Economy

Throughout the world, urban agriculture contributes to both formal and informal economies and provides an income to a large number of individuals and communities.

Although on a smaller scale than country farms, producing vegetables, meat, eggs, mushrooms and other food products in cities can yield significant returns and often requires less financial investment, making the activity viable to a larger number of people.

The inherent close proximity of urban agriculture to potential customers not only means that there is usually an abundance of local outlets through which to sell produce, but also transport, packaging, storage and other costs can all be lower. In addition to selling produce, revenue can also be earned through providing training and education programmes and there is an increasing number of people interested in learning about producing food and a growing number of schemes that help people to do so.

Below is a list of publications and projects that demonstrate economic benefits of urban agriculture.