Report on Urban Agriculture’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

This report synthesizes findings from nine articles on urban agriculture, analyzing its role in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research, spanning the Global South and North, highlights how local food systems (LFS), including community gardens, home gardens, and high-tech urban farms, contribute to creating sustainable, resilient, and equitable urban environments.

Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction (SDG 1, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 10)

Urban agriculture presents viable pathways for economic inclusion and poverty alleviation, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations.

• Financial Inclusion and Gender Equality (SDG 1, SDG 5): A study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, found that cash transfers (CTs) moderately improved financial inclusion for women involved in urban agriculture, directly supporting pro-poor and gender-responsive development.
• Income Generation (SDG 8): In Chongqing, China, migrant gardeners prioritize urban plots for food production that generates income, demonstrating urban agriculture’s role in local economic development.
• Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10): The promotion of targeted financial instruments and support for small-scale producers, as seen in Ethiopia and South Africa, is crucial for reducing economic disparities within cities.

Food Security, Health, and Well-being (SDG 2, SDG 3)

The research underscores the critical function of urban agriculture in enhancing food security and promoting physical and mental health.

1. Achieving Zero Hunger (SDG 2):
   • Urban agriculture initiatives contribute directly to food security, as evidenced by the slight increase noted in the Ethiopian CT study.
   • Home gardening was identified as a crucial source of food during humanitarian emergencies and lockdowns.
   • A study in Barcelona suggested that strategic crop choices, such as monoculture in community gardens, could significantly advance urban food self-sufficiency.
2. Ensuring Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3):
   • Home food gardening is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic recreational activity that fosters social bonds and improves mental and psychological well-being.
   • Young consumers in Hungary associate local food with health, freshness, and quality, indicating a demand for LFS that supports healthier lifestyles.

Sustainable Cities, Production, and Ecosystems (SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 15)

Urban agriculture is a cornerstone of sustainable urban development, responsible consumption, and biodiversity conservation.

• Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11): The studies collectively advocate for integrating urban agriculture into sustainability agendas to create healthier food landscapes and strengthen city-region food systems, as analyzed across seven European cities.
• Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12): The development of LFS is fundamental to promoting sustainable production patterns. This includes the adoption of high-technology in vegetable production, as studied in Hanoi, which is influenced by farmer attitudes, access to information, and institutional support.
• Life on Land (SDG 15): Urban agriculture, through the cultivation of diverse crops in community and home gardens, plays a valuable role in conserving agrobiodiversity within urban ecosystems.

Enabling Factors: Education, Technology, and Partnerships (SDG 4, SDG 9, SDG 17)

The success and scalability of urban agriculture depend on knowledge sharing, technological adoption, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

1. Quality Education and Social Learning (SDG 4): Training programs, such as those in Washington, USA, create spaces for social learning and foster the collective practices necessary for developing community-supported urban agriculture.
2. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9):
   • In South Africa, small-scale producers show a clear preference for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as mobile applications, that are user-friendly, affordable, and provide practical functions like price comparisons and best-practice sharing.
   • The adoption of high-tech farming in Hanoi highlights the need for comprehensive support, including access to credit, extension services, and training.
3. Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): Effective urban agriculture requires robust policy support and collaboration among diverse actors. The city-region food systems approach helps identify the roles and relationships of stakeholders across the value chain, emphasizing that coordinated action is essential for achieving sustainability.

Conclusion and Policy Recommendations

The compiled research provides compelling evidence that urban agriculture is a multi-faceted tool for achieving numerous SDGs. It enhances food security, generates income, promotes well-being, conserves biodiversity, and builds resilient communities. To realize this potential, policymakers must create a supportive ecosystem that includes:

• Targeted Financial Support: Implement pro-poor and gender-responsive financial mechanisms like cash transfers.
• Investment in Education and Technology: Support training programs and the development of accessible, relevant ICTs for small-scale producers.
• Robust Policy Integration: Formally recognize and integrate urban agriculture into municipal sustainability and food security strategies.
• Fostering Collaboration: Facilitate partnerships among government bodies, private sector actors, community organizations, and producers to strengthen local food value chains.

