In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Cecil Konijnendijk and Michelle Gauthier

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

The contributions of forests, trees and other urban green areas to the quality of urban life and the environment can be significant. When existing good practices are built upon, urban forestry has shown significant contributions to the quality of urban life and the environment, together with other types of comprehensive green-space planning and management concepts. Through agroforestry systems, for example, urban forestry and urban agriculture join forces in supporting livelihoods. A review of the current status of urban forestry research and development, policy-making, implementation and education across the globe shows that advances have indeed been made. Urban forestry has been developed in response to the call for innovative, comprehensive concepts that promote the multiple benefits of urban green space. Sometimes named urban and peri-urban forestry, the concept encompasses the planning and management of forests and other tree resources in and close to urban areas and thus integrates different parts of urban green structures.

Stuart Bunting, David Little and William Leschen

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

The status of urban aquaculture is assessed in this chapter and the most important literature and knowledge sources are discussed providing a comprehensive overview that highlights challenges facing decision-makers, planners and stakeholders in developing policies, programmes and management strategies that facilitate sustainable, equitable and safe urban aquaculture. The prevailing characteristics of existing urban aquaculture activities are described and the associated benefits are discussed. The recognised constraints and emerging threats to urban aquaculture are then presented. Following this assessment important knowledge gaps and challenges facing planners, managers and other stakeholders are identified and potential approaches to deal with the issues raised are proposed.

Hans Schiere, Barbara Rischkowsky, Eric Thys, Jaap Schiere and Francine Matthys

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Livestock keeping in and around cities is a practice that can be traced back to ancient times. The functions and forms of urban livestock have changed over time, and after decades of neglect, the roles of urban livestock are now being recognised again by urban officials. This chapter reviews the categorisations, relevance and logic of urban livestock keeping in past and modern society. It stresses that animals can be both a nuisance and a benefit, serving several direct and indirect functions in urban ecosystems, each with different priorities at household, city and national level.

Gordon Prain

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

The urban setting offers special advantages for food and animal production, but also presents particular challenges. Urban agriculture needs to be highly innovative in competing and adapting to new situations. Urban and peri-urban agricultural systems exhibit even higher levels of complexity than rural upland systems and call for a wider range of participatory methods. This chapter discusses participatory agricultural research and its relevancy for the urban setting. A sustainable urban livelihoods framework is discussed, which enables to better understand and define the multi-sectoral, institutional and policy aspects of urban agriculture in order to identify appropriate interventions. Specific participatory methods are discussed for urban horticulture and livestock to help urban producers adapt agriculture to urban realities.

Stephanie Buechler, Gayathri Devi Mekala and Ben Keraita

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Wastewater is a resource of increasing global importance, particularly in urban and peri-urban agriculture. Wastewater is used for crop production, which includes fodder grasses, vegetables, cereals, ornamental plants, trees and flowers, timber crops and fruit trees, as well as for aquaculture and is often the only source of irrigation available. Wastewater use for irrigation generates livelihoods for farmers, agricultural labourers, produce transporters, market brokers and produce vendors. Consumers also benefit by obtaining access to fresh and cheap produce due to low transportation costs. To prevent potential negative impacts on human health and the environment, the importance of wastewater reuse in urban and peri-urban agriculture has to be recognised and clear policy guidelines for reuse need to be established. Careful research and awareness raising needs to be stimulated. Women play a key role in this context both as producers and in food preparation. Wastewater use in urban, peri-urban agriculture is a cross-sectoral issue that requires a multi-sectoral and multi-actor approach to research and planning.

Olufunke Cofie, A. Adam-Bradford and Pay Drechsel

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Sustainable management of solid waste is a major challenge being faced by municipal authorities across the world, both in the North and the South. In developing countries, urban waste remains a serious problem that causes contamination of soil and water bodies and endangers human health and the environment. Much of the solid waste consists of organic matter that can be recycled into a profitable input (compost) for urban agriculture. Composting the large quantities of organic matter provides a win-win strategy by reducing waste flows, enhancing soil properties, recycling valuable soil nutrients and creating livelihoods, but there remain several constraints that explain why this opportunity is seldom exploited. This chapter discusses the benefits of constraints to composting and presents a framework for analysis and planning of composting interventions. The arguments and models contained in the chapter are supported with case study material from Ghana, Philippines and Kenya.