DOCSLIB.ORG

Contributing to Food Security in Urban Areas: Differences Between Urban Agriculture and Peri-Urban Agriculture in the Global North

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Contributing to Food Security in Urban Areas: Differences Between Urban Agriculture and Peri-Urban Agriculture in the Global North Agric Hum Values (2016) 33:341–358 DOI 10.1007/s10460-015-9610-2 Contributing to food security in urban areas: differences between urban agriculture and peri-urban agriculture in the Global North 1 1,2 1,2 3 Ina Opitz • Regine Berges • Annette Piorr • Thomas Krikser Accepted: 2 April 2015 / Published online: 28 May 2015 Ó The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Food security is becoming an increasingly comparison of their spatial, ecological and socio-economic relevant topic in the Global North, especially in urban ar- characteristics. The findings are discussed in terms of their eas. Because such areas do not always have good access to impact on food security in relation to the four levels of the nutritionally adequate food, the question of how to supply food system: food production, processing, distribution and them is an urgent priority in order to maintain a healthy consumption. The results show that urban and peri-urban population. Urban and peri-urban agriculture, as sources of agriculture in the Global North indeed differ in most of local fresh food, could play an important role. Whereas their characteristics and consequently also in their ability to some scholars do not differentiate between peri-urban and meet the food needs of urban inhabitants. While urban urban agriculture, seeing them as a single entity, our hy- agriculture still meets food needs mainly at the household pothesis is that they are distinct, and that this has important level, peri-urban agriculture can provide larger quantities consequences for food security and other issues. This has and has broader distribution pathways, giving it a separate knock-on effects for food system planning and has not yet status in terms of food security. Nevertheless, both possess been appropriately analysed. The objectives of this study (unused) potential, making them valuable for urban food are to provide a systematic understanding of urban and planning, and both face similar threats regarding ur- peri-urban agriculture in the Global North, showing their banisation pressures, necessitating adequate planning similarities and differences, and to analyse their impact on measures. urban food security. To this end, an extensive literature review was conducted, resulting in the identification and Keywords Urban food system Á Urban gardening Á Urban fringe Á Metropolitan agriculture Á Adaptation strategies & Regine Berges Abbreviations [email protected] CSA Community Supported Agriculture Ina Opitz EU European Union [email protected] FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the Annette Piorr United Nations [email protected] FFH Fauna Flora Habitat Thomas Krikser IFOAM International Federation of Organic [email protected] Agriculture Movements KOBV Cooperative Library Network of Berlin- 1 Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Mu¨ncheberg, Germany Brandenburg LEADER? Links between actions for the development 2 Agrathaer GmbH, Strategic Land Use, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Mu¨ncheberg, Germany of the rural economy NGO Non-Governmental Organisation 3 Department of Agricultural and Food Marketing, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Steinstr. NYC New York City 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany PUA Peri-urban agriculture 123 342 I. Opitz et al. PURPLE Peri-urban Regions Platform Europe as in the form of ‘‘victory gardens’’ during the world wars, UA Urban agriculture or as a reaction of the environmental movement (Mok et al. UPA Urban and peri-urban agriculture 2014). In the recent years, however, UA has become an USA United States of America increasingly relevant topic in the science and planning of SPIN Small-plot intensive urban food systems aimed at reducing food insecurity at the level of the household (Kortright and Wakefield 2011; Smith et al. 2013) and community (Howe 2002; Kremer and DeLiberty 2011; Besthorn 2013). While the contribu- Introduction tion of UA to a resilient local food system is highly valued, the subject of UA itself remains vague. In recent years, Food security has become an increasingly relevant issue scholars have developed various definitions of UA (Smit facing the Global North over the past few decades. The and Nasr 1992; Mougeot 2001; De Zeeuw et al. 2001; term ‘food security’ is defined as the state where all the Dubbeling and Merzthal 2006; Mendes et al. 2008; Bohn members of a community have access to ‘‘culturally ac- and Viljoen 2010; Pearson et al. 2010; Ackerman 2011; ceptable, nutritionally adequate food through local, non- van der Schans and Wiskerke 2012). The core concept at emergency sources at all times’’ (Brown and Carter 2003, the heart of all these definitions is the understanding that p. 4). In the US, at least 12 % of households are affected by UA involves food production in urban areas. This overar- limited food supply at some point during a year (Macias ching