Urban Agriculture: A Path to Sustainable Food Security

The year 2023 witnessed multiple trends in agriculture, with a primary focus on enhancing productivity, consumer safety, ensuring environmental sustainability, and profitability for farmers. This was achieved through the utilization of precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology/genetic engineering, sustainable agricultural practices, automation, and value addition via diversification and agro-tourism.

Last year, the global population reached an estimated 8 billion mark, and based on current trends, it is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. The increasing population creates a huge demand for food products to feed the growing population. On the contrary, the land area under agriculture is shrinking due to increasing urbanization, infrastructure development, industrialization, land degradation, and climate change. This puts additional pressure on the available farmland.

According to the FAO, FAO, the global cropland area per capita has continuously decreased from about 0.45 hectare per capita in 1961 to 0.21 hectare per capita in 2016, and the trend continues. The Farm and Land in Farms report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed that the US lost 1.3 million acres of farmland in 2021. Similarly, approximately 17.23 million hectares of land in the United Kingdom were classified as utilized agricultural area in 2021, a decrease from 17.27 million hectares in 2020.

This situation of decreasing farmland and increasing food demand not only presents tough challenges in sustaining the growing population but also offers an opportunity for scientists and policymakers to introduce new innovations and policies that are safer, more effective, and sustainable.

Nevertheless, a significant number of individuals are relocating to urban areas in search of improved living conditions and livelihoods. Half of the global population currently resides in urban areas, and it is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.

Consequently, given the diminishing availability of farmland, increased food demand, and the ongoing migration to urban locales, urban farming, also known as urban agriculture, emerges as a substantial opportunity to meet the escalating food demand, provide social and economic benefits, while simultaneously minimizing the adverse environmental effects of urbanization.

After witnessing the challenges of the current food system during the COVID-19 pandemic, urban agriculture further supports efforts to make cities more sustainable, healthy, and resilient.

Urban farms are smaller versions of traditional farms. They are not limited to farms on people's own land but also include techniques such as vertical farming, aquaponics, farms on rooftops, warehouses, community farming, and so on. 

The Global Urban Farming Market achieved a significant milestone, reaching US$ 137.5 Billion in 2021. Projections indicate a robust growth trajectory, with expectations to soar to US$ 281.9 billion by 2030, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.1% during the forecast period spanning from 2022 to 2030. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) accounts for over one-tenth of the global population, approximately 800 million people, practicing urban agriculture worldwide.

Urban agriculture has been ingrained in human society since ancient times. However, its contemporary resurgence gained momentum following the Second United Nations (UN) Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in 1996. Subsequently, numerous nations have implemented diverse regulatory frameworks and financial support policies to bolster this essential facet of urban living.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made available up to $7.5 million for grants through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) with the aim of supporting the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. To better serve urban farmers, USDA is also establishing 17 new Urban Service Centers and 10 new Urban County Committees, which will help with local administration. Additionally, to help strengthen the Urban Service Centers and Urban County Committees, USDA is investing $40 million in partnerships with community-based organizations.

In November 2023, Australia celebrated Urban Agriculture Month facilitated by Sustain: The Australian Food Network. Urban Agriculture Month is an annual celebration of Australia’s growing urban and peri-urban agricultural food movement.

The European Union has implemented several targeted policies that either directly or indirectly bolster urban agriculture. The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), RURBAN (Partnership for sustainable urban-rural development), and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact support urban agriculture.

A study conducted in four European cities – Barcelona, Lyon, Trieste, and Udine – further suggested that a possible solution to the increasing metropolitan demand for food is to grow produce in urban environments and distribute it locally. The researchers analyzed the measures taken to encourage and regulate three types of urban agriculture: allotment gardens, community gardens, and controlled environment agriculture (CEA).

In India, Government provides financial assistance under different schemes including National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, and Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization to support urban farmers. A report published in 2010 by M S Swaminathan Research Foundation notes that 50 per cent of women and children in urban areas are anaemic due to lack of adequate nutrition and recommends urban agriculture.

Urban agriculture can indeed play a pivotal role in supporting local food systems, fostering community-building, and promoting co-ownership in neighborhoods. However, it is not without its challenges. These challenges encompass high operational costs, significant initial investment requirements, a scarcity of skilled workers, concerns regarding food safety arising from heavy metal contamination in urban soil, pollution of soil and water resulting from chemical usage, and a heavy dependence on controlled conditions such as temperature, lighting, humidity, and water, which inevitably drive-up expenses. Therefore, in future urban development policies and a properly strategized execution plan for urban farming will be the key.