Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to Research Paper

Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to local communities in US - Research Paper Example The food production has been declining; earth has been becoming a hotter place without adequate green cover; the quality of food available for people in general has been decreasing; and as more leisure got created, more and more human beings have been detached from physical labour resulting in lack of exercise and the emergence of new kinds of life style related diseases. These are only a few of the many problems faced by humans as they got distanced from nature and agriculture. The detachment from nature has thus kickstarted a process of decline in quality of life caused by its impact on food security, employment, carbon fixation, oxygen availability, mental happiness, relaxation, physical exercise, peace of mind received from nature, aesthetic appeal, fresh food, food traceability, pollution control, waste utilization, waste water utilization, waste-to-energy conversion, space availability and optimal utilization of available space. Pearson has categorised the benefits of urban far ming into three, namely, â€Å"social, economic, and environmental goods and services† (3). ... It can be said, the north and south represent two growth stages in human civilization but it is more important to note that in Southern cities, urban agriculture â€Å"plays a significant role in providing a measure of food security and income for a rapidly increasing urban population† (2). It has to be remembered that urban farming is not a newly introduced concept to cities but has been existing in all cities as vestiges of rural life until the development bandwagon erased it completely at least from the mega-cities. In this context, this paper envisages finding out the scope, potential and benefits of urban farming for the world in general and the US in particular. This investigation is carried out keeping in mind, urban agriculture is not a monolithic concept but include: Residual, often peri-urban broadacre farmland, small ‘community gardens’, personally managed allotments, home gardens, portions of parks that were previously planted entirely with amenity spe cies, fruit trees along roadside reserves, greenhouses, green roofs and green walls (Pearson, 3). In the backdrop of the huge â€Å"knowledge gap† that exists regarding the potential, methods and benefits of urban farming, this study envisages preparing a knowledge database on different aspects of the same (Pearson, Pearson, and Pearson, 9). Review of Literature The early ideas on urban farming as we know it was initiated during the era of New Deal, when â€Å"homesteads were organized as examples of how the country could benefit from a proliferation of semirural neighborhoods, where part-time farming on inexpensive but desirable land would encourage uplifting social functions and help establish a

Leadership Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Plan - Essay Example In case of global teams, I would make them know each other through video chat. According to Love (2010), storming is the stage that involves members’ conflicts with each other and their resistance to tasks and team structure. â€Å"Typically during the Storming phase, conflict, dissention and difficulties arise† (Fran, 2010). At this stage, I would work towards resolution of conflicts between team members. In case of conventional teams, I would meet conflicting employees face-to-face in order to know their issues, as well as to resolve them. I would assign the roles and responsibilities to each team member considering their skills. In case of global teams, I would arrange a video conference in which I would invite all team members to know and resolve their cultural and personality conflicts. At this stage, members start thinking themselves as a team (Egeland, 2011). At this stage, I would develop a sense of cohesion between the team members of both conventional and global teams. In case of conventional teams, I would meet each team member personally to make him/her aware of his/her role in the achievement of goals and the way to meet the deadline. In case of global teams, I would contact all team members through video conference to make them aware of the ways to work in a collaborative manner and the ways to resolve personal and cultural conflicts that may arise between them at some time in future due to cultural differences. This is the stage when members, having their efficiencies developed, work toward the achievement of goals. â€Å"Group members begin to look outside of their domain in order to assist others on the team† (Waren, 2010). At this stage, I would continuously motivate both conventional and global teams to make them achieve the goals effectively and efficiently. To evaluate and motivate conventional team members, I would meet each member personally. However, to motivate global team