Comparing the carbon footprints of urban and conventional agriculture
January 22, 2024 | Nature Cities |
Introduction: Urban agriculture (UA) is seen as a key solution for creating sustainable urban food systems. In collaboration with European researchers, a US research team based in University of Michigan compared the environmental impact of UA to conventional agriculture across 73 sites in Europe and the United States.
Key findings: Results showed that UA produces six times more carbon emissions per serving compared to conventional farming. However, some UA crops and sites outperform conventional agriculture, suggesting ways to reduce climate impact. Recommendations include cultivating crops typically grown in greenhouses or air-freighted, prolonging UA infrastructure lifespan, and utilizing urban waste for inputs. Despite UA's higher carbon intensity, it offers social benefits like improved mental health and community building. Future research should explore strategies to mitigate UA's environmental impact while maximizing its social and nutritional benefits.
Figure | Infrastructure and carbon footprints at urban agriculture sites.
Viewed Articles
January 22, 2024 | Nature Cities |Introduction: Urban agriculture (UA) is seen as a key solution for creating sustainable urban food systems. In collaboration with European researchers, a US research
Read More
June 2023 | Journal of Environmental Management | Volume335Introduction: Agricultural land does not have to choose between producing food, generating renewable energy, and protecting biodiversity. Sch
June 23, 2022 | Science | Introduction: Without rapid changes to agriculture and food systems, the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement will not be met. In this review, researchers led by the University
May 22, 2020 | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems | Introduction: Global pathways consistent with the Paris Agreement rely on substantial reductions in agricultural methane (CH4) and N2O alongside
August 26, 2023 | Environmental Monitoring and Assessment | Introduction: Lowland rice systems present a well-known climate trade-off, as management practices that increase soil organic carbon (SOC)
February 25, 2019 | Journal of Pest Science | Introduction: Climate change is intensifying crop pest threats globally, disrupting species distribution, outbreak timing, and pest–natural enemy dynamic
