Promoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review

Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona, Geetha Mohan and Kensuke Fukushi
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Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona: Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
Geetha Mohan: Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
Kensuke Fukushi: Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: Multifunctionality of urban agriculture can support the resolve of many urban challenges. Therefore, it is vital to understand the contribution of academic studies on urban agriculture practices as scientific information. The present study followed a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method. Finally, 54 identified articles were analyzed. The review study mainly examined the contribution of academic literature on urban agriculture under four dimensions: the socio-economic context of the country, type of agriculture model, opportunities, and challenges. The results revealed the focus of academic literature on urban agriculture to show favoritism toward developed countries’ community gardens. Moreover, the leading academic focus on this discipline identifies multifunctionality. People’s motivations in developed countries tend to favor social, health-related, and educational benefits of urban agriculture; however, in developing countries, urban agriculture is more related to economic and ecological needs. Challenges for urban agriculture are also different among developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, existing academic studies have given comparatively less attention to identifying challenges, benefit groups of urban agriculture, and government support. Since urban agriculture is highly reliant on local factors, studying more about opportunities and challenges for urban agriculture under different socio-economic contexts and different agriculture models could be more beneficial to connect farming practices in cities with urban planning. Therefore, to make an adequate academic contribution to urban sustainability, future urban agriculture studies need to be more holistic.

Keywords: urban agriculture; multifunctionality; opportunities; challenges; global review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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