description incorporates the general term ‘agricul- 2008). The number of affected people increased from 33 ture’, defining the various forms of farming and gardening million in 2001 (Brown and Carter 2003) to 45 million in most commonly undertaken in rural areas. Whether or not 2010 (Besthorn 2013). Similar trends are noticeable in to include PUA as a facet of UA has been examined in Europe regarding people dependant on soup kitchens or several ways. While some scholars have focused on gar- other emergency food sources. The report on the hu- dens and farms in inner city areas (Howe 2002; Broadway manitarian impacts of the recent economic crisis in Europe 2009; Cohen et al. 2012), others have included agricultural indicated that on average in 22 European countries, the activities in the peri-urban areas in their research (Mougeot number of people dependant on food aid increased by 75 % 2001; Pearson et al. 2010; van der Schans and Wiskerke between 2009 and 2012 (International Federation of Red 2012; Mok et al. 2014). Cross and Red Crescent Societies 2013). Peri-urban agriculture is a residual form of agriculture at Besthorn (2013) states that food insecurity is an urban the fringes of growing cities, though a commonly agreed issue, in that by 2050, 67 % of the world’s population will spatial definition for peri-urban areas is missing. They are live in urban areas (United Nations 2012). Accessibility, described as the transition zone between urban and rural affordability and availability of food are the three core areas with, on the one hand, lower population densities and aspects of food security (Lang and Barling 2012) that cannot a lack of infrastructure compared to cities, and therefore be completely ensured in urban areas. The existence of fewer not ‘‘urban’’, and on the other hand a limited amount of grocery stores and more fast food restaurants has been agricultural and natural land, and therefore not ‘‘rural’’ documented in low-income neighbourhoods within cities in (Allen 2003; Piorr et al. 2011). They suffer from urban the US and Canada (Besthorn 2013), a phenomenon called pressures, but they also benefit from proximity to urban ‘food desert’ (Segal 2010). As a result, accessibility and areas, markets and cultures, and are accordingly signified availability of nutritionally adequate food, especially fresh by a socio-cultural shift from rural to urban lifestyles fruit and vegetables, is limited in those areas. (Antrop 2000; Piorr et al. 2011). Peri-urban agriculture Acknowledging the large body of literature providing takes place in this transition zone. Often located on fertile evidence that food demand will increase in importance for soils (Bryant and Johnston 1992) which historically pro- urbanised areas in the Global North, this paper seeks to re- vided urban centres with the majority of their perishable view the state of knowledge and discussion on the supply crops, peri-urban agriculture nowadays provides goods and side, particularly the roles of urban and peri-urban agricul- services for the local up to the global market. It is some- ture (PUA). Our hypothesis is that the two forms are distinct times referred to as ‘‘metropolitan agriculture’’ (Heimlich in ways that are important for food security and other issues. 1989) or ‘‘urban fringe agriculture’’ (Bryant 1997). Debates on the distinction between urban and peri-urban Urban agriculture and peri-urban agriculture areas apply such thresholds as population density or set- in recent literature tlement pattern (Piorr et al. 2011). In order to distinguish UA from PUA, however, the geographical position of the Historically, urban agriculture (UA) returned to cities in the fields alone (whether they are located within or beyond Global North at a larger scale only in times of crisis, such geographical borders of cities) seems to be inadequate. 123 Contributing to food security in urban areas: differences between urban agriculture and… 343 Aspects such as the level of professionalism, the achieved and PUA along three dimensions: spatial, ecological and yields and the level of inclusion of the farmers in society socio-economic. This ensures that the analysis of the two and value chains all influence the assessment of an area’s systems is systematic. Within each dimension, several contribution to urban food security. A full analysis and factors are identified and described for UA and PUA. This comparison of relevant aspects of UA and PUA is still opens an understanding of UA and PUA beyond the spatial missing in the recent literature. categories of urban and peri-urban. All these aspects are relevant for the discussion of the impact of UA and PUA Focussing on the Global North on food security at the different levels of a food system. Facing the issue of urban food security, such knowledge Comparing UA and PUA in the Global North and Global can support future steering and management mechanisms South reveals both similarities and differences. Certainly, with high transparency in decision processes, since it creates the discussion of food security in urban areas differs.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Farming Is Changing Updated in June 2021
