[LUM#7] From parking lot to orchard

[LUM Magazine] - Published on March 20, 2018 in Science-Society

Reconciling the city and agriculture is the challenge taken up by the Montpellier metropolis, which is devoting part of its land to organic market gardening.

What if the tomatoes you buy at the market had grown right next door to you? Production and consumption are usually totally disconnected," explains Laura Michel of the Centre d'études politiques de l'Europe Latine(Cepel). How can we shorten the path between field and plate? In Montpellier, the metropolis has chosen to implement an urban agricultural and food policy(P2A).

Produced here, eaten here

"The idea is to reintroduce agriculture into urban environments," explains Laura Michel, who, along with a team ofINRA researchers led by Christophe Soulard, helped the metropolis set up this ambitious project. In a country that loses 220 hectares of agricultural land every day, Montpellier has chosen to go against the tide by devoting part of its land to agriculture. " A project which also aims to enhance the value of agriculture and encourage young farmers to set up in the area ", explains the researcher. A successful gamble: in all, over a hundred hectares of land are now cultivated in the city's communes.

And not just any old way. " By promoting organic market gardening and agroecological practices," explains Nabil Hasnaoui Amri, an agricultural engineer who is devoting his thesis to the subject of farmer participation in Montpellier's agricultural and food policy. " We're interested not only in production methods, but also in marketing, for example by opting for short circuits or offering processed products with greater added value for the farmer ".

Sustainable city

Urban agriculture also has unsuspected virtues: by reshaping the urban landscape, it contributes to regional development. And how does it do this? " It has an impact on limiting risks," explains Nabil Hasnaoui Amri. Ecological practices, for example, reduce water pollution. "What' s more, certain agricultural practices help to limit the risk of fire and flooding by redeveloping areas," explains the agricultural engineer.

" We're witnessing a real change in public policy vision ," stresses Nabil Hasnaoui Amri. Montpellier, a green and sustainable city? This is the challenge facing the metropolis, which has joined the network of cities that have signed the Milan Pact 2015, pledging to work towards the development of sustainable, inclusive, resilient, safe and diversified food systems, to provide healthy, affordable food for all.

Key words : Agriculture, Ecology, LUM#7, LUM Magazine, Company