312 Sustainable Farming
Contaminated soils
Soil in cities may be contaminated with toxic chemicals, such as lead from
paint, gasoline, and old batteries. These can all cause serious health problems
(see Chapter 16). To know if your soil is contaminated:
• Find out how the site was used in the past. If it was a factory, gas
station, parking lot, or waste dump, the soil is probably contaminated.
• If the soil smells like chemicals, it is probably contaminated.
• Areas underneath painted walls are most likely contaminated with lead.
Soil samples can be tested at a university, extension agency, or private
laboratory. Lead tests are not expensive, but testing for other contaminants is
often difficult and expensive.
Planting safely in contaminated soil
You can still grow food safely on contaminated soil. One way is to cover the soil
with a layer of hard packed clay or concrete. This seals the contaminants in.
Grow crops in containers or shallow beds on top. It is safer to grow fruit crops
(such as tomatoes) on contaminated soils because they absorb fewer toxins than
leaf crops (such as spinach) and root crops (such as carrots and potatoes).
Urban farming blossoms
Cuba is an island nation that once produced large
sugar and tobacco crops for export. It had an
industrial system of farming, relying on petroleum
fuels and petroleum-based agricultural chemicals.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba lost both its
largest petroleum supplier and its largest buyer of
sugar and tobacco. Because of political disagreements,
most countries would not sell chemicals to Cuba or
buy Cuban products. Cuba was forced to find a new way to grow food.
Cuba made sustainable farming their new national policy. It promoted
sustainable methods through land grants, education, and by setting up local
markets. As the new methods developed and spread, there was more healthy
food for everyone.
As in other countries, many Cubans moved from the countryside to the
cities. Now the government encourages people to grow food in the cities using
sustainable methods. Urban farming promotes good nutrition, and provides
jobs and education. Most of the fresh produce (vegetables, poultry, flowers, and
medicinal plants) used in Cuba’s capital city of Havana is now grown in or
close to the city. Plant medicines grown in Havana are sold at low cost in shops
called ‘green pharmacies.’ Although brought on by a crisis, sustainable farming
has changed Cuban people’s lives for the better.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012