    Farming is Changing Updated in June 2021 1 Contents Foreword 3 Overview 4 The Basic Payment Scheme, delinked payments and lump sums 6 Agri-environment schemes 10 Animal health and welfare 17 Prosperity and productivity 19 Regulation and enforcement 22 Annex: Summary of new schemes 23 2 Foreword Farming is more than a job. We must cherish the deep personal connection felt by farmers to the landscape, animals and wildlife they care for, and build upon it in the way we support them. This is an exciting time for English farming. We will be phasing out Direct Payments and introducing a new system that rewards farmers and land managers while delivering additional public goods that improve the environment. Changes of this signifcance can be intimidating, and it is natural that many farmers are worried about the phasing out of Direct Payments. We will move to the new system gradually, and make changes where needed if the new policies do not work as intended. It is vital that farmers have time to adapt. We have committed to maintaining the current annual budget in every year of this Parliament. This means funds from Direct Payments will be redirected straight back into Countryside Stewardship and our new schemes. The same amount will be available to the sector, though the way it is distributed will change. We will create cleaner, greener landscapes and we hope to reverse species decline and improve biodiversity signifcantly. At the same time, we will help food producers to stay competitive, helping our farmers to produce the high-quality food that they are renowned for while protecting and enhancing the environment on which a sustainable, productive future depends.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Third Millennium
    I.M. MADALENO FAO/20862/R.Messori Cities of the future: urban agriculture in the third millennium fter the Industrial according to this design in France, Germany, Revolution, urbanites the United Kingdom and the United States, became separated from usually directly linked to heavy industries nature, confined as they and well-known private enterprises (e.g. were to narrow indoor Krupps or Pullman). By the end of the spaces, and prevented century, the Spanish visionary Arturo Soria Afrom feeling the soil under their feet by y Mata expressed his notion of the ideal city modern transportation and urban through a particular form of garden city, i.e. infrastructures. The residence and the linear in shape (Terán, 1982). Residences workplace became separated. Although the were surrounded by woodland and had urban sprawl spread to consume many horticultural spaces and family gardens. The formerly rural spaces, some green areas British planner Ebenezer Howard theorized persisted inside metropolitan areas. Isabel Maria Madaleno has a a concentric model of a garden city, similar The first type of planned urbanization to the satellite towns and green belts of Ph.D. in Human Geography created to bring people closer to nature was twentieth-century cities. the garden city of the nineteenth century, and works at the Instituto de Even so, urban agriculture was seen as designed for low population densities. Small an oxymoron until the 1980s. With the Investigação Científica Tropical houses were surrounded by a garden and evolution of environmental sciences, urban public green spaces were conceived for the (Tropical Institute), Lisbon, planners began to emphasize the whole urban community.
    [Show full text]
  • Considerations for Reducing Food System Energy Demand While Scaling up Urban Agriculture
    Considerations for reducing food system energy demand while scaling up urban agriculture Article Published Version Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 (CC-BY) Open Access Mohareb, E., Heller, M., Novak, P., Goldstein, B., Fonoll, X. and Raskin, L. (2017) Considerations for reducing food system energy demand while scaling up urban agriculture. Environmental Research Letters, 12 (12). 125004. ISSN 1748- 9326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa889b Available at http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/74000/ It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work. See Guidance on citing . Published version at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa889b To link to this article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa889b Publisher: Institute of Physics All outputs in CentAUR are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including copyright law. Copyright and IPR is retained by the creators or other copyright holders. Terms and conditions for use of this material are defined in the End User Agreement . www.reading.ac.uk/centaur CentAUR Central Archive at the University of Reading Reading’s research outputs online Environmental Research Letters LETTER • OPEN ACCESS Considerations for reducing food system energy demand while scaling up urban agriculture To cite this article: Eugene Mohareb et al 2017 Environ. Res. Lett. 12 125004 View the article online for updates and enhancements. This content was downloaded from IP address 134.225.69.187 on 05/12/2017 at 11:19 Environ. Res. Lett. 12 (2017) 125004 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa889b
    [Show full text]
  • Cultivating the Capital Food Growing and the Planning System in London January 2010
