To what extent are urban greenhouses a feasible, sustainable solution to food production in Montreal, and other similar cities?
There’s no singular answer to the question. This case revolves around food security, accessibility, community building, and equitable agriculture. Food security and accessibility refers to having enough food available to sustain a healthy life, and equitable agriculture is characterized by food systems that are available to all, independent of race, gender, age, and socioeconomic class. The United Nations reported 2.3 billion people living in moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021. In Canada, 5.8 million Canadians lived in food-insecure households in 2021. Food insecurity is not an obscure issue but rather one of the most pressing concerns facing the global population. Besides the impact on quality of life for those experiencing insecurity, but the strain being placed on planetary ecosystems is at a breaking point. As such, it has become essential to consider alternative forms of sustaining food systems.
Urban greenhouses, the focus of this case study, are just one component of a larger scale sustainability effort to address food insecurity, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food systems. Utilizing the energy produced via city buildings, as well as conserving water and nutrients for multiple cycles, are just two ways that urban agriculture can diminish the impact that humans have on the environment. As it currently stands, “emissions from the global food system alone would make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5 °C and pose difficulties in achieving the 2 °C target” (Drottberger, et al.). Although alarming, these statistics provide more reason to reevaluate the way that we produce food. Minimizing the distance that food must be transported in order to be used, as well as optimizing the distribution of food items, would help shift current food systems in a better direction for the environment.
A depiction of a feasible rooftop garden design, incorporating whole system usage.
In this case study, three initiatives will be focused on: Lufa Farms Inc., the Maison Productive House, and the IGA Duchemin Urban Rooftop Farm. These three examples represent different ways to incorporate urban agriculture, particularly in Montreal. Lufa Farms is a large-scale hydroponic farm; the Maison Productive House is a group of condos and townhomes specifically designed to support a regenerative ecosystem; the IGA Rooftop Farm is a green roof system introducing traditional soil agriculture to rooftop spaces. Despite their different avenues, each support the idea of closing the gap between food production and consumption.
The four components of just sustainability.
This case revolves around community building and equitable access. Collective action is a key aspect of advancing sustainability, and involves bringing together those with a common goal. In this case, the goal is to bring together those who want to utilize space within a city to create regenerative food sources that are available to those who need it most. Just sustainability is centered around living within planetary means while taking into consideration equity, quality of life, and viability within the economy. According to Julian Agyeman, a Tufts Professor who developed the concept of “just sustainability,” there are 4 main components: improving quality of life and wellbeing, inter/intragenerational equity, reimagining our picture of “justice,” and living within ecosystem limits. Achieving all four components would requires collective buy-in from all domains (economic, agricultural, political, sociocultural, etcetera), but would result in a beautiful and regenerative space that can sustain future life for all inhabitants on Earth.
Rooftop greenhouses have the ability to become an equitable and affordable contribution to just sustainability, however there are current obstacles due to the need for properly zoned space, money to purchase the initial supplies, and people with enough time to manage these ventures. There is hope that governmental funding and spreading word can mitigate some of these challenges. While urban agriculture is not perfect in these regards, there is promise for these initiatives to become integral to their communities.