Urban Agriculture Magazine
December 2003, no. 11

Dear Readers

This no.11 of the UA Magazine, is a compilation of several article contributions and papers and contributions to the Electronic Conference, which was held from 3 - 26 of November 2003. A summary is also included in this UA Magazine.

Land is an important resource for urban agriculture. Urban farming requires some land space, irrespective of whether the farming system is soil-based or not. Therefore land is and will remain a resource of particular concern to urban farmers. But land, or rather the adequate use of the land, is of increasing concern to planners and municipal policymakers who have to consider the various demands on the land and its functions in and around the city. Availability refers to the existence of land that can be utilised for urban agriculture, in the short-, medium- or long-term. Accessibility refers the opportunity for actual use of available land by needy households or groups, taking into account administrative procedures and conflict resolution mechanisms. The Usability of the land for urban agriculture is a function of topography, soil texture and fertility, moisture and other environmental qualities. Most of the cases presented in this issue provide suggestions that could be useful in drawing up successful programmes in urban agriculture. They emphasise the importance of innovative approaches and techniques that facilitate integration of urban agriculture into the city landscape as a permanent feature, thereby ensuring adequate access to land and other resources for the urban poor. Land banks, multi-stake holder participatory urban planning and long-term leasing arrangements are examples of innovative approaches that are already being tried out with success.

You are invited to contribute to future issues of the Urban Agriculture Magazine. Articles are welcome of up to 2,500 words in length, and preferably accompanied by illustrations (digital and of good quality), references and an abstract. Despite that each issue has a focus on a selected theme, we welcome contributions on any subject. Articles will be examined for selection by the editorial team consisting of the RUAF-based responsible editor and the external scientific advisor/co-editor.

The UA-Magazine in Chinese no. 3 is under production. The Arabic version of the UA-Magazine no.1 has been published and distributed, while no. 2 is under production. The Spanish editions of the UA-Magazine of no. 8 and 9 are published, and no. 10. to be released soon, while the French edition of the UA-Magazine no. 8 is distributed. Readers in those languages are suggested to contact these institutes.

Looking forward to receive your continued contribution or comments.

The Editor