In recent years, land has been under pressure in Hong Kong. The Government intends to release agricultural land for other development purposes. In December 29 2014, the government proposed a consultation paper of agricultural policy, and they particularly recommended hydroponics and considered it as a modernization of agriculture in Hong Kong.
In hydroponics, plants are grown in closed environment. The results of the advantages are high yields and producing pollution-free vegetables. However, the extreme discourse is easily framed in to offer negative public perception that traditional agriculture is lack of productivity, technological backwardness and lack of manpower. But the real reasons of the decline of agriculture are the long-term supply of cheap food from the Mainland that cause local farmers to lose their price competitiveness as a result. Meanwhile, no land ownership of the tenant farmers in Hong Kong. They cannot control the use of land and lose income if landlords and real estate developers want to change the usage of agricultural land.
Our government does not recognize sustainable agriculture as an alternative, to achieve the goals of waste recycling, sustainable development, improving the rural environment and landscape, enriching biodiversity and minimizing carbon miles.