Urban Agroforestry: To sustain livelihood and food security in the face of environmental change
Amber Afshan SHIKOH
Abstract. The world is urbanizing at a quick pace. In 2018, approximately 55% of the global population lived in urban areas, and this proportion is projected to rise to 68% by 2050. (Int. Res. J Mod. Eng. Technol. Sci.). Urban forestry represents a key approach to bridging the gap between city residents and the natural environment. Urban forests, or urban green spaces, constitute an essential component of green infrastructure and are predominantly valued for their non-market benefits rather than their direct economic returns in urban settings. World is undergoing a massive trend of urbanization which has led to unplanned haphazard development and expansion of cities and led to destruction of natural resources and increase the gap between people and environment. Generally, cities undergoing the process of urbanization have low per capita of green space as compared to developed cities. Urban forests function as fundamental components of green infrastructure, contributing significantly to the promotion of sustainable development. Therefore, need of urban agroforestry, its current scenario, its importance and various aspects for strategic planning is discussed here. The topic of Urban Agroforestry is ripe for further research demonstration, and education. The potential risk associated with establishing plantings on contaminated sites is particularly under-studied. However, even as gaps exist in our understanding of the performance of these systems, the translation of existing research could be an important step for implementing changes in the near term. Substantial knowledge necessary for making informed decisions regarding the establishment of UAF plantings is already well-documented within the disciplines of agroforestry, plant science, and horticulture. Efforts to collect, summarize, and share this information could be rapidly rewarded with greater adoption and integration into urban planning initiatives. The integration of UAF and the harvesting of food products from urban forests should be recognized and encouraged as a standard element of urban environments. Therefore, UAF is crucial for city resilience, providing fresh food, improving health and fighting climate change.
Keywords
Urban Agroforestry, Permaculture, Urbanization, Sustainable Development, Epidemic Threat, Polyculture, Rooftop Gardens, Vertical Farms, Community Orchards, Urban Forests, Edible Landscapes
Published online 6/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Amber Afshan SHIKOH, Urban Agroforestry: To sustain livelihood and food security in the face of environmental change, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 532-537, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-70
The article was published as article 70 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] Panchal, H., D. and Dipali, B., P. Urban Forestry: Scenario, Importance And Its stategies. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, (2021) 3:03. http://www.irjmets.com.
[2] Maienza, A., Ungaro, F., Stazi, R., Silvia, Camilli, F. The Iris Garden: an urban agroforestry case study to promote the traditional olive trees-iris landscape in Tuscany, World congress on Agroforestry, (2019) 20-22. http://www.researchgate.net.
[3] Kumar, S., R. A Review on the Role of Plant Species in Mitigating Environmental Pollution. International Journal of Environment, (2013) 5(3): 12-13. http://www.researchgate.net.
[4] Ferguson and Lovell. Permaculture for agroecology: design, movement, practice, and worldview. A review. Agronomy for sustainable development, (2014) 34: 251-274. http://experts.illinois.edu. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0181-6