    Planning and Housing Committee Cultivating the Capital Food growing and the planning system in London January 2010 Planning and Housing Committee Cultivating the Capital Food growing and the planning system in London January 2010 Copyright Greater London Authority January 2010 Published by Greater London Authority City Hall The Queen’s Walk More London London SE1 2AA www.london.gov.uk enquiries 020 7983 4100 minicom 020 7983 4458 ISBN This publication is printed on recycled paper Cover photograph credit Paul Watling Planning and Housing Committee Members Jenny Jones Green, Chair Nicky Gavron Labour, Deputy Chair Tony Arbour Conservative Gareth Bacon Conservative Andrew Boff Conservative Steve O'Connell Conservative Navin Shah Labour Mike Tuffrey Liberal Democrat The review’s terms of reference were: • To assess how effectively the planning system supports and encourages agriculture in London, with a focus on land use for commercial food growing; and • To establish what changes could be made to the planning system to foster agriculture and encourage more food to be commercially grown in the capital. Assembly Secretariat contacts Alexandra Beer, Assistant Scrutiny Manager 020 7983 4947 [email protected] Katy Shaw, Committee Team Leader 020 7983 4416 [email protected] Dana Gavin, Communications Manager 020 7983 4603 [email protected] Michael Walker, Administrative Officer 020 7983 4525 [email protected] 6 Contents Chair’s foreword 9 Executive summary 11 1. Introduction and background 13 2. The importance of agriculture 16 3. Agriculture and the planning system 21 4. Other measures to promote economic viability 32 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Planning Food Waste
    Planning food waste MSc-thesis in Spatial Planning Elina Sirén v v v Wageningen University 2013 This thesis is written as a final assignment for the master Landscape Architecture and Planning, specialization Spatial Planning, at Wageningen University Wageningen, September 2013 Droevendaalsesteeg 3 6708 PB Wageningen The Netherlands Supervisor: dr. ir. Gerrit-Jan Carsjens Land Use Planning Group Wageningen University Second reviewer: prof. dr. Arnold van der Valk Land Use Planning Group Wageningen University Examiner: prof. dr. ir. Adri van den Brink Chair, Land Use Planning Group Wageningen University Author: Elina Sirén Reg. No. 870429-764-230 Course: MSc Thesis Land Use Planning (LUP-80436) 36 ECTS “What is wasted by society is the direct and opposite expression of what is valued. As a way of understanding the material basis of civilisations, nothing could be more telling.” (Steel, 2008, p.259) Abstract Urban food strategies aim to connect the various food related pub- lic domains within a city region, such as spatial planning, environ- ment and public health. Food strategies are slowly becoming part of the work of spatial planners and food system planning a legitimate field of planning research. However, the emphasis in planning re- search has been mainly on the production, processing and retail parts of the food chain, while research on food waste is lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which spatial planning could facilitate the recycling of household food waste in urban are- as, taking into account the concept of urban food strategies. The research involved two case studies in London (UK) and Toronto (Canada).
    [Show full text]
  • Food Democracy for All? Developing a Food Hub in the Context of Socio-Economic Deprivation Sebastian Prost 142–153
    Politics and Governance Open Access Journal | ISSN: 2183-2463 Volume 7, Issue 4 (2019) NewNew PerspectivesPerspectives onon FoodFood DemocracyDemocracy Editors Basil Bornemann and Sabine Weiland Politics and Governance, 2019, Volume 7, Issue 4 New Perspectives on Food Democracy Published by Cogitatio Press Rua Fialho de Almeida 14, 2º Esq., 1070-129 Lisbon Portugal Academic Editors Basil Bornemann (University of Basel, Switzerland) Sabine Weiland (Université Catholique de Lille, France) Available online at: www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance This issue is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). Articles may be reproduced provided that credit is given to the original andPolitics and Governance is acknowledged as the original venue of publication. Table of Contents Editorial: New Perspectives on Food Democracy Basil Bornemann and Sabine Weiland 1–7 Part I. Elaborating and Differentiating Food Democracy Food Sharing Initiatives and Food Democracy: Practice and Policy in Three European Cities Anna R. Davies, Agnese Cretella and Vivien Franck 8–20 Linking Food Democracy and Sustainability on the Ground: Learnings from the Study of Three Alternative Food Networks in Brussels François Lohest, Tom Bauler, Solène Sureau, Joris Van Mol and Wouter M. J. Achten 21–31 Finding Our Way to Food Democracy: Lessons from US Food Policy Council Governance Karen Bassarab, Jill K. Clark, Raychel Santo and Anne Palmer 32–47 Food Policy Councils as Loci for Practising Food Democracy? Insights from the Case of Oldenburg, Germany Annelie Sieveking 48–58 How Civil Servants Frame Participation: Balancing Municipal Responsibility with Citizen Initiative in Ede’s Food Policy Joëlla van de Griend, Jessica Duncan and Johannes S.
