High above the bustling streets of Singapore, a pioneering rooftop food forest is demonstrating how city skyscrapers can contribute significantly to local food production, biodiversity, and sustainability.
- Produces about a ton of organic food annually on the 51st floor
- Combines multiple layers of trees, shrubs, and vines to maximize space
- Supports biodiversity with native plants and thriving pollinators
What happened
Atop a Singapore skyscraper’s 51st floor, an extraordinary urban food forest produces roughly one ton of organic food every year. Unlike traditional rooftop farms with rows of vegetables, this food forest layers different plants vertically, from towering trees to climbing vines all within a compact space. Crops like bananas, star fruit, pumpkin, and native kadong thrive in this lush rooftop ecosystem, which even supports pollination by bees despite the unusual elevation.
This food forest directly supplies a local restaurant that integrates the harvest into its cuisine. The restaurant’s culinary philosophy is deeply connected to the food forest, creatively using every part of the plants to minimize waste. This project was investigated by permaculture educator Andrew Millison, whose findings have inspired reimagining how dense urban environments can produce food and habitat in harmony with their built surroundings.
Why it feels good
The rooftop food forest offers a glimpse of how urban spaces can nourish both people and nature, converting underused building tops into vibrant ecosystems that grow diverse, healthy food. This approach breaks the common view that cities are food deserts, showing that even in high-density environments, it is possible to grow fresh produce and support wildlife such as pollinators.
Singapore’s citywide greenery policies, which mandate replacing built land with equivalent greenery elsewhere on structures, have resulted in around 2,000 hectares of green rooftops. Most have been ornamental, but efforts to turn these areas into productive food forests promise not only environmental benefits but also food security and community connection to nature.
What to enjoy or watch next
Organizations like Edible Garden City are experimenting with native crops and multi-layered planting designs to transform Singapore’s ornamental rooftop gardens into productive food forests that reduce pesticide use and boost biodiversity. Their work at places like Gardens by the Bay showcases how diverse species planted together create healthier, more resilient urban ecosystems.
As Singapore continues to innovate with landscape and urban farming policies, watch for expansion of these food forests across city rooftops and vertical spaces. The combination of architectural ingenuity and ecological design offers a hopeful model for cities worldwide seeking sustainable, local food solutions in dense urban environments.