In a time of major challenges such as climate change, urbanisation and an increased population, urban farming has stepped forward as a possible solution to securing future sufficient quantities of food. However, little is known about the environmental impacts these systems have.
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is hoping to bring clarity to these questions through a newly started, three-year-long project. The project will look at the environmental, as well as the economic and social consequences of urban farming, based on ongoing projects and previous examples of urban food systems in the Stockholm area.
Makes production more effective
By moving production to urban environments, the production can be controlled easier, leading to more effective production. But the knowledge of the systems is limited. According to previous research, one big challenge for urban farms is the feasibility when scaling up production.
The research at IVL will focus on urban farming case studies, analysing different indoor and outdoor urban farming methods and techniques, business models, and sustainability and feasibility of the different approaches.
The project is made in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, financed by Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency.
Full article (in Swedish) here.
