Assessment of Urban Agriculture for Evidence-Based Food Planning: A Case Study in Chengdu, China

Abstract

Along the rapid pace of urbanization, urban agriculture is increasingly recognized as an important tool of sustainable food and nutrition supply, while contributing to the resilience and sustainability of cities from various dimensions. From a governance point of view, it is fundamental to systemically assess the urban agriculture based on local context for evidence-based food planning. In China, values of urban agriculture are being noticed in recent years, with attempts emerging to involve urban agriculture in urban planning and agriculture strategies. However, clear definition to identify the scope and holistic approaches to assess and monitor local urban agriculture are still lacking. The paper took Chengdu as the study area, to conduct a thorough assessment of the foundation, capacity, practices, functions, opportunities, and challenges of the urban agriculture locally. Building on these results, the study further developed an indicator framework tailored to Chengdu’s conditions and city objectives, for in-depth evaluation and monitoring of local urban agriculture by themes, following which a pilot in-depth assessment was conducted in Chengdu using the indicator framework. The outcome of this research for the first time provided an overall characterization of the urban agriculture in Chengdu and assessment tools tailored to urban agriculture in Chinese cities, establishing a good basis for strategic local food system planning and contributing to the formation of the Chinese paradigm in urban agriculture research.

Urban Gardens as Sustainable Attractions for Children in Family Tourism

“…Urban agriculture activities and practices emerge as a means of providing urban centers with local food [2] in order to mitigate food risks derived from global crises such as climate change and supply shortages [9], and reduce the impact of transport emissions [17]. Urban gardens as an example of urban agriculture also improve the eating habits of children [81] as sophisticated consumers who want to emulate the habits of adults [61].…”

“…Urban agriculture "is an industry located within (intraurban) or on the fringe (periurban) of a town, a city or a metropolis, which grows or raises, processes and distributes a diversity of food and non-food products, (re-)using largely human and material resources, products and services found in and around that urban area, and in turn supplying human and material resources, products and services largely to that urban area" [5] (p. 10). According to previous research, urban agriculture fosters quality of life [19], urban-rural relationships [2], and improves community development and green infrastructure [12]. Also, the knowledge of hosting communities about the local culture and environment, and local traditions, is a driver for the development of livelihood sustainability [23].…”

“…According to the United Nations, more than half of the world's population live in cities and it is expected that more than two-thirds will live in urban areas by 2050 [1]. In this context, sustainable strategies are pivotal to guarantee this urban development, and urban agriculture, in particular, may lead to the planning and management of a sustainable urban food supply, thus "bringing positive impacts to local economics, environment, social equity and culture preservation" [2] (p. 1). Previous research defines urban agriculture as the production, processing and marketing of food within an urban environment [3][4][5][6].…”

Towards Evidence Based Policy Making in GIAHS: Convention Theory and Effects of GIAHS Registration on the Wholesale and Retail Trade of Traditional and Local Vegetables

“…This can contribute to evidence-based policy making (EBPM) to understand the prospect of rural development through the promotion of traditional vegetables and the conservation of the GIAHS areas with similar themes and objectives. Jámbor et al [29] and Wang et al [30] tried to analyze the information to strategize a plan for agricultural development. EBPM can also effectively monitor the implementation of the strategies and plans.…”

Socio-Cultural Appropriateness of the Use of Historic Persian Gardens for Modern Urban Edible Gardens

“…Urban agriculture as a tool to promote urban resilience and improve the health system of citizens has been well considered in the Global North [1][2][3]. In addition, countries such as China [4,5] and Cuba [6], among others have made remarkable progress in supporting and developing urban agriculture. Iran is a country that despite the rich history of urban agriculture and richness of native fruit species [7], today has not paid serious attention to urban agriculture.…”