Foodscaping is a modern term for integrating edible plants into ornamental landscapes. It is also referred to as edible landscaping and has been described as a crossbreed between landscaping and farming.Waterford, Douglas. 21st Century Homestead: Urban Agriculture. Lulu, 2015. As an ideology, foodscaping aims to show that edible plants are not only consumable but can also be appreciated for their aesthetic qualities. Foodscaping spaces are seen as multi-functional landscapes that are visually attractive and also provide edible returns. Foodscaping is a method of providing fresh food affordably and sustainably.
Differing from conventional vegetable gardening, where fruits and vegetables are typically grown in separate, enclosed areas, foodscaping incorporates edible plants as a major element of a pre-existing landscaping space. This may involve adding edible plantations to an existing ornamental garden or replacing traditional, non-edible plants with food-yielding species. The designs can incorporate various kinds of vegetables, fruit trees, berry bushes, edible flowers, herbs, and purely ornamental species. The design strategy of foodscaping has many benefits, including increasing food security, improving the growth of nutritious food, and promoting sustainable living. Edible landscaping practices may be implemented on both public and private premises. Foodscaping can be practiced by individuals, community groups, businesses, or educational institutions. There is a lot of misconceptions about what constitutes Foodscaping and it is often confused or equated with urban agriculture. However they are not to be confused as they have different purposes Urban Agriculture can happen anywhere parking lots, rooftops, and inside buildings. "Yet the purpose of Foodscaping is to grow edible plants in urban landscapes that are designed to be aesthetic and functional for the purpose of the community that is typically in parks, roadsides, or community gardens."
Foodscaping is believed to have gained popularity in the 21st century for several reasons. Some accounts claim that the rise of foodscaping is due to the volatility of global food prices and the 2008 financial crisis. However, other accounts suggest that the spike in foodscaping popularity is linked to urbanization and increasing concerns for environmental sustainability.
Origins Overview It is unknown who first coined the expression foodscaping. The term and ideology of foodscaping have been around since the late 20th century, yet have only come into popular use during the 21st century. Despite the modernity of foodscaping, integrating edible plants into landscaping spaces is not a new concept. Similar practices date back to ancient and medieval gardening and agricultural techniques. Foodscaping as a contemporary theory presents "a modern take on the way that past generations utilized land".Arthur, Brie. "Foodscaping: revolution or evolution?". Acta Horticulturae, 1212, 2018, pp. 279–84, admin.ipps.org/uploads/3B-Arthur-Brie-Foodscape.pdf. Accessed 28 March 2020. Unlike most historical horticultural practices, foodscaping explicitly supports the idea that edible landscapes can be just as aesthetically pleasing as purely decorative landscapes. Foodscaping advocates attempt to subvert the conventional perception of vegetable gardens as unattractive and instead view edible crops as design features in and of themselves. It is sometimes believed that this ideology emerged from increasingly experimental approaches to gardening and landscaping in the modern era.
Historical precedents of foodscaping Edible landscaping techniques practiced in different historical cultures and periods can be seen as ancestors of foodscaping. In Ancient Rome, Roman villa gardens were often both productive and ornamental, though agricultural production was the primary purpose of earlier villa gardens. Archaeological research suggests that these Roman gardens took on various forms such as large vineyard landscapes or small herb gardens. Kitchen gardens, vineyards, and orchard played an important role in the lives of ancient Romans, whose diets were largely based on fruit and vegetables.
In Mesoamerican culture, elaborate gardens and horticultural gardens were a pleasure of Aztec elites. Flowering, fragrant and medicinal plants were believed to be "perquisites of the lords". According to historical letters written by Aztec nobles, impressive gardens often included bright flower beds, fruit trees, herbs, and sweet-smelling flowers. Groves, orchards, and water gardens were sometimes incorporated into the designs of the more elaborate gardens.
Another ancient precedent to foodscaping can be found in Mesopotamia. Babylonians and Assyrians created gardens throughout cities and in palace courtyards that were a representation of Paradise. These featured fragrant trees and edible fruits. Archaeological evidence suggests that, in roughly 1000 BCE, Assyrian Kings developed a naturalistic landscape style in which streams of water ran through gardens that grew plants such as junipers, almonds, dates, rosewood, quince, fir pomegranate, and oak.
During the Renaissance era, villa and chateau gardens in Europe often yielded fruit and vegetables to sell locally. The profits were used to support the villa's or chateau's maintenance costs. Some of the common kinds of plants integrated into the elaborate Renaissance garden designs included figs, pears, apples, strawberries, cabbage, leeks, onions, and peas.
It is believed that village workers created English cottage gardens during Elizabethan times as a personal source of vegetables. Flowers were also planted within these gardens for ornamental purposes.Scott-James, Anne. The Cottage Garden. Allen Lane, 1981.
