In a concrete jungle like Hong Kong, the thought of lettuce bonding with skyscrapers may seem implausible.
But urban farming consultancy Time To Grow (TTG) has planted the seeds of a greener future in the city of seven million, which imports more than 90 per cent of its food.
Co-founder Pol Fàbrega, an NGO worker originally from Barcelona, traces TTG’s roots to a meeting of minds in early 2012 through the social entrepreneurship network Enspiral.
He and four other Hong Kongers met with veteran organic farmer Pui-Kwan Chu, who wanted to bring the organic farming movement from the New Territories into the heart of the city.
“Hong Kong real estate prices are insane, but we have all these big empty rooftops,” says Fàbrega.
“We saw an opportunity to create a market for transforming them into edible landscapes, and platforms to raise awareness of food sustainability.”
Kicking off with pooled personal savings of around HK$150,000 (A$21,400), TTG began developing a rooftop farm installation service.