Author(s)

I M Madaleno

Abstract

Urban agriculture, an environmentally sustainable land use - case studies from Europe, Latin America and Africa I.M. Madaleno Tropical Institute, Portugal Abstract Agriculture was always part of city landscapes. However, it has been widely depreciated by urban planning and city management. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that like many land use trends, urban agriculture is currently increasing both in rich and poor regions, in every possible latitudes. Research results from a diversity of countries, namely Brazil, Mozambique and Portugal have proved that local policy options for city farming as an environmentally sustainable land use are a new phenomenon and a welcomed initiative by a diversity of peoples. Conclusions will show that there is a wide acceptance of idle public inner and peri-urban land occupation, with horticulture practiced by less wealthy families. The vast majority of food growers inquired use organic fertilisers and produce healthy food. There are also examples of pedagogical gardens in kindergartens and schools where youngsters are stimulated to plant, weed compost, water and harvest the produce they eat in the schools canteens, whereas City Farms existent all over Europe tend to happily associate the urbanites with green spaces and animal keeping within city boundaries. The aims of the programmes are to ameliorate people bonds with nature and other living creatures and give consumers, in general, the possibility to enhance food security with less expensive goods, improving altogether the quality of nutrition in urban settlements. 1 Introduction Half the world's population is living in an urban environment. Along the first quarter of the 21st century cities are previewed to be mushrooming, particularly in

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