Your Motivation Deconstructed

Ever wondered the motivation behind one’s decision to start urban farming?

A paper by Ibrahim and Salim (2020) explores the framework of urban farming in Malaysia. Today, we will be looking at what constitutes said framework.

Individual Factors

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The items under this construct consist of intention, capital, and knowledge and skill. Prior experience with farming has cultivated skills and competency in plant management, elevated with passion for the activity and paired with allocated capital to invest in urban farming.

Internal Factors

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The internal factors that affect urban farming activities are the type of plant and the ecosystem deployed. Malaysians generally prefer to plant vegetables and herbs at open areas with good lighting and ventilation. That being said, alternative technologies such as hydroponics or aquaponics are chosen for when traditional planting is not viable, i.e., not enough space and soil.

External Factors

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The good news is, Malaysians are aware of the incentives and support from the local government (i.e. Department of Agriculture) and NGOs that provide funding and support for urban farming. In terms of marketability of crops, Malaysians mainly reserve their harvested plants for their own cooking unless they have an excess harvest that can be given or sold to neighbours and nearby grocers.

While we are far away from achieving the goal of building self-sustaining cities through urban farming, Malaysia is up for good momentum. Appropriate strategies should be implemented to encourage the activity, ensuring accessibility and affordability of safe and healthy food in Malaysians.

Read more about the research here.

Want to know how to get started with your own vegetable farm at home through urban farming? Simply reach out to us at francis@urbanfarmtech.net or give us a call at

+6012 666 7474 and look for Francis.