We (Andrew, Michelle, and Pol) started Rooftop Republic in 2015, united by a love for good food - food that is as healthy for our bodies to eat as it is for the earth to grow.

As three people who were born and bred in cities, we were frustrated with the growing disconnection we saw between city dwellers and their food, local farmers, and communities. Through our own personal experience, we were convinced that being involved in the process of growing our own food helps to build a deeper relationship with what we consume and the farmers responsible for producing it. Through this transformational experience of getting our hands dirty, we gain a better understanding of what real food looks like, where it comes from, and what it takes to get onto our plates, allowing us to make better choices about our food.

At the same time, we were inspired by the untapped potential around us. Although we were surrounded by Hong Kong's concrete jungle, we also saw an abundance of skyscrapers with under-utilised rooftop spaces. Our research showed that Hong Kong has an incredible 6 million square meters of rooftop space that could be utilised for farming, and less than 1% of that was being used (research by Matthew Pryor, architecture professor at HKU).

We knew that if urban farming could work in a fast-paced, dense city like Hong Kong, it could work anywhere. Armed with an idea and our savings, we launched Rooftop Republic.