Key insights of urban agriculture for sustainable urban development
María Teresa Gómez-Villarino, Julia Urquijo Reguera, Miguel Gómez Villarino, Ana Isabel García García
Abstract
Humanity must face the challenge of making viable a world of environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable cities, as it is recognized by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its Goal 11. This problem is so wide and complex that it does not admit a short-term solution; rather, it must be addressed through measures in a process with long-term results. One of these measures may come from the urban agriculture, applied under the principles of agroecology. Urban agriculture is a complex activity that is currently associated with the idea of multifunctionality, placing emphasis on the various ecosystem services that it generates. However, urban agriculture continues to lack sufficient consideration in urban planning and management. This paper includes a thorough review of the literature on urban agriculture to reveal its benefits, and potential, moving toward the implementation of urban agriculture, under an agroecological approach, in the city.