    [Show full text]
  • Community Food Initiatives in London by Shumaisa S. Khan
    Food Sovereignty Praxis beyond the Peasant and Small Farmer Movement: Community Food Initiatives in London by Shumaisa S. Khan A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Natural Resources and Environment) in the University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor Dorceta E. Taylor, Chair Associate Professor Larissa S. Larsen Associate Professor Gavin M. Shatkin Adjunct Professor Gloria E. Helfand © Shumaisa S. Khan 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are so many people who have made this endeavor possible. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dorceta Taylor, for providing guidance and support from even before I stepped foot on campus. You have been a wonderful advisor, mentor, and friend, and have given me invaluable advice throughout my studies. Thank you also to Gloria Helfand, Larissa Larsen, and Gavin Shatkin for helping me to find a focus amidst the multiple dimensions in this study. I am also grateful to Rackham for funding my education and for support after a family emergency in the last few months; the Center for the Education for Women for a research grant and support in the last few months; and grants from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Danielle Gwynne and Giselle Kolenic from CSCAR-thank you for your help with GIS. Jennifer Taylor, Diana Woodworth, and Kimberly LeClair in OAP- thank you for all of your assistance over the years. Knowledge Navigation Center folks- you are indispensable in getting the correct formatting. Of course, I am immensely grateful for all of the participants who took the time to share their perspectives with me and to contributors to Open Street Map and open source work generally for making knowledge and knowledge creation more accessible.
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Food and Farming
    Organic food and farming Organic vs non-organic : the facts 2 Acknowledgements The research and publication of this report was The organisations listed below are very pleased to made possible by the financial support of the JMG support the publication of this report. Foundation and the Soil Association. The project was They believe it will make a valuable contribution to co-ordinated and researched by Catherine Fookes, the debate on organic food and farming. with assistance from Kath Dalmeny. Each of the organisations may be indicating its formal agreement only in those areas where it has The following people and organisations gave advice, specific competence. information and support for which we are extremely grateful: Andersen, Jens Otto Kyrikiades, Alec Association of Unpasteurised Milk Producers and Consumers Alexander, Ian Lang, Tim Biodynamic Agricultural Association Altieri, Miguel Leifert, Carlo British Dietetics Association Anderson, Luke Lobstein, Tim Butterfly Conservation Barling, David Long, Adrian Common Ground Barry, Dick Longfield, Jeanette Commonwork Land Trust Bell, Sandra McLaughlin, Alan Compassion in World Farming Benbrook, Charles Meadows, Donella East Anglia Food Links Blake, Francis Meziani, Gundula Ecological Foundation Brenman, Simon Moore, Tony Ecologist Bristol Cancer Help Centre Nash, Steve Elm Farm Research Centre Brown, Lynda Niggli, Urs Family Farmers’ Association Buffin, David Padel, Susanne Farmer’s Link Burton, Michele Molgaard, Jens Peter Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens Burton, Kathie
    [Show full text]
  • EXPLORING BARRIERS to and OPPORTUNITIES for URBAN AGRICULTURE in Bristol, United Kingdom
    EXPLORING BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE in Bristol, United Kingdom Emma Hetherington January 2017 1 Exploring Barriers to and Opportunities for Urban Agriculture in Bristol, United Kingdom. ‘The single greatest lesson the garden teaches us is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people can still plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world.’ - Michael Pollan Emma Hetherington Groningen, December 2016 Master Thesis - MSc Environmental and Infrastructure Planning Faculty of Spatial Sciences University of Groningen The Netherlands Supervised by: Dr Katharina Gugerell 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Primarily, I would like to thank my supervisor for her support through this research process; your advice and support has been invaluable. Secondly, I am deeply grateful to all those who took time out of their busy lives to assist me with this research by taking part in various interviews. Without these brilliant individuals, this thesis would not have been possible. 3 ABSTRACT As a fundamental starting point, this study recognizes the central role that food now plays in the increasingly interrelated fields of climate, water, land, labour and physical and mental health. Taking previous studies into account that hark the social, environmental, economic and health benefits of UA to communities, this research explores the current state of UA in Bristol, UK, in an attempt to highlight the barriers to and opportunities for growth. Asking the question of why UA develops, this study initially explores previous research concerning AFNs, and the characteristics of quality, SFSCs, and social and territorial embeddedness.
