Smart Urban Farming with Sustainable Mini-Garden as a Technological Solution to Food Insecurity

Abstract

Currently, more than half of Peru's population is experiencing food insecurity. According to the 2022 report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" (SOFI), it is estimated that 16.6 million Peruvians are affected by this situation, with an unprecedented increase in recent years. Additionally, data from INEI (2021) indicate that 25% of the population lives in poverty, while anemia and obesity rates are rising, largely because more than half of the country cannot afford a healthy diet. The Second Citizen Monitoring of Pesticides in Food (2023) assessed the presence of toxic residues in fresh products sold in 18 supermarkets and markets across the cities of Arequipa, Cusco, Huaraz, and Huánuco. Of a total of 103 samples analyzed, 44.6% were deemed unsuitable for human consumption. The global crisis, combined with food price inflation and the effects of climate change, further exacerbates the problem. In response, we propose a new design for a domestic smart mini-garden for vegetables, utilizing an intelligent irrigation and nutrient management strategy based on sensors, microcontrollers (IoT), and biodegradable capsules that disintegrate to enable programmed plant nutrition. This mini-garden will offer users a practical solution for growing high-quality, pesticide-free produce at home, thus contributing to a healthier diet at a low cost.