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Potential Economic, Social and Environmental Contribution Study of Urban Agriculture Based on Five Key Features Identified through Past Studies

Author

Listed:
  • Arun Kafle

    (Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management (SIRM), UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

  • James Hopeward

    (Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management (SIRM), UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

  • Baden Myers

    (Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management (SIRM), UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

Abstract

Urban agriculture (UA), for recreational (gardening) and or commercial (farming) purposes, is commonly practised around the world, and uptake is increasing globally. There are many claims regarding UA’s social, economic and environmental benefits with scant exploratory research. The overarching objective of this paper is to access the potential economic, social and environmental contribution of UA based on five major features that have previously been shown to be critical to optimising the benefits of UA: area, purpose (gardening or commercial), crop value (mixed, mid to high), mechanisation level (none to partial mechanisation) and market mechanism (retail versus wholesale) based on past studies focusing on Adelaide, Australia and the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Including the reviewed 15 past studies that closely reflect the above five features of UA, most UA research has focused on the social benefits and potential cost savings of growing food in cities, with few studies interrogating its economic viability, employment potential or opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is a clear need to study UA using a systems approach to ensure viability, replicability and sustainability. Real-world case studies focusing on diverse settings will help to characterise key features and corrective actions for improving overall sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Arun Kafle & James Hopeward & Baden Myers, 2023. "Potential Economic, Social and Environmental Contribution Study of Urban Agriculture Based on Five Key Features Identified through Past Studies," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-12, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:10:p:1920-:d:1259959
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Georgia Pollard & James Ward & Philip Roetman, 2018. "Typically Diverse: The Nature of Urban Agriculture in South Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Boglarka Z. Gulyas & Jill L. Edmondson, 2021. "Increasing City Resilience through Urban Agriculture: Challenges and Solutions in the Global North," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, January.
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