grows and urbanisation continues, there is an increasing demand for jobs and natural resources such as food, water, and land. In Cape Town, the population grew by an average of 2% annually from 2010 to 2019, reaching 4.5 million people. In the Western Cape, this corresponds to about 65% of the population. Moreover, climate change is disrupting the food supply chain. Increased temperatures and water shortages threaten agricultural productivity, limiting the availability, accessibility, and quality of food.

Due to increased competition for (urban) land and climate change, green technologies and practices can offer specific benefits that enable more resilient and sustainable urban agricultural production. The use of green technologies and practices can mitigate against the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation.

The market brief highlights green technologies and practices that could enable more sustainable and resilient food production in Cape Town. It highlights technology options for intensive primary agricultural production which minimise resource use and food loss. 

The brief is written for:

Cities

  • looking for innovative urban agriculture solutions;
  • looking to support urban agriculture SMME growth opportunities

Urban farmers

  • looking for innovative urban agriculture solutions to intensify food production;
  • looking for innovation urban agriculture solutions to minimise resource use and reduce input costs

Entrepreneurs

  • looking to pursue viable opportunities in urban agriculture (agriculture production and green technology solutions)

To access the full brief, for free, click here.

For more info, contact the GreenCape agricultural sector desk, here.