Urban food security, urban resilience and climate change - weADAPT

Many interviewees of both standpoints identified numerous benefits of urban and periurbanagriculture and highlighted its multi-functionality. They felt it was important thatpolicy-makers not see the issue of food security and urban agriculture solely in terms ofits potential contribution to food supply, or in terms of its climate change mitigationcapacity. Rather, they stressed the importance of looking holistically at the social,environmental and economic benefits of urban agriculture and recognising itscontribution to the construction of a more sustainable, fair and resilient food system. Asone interviewee put it, policy makers need to appreciate the ‘social yield’ of urbanagriculture in addition to its food and nutritional yield, in terms of individual health andwell-being, increasing skills and capacities, and in creating and strengtheningcommunity. Conversely, those comfortable with the current system of food productionand retail distribution saw little need for it to become more sustainable, fair or resilient.The research revealed that Melbourne appears to be experiencing a renaissance ofurban agriculture, in diverse forms and locations, while in the city of the Gold Coastthere is less activity at present but clear potential for a similar expansion. For manyinterviewees, climate change emerged as a key driver and motivation. However, it wasfar from being the only driver; and many interviewees spoke of the importance ofplacing it alongside other factors such as peak oil, loss of biodiversity, economicallyunviable farms, and the negative impacts of an obesogenic environment, into a moreholistic understanding of a ‘sustainable and resilient food system’. There is a clearnexus, therefore, between climate change, these various other factors, and emergingunderstandings of urban resilience and a more resilient food system.In contrast to the majority of interviewees, many of the commercial farmers and marketgardeners we spoke with did not regard climate change as a significant cause forconcern in terms of their agricultural activities. Indeed, they expressed considerablescepticism as to whether anthropogenic climate change existed as an empiricalphenomenon. This is consistent with what other interviewees reported as a discernibletrend within state and local governments towards scepticism and even denial of climatechange as something requiring policy attention.Supported by the findings of the literature review, the case studies revealed thatdiverse practices of urban (and peri-urban) agriculture have a significant (though as yetunquantified) role to play in meeting many of the challenges of urban food security andbuilding greater levels of urban resilience. The case studies also explored the barriersto the further expansion of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Melbourne and the GoldCoast, and whether and how these barriers might be overcome. A long list of barrierswas identified, ranging from the political and regulatory, to the economic, cultural andenvironmental. High levels of soil contamination, for example, were mentioned as afactor limiting the expansion of urban agriculture in Melbourne, although less so in theGold Coast where there is much undeveloped land within the current urban footprint.Commercial farmers and market gardeners highlighted the regulatory burdens and costpressures they face as a principal threat to their viability. Several intervieweesidentified the market dominance of Australia’s supermarket duopoly as a key obstacle,especially in terms of the economic viability of smaller-scale farmers and growers. Theloss of Melbourne’s peri-urban farmland due to urban sprawl was frequently mentionedbut this was of less concern in the Gold Coast where much of the peri-urban landattractive to developers has not to date been used for agriculture.Urban food security, urban resilience and climate change 63