Urban agriculture to meet growing population needs

World population growth is estimated to be around 83 million annually, and 59% of the world population is in Asia. Urban expansion in Asia is concentrated in metropolitan areas.

While this increase in population has brought immense benefits such as human resources and economic growth to the region, it has already adversely reduced farmlands in and around urban centers due to conversion of such farmlands to other non-agricultural purposes. Thus, depending solely on rural agriculture to supply the food needs of urban dwellers in Asia is inadequate.

A new article recently published in Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems, reviews evidence in available literature lending support to urban agriculture as a viable option to overcoming urban food challenges and adverse effects of urbanization such as environmental pollution and “urban poverty” in Asia. For example, the United Nations Development Program reports that urban farming and related enterprises has the potential to provide more than 85% of the vegetables consumed by the urban population in Chinese cities while also providing some 200 million people with gainful employment and serving as a medium for mitigating environmental pollution through the provision of more “green” cover.