Centenario Luis Cernuda

Cities are generally kilometers away from traditional farms. In fact, most produce is transported on trains and trucks from the farms into the city. Take New York City for instance, let say the average distance to farms is 100 kilometers. This needs 17.4 liters two way. A truck can carry 36 tons of cargo per two way trip, one trip full and an empty return trip.

With a population of 19 million each eating 3 kilograms of food per day, the food requirement is 57,000 tons per day. Thus, 57,000 tons / 36 tons per trip requires 1,583 trips or 27,550 liters of fuel. In fuel cost alone at US$1.65 per gallon of 4 liters this is US$11,364 per day. In one year this is US$4.14 million or 10 million liters of fuel. Each liter of fuel burned by engines produces 2.5 kilos of carbon dioxide. Thus, 10 million liters produces 25 million kilos of CO2 or 25,000 tons. If this produce is grown by Urban Farming in roof top green houses of New York City itself, this financial and environmental transportation cost can be nullified. The roof area needed will only take 486 sqr km of total 8,683 sqr km of the New York City urban area.