Urban Vertical Farming: Can Kampala's Rooftops Feed the City?
Introduction Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, is experiencing rapid urbanization, with its population expected to double from the current 3.5 million to 7 million by 2040. This explosive growth is putting unprecedented pressure on food systems and urban infrastructure. As the city expands outward, consuming once-productive agricultural land, and upward with increasingly dense development, a pressing question emerges: How will Kampala feed its growing population sustainably? Urban vertical farming—the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, often integrating controlled-environment agriculture technology—offers a potential solution to this challenge. By utilizing rooftops, walls, and other underused urban spaces, vertical farming could transform Kampala's food production landscape while addressing multiple urban challenges simultaneously. The concept is particularly relevant in the context of Kampala, a city characterized by its hilly topography...