Urban Farming: A Scalable Solution for Global Food Insecurity?

 

Introduction

Global food insecurity remains one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. As the world’s population continues to grow—projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050—urbanization is accelerating, putting further strain on food systems that are already under pressure from climate change, supply chain disruptions, and land scarcity. Traditional agricultural practices often rely on vast rural spaces, long-distance transportation, and weather-dependent cycles, all of which can be unreliable or unsustainable in a rapidly changing world.

In response, urban farming—the practice of growing food within city environments—is gaining traction as a potential solution. But can it scale effectively enough to address global food insecurity?

 What is Urban Farming?

Urban farming refers to the cultivation of food within or around urban areas. It can take various forms, including:

• Rooftop gardens

• Vertical farms

• Hydroponics and aquaponics

• Community gardens

• Indoor container farming

• Balcony or backyard vegetable plots

Unlike traditional agriculture, urban farming is often decentralized, uses smaller plots, and can incorporate technology to optimize growth cycles and resource use.

Food Insecurity

For many people, fresh food is not a given.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines food security as existing when “all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

This is not a small goal.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tracks access to affordable and nutritious food. According to a 2015 report, 39.4 million people in the United States have both low income and low access. That means that the nearest grocery store is more than 1 mile away in urban areas or 10 miles away in rural areas, while a low-income area is defined as one in which at least 20% of households are below the poverty line.

Marcus Williams, the Baltimore City Master Gardener Coordinator with the University of Maryland, laid out the struggle it takes for some residents in urban areas to get fresh food.

“It can be really hard to pack fresh food or produce across the city,” Williams says. “If you’re on a bus, it might take an hour just to get to a grocery store, and if you have kids, you’ve got to find childcare, which is another cost.”

An added layer of complexity: Many areas experienced stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. The results of that two-hour roundtrip grocery store run had to last a family even longer than usual.

Even under normal circumstances, people might be more inclined to get more convenient, premade, and less nutritious food. Some neighborhoods don’t even have a grocery store nearby, so residents rely on tiny corner stores.

“Every area has its own problems, its own obstacles to overcome,” Williams says.

Urban Agriculture

Growing food in cities is not a new idea. Archeological evidence suggests that farmers in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia set aside plots of land within cities to grow food and dispose of urban waste.

Now, the ways to engage with urban agriculture are as diverse as the people who practice it. From potted plants on a sunlit porch, to a backyard vegetable plot, to hoop houses, rooftop gardens, and commercial operations with several acres within a city, growers and gardens have become creative.

An urban farm and community garden nestles beside residences in Seattle. Credit: Rachel Surls

The constraints that challenge urban farmers fall into several categories: finding land, water, healthy soil, and funding. Some cities have prohibitive policies and ordinances; occasionally there’s pushback against gardens and urban agriculture. The size of each of these challenges depends on the city.

In Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C., the price of land prevents many farmers from buying their own, and vacant lots are prone to being repurposed at short notice for real estate.

In Baltimore, it’s sometimes difficult to find affordable water sources.

In Detroit, vacant land is readily available, but gaining agency of lots and rehabilitating urban soils to a productive state requires time, energy, and resources.

The scale of production varies widely, too.

“It’s one thing if you have an abundance of food from your home garden, and you think, ‘Oh, I could sell some of this!’” Surls says. “But full-time urban farmers, that’s a different story. They really have to patch it together.”

They use their grounds as wedding venues, host workout classes, and create value-added products like jam, jelly, hot sauce, or seedlings for other gardeners. Many long-standing farms are nonprofits, with educational goals or other community-driven objectives.

Regardless of scale, the challenges that face urban gardeners haven’t put them off the practice. Innovative partnerships between communities and extension agents, researchers, and growers have blossomed, yielding interesting fruit.

Environmental Effects of Urban Farming

The Rooftop Runoff Irrigation Produce Eaten Raw program combines urban gardening at this site in Frederick, Md., with water quality testing. Credit: Manan Sharma

Urban farming has the potential to significantly impact the environment—both positively and negatively—depending on how it is implemented. As cities grapple with climate change, pollution, and ecological degradation, urban agriculture offers several environmental benefits, as well as important challenges to consider.

