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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

Urban agriculture is not an exclusive activity for the poor in developing countries; it also takes
place in developed countries. It is found often in small pieces of land at the city corner either
rented or owned for the community managed by groups. Urban agriculture in developed
countries creates an atmosphere for social interaction as entertainment and recreational areas.
Also, people benefit from urban agricultural to produce organic and healthy food for home
consumption. In contrast, in developing countries, urban agriculture is practiced generating
jobs for direct revenue for better families’ incomes and stabilities.

Problems and challenges in UA
Competition in land use is documented in different countries of the world were agricultural
land shifts to built-up or recreational areas. Due to the land use competition and the increase in
the value of the land for construction needs, urban dwellers offer combine different activities.
In Antananarivo (Madagascar) farmers practice fishing and brick making together with rice
cultivation. In Khartoum, Sudan traditional brick making is also practiced along the
riverbanks at the expense of the cultivated area.

Problems such as limited land area, insecure land tenure, high input costs and market price
fluctuations have been documented for many UA systems. Limitation of the land area and crop
intensification drives farmers to use excess amount of minerals fertilizers which increase input
costs. Integration of multi-production system such as livestock, fruit trees, field crops,
vegetables and aquaculture in the same space reduce input costs and often price fluctuation.
Brick making and animal husbandry in the proximity of cultivated lands may lead to their
exposure to heavy metals and pathogens. Such overlapping of agriculture and brick making is
creating an additional challenge to UA system in Khartoum. Animal dung as organic fertilizer
is used worldwide mostly as a soil organic amendment or non-woody biomass fuel. In order to
reduce fertilizer costs in sub–Saharan African countries, animal dung is used in intensive
cultivation systems by poor gardeners to compensate for the steady depletion of soil nutrients.
In contrast, in Khartoum animal dung is mostly used as biomass fuel in traditional brick
making. The challenge facing urban planners and decision makers is to manage the increased
pressure on natural resources such as fertile soils, water and biomass energy. However, the
resilience of UA systems to the dynamic changes in the city is related to the efficient use of
natural resources.

What is sustainable urban agricultural
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile
needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs.
Urban agriculture as a sustainable agriculture must integrate social, environmental and
economic principles. Socially, sustainable urban agriculture provides opportunities for social
interaction and individual recreational opportunities. Environmentally, sustainable urban
agriculture promotes efficient utilization of natural resources such as conserve soil, enrich plant
diversity, improve pollination, nutrient cycling, low or zero use of fertilizers, low water
consumptions and so on. Economically, practicing farming inside the city, close to the houses
and nearby the local markets reduce the cost of transportation between producers and markets.
Sustainable agricultures are supposed to generate quality and enough food for urban dwellers,
poverty alleviation plus offering better life quality for urban farming families, and enhance
better utilization of farming methods for more environmental sustainability.

Keywords: Urbanization, sustainable urban development, poverty alleviation, organic and
healthy food, sub-Saharan Africa

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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