Silvia Martin Han, Meggi Pieschel

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 27-29

The programme “Sustainable Development of Future Megacities” (2008-2013), of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), focuses on energy- and climate-efficient structures in urban growth centres. One of the research projects investigates to what extent urban agriculture can make a relevant contribution to building a resilient city, and does this in Casablanca, Morocco.

Isabelle Anguelovski

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 25-26

Marginalized urban communities living in informal settlements or on fragile hillsides and slopes in Quito, Ecuador, are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as they are highly exposed to frequent floods and landslides, droughts, food scarcity and uncertain food supply chains. This is particularly true as many of these communities depend on urban agriculture to secure sustainable livelihoods and achieve food security.

Kirsten Larsen, Fiona Barker-Reid

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 22-24

Increasing urban production of perishable foods can increase diversity in the food system, adding new products, producers, techniques and systems that will resist different threats and meet different needs. As Australia continues to struggle with water scarcity and increasing climate extremes, food production in and around its cities can contribute to healthy and resilient communities. 

Wang Yan, Cai Jianming, Xie Liou, Liu Junping

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 20-21

Resilience is a dynamic process. City resilience refers to the ability of a city to adapt or adjust to changing situations or recover from economic, social or ecological disturbances. The current high rate of urbanisation in China creates many such disturbances. Urban agriculture plays a role in enhancing the resilience of China’s growing cities.

Martin Bailkey

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 17-19

José António Ribeiro, Marilda Quintino Magahães

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 15-16

The municipality of Contagem in the State of Minas Gerais, despite being known as an industrial centre, has an enormous potential to develop urban agriculture. The current administration recognises this, and supports the development of agriculture as an important strategy for consolidating its Municipal Food and Nutritional Security Policy.

Alain Santandreu, Alberto Gómez Perazzoli, Raúl Terrile, Mariana Ponce

In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 12-13

Marielle Dubbeling, Marcia Caton Campbell, Femke Hoekstra, René van Veenhuizen

In: UA Magazine no. 22 - Building Resilient Cities pp. 3-11

The number of people around the world who live in cities is increasing steadily. For the first time in history the percentage of population that lives in cities has passed the 50 percent mark. These cities are quickly becoming the principal spaces for planning and implementation of strategies that aim to eradicate hunger and poverty. Many cities cannot cope with the rapid population growth and face enormous challenges in creating sufficient employment; in providing basic services; and in planning and managing urban wastes and waste water.

The RUAF Foundation, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Development Research Centre, Urban Harvest, the Chinese Urban Agriculture Association and the Nanjing Agriculture and Forestry Bureau, organised a session called "Urban and peri-urban agriculture for Resilient Cities (Green, Productive and Socially Inclusive)" during the World Urban Forum of UN Habitat from 3 to 7 November 2008 in Nanjing, China.