Sustain / City Harvest / Benefits
Health
Urban agriculture projects are known to improve and promote physical and mental well being.
The activity of growing food offers city dwellers the chance to take exercise and get fresh air whilst the food produced increases access to fresh produce to people traditionally furthest from the source of production. Creating green space in urban areas improves air quality and provides recreational opportunities that encourage socialising, decreases isolation and lead to improve confidence and self esteem.
Many health centres, hospitals and charities now see the health benefits of urban agriculture in preventing illness and triggering healing responses and use food growing related activities to treat patients suffering from both physical and mental illness.
Below is a list of publications and projects that demonstrate health benefits of urban agriculture.
Latest health publications
- Edible Backyards: Residential Land Use for Food Production in Toronto
- Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food Systems
- Growing Food in the City:The Production Potential of Detroit’s Vacant Land
- How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture
- Urban Agriculture Report
City Harvest: The City Harvest website collects information on the wide range of benefits associated with urban agriculture, aiming to strengthen the movement in the UK and across the globe.
