The solution is in your own backyard
The Shared Earth online platform is making use of abandoned and unused land by connecting land owners and landless farmers.
Given the current food system, about 50% more food needs to be produced to feed a growing world population by 2050. And this must happen without converting forests or grasslands into agricultural land. In the USA, there are 16 million hectares (the size of Tunisia) of unproductive land in residential backyards and commercial properties. Abandoned properties total approximately 19 million in number. Backyards and front yards alone could grow an estimated 39 million tons of food – about double the amount of potatoes that are produced annually in the USA. At the same time, 12% of the US population is food insecure. Shared Earth, an online platform, connects land owners with people who want to gain access to land for farming. Matches are made based on the postal code entered into the system.