Hong Kong’s urban farms sprout gardens in the sky

Hong Kong’s urban farms sprout gardens in the sky

With their heads in the clouds and their hands in the soil, a group of office workers are busy harvesting the fruits of their labor on the roof of a Hong Kong skyscraper. Invisible to those below, a sprawling garden of radishes, carrots and rhubarb is flourishing at the top of the 150-metre tall Bank of America tower, a stark and colorful contrast to the monotone shades of concrete, steel and glass of the city's financial district.

The farm is among more than 60 that have sprouted across the space-starved city since 2015 "” on decommissioned helipads, shopping mall rooftops and public terraces-thanks to initiatives like Rooftop Republic, a local social enterprise which promotes urban farming. Cofounder Andrew Tsui sees the rooftop farms as a way for people to reconnect with how sustainable food can be produced in what he calls the current "instant-noodle city lifestyle" that sees so much waste.

"What we are looking at is really how to identify underutilized spaces among the city and mobilise the citizens, the people, to learn about food," the 43-year-old told AFP during a blustery site inspection of the skyscraper's garden. Tsui believes Hong Kongers need to re-establish a relationship with what they eat