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Environmental Challenges Threatening the Growth of Urban Agriculture in the United States
Author(s) -
Wortman Sam E.,
Lovell Sarah Taylor
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2013.01.0031
Subject(s) - urban agriculture , agriculture , sustainability , environmental planning , urban ecosystem , business , food systems , urban planning , environmental resource management , natural resource economics , urbanization , environmental protection , geography , economic growth , environmental science , food security , ecology , economics , archaeology , biology
Urban agriculture, though often difficult to define, is an emerging sector of local food economies in the United States. Although urban and agricultural landscapes are often integrated in countries around the world, the establishment of mid‐ to large‐scale food production in the U.S. urban ecosystem is a relatively new development. Many of the urban agricultural projects in the United States have emerged from social movements and nonprofit organizations focused on urban renewal, education, job training, community development, and sustainability initiatives. Although these social initiatives have traction, critical knowledge gaps exist regarding the science of food production in urban ecosystems. Developing a science‐based approach to urban agriculture is essential to the economic and environmental sustainability of the movement. This paper reviews abiotic environmental factors influencing urban cropping systems, including soil contamination and remediation; atmospheric pollutants and altered climatic conditions; and water management, sources, and safety. This review paper seeks to characterize the limited state of the science on urban agricultural systems and identify future research questions most relevant to urban farmers, land‐use planners, and environmental consultants.