From informal to formal acceptance: leaps and bounds of urban agriculture in the development sphere

Abstract

In urban areas, the destruction of natural resources, loss of food diversity and structural changes in the environment aggravate conditions of hunger and malnutrition without providing due recognition to the promotion of development strategies for edible green space. The traditional form of home gardening prevents urban planners, especially in developing countries, from focusing their attention on the economic and social value of small and medium size agro-entrepreneurship development in urban societies. This paper attempts to expand the insufficient body of knowledge on urban agriculture through an analysis of the literature, backed by feedback generated in implementing the concept of the Family Business Garden in Sri Lanka. The paper highlights the necessity of formal acceptance for micro-farming activities by mainstreaming urban agriculture in the development sphere.