No farm? No problem! This is how Bjorn Low and Edible Garden City are reviving Singapore’s farming industry in urban spaces.
Singapore is an island with a lot of great things in abundance – street food, shophouses, parks, markets – but farmland is definitely not on that list. It’s an expensive place to live and space is in high demand, which makes Bjorn Low’s Singapore farming mission even more impressive.
Somehow, on an island of over 5 million people where about 90% of the produce is imported, Bjorn has managed to make urban farming a modern yet traditional business that is flourishing along with its plants.
Bjorn Low was born and raised in Singapore, and after a formal education in marketing and commerce moved to London for an advertising job. His time in London got him interested in gardening and growing things in his own apartment, and after deciding on a break from his stressful career, Bjorn and his wife spent a few years travelling with a volunteer network and learning about farming in Japan, Scotland, and Spain.
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Upon returning to Singapore, Bjorn started Edible Garden City, which aims to create urban farm spaces and encourage local produce growth and production in Singapore and beyond, as well as teaching young people the principles of farming.
Edible Garden City has created beautiful and fruitful gardens on rooftops all around the city and has partnered with local restaurants and companies to supply fresh and locally grown ingredients to the community.
Not only are Bjorn and his team growing regular produce, but they’ve focused on the kinds of plants that thrive in the tropical region, and have reinvigorated an interest in underused crops that are native to the climate.
The Edible Garden City team is focused on spreading their knowledge throughout the world, encouraging people and businesses young and old to grow their own crops and live a more sustainable life in general. Plus, they’re making concrete-filled cities a bit more beautiful, one plant at a time.
To read and watch more about Bjorn and his urban Singapore farming with Edible Garden City, see here.