✅ Positive Environmental Impacts

1. Reduction in Carbon Emissions

   • Urban farming shortens the distance between food production and consumption, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation ("food miles").

   • Local production also minimizes the need for packaging and refrigeration during transport.

2. Improved Air Quality and Urban Cooling

   • Green rooftops and vertical gardens contribute to cooling urban microclimates, helping to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

   • Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, improving air quality in densely populated areas.

3. Waste Reduction and Recycling

   • Urban farms can utilize organic waste as compost, diverting food scraps from landfills and reducing methane emissions.

   • Some models incorporate closed-loop systems, using fish waste (aquaponics) or nutrient-rich wastewater to fertilize plants sustainably.

4. Efficient Land Use

   • Urban farming repurposes underutilized spaces such as rooftops, vacant lots, and shipping containers.

   • It alleviates pressure on rural lands, potentially reducing deforestation and biodiversity loss caused by agricultural expansion.

5. Water Conservation

   • Modern systems like hydroponics and aeroponics use up to 90% less water than traditional farming by recirculating water in closed systems.

   • This is especially beneficial in water-scarce regions or drought-prone cities.

Environmental Challenges and Limitations

1. Energy Consumption

   • Indoor vertical farms and climate-controlled systems often rely on artificial lighting and HVAC systems, which can consume large amounts of electricity.

   • If powered by fossil fuels, these farms may offset some of their environmental benefits unless they transition to renewable energy sources.

2. Resource-Intensive Infrastructure

   • The materials and construction needed for high-tech urban farms—LED lighting, growing towers, pumps, and sensors—can have a significant embodied environmental cost.

   • Lifecycle assessments are necessary to determine their long-term sustainability.

3. Limited Biodiversity

• Urban farms often grow a narrow range of high-yield crops, which may reduce agrobiodiversity compared to traditional polyculture farming.

• Monoculture practices can lead to greater vulnerability to pests and diseases, requiring careful ecological planning.

CSAs in California

CSAs, however, have been filling the gaps in food security in California. The CSA model functions on a subscription basis: The interested consumer signs up to pay a set amount per week or month and then receives a box of produce from a local farm.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service hosts a site with a directory of CSAs. Consumers can use the site to filter farms based on location, products available, and payment accepted. Consumers can also find CSAs using a site called Local Harvest.

“In California, we saw CSA subscriptions jump when the pandemic started,” Surls says. “They often provide add-ons like eggs or bread or other value-added products. When we had that egg shortage, people turned to CSAs.”

Like some commercial operations in New York, Surls says that many longtime urban farmers in California operate nonprofits.

“If you go nonprofit, you can get donations, have volunteers, and get grants,” Surls says. “Oftentimes, they’re involved in social programs, too.”

For example, Alma Backyard Farms in Los Angeles County recruits recently incarcerated individuals. Their mission is for “the previously incarcerated to become agents of health, safety and community” while interacting with nature and nurturing others.

During the pandemic, Alma Backyard Farms has been bundling up food boxes for families in need and dropping them off at no-contact pickup points so people who need fresh produce can get it.

“People are doing things out of their own pockets right now,” Surls says. “I don’t know how long it’s sustainable, but I’m sure seeing a lot of it. They’re stepping up in big ways.”

Benefits of Urban Farming

Urban farming offers a range of benefits that extend beyond food production. As cities expand and climate and supply chain issues intensify, the integration of agriculture into urban environments presents a promising opportunity to enhance food security, sustainability, community resilience, and public health. Below are key benefits associated with urban farming:

1. Enhanced Food Security and Accessibility

Urban farming provides local communities with direct access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable food, particularly in underserved urban areas often referred to as “food deserts.” By growing food closer to where people live, urban farms reduce dependence on long, vulnerable supply chains and help ensure a more stable food supply during times of crisis or disruption.

