Mathematical modelling of the effects of urbanization and population growth on agricultural economics

Urban Farm DB summary

A mathematical model built from three interacting ordinary differential equations links population growth, urbanization and food production, with population assumed to grow independently while urbanization and food production both depend on it. Solving the system shows that without an added food-supply term — representing sources such as food substitutes, urban gardening or imports — uncontrolled population growth and urbanization lead to a catastrophic food shortage; the authors note that food affordability, not just availability, remains a separate, unresolved issue.