“ [A]n industry that produces, processes and markets food and fuel, largely in response to the daily demand of consumers within a town, city, or metropolis, on land and water dispersed throughout the urban and peri-urban area, applying intensive production methods, using and reusing natural resources and urban wastes to yield a diversity of crops and livestock.”

Facts

• 50% of the world’s population lives in cities.^[6]
• 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world-wide and contribute to feeding urban residents.^[7]
• Low income urban dwellers spend between 40% and 60% of their income on food each year.^[8]
• By 2015 about 26 cities in the world are expected to have a population of 10 million or more. To feed a city of this size – at least 6000 tonnes of food must be imported each day.^[9]

With the increasing costs of food, and the misuse of cropping lands for bio fuels, Urban Agriculture seems an obvious solution for importing food, which helps to generate employment and decrease costs, and reduce contamination produced to transport food across states and countries.

Any major technology or process that leverages the adoption of Urban Agricutlure and Horticulture will gain great economic and social value. From Guerilla Gardening and Local Markets to Urban and PeriUrban Crops.

There exists a great development and social opportunity for business in urban irrigation, distribution

In Mexico cities like Monterrey, Guadalupe, Santa Catarina etc, there are city wide local markets called Mercado de Abastos, yet they import from long distances and while they offer an open market solution (free prices) they operate under un-optimal conditions and are centralized.

For a deeper insight please read more at Wikipedias references its practically a whole argument in favour of urban agriculture systems, for economic and social development, including wellfare, health and pollution.