Summarised by Centrist
Growing your own fruit and veg is now considered harmful to the planet, according to a recent paper published by Nature. The study claims that home grown produce has six times the carbon footprint of traditional agriculture.
The authors demand stricter urban farming regulations, suggesting that poorly managed composting is a major issue.
The study’s lead authors from the University of Michigan argue that centralising compost operations could reduce emissions.
They also criticise the use of municipal water and suggest cities subsidise low-carbon irrigation systems. One suggestion was rainwater catchment to reduce the impact of urban farms.
This paper is the latest in a string of green movement critiques, with some now targeting even basic human activities like gardening.
Chris Morrison of The Daily Sceptic argues: “Many green extremists seem to take the view that anything humans do, including growing their own veg, is causing existential harm to the planet. What they really hate, some may conclude, are humans themselves.”
