COMMUNITY FARMING IN Penang began since the 18th century with the establishment of spice plantations such as nutmeg and clove farms.[1] Since then, agriculture has been vital to Penang’s development. In recent years, urban communal farming initiatives have gained prominence as a sustainable way to address environmental issues and food security.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), food security is built on four essential pillars: availability, access, utilisation and stability,[2] and these communal farms hold the potential to provide that at the very local level. Moreover, these initiatives also help reduce waste and educate people on the importance of self-sufficiency and on decreasing dependency on imported produce.
