Urban gardening on the roof is an ecological solution to the food crisis in an urbanized environment

Abstract

Purpose. Vegetables often come to Ukraine from distant regions and countries. Unnecessary energy is wasted and a lot of CO2 is emitted. Vegetables account for 0.5% of Ukrainian agricultural exports, as evidenced by UBTA data [1]. In recent years, Ukraine exports vegetables to 96 export markets. But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the situation changed. In order to ensure the internal needs of the population, the state suspended the export of socially important products, including and vegetables, our goal is to find alternatives. Methods. Local and seasonal products are currently more popular than ever. When buying food, most Ukrainians usually or always want to make sure that the products come from a regional origin. The food market strives for regionalism. Long supply routes, and therefore costs and emissions, are minimized as the produce is grown close to the consumer. Produce can be sold when it is very fresh and therefore marketable for a longer period of time. In addition, freshly harvested agricultural products are much richer in vitamins and are tastier and healthier. Results. Thinking about a circular economy that includes urban gardening is profitable because rooftop agriculture uses local resources: rainwater and filtered household wastewater; solar energy and heat from the building. Conversely, an urban garden can be good for a building, as the plants provide cooling in summer and thermal insulation in winter: this is good for the microclimate of the building and equally good for the waterproof membrane of the roof, which is then less exposed to strong temperature fluctuations and continues the operation of the roof. In addition, plants contribute to the improvement of the urban climate. Conclusions. A green roof has many advantages. It softens the climate, insulates the building, retains rainwater and expands the living space for people and animals. In addition to these welfare impacts, almost all green roof systems on the market today also meet the technical requirements for sustainable food production close to home. Freshly harvested vegetables can be used for own use at home, for regional cuisine, at the restaurant around the corner or as grown on a large scale, even for outside use in the supermarket.