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OtherActiveSince 2008

Crops in Pots / Organic City (Karachi, Pakistan)

Karachi, Pakistan · Operator: Zahra Ali・Yasir Husain 夫妻(Crops in Pots/Organic City Pakistan/Green Schools Pakistan)

Overview

A citizen network in Karachi promoting organic urban growing in pots, on rooftops and in leftover spaces. Its core is the "learning garden": in schools it anchors a curriculum, and in homes it closes the loop by composting household organic waste back into the beds. In a city where vegetation covers only about 7% of the land area, it aims to grow both food and green space through residents' own hands.

Citizen participation

Began in 2008 as a blog and grew into a network connecting urban organic growers with the general public. People take part through seed and plant exchanges, workshops for teachers, students and community groups, guerrilla gardening, and stalls at environmental festivals.

Operating model

Largely a volunteer citizen initiative. The parent organisation Organic City opened an eco-store in 2016 and runs a seed bank of organic heirloom vegetables and herbs. For schools it offers a Green School Programme with an organic-gardening curriculum designed for grades 1–8.

Impact

It has grown into a knowledge-exchange community of roughly 1,500 people, with an heirloom seed bank and a school curriculum of its own. Its stated aim is to create green spaces where people can get food for free, as a response to urban food insecurity.

Land tenure

Unknown

Crops

  • 野菜
  • ハーブ
  • 在来種(エアルーム)の野菜

Scale

特定の1か所の農園ではなく、市内の家庭の鉢・屋上・学校の菜園に分散する。知識を交換するコミュニティは約1,500人。

In the media(2)

Related cases

Crops in Pots / Organic City (Karachi, Pakistan) — Urban Farm DB