 2. Environmental Sustainability

Urban agriculture can reduce the environmental impact of food production by:

• Minimizing transportation emissions and reducing “food miles”

• Utilizing sustainable practices like hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical farming

• Repurposing organic waste into compost and reducing landfill use

• Improving air quality and mitigating the urban heat island effect through green spaces

Additionally, water-efficient technologies used in many urban farms can significantly reduce agricultural water use compared to traditional farming methods.

 3. Economic Opportunities and Job Creation

Urban farming supports local economies by:

• Creating jobs in agriculture, distribution, education, and retail

• Encouraging entrepreneurship through small-scale farming initiatives and local food markets

• Stimulating the development of urban food enterprises, from farm-to-table businesses to food cooperatives

This localized model can empower communities economically and reduce reliance on large, centralized agricultural systems.

 4. Community Engagement and Social Impact

Urban farms often serve as community hubs where people can come together to learn, volunteer, and participate in the food production process. They foster:

• Social cohesion and a sense of ownership within neighborhoods

• Educational opportunities on nutrition, sustainability, and food literacy

• Therapeutic benefits through horticultural therapy and green space interaction, especially in high-stress urban environments

These initiatives can play a role in crime reduction, youth engagement, and public health promotion.

 5. Improved Public Health

By promoting the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, urban farming contributes to better dietary habits and helps combat lifestyle-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Furthermore, community involvement in growing food encourages more mindful and health-conscious eating behaviors.

 6. Land Use Efficiency and Urban Greening

Urban agriculture transforms underutilized or vacant spaces—such as rooftops, brownfields, and abandoned lots—into productive green areas. This:

• Improves urban aesthetics

• Enhances biodiversity by supporting pollinators and native plants

• Contributes to stormwater management and urban cooling

Community in New York City

Yolanda Gonzalez helps unload soil as part of the NYC Clean Soil Bank (CSA), a no-cost soil exchange operated by the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation that enables clean native soil excavated from deep below the ground during construction to be directly transferred to nearby construction projects that need soil. Credit: Judson Reid, Cornell Cooperative Extension

“Our urban agriculture looks different from anywhere else,” Yolanda Gonzalez says. “These spaces really do help with food security. If they don’t provide at least a portion of someone’s diet, then they’re being used in food box programs.”

Gonzalez is an urban agriculture specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension, assisting commercial urban agriculture operations in New York City—more than 40 of them, at her last count.

Many commercial urban farms operate in a way totally alien to traditional agricultural setups. Often, long-term setups are nonprofits that support community health and education and provide spaces for meetings and trainings.

“Community gardens are providing food and an area for people to pick up local produce. They don’t just increase the volume of produce, they give lots of other local farms Upstate and on Long Island opportunities to distribute their food, too,” Gonzalez says.

One example of a prolific nonprofit is GrowNYC. This year marks the organization’s 50th anniversary, and it is a critical player in getting fresh, affordable food to underserved areas in the city.

GrowNYC is one of the main coordinators of the Fresh Food Box program, partially funded by the New York Department of Agriculture. By partnering with local farmers, GrowNYC can source produce for boxes that New York City residents order the week before and then pick up at a designated distribution point—often their local community gardens.

For $14, purchasers get a box of food filled with fresh vegetables for near-wholesale prices. They can add eggs, bread, or local maple syrup for an additional cost. According to Gonzalez, each base-level box is closer to $35 in value.

Another group, the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE), is helping residents impacted by the pandemic. RISE received support from the New York Community Trust COVID-19 Emergency Fund. As a result, some Rockaway residents who are eligible based on employment status (due to the pandemic) or income are eligible to receive free produce boxes from RISE.

Finally, Gonzalez mentions that other groups like the Black Feminist Project also provide free and sliding-scale-priced food bags as part of their Corona Relief Food Box. For low-income households in the Bronx, the access the group gives to fresh, affordable produce is critical.

There’s no long-term commitment to buying these food boxes, either—consumers can opt in the week before, rather than paying a set subscription over time. This is different from the classic community-supported agriculture (CSA) model. It allows underserved individuals the flexibility to buy a box, or not, depending on their needs. These programs also accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) and Health Bucks, besides credit, debit, and cash payment methods. Many CSAs, on the other hand, are unable to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.