    [Show full text]
  • Complete Issue (PDF; 1MB)
    Challenges in Sustainability Special Issue Urban Agriculture: Fostering the Urban-Rural Continuum Volume 4 (2016) | Issue 1 Basel, Switzerland ISSN: 2297-6477 librello Challenges in Sustainability | 2016 | Volume 4 | Issue 1 Challenges in Sustainability is an international, open access, academic, interdisciplinary journal, published by Librello. Cover image Urban garden at Bercy, Paris (Source: Wikipedia). Special Issue: Urban Agriculture: Fostering the Urban-Rural Continuum Proceedings of the 5th Rencontres Internationales de Reims on Sustainability Studies Invited Editors: François Mancebo, International Research Center on Sustainability at Rheims University , France Sylvie Salles, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris Val de Seine, France Scope: There is an urban arrangement that can address this urban-rural continuum while deeply trans- forming urban systems conditions to foster a more sustainable future: Urban agriculture. Urban agriculture postulates that some type of agriculture may flourish within the city. It considers that urban multifunctionality should also include farming. As a matter of fact, urban agriculture is not such a fresh idea. It existed for centuries in very different places around the world, such as the chinampas in Tenochtitlan—the actual Mexico city—since the 15th century or sooner, the hortillonnages in Amiens—a French city north of Paris—for more than twenty centuries, or the in- terstitial gardens (agriculture d’interstice) of Yaoundé—Cameroon’s capital—which accompanied the foundation of the city in the 19th century. But what should be the objectives of urban agriculture in planning? Community gardens, kitchen gardens, food farming, for example, are three different things, completely. The types of urban agriculture that exist in a city vary a lot according to the climate, the cultural background, the economic and social situation of the city, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • The Integration of Agriculture in Urban Policies
    Thematic Paper 7 The integration of agriculture in urban policies THE INTEGRATION OF AGRICULTURE IN URBAN POLICIES Henk de Zeeuw, Sabine Guendel and Hermann Waibel 1. Introduction This chapter summarises the discussions and conclusions of the working groups and plenary sessions which took place during the International Workshop on urban agriculture “Growing Cities, Growing Food – Urban Agriculture on the Policy Agenda”, Havana, Cuba, October 1999. In addition, the thematic papers and case studies presented in earlier sections of this reader are reflected upon in this summary. This chapter will describe a range of policy options identified by the participants as suitable for enhancing the contributions of urban agriculture to urban food security, urban economy and city ecology. 2. Present conditions of urban agriculture Participants consider urban agriculture as a dynamic concept that comprises a variety of farming systems, ranging from subsistence production and processing at household level to fully commercialised agriculture. Urban agriculture normally has a niche function in terms of time (transitory), space (interstitial) as well as specific social (e.g. women and low income groups) and economic (e.g. financial crisis, food shortage) conditions. It has been observed that urban agriculture exists within heterogeneous resource utilisation situations, e.g. under conditions of scarce as well as abundant land and/or water resources. In terms of its contributions to development, urban agriculture enhances food security, provides additional income and employment for poor and middle-income urban dwellers, and contributes to an ecologically sound urban environment. Urban agriculture exists under a range of policy environments that may be prohibitive or supportive to its existence and development.
    [Show full text]
  • Profitability and Sustainability of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Iii
    AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT, MARKETING AND FINANCE 19 AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT, MARKETING AND FINANCE OCCASIONAL PAPER 19 OCCASIONAL PAPER Profitability and sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture Profitability and Urban agriculture (UA) is a dynamic concept that comprises a variety of livelihood systems ranging from subsistence production and processing at the household level to more sustainability of urban commercialized agriculture. It takes place in different locations and under varying socio-economic conditions and and peri-urban agriculture political regimes. The diversity of UA is one of its main attributes, as it can be adapted to a wide range of urban situations and to the needs of diverse stakeholders. Despite UA is increasing in cities in developed countries as well as in developing countries, many urban farmers around the world operate without formal recognition of their main livelihood activity and lack the structural support of proper municipal policies and legislation. Appropriate policies and regulations are required to enhance the potential of agriculture in cities and mitigate its potential risks. The challenge is for UA to become part of sustainable urban development and to be valued as a social, economic and environmental benefit rather than a liability. This paper aims to provide pertinent information on profitability and sustainability of UA to a wide audience of managers and policymakers from municipalities, ministries of agriculture, local government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), donor organizations and university research institutions. It aims to highlight the benefits of linkages between agriculture and the urban environment, leading to a more balanced understanding of the conflicts and synergies. It examines how UA can contribute substantially to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly in reducing urban poverty and hunger (MDG 1) and ensuring environmental sustainability (MDG 7).
    [Show full text]