Quantitative and comprehensive evaluation of ecological security of urban agriculture in Shanghai

Urban Farm DB summary

Using mathematical and econometric methods, an ecological security evaluation index system for urban agriculture in Shanghai was constructed for quantitative and comprehensive assessment. From 1993 to 1998, the agricultural resources security index was stable while the agricultural environment security index fluctuated, the agricultural socio-economic development index declined slightly, and the comprehensive agricultural ecological security index rose and fell in turn; from 1999 to 2008, after a small decrease from 1999-2004, the resources security index grew at an annual rate of 10.43%, while the environment security index, socio-economic development index, and comprehensive index grew at annual rates of 6.97%, 24.65%, and 6.88% respectively. By 2008, per-capita cultivated land in suburban districts, fertilizer application intensity per sown area, the ratio of agricultural comparative advantage, per-capita grain in rural areas, and the frequency of acid rain had become major limiting factors with obstacle degrees below 10.00%, with threats mainly originating from the agricultural resources and environment subsystem while the socio-economic development subsystem's negative influence diminished year by year.