Edible Landscapes

Abstract

My thesis is called “Edible Landscapes” where I inquire/analyse/propose a more resilient and self-sustainable agricultural production system.The populations around the world continue rising. The projected statistics suggest that by 2050 the world’s population will likely increase by >35% and in order to feed the increasing population we need to double the crop production.The current structure of the food system lies at the center of a nexus of global problems, stretching from poverty to environmental degradation. The increase in food production needed to meet the anticipated demands of the near future cannot be achieved by simply extrapolating current trends in production and consumption. A continuation of the recent historical trends of expansion and intensification will undermine the very resource base on which the food system itself depends.In order to address this, I used the system of Permaculture to shift from a mono-cultural farming policy to a more multi-story polyculture farming strategy which, along with yields, also attempts to regenerate biodiversity, community interaction and works with nature rather than against it.I ended up designing tool-kit and policy (which I tested on Parkstad, Limburg) which could also be used to shift from a conventional farming structure to a more resilient one by making the process self-sustainable and one which improves the natural layer around it.