Urban Agriculture Summit

Around the world people are growing food in cities! From August 15 to 18, the 2012 Urban Agriculture Summit will bring together a diversity of people that are making it happen — design professionals, community groups, social housing advocates, tenants and developers, educators, planners, homeowners, urban growers and others — to share what is working, and to discover what is possible.

From bee-keeping to community and school gardens; from aquaculture to rooftop farming, urban agriculture is becoming an essential element of food security, improving access to healthy, affordable food in a rapidly urbanizing world. Urban agriculture can also generate much-needed skills development and local employment while improving local environmental and community health.

The first Urban Agriculture Summit in Toronto is presented by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and FoodShare. It will be action-oriented: attendees will learn new tools to advance urban agriculture in their own communities. Together participants will explore urban agriculture's current role and future potential in 21st century city-building.

Major Summit themes include:

• Food Security, food sovereignty and city-building
• Planning and design of innovative infrastructure for small & large-scale urban agriculture
• New technologies and innovative practices associated with production
• Scaling up urban agriculture: Supportive programs, policies and governance models
• Best management practices in for-profit and not-for-profit food production
• Building the business case: the economics, financing and marketing of urban agriculture
• Embedding urban agriculture in community development and housing

Summit programming will include a lively combination of workshops, keynotes and panels, tours, design charrettes, and professional development opportunities. Sessions will draw on local and international expertise and practical experience, and will be designed to engage diverse communities and provide opportunities for cross-fertilization across sectors.