LINKS   UN Report Says Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way To Feed The World | The Unveiling of The Hidden Knowledge http://www.worldorganicnews.com/50748/un-report-says-small-scale-organic-farming-only-way-to-feed-the-world-the-unveiling-of-the-hidden-knowledge/   Maslow's hierarchy of needs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs   Making headway towards urban food security – Food Governance http://www.worldorganicnews.com/50592/making-headway-towards-urban-food-security-food-governance/   A Farm Is Born – My Urban Farm http://www.worldorganicnews.com/50464/a-farm-is-born-my-urban-farm/   What Makes a Good Urban Farm Site? – TheBreakAway http://www.worldorganicnews.com/50686/what-makes-a-good-urban-farm-site-thebreakaway/   To till or not to till? Creating fertile soil | DIY Dynamics http://www.worldorganicnews.com/50570/to-till-or-not-to-till-creating-fertile-soil-diy-dynamics/   The One Straw Revolution. http://www.appropedia.org/images/d/d3/Onestraw.pdf **** This is the World Organic News Podcast for the week ending 31st of October 2016. Jon Moore reporting! We begin this week with a reminder! The blog The Unveiling of The Hidden Knowledge reminds us of a UN report on Small Scale Organic Farming. Quote: Drawing on an extensive review of the scientific literature published in the last five years, the Special Rapporteur identifies agroecology as a mode of agricultural development which not only shows strong conceptual connections with the right to food, but has proven results for fast progress in the concretization of this human right for many vulnerable groups in various countries and environments. End quote. The report highlights not just food security but the right to food. Surely one of the most basic of human rights?  It sits at the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: food, shelter and clothing. It is worth pointing out the priority given to the methodology of agroecology. I and, indeed, others have placed Permaculture, Natural Farming and similar schools under this heading. Given that many people and soon to be the majority of us will be living in cities, how is this agroecology to be applied to urban areas? As I’ve discussed before, growing food where it is consumed has much to recommend it: fresher food, short supply lines, fossil fuel use reduction and so on. As the UN reports states, quote: ....in a context of ecological, food and energy crises, the most pressing issue regarding reinvestment (in food production)  is not how much, but how. End quote. The blog Food Governance’s post: Making headway towards urban food security discusses this very issue. The author makes the point that this must be a bottom up process. Locals know what they like to eat and they understand their local microclimates better than outside “experts” or they very quickly learn them throughout a growing season. The danger avoided with a bottom up approach is the Green Revolution, one size fits all approach. Individuals with fruit tree skills meet with gardeners and they all meet with backyard chicken keepers and so on. Depending upon the locale small ruminants can also be worked into local food systems to provide dairy products and manures for the gardens. What is needed is seed funding, leadership and connections between people. Of these three things, the latter two, leadership and connections between people tend to be lost with increasing urbanisation, at least in the initial stages. Yet progress is possible! The blog:  My Urban Farm posted this week: A Farm Is Born. The author takes us through their process from reluctant starter to back breaking mattock work to sheet mulching to productivity on their test plot. Well worth a read as it shows the succession of thoughts and actions in response to heavy clay and restricted water supply. This is one way of doing things. The growers made do and adapted to what was before them. The blog TheBreakAway posted a video entitled: What Makes a Good Urban Farm Site? This vide