Viewpoint: Can urban farming and agroecology rescue our planet?

By 2050, more than two-thirds of us will live in cities. Could urban farming feed 10 billion?

Urban agriculture (UA) covers everything from hi-tech approaches such as vertical farming and soil-free processes such as hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics, to guerrilla gardening on the urban fringe. 

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One 2025 study suggests that UA could help meet the UN’s 2030 sustainable development goals on hunger, sustainable cities and responsible consumption.

Before the picture becomes too utopian, it’s important to recognise that UA is not a straightforward solution. Open-air farming near roads can draw pollutants into the food chain, whereas indoor growing is highly energy-intensive. A vertical farm occupying a 30-storey building with a 5 acre (2 hectare) footprint could produce a yield equivalent to 2,400 acres (971 hectares), year-round, regardless of climate or weather, but the energy needs, scaled up to planetary levels, are unsustainable.

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UA alone won’t feed 10 billion people. But neither can we afford to ignore it. We need to prevent food wastage, preserve soils, halt pollution, arrest climate breakdown and protect biodiversity, especially pollinators.

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