Urban agriculture in a changing world: a thematic review of global trends, innovations, governance, and pathways to sustainability
Authors not recorded
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Urban Farm DB summary
A thematic review synthesising global trends, innovations, governance frameworks and pathways to sustainability in urban agriculture, mapping the field's current state and future directions including citizen participation, policy support and environmental challenges.
Key points
- 1Urban agriculture (UA) is a key strategy to address food insecurity, climate change, and urban sustainability.
- 2The review synthesizes global evidence on UA's historical evolution, regional variations, multifunctional roles, technological innovations, governance frameworks, and socio-economic impacts, with attention to the Global South and India.
- 3UA contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but has limitations in producing staples and animal protein at scale.
- 4A conceptual framework distinguishes formal vs. informal and low-tech vs. high-tech UA, underscoring diverse pathways of practice.
- 5UA is best understood as a complement to rural agriculture, offering both ecological services and social resilience within rapidly urbanizing landscapes.
Direction of conclusions
Each author conclusion is recorded only as a coded direction per topic. Read the original for the conclusion itself.
- Food securityMixedWith caveats
- Yield and productivityMixedWith caveats
- Policy and governanceInconclusiveWith caveats
Abstract and stored text
OpenAlexUrban agriculture (UA) has emerged as a key strategy to address food insecurity, climate change, and urban sustainability. This review synthesizes global evidence on the historical evolution, regional variations, and multifunctional roles of UA. It examines technological innovations, governance frameworks, and socio-economic impacts, with attention to the Global South and India. By integrating case studies and policy models, the review highlights how UA contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while recognizing its limitations in producing staples and animal protein at scale. A conceptual framework distinguishes formal vs. informal and low-tech vs. high-tech UA, underscoring diverse pathways of practice. The review concludes by identifying unresolved debates and proposing future research priorities, including longitudinal studies on climate resilience and cost–benefit analyses of smart farming in low-income contexts. UA is best understood as a complement to rural agriculture, offering both ecological services and social resilience within rapidly urbanizing landscapes.
Why it matters for urban farming
This review offers a comprehensive global perspective on urban agriculture, helping citizen urban farmers understand how their local efforts contribute to broader goals like food security, climate resilience, and urban sustainability. It highlights that urban farming, whether low-tech or high-tech, formal or informal, provides valuable ecological services and fosters social resilience within communities. While acknowledging limitations in large-scale staple production, it validates the diverse and multifunctional roles of citizen-led initiatives, encouraging them to see their work as a vital complement to traditional agriculture.