Microgreens can be cultivated in small spaces with minimal sunlight and water, making them ideal for crowded urban areas, or even for people to grow at home. Experts believe the low-calorie vitamin-rich leafy plants can boost the health of urban populations like Mumbai, which are largely dependent on fruit and vegetables grown elsewhere and brought in to the city.
"It's very difficult to grow fresh vegetables within the city at a large scale," said Saurabh Nagre, the founder of microgreen startup Oligo Microgreens. "With microgreens the constraint of space was not as much as other vegetables. So delivering food the day of the harvest can only happen if you're working on something like this."
Meanwhile, outside Mumbai in Kharghar, a community garden grows organic fruit and vegetables on a hospital campus, based on the permaculture system. It provides not only healthy food for patients, but also enriches the lives of those who volunteer there.