Tasty Flowers and Apple Trees on Hong Kong’s City Rooftop Farms

Social enterprise Rooftop Republic is on a drive to transform Hong Kong’s urban spaces and rooftops into farms, bringing residents in the dense city closer to nature and offering lessons on botany and organic farming.

“We have the power to shape the future city we live in … through demonstrating how adopting an urban farm lifestyle helps the end consumer become aware of ecology, biodiversity, nature, wellbeing and a circular food system,” says Andrew Tsui, a Rooftop Republic co-founder.

The organization provides residents, who typically live in skyscrapers and work long hours, with opportunities to grow edible flowers and fruit trees and attend gardening classes, such as in Hong Kong’s largest urban farm, the 1,200-square-meter Sky Garden atop Metroplaza Mall. Rooftop farms, according to ecological and agricultural experts, not only produce food, but additionally boost diversity while providing green spaces.