Article Courtesy: Deccan Herald

Author: Jayaprakash K.

A silent revolution is taking place on rooftops across Kerala. Hundreds of families in the state have converted terraced roof of their houses into micro farms, where they grow organic vegetables, free from killer chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

A view of terrace garden

Unlike in other states, where the terrace-farming is an urban fad, in Kerala the practice is fast becoming a part of people’s life in urban and rural areas alike, as the circumstances demand it. Rooftops of houses in semi-wild areas like Idukki and Wayanad, and major cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode are dotted with fruit-laden plants.

High incidence of cancer and other dreaded diseases in the state has sown seeds of the thought for a safe food practice. The cancer registry at the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, shows that in Kerala diet is responsible for 20 per cent of cancer cases, and it is estimated that 35,000 new cases are reported every year in the state with a population of a little over 35 million.

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