Socially acceptable urban agriculture businesses

Abstract

The rise of successful entrepreneurs in urban agriculture has attracted global interest. Here, we hypothesized that societal preferences and the acceptability of urban agriculture projects and products are ruling the success or failure of urban agriculture businesses. We surveyed 386 urban participants in Berlin, Germany, to identify general preferences for the productive use of urban space, the acceptance of different urban agriculture forms, and demands and expectations regarding urban agriculture products. The results show first that more than 80 % of the respondents preferred having accessible systems such as public green spaces, intercultural gardens, and rooftop gardens. Indeed, land uses that do not provide accessibility such as meadows, aquaponic farms, or intensive agricultural and horticultural landscapes showed lower acceptance, of less than 40 %. Second, 60 % of participants expressed acceptance of rooftop farming, agriculture in the urban fringe, or in inner-city brownfields, whereas 65 % rejected to have agriculture in multi-story buildings, agroparks, or aquaponic farms. Third, more than 50 % are willing to buy horticultural products, but they reject products from intensive production systems and animal-farming mechanisms, with more than 70 % rejection for animal products. Overall, this is the first study to investigate entrepreneurial urban agriculture possibilities from the perspective of potential consumers. The main insight is that the highest degree of acceptance is reached for multifunctional urban agriculture that combines commercial with ecological and social goals.As a consequence, projects that are purely production-driven or technologically intensive are more likely to be rejected.

Comparison of Farm Structures, Success Factors, Obstacles, Clients’ Expectations and Policy Wishes of Urban Farming’s Main Business Models in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

“…Diversified farms require these amenities to successfully offer services for urbanites. A recent study highlights that multifunctional urban agriculture combining commercial, social, and ecological goals reaches the highest level of consumer acceptance [65].…”

Commercial Aquaponics Approaching the European Market: To Consumers’ Perceptions of Aquaponics Products in Europe

“…Analysis of commercial urban roof-top farms showed that there are two types: soil-based open farms and soil-less hydroponic or aquaponic farms [24]. However, a recent study among urban residents in Berlin showed that only 28% of the sample approved aquaponics production of fish and vegetables in urban areas and only 27% of this sample expressed willingness to buy aquaponics products [22]. Consumers in Malaysia [20], on the other hand, expressed high levels of positive attitude towards aquaponics products and high intentions to buy aquaponics products.…”

“…All available studies about aquaponics have focused mainly on surveying aquaponics producers [14] or analysing specific case studies of aquaponics production, mostly in the USA [15], or specific Canadian provinces such as Alberta [16], or states such as Puerto Rico [17] and Hawaii [13,18,19]. To the author's knowledge, a limited number of studies are available on consumers' acceptance of aquaponics products, with only three published so far-on consumers' acceptance of aquaponics products in Malaysia [20] and on the perception of aquaponics products in Romania [21] and Berlin [22].…”

Revisiting the Sustainability Concept of Urban Food Production from a Stakeholders’ Perspective

“…The multifunctionality of UFP has resulted in the diversification of initiatives, from commercial high-tech farms to community-led social initiatives, with substantial variant contribution to urban sustainability among them [10][11][12]. Palmer [4] indicated that urban agriculture is a priority in urban planning to address multiple issues, although the measurement of the overall contribution of UFP to sustainability is still a gap.…”