It is estimated that by 2030 AD nearly 50% of the world’s
population may live in urban areas. As a consequence of this
many millions of acres of productive farmland are expected to be
lost to housing and other usage. Any further encroachment of
natural habitat for other creatures may result in serious
degradation of the eco-system. In addition to the loss of
farmland, the new urban sprawl also creates urban wastelands
like: roof tops brown fields and unused paved spaces. Due to the
recent terrorist attacks, food security and safety are seriously
compromised. A large amount of the fruits and vegetables
consumed by the US population is currently imported. There is no
widespread testing of these imported produce for harmful
chemicals and biological agents at the border crossings. Urban
agriculture has the ability to mitigate this problem as the
fruits and vegetable grown in the urban areas can be carefully
monitored and safeguarded. Migration from rural areas also
brings into the urban areas many persons with ve