1 - 4 April 2012

Hof van Wageningen, Lawickse Allee 9, 6701 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands

In May 2007, a major demographic milestone was passed. For the first time, the earth’s population became more urban than rural. This process of urbanization will accelerate in the decades to come: most of the growth in the world population – to 9 billion people in 2050 – will occur in urban areas. By 2050, the urban population will be approximately twice the size of the rural population.

However, this does not mean that urban areas are or will become more important than rural areas. On the contrary, they have always relied heavily on each other, and will become even more mutually reliant during an era of rapid urban population growth. Cities will continue to need resources such as food, fibre, clean water, nature, biodiversity and recreational space, as well as the people and communities that produce and provide these products and services. Hence, key questions for the coming decades are how, where and by whom these products and services for the urban area will be produced and provided, and if and how this can be done in manner that is considered to be socially, economically and ecologically sustainable and ethically sound.

For more information: http://www.agricultureinanurbanizingsociety.com/UK/