Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis project needn’t neglect agriculture

Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is positioned as the city’s next engine of growth – a long-term solution to land supply, economic transformation and cross-boundary integration. Just as importantly, the government has stressed that this massive undertaking will embed nature conservation and urban-rural integration at its core. Yet, a growing contradiction lies at the heart of this vision.The very landscapes that could support a green, sustainable and liveable Northern Metropolis – its remaining farmland – now face growing pressure under proposed legislation aimed at streamlining development. Prioritising speed, in this context, would eventually compromise the vision of a green economy.Food security and development" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="139683" data-entity-type="topic">economic development were Hong Kong’s biggest challenges for most of the last century. A large portion of the workforce was engaged in agriculture, shaping the territory’s landscape and laying the foundation for further development" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="139683" data-entity-type="topic">economic development. Today, our economy depends on services, with fewer than 2,500 farms – many run by part-timers – occupying just 0.6 per cent of the territory.