Recent trends Urban growth
As a result of rapid urbanization seen in recent decades, methods of food production have undergone significant change.Karaca, Elif. "Edible Landscapes as a Solution to Food Security Problem". Theory and Practice in Social Sciences, edited by Viliyan Krystev, et al., St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2019, pp. 227–36. According to the United Nations, the Earth's urban population has "grown rapidly from 746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014"."World's population increasingly urban with more than half living in urban areas". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 10 July 2014, www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html. Accessed 13 April 2020. These accelerated trends in urbanization and population density during the late 20th and 21st century have placed stress on the availability of agricultural land and contributed to growing food insecurity. As a result, there has been an increased desire to re-introduce food growth into urban environments. The ongoing rise in the human population, as well as international goals to reduce hunger and malnutrition, have further escalated the demand for food nutrients.Myers, Melvin L. "Agriculture and Natural Resources Based Industries". Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, edited by Jeanne M. Stellman, vol. 3, International Labour Office, 1988.
It is believed that these factors have increased the number of people adopting foodscaping strategies.
Sustainability Food security Foodscaping is widely accepted to increase food security, availability, and accessibility.Stefani, Monique C., et al. (2018). "Toward the Creation of Urban Foodscapes: Case Studies of Successful Urban Agriculture Projects for Income Generation, Food Security, and Social Cohesion". Urban Horticulture: Sustainability for the Future, edited by Dilip Nandwani, Springer, 2018, p. 91. The instability of supermarket prices can affect food availability. As "self-sufficient food systems", edible landscapes can help decrease a household's dependence on imported food. Foodscaping provides these households with access to a sustainable food source, even when faced with unpredictable circumstances such as the inability to procure food from commercial stores or periods of low financial income.
Depending on the premise's size and scale, significant financial costs can be involved in the initial design and creation of edible landscaping.Conway, Tenley M. "Home-based Edible Gardening: Urban Residents' Motivations and Barriers". Cities and the Environment, vol. 9, no. 1, 2016, article 3, pp. 1–21. Digital Commons, digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol9/iss1/3/. Accessed 4 April 2020. However, it is still generally accepted that foodscaping can help to lower food costs once the products of the edible plants have been harvested.
In increasing the quantity of locally grown and consumed produce, foodscaping also promotes local food sustainability.Arthur, Brie. The Foodscape Revolution: Finding a Better Way to Make Space for Food and Beauty in Your Garden. Pennsylvania, St. Lynn's Press, 2017. It is also believed that foodscaping can help to address the demand for food within the context of global issues such as overpopulation, an unpredictable climate and waning energy resources.Tovey, Nina. "Grow food not lawns with the fertile world of foodscaping". Endeavour College of Natural Health, 10 November 2014, www.endeavour.edu.au/about-us/blog/grow-food-not-lawns-with-the-fertile-world-of-foodscaping/. Accessed 16 April 2020.
Energy and waste management Large-scale agricultural premises typically require large amounts of energy, such as the use of diesel, propane, and electricity to carry out farming operations.Hicks, Susan. "Energy for growing and harvesting crops is a large component of farm operating costs". U.S. Energy Information Administration, 17 October 2014, www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=18431. Accessed 20 April 2020. The practice of edible landscaping often uses less energy and produces less waste than traditional methods of food production. This is because the food products cultivated from edible landscaping usually involve little processing, packaging or refrigeration.
Foodscaping can also help reduce food miles by decreasing the need for long-distance transportation of food. "A grocery store has on average 1,500 miles per product", says horticulturalists and foodscaping advocate Brie Arthur. These ships and trucks emissions leave a harmful carbon footprint, which could be reduced through the practice of growing edible plants at home instead of buying fresh produce. Foodscaping can further allow participants to help reduce the use of fossil fuel-based pesticides and fertilizers which negatively impact the environment.
Health and nutrition A common motivation behind foodscaping is the desire to grow, cook, and consume foods of high nutritious content. In a 2014 research survey conducted by the Australian Institute, 71% of surveyed foodscaping households in Australia were incorporating edibles into their gardens for access to fresh, healthier produce.Wise, Poppy. "Grow Your Own: The potential value and impacts of residential and community food gardening". The Australian Institute, 31 March 2014, www.tai.org.au/content/grow-your-own. Accessed 13 April 2020. It is generally accepted that homegrown fruits and vegetables are fresher and more nutritious than supermarket produce, which is sometimes sold multiple days or even weeks after harvesting.Spellman, Frank R., & Joan Price-Bayer. Regulating Food Additives: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.
In recent years, increasing concern has been expressed towards the health effects of the chemical additives and preservatives in commercially grown fruit and vegetables. Foodscaping has been considered a way to reduce exposure to chemically modified produce.Dolce, Anne. "What is Foodscaping?" The Daily Meal, 5 June 2013, www.thedailymeal.com/foodscaping-fancy-word-gardening-or-important-initiative. Accessed 13 April 2020.