Urban horticulture: comsume local and proximity products. The importance of km 0.

The constant pace of our society and the rapid urbanization of cities have distanced citizens from nature. This shift is reflected in their habits, especially in the consumption of fresh natural products. The lack of time to buy outside of multinational and the delovepment of large supermarket chains has gradually led to the disappearance of local businesses that used to provide families with quality, sustainable products. This trend is also closely linked to the new way our societies approach cooking. Healthy, quality cooking has been replaced by fast food, becoming the new dietary model for a society increasingly facing obesity-related problems. Young people, in particular, consume a lot of fast food and very few local products. These factors have fostered the rise of initiatives to promote urban horticulture and provide different population groups with natural, healthy, and locally sourced products, a movement that has been largely promoted by young people, especially rural youth, who are conscious about the environmental problems. Urban horticulture is a form of agriculture carried out in urban areas, focusing on the cultivation of fruits and vegetables within cities. Urban horticulture is a form of agriculture carried out in urban areas, focusing on the cultivation of fruits and vegetables within cities. This phenomenon has seen a revival, echoing its past implementation in 19th-century European cities during industrialization and again in the 20th

century, in cities devastated by the world wars. In both instances, urban gardens emerged: first, to provide low-income people with affordable or even free quality food, and later, to supply cities and societies in the process of rebuilding. We could say that these urban gardens serve multiple functions in our societies beyond just raising awareness and offering access to high-quality, locally sourced products. They have proven to be a great source of environmental education for young participants in these initiatives, helping them develop a sustainable consumption mindset by using available resources efficiently and managing them independently. Moreover, urban gardens help foster connections between people in an increasingly individualistic world and can even serve as a basis for social reintegration in certain cases. They also create jobs, as some people are responsible for teaching participants or maintaining the garden spaces. Additionally, they bring environmental benefits to he city by absorbing CO2 and releasing O2.

In general, this historically rooted approach helps communities become more mindful of the quality of their food and products, bringing citizens closer to nature and contributing to the development of more environmentally conscious societies. Maybe, In the future, urban horticulture could play an even greater role not only in the rapprochement between citizens and healthy eating, as well in reshaping urban landscapes. With growing concerns about climate change, food security, and public health, expanding these initiatives could not only improve access to fresh, local produce but also strengthen community ties, enhance biodiversity, and promote environmental resilience. Encouraging more cities to adopt urban horticulture practices might lead to a greener, healthier, and more self-sustaining urban environment, aligning modern cities with the global shift towards sustainability and well-being.