Urban Agriculture's Carbon Footprint Six Times Larger than Conventional Farming, Study Finds
Certain city-grown crops can outperform conventional agriculture in carbon intensity, and strategic improvements could make urban farming more sustainable.
- Urban agriculture, the practice of farming within city confines, has a carbon footprint six times larger than conventionally grown produce, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan.
- However, certain city-grown crops like tomatoes and air-freighted crops like asparagus have shown to equal or outperform conventional agriculture in terms of carbon intensity.
- The study suggests that urban agriculture can reduce its climate impact by cultivating crops that are typically greenhouse-grown or air-freighted, and by making changes in site design and management.
- The study also highlights the social, nutritional, and place-based environmental benefits of urban agriculture, which make it an appealing feature of future sustainable cities.
- The researchers identified three best practices for making low-tech urban agriculture more carbon-competitive with conventional agriculture: extending infrastructure lifetimes, using urban wastes as inputs, and generating high levels of social benefits.
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