Reap what you sow, eat what you grow - A film by Suma Josson
It depicts how applying ecological principles and practices to maintain soil fertility, to manage crop health, and to keep soil and water in a good condition is especially relevant to the urban setting. The film focuses on the work being done in the urban farms, yet it can be seen as much more than that and, understood as a vision on healthy products, healthy production systems and as a way of life.
It is rooted in the local and attempts to restructure urban development under the principles of sustainability for healthier living environment. Instead of transporting produce from thousand of kilometers away from the producer to the consumer, it encourages and supports local farming based purely on organic techniques. It attempts to reintroduce agriculture into the lives of those who live in cities and suburbs.
What began as an effort to recycle kitchen wastes of the Central Kitchen of the Mumbai Port Trust turned into hundreds of people taking interest in urban community gardens in Maharashtra Nature Park, Naani Nani Park and elsewhere wherein they introduce ecological practices in the urban setting, one which allows for healthier bodies, families, and communities everywhere.
The film provides a detailed account of the natural eco-organic farming being practiced though the discussion is not just about these, but focuses on the process of "ecologising" urban agriculture and its relevance for sustainable urban development. Urban Leaves has plans to involve as many schools as possible to initiate food gardens within their premises.
The film covers the attempts of individuals to trace alternative paths to strike balance between themselves and the environment. It hinges on nostalgic environmentalism and stops short of looking at the framework within which the antagonism between the town and the countryside exists.