By championing these measures, cities can leverage urban agriculture to build healthier, more sustainable, and equitable societies for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article extensively discusses urban agriculture, including community and home gardens, as a means to enhance food security. It mentions studies focusing on food production for consumption and income, directly aligning with the goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The text highlights that home food gardening offers therapeutic benefits, such as improving mental and psychological well-being and is a popular recreational activity. This connects to the goal of promoting well-being for all ages.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  A study in Addis Ababa is cited, which investigated cash transfers’ contribution to urban agriculture. It specifically notes that these transfers “moderately improved financial inclusion for women” and emphasizes “gender-responsive financial inclusion options,” directly addressing the empowerment of women.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article points out that urban agriculture serves as a source of income generation. For instance, it mentions that migrant gardeners in Chongqing City prefer gardens for food production that “generates income,” contributing to local economic growth.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The core theme is urban agriculture within city landscapes. The article discusses community gardens, home gardens, and creating “healthier food landscapes” and “sustainable urban societies.” This relates to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, particularly by improving urban planning and providing access to green public spaces.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The focus on Local Food Systems (LFS), understanding young consumers’ perceptions of local food (health, freshness, quality), and promoting sustainable production methods like high-tech vegetable production aligns with fostering sustainable consumption and production patterns.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article concludes by stressing the importance of “collaboration among many stakeholders,” the “coordinated role of relevant actors” in the food value chain, and the need for policy support to promote urban agriculture. This directly reflects the goal of strengthening partnerships for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

  The article’s focus on urban agriculture’s role in ensuring food security, especially during “humanitarian emergencies and lockdowns,” directly supports this target.

• Target 2.3: Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers.

  The mention of migrant gardeners generating income and the study on improving financial inclusion for women in urban agriculture aligns with increasing the productivity and income of small-scale producers.

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

  The article states that home gardening offers “therapeutic benefits such as fostering social bonds, improving mental and psychological well-being.”

• Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources.

  The study in Ethiopia emphasizing “pro-poor and gender-responsive financial inclusion options” for women in urban agriculture directly relates to this target.

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

  The article’s reference to urban gardening as a source of income generation for migrant gardeners connects to this target.

• Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

  The discussion on developing “community gardens” and recognizing the role of “home food gardening” contributes to creating accessible green spaces within cities.

• Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.

  The exploration of how young consumers perceive local food and the need for training programs and extension services to change practices and narratives points toward this target.

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

  The article’s conclusion explicitly calls for “collaboration among many stakeholders” and highlights the importance of the “city-region food systems approach” which identifies roles and relationships of various actors.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 2.1: Prevalence of food insecurity.

  The article implies this through its discussion of urban agriculture’s contribution to “food security,” especially in Addis Ababa and during lockdowns.

• Indicator for Target 2.3: Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size.

  This is implied by the discussion of adopting “high technology in vegetable production” and the suggestion to practice “monoculture cropping… to achieve significant self-sufficiency.”

• Indicator for Target 5.a: Proportion of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land.

  The article implies a related measure through its focus on “financial inclusion for women” in urban agriculture.

• Indicator for Target 8.5: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities.

  A simplified version is implied by the mention of urban agriculture that “generates income” for migrant gardeners.

• Indicator for Target 11.7: Proportion of urban area that is open space for public use for all.

  The presence and number of “community gardens” and “home gardens” within municipal boundaries, as mentioned in Barcelona, can serve as a proxy indicator.

• Indicator for Target 12.8: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in policies, curricula, teacher education and student assessment.

  The article implies this through the mention of “training programs,” “extension services,” and “visits to demonstration sites” that influence farmers’ adoption of sustainable practices.

• Indicator for Target 17.17: Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.

  The article implies the need for such partnerships by mentioning “collaboration among many stakeholders,” “membership in extension organizations,” and the “coordinated role of relevant actors.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: frontiersin.org