Mapping China: Urbanisation - 1 Rural/Urban Dichotomy: Urban farming is a new but thriving phenomenon in Chinese cities. The rise of urban farming meets various social demands, including the revitalisation of agricultural activities, the concUrban Farming

Urban farming is a new but thriving phenomenon in Chinese cities. The rise of urban farming meets various social demands, including the revitalisation of agricultural activities, the concern for safe food production and an alternative to the man-made environment of the city. Organised urban farms are found in the suburbs, and sometimes supported by government departments.

For example, the Little Donkey Farm outside Beijing was created in 2008 by a joint effort between the Agriculture and Forest Committee of Haidian District and the Rural Reconstruction Centre of People’s University of China. The farmers who work regularly on the farm are urban dwellers, committing themselves to cultivating the 230 acres of this fertile land. A similar case, the Shenggeng Farming Community in Shanghai, was founded in 2010 by the Shanghai Oasis Charity Foundation, and sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). They adopted the Swiss-origin CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model to sustain their farms.