Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India

The widespread health concerns over chemical-intensive agriculture and recent disruptions of pandemic-induced agricultural supply chains alongside impaired public food distribution systems in urban and peri-urban areas of developing countries have all provided opportunities for the proliferation of...

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Main Authors: Aravindakshan, Sreejith, Hage Aku, Michi Tani
Format: Book Chapter
Language:Inglés
Published: CRC Press 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155483
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author Aravindakshan, Sreejith
Hage Aku
Michi Tani
author_browse Aravindakshan, Sreejith
Hage Aku
Michi Tani
author_facet Aravindakshan, Sreejith
Hage Aku
Michi Tani
author_sort Aravindakshan, Sreejith
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The widespread health concerns over chemical-intensive agriculture and recent disruptions of pandemic-induced agricultural supply chains alongside impaired public food distribution systems in urban and peri-urban areas of developing countries have all provided opportunities for the proliferation of urban agriculture (UA) in cities. Urban dwellers are learning to adapt, improvise, and adopt new ways of cultivating vegetables and fruits for home consumption. For example, in Indian cities, the pandemic and associated lockdown have mushroomed several innovations in rooftop cultivation, vegetable kitchen gardens, polyhouse cultivation, and vertical farming. However, UA in cities has provided questionable environmental gains and has not significantly improved urban food security, especially among the poorer sections. Looking at the rapid proliferation of urban farmscapes, one would wonder if this were a sustainable intensification strategy or a temporary bubble. It is hypothesized that several underlying environmental, economic, social, cultural, and political factors induce UA’s emergence, sustenance, and sustainability. Employing a mixed-method approach, this chapter draws on primary data collected from urban farming households in Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh in India, supplemented by secondary data from the national statistical organization and literature reviews. The aim is to delineate the approaches and indicators of UA driving sustainable intensification.
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spelling CGSpace1554832024-11-07T09:56:36Z Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India Aravindakshan, Sreejith Hage Aku Michi Tani urban agriculture sustainable intensification food security The widespread health concerns over chemical-intensive agriculture and recent disruptions of pandemic-induced agricultural supply chains alongside impaired public food distribution systems in urban and peri-urban areas of developing countries have all provided opportunities for the proliferation of urban agriculture (UA) in cities. Urban dwellers are learning to adapt, improvise, and adopt new ways of cultivating vegetables and fruits for home consumption. For example, in Indian cities, the pandemic and associated lockdown have mushroomed several innovations in rooftop cultivation, vegetable kitchen gardens, polyhouse cultivation, and vertical farming. However, UA in cities has provided questionable environmental gains and has not significantly improved urban food security, especially among the poorer sections. Looking at the rapid proliferation of urban farmscapes, one would wonder if this were a sustainable intensification strategy or a temporary bubble. It is hypothesized that several underlying environmental, economic, social, cultural, and political factors induce UA’s emergence, sustenance, and sustainability. Employing a mixed-method approach, this chapter draws on primary data collected from urban farming households in Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh in India, supplemented by secondary data from the national statistical organization and literature reviews. The aim is to delineate the approaches and indicators of UA driving sustainable intensification. 2024 2024-10-22T15:14:29Z 2024-10-22T15:14:29Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155483 en Limited Access CRC Press Aravindakshan, S., Aku, H., & Tani, M. (2024). Growing cities, changing demands. In K. Al-Kodmany, M. Govind, S. Khan, & C. Kole, Sustainable Urban Agriculture (1st ed., pp. 113–133). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003359425-7
spellingShingle urban agriculture
sustainable intensification
food security
Aravindakshan, Sreejith
Hage Aku
Michi Tani
Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title_full Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title_fullStr Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title_full_unstemmed Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title_short Chapter 7. Growing cities, changing demands: Scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in India
title_sort chapter 7 growing cities changing demands scope of urban agriculture as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy in india
topic urban agriculture
sustainable intensification
food security
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155483
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