Urban agriculture in Asia to meet the food production challenges of urbanization: A review

Abstract

Urban expansion in Asia is concentrated in metropolitan areas. This has adversely affected in-city food production by decreasing farmlands in and around urban centers. Asian countries have experienced fast disappearance of urbanfringe farmland which at some point provided 70% of the vegetables consumed by the city's population. Uneven distribution of incomes, along with an increase in urban poverty, has further exacerbated the already critical problems of low quantity and quality and high prices of wholesome food. In India, it is estimated that five out of every six urban families typically spend 70% of their income on food. The United Nations Development Program reports that some 200 million people are employed in urban farming and related enterprises, contributing to the food supply of 800 million urban dwellers. Also, over 85% of the vegetables consumed by the urban population in some Chinese cities are reportedly grown within the bounds of the municipality and an estimated ¥ 2.6 trillion worth of products is produced in "urban-like areas". These statistics show that depending solely on rural agriculture to supply the food needs of urban dwellers in Asia is inadequate. This paper highlights compelling evidence in available literature lending support to urban agriculture as a viable option to overcoming food production challenges and adverse effects of urbanization such as environmental pollution and "urban poverty" in Asia. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Excess fertility in residential‐scale urban agriculture soils in two western Oregon cities, USA

“…In an increasingly urbanized world, urban agriculture (UA) has been suggested as a means of building robust local food systems to meet future food needs (Akaeze & Nandwani, 2020; Burgin, 2018; Maheshwari et al., 2014; Tilman et al., 2002), foster sustainable and resilient cities (De Zeeuw et al., 2011; Maheshwari et al., 2014), promote public health and food justice (Morgan, 2015; Specht et al., 2014), grow an appreciation for agriculture within the general public (FAO, 2014; Morckel, 2015), and increase consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables (Evans et al., 2012). Approximately 30% of the world's population engages in UA, with about one‐quarter producing food for sale (Badami & Ramankutty, 2015).…”

Rooftop gardening complexities in the Global South: Motivations, practices, and politics

“…These gardens also offer health benefits by providing access to safe, nutritious food and improving physical and mental well‐being (Aiholli & Bargavi, 2018; Weinberger, 2013). Rooftop gardens can also increase household economic resilience by reducing expenditure on groceries and potentially generating income (Akaeze & Nandwani, 2020; Pham Thi Minh Khuyen, 2019). From an environmental perspective, rooftop gardens can help mitigate urban heat island effects, manage storm water runoff, encourage waste reuse through practices such as rainwater harvesting and composting, and reduce the energy expended on food transportation (Carandang et al, 2016; Hamzah et al, 2016; Hui, 2011).…”

“…These gardens involve individuals growing vegetation on building rooftops using numerous possible methods such as containers, green roofs, or hydroponics (Aiholli & Bargavi, 2018). Such gardens can take the form of large-scale commercial ventures (Akaeze & Nandwani, 2020;Astee & Kishnani, 2010;Liu et al, 2016) or smaller, household or community gardens primarily for own consumption (Aiholli & Bargavi, 2018;Pham Thi Minh Khuyen, 2019;Weinberger, 2013). This latter model of rooftop gardens is increasingly popular in Hanoi, the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and includes both soil-based and hydroponic approaches.…”

Combination of composted poultry manure and inorganic fertilizers enhance growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in a rooftop growing system

“…The utilization of alternative agricultural production systems, such as rooftop gardening or green roof technologies, will increase in importance as human populations become more urbanized and urban consumers become more interested in local foods. Rooftop gardens involve individuals growing vegetation on building rooftops using numerous possible methods such as containers, green roofs, or hydroponics (Aiholli & Bargavi, 2018) and can take the form of smaller, household or community gardens primarily for own consumption (Aiholli & Bargavi, 2018;Turner et al, 2023) or large-scale commercial ventures (Akaeze & Nandwani, 2020). Rooftop agriculture allows urban areas to become more sustainable in their resource utilization, and to assist the development of food security for local residents.…”