Community Resilience and Empowerment Through Urban Farming Initiative as Emergency Response

Abstract

Currently, urban vulnerability has been exposed by catastrophic and unpredictable events which required cities to improve their resilience. Urban farming is promoted as one of the alternative strategies that could improve resilience through community empowerment aligned with re-naturing the environment. This study highlights the role of urban farming as community empowerment activities which could develop community resilience in the context of food and nutrition security specifically as emergency response. The study utilized an in-depth field survey to develop the database. The study found that urban farming could contribute to community resilience for feeding potential and nutrient sufficiency especially for targeted population who has highest risk during emergency such as the COVID-19 case. Urban farming in Malang could feed up to 50,000 inhabitants which cover only an age range of 60-64 years old. To provide sufficient vegetables for targeted population, there was a need for 1.91% (211 ha), 1.09% (120 ha), and 0.82% (91 ha) of area given each production scenarios such as normal, medium, and intensive management, respectively. The most important nutrient needs were Vitamin B1, B2, B12, D; Niacin eq.; and Folic acid due to only 10% sufficiency in the average. The study recommended specific additional vegetables to be cultivated such as red spinach and long beans since they have the highest nutrients content based on scoring.