How Britain's city gardens could be just as productive as regular farms

The plants grown in urban vegetable gardens in Britain were largely cultivated with limited use of pesticides, thus preserving biodiversity in the city. Photo: AFP

In Britain, urban gardeners can grow and harvest 1kg of insect-pollinated fruit and vegetables per square meter from March to October. Such yields are within a range comparable to conventional farming, according to an English study.

From zucchini and tomatoes to blackberries and beans, urban agriculture seems to be bearing fruit – and vegetables! Or so suggests a two-year pilot study conducted in the English city of Brighton and Hove. The project analysed the yields of 34 urban fruit and vegetable gardens (both private and shared).