Urban agriculture as a nature-based solution to address socio-ecological challenges in Australian cities

Abstract

Australia is currently grappling with a range of social and environmental challenges, many of which impact the way our public health system, and society more broadly, function. In this short communication paper we explore urban agriculture in Australia as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) to address some of the ecological, social, economic and health challenges facing the continent. We argue that urban agriculture has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change extremes while simultaneously providing multiple benefits such as improving wellbeing, people-nature connections, and food security. We present three exemplar case studies diverse in geography, context and governance from Queensland, Tasmania, and New South Wales exploring verge gardening, market gardening, and a community greening program respectively to highlight the benefits of urban agriculture as a NBS. We advocate that various forms of urban agriculture need to be researched and considered for their potential impacts and multiple benefits to be fully supported, governed, and understood in light of the social-ecological challenges Australian cities face.

Introduction

In Australia, the rapid growth and aging population in capital cities (ABS, 2016; AIHW, 2018) is adding pressure to social, environmental, and public health systems. Furthermore, one in four Australians experience chronic episodes of loneliness (Lim, 2018) and an estimated 4% experience food insecurity (Lindberg et al., 2015). These combined stressors can undermine the wellbeing of individuals and communities, which have likely been exacerbated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Climate change can intensify these problems through added social-ecological shocks and new extremes, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations (Dundas, 2016; Benevolenza and DeRigne, 2019). While these inequalities are global, Australia is particularly at risk as weather and climate extremes are amplified, evident in the 2019/2020 bushfires fuelled by an extremely hot and dry summer (McMichael et al., 2003; Kingsley and Thomas, 2017; Granwal, 2020).

Australia’s rampant urbanization and climatic and social challenges necessitate holistic solutions. This context provides a unique opportunity to investigate one such option, urban agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS). NBSs harness the power of nature and allow for the restoration, enhancement, and regeneration of ecosystem flows, cycles and functions to solve environmental and social problems (Frantzeskaki, 2019). Key elements of NBS research includes multiple disciplines coming together to analyse a range of case studies and collaborate to produce knowledge that can be scaled up and translated into tangible narratives beyond academia, such as highlighting the benefits of restoring forests and wetlands (Kabisch et al., 2016; Frantzeskaki et al., 2019; Bush, 2020). Growing evidence highlights the potential of NBSs to address social inequalities, build resilience and enhance health, economic and environmental outcomes (Kabisch et al., 2016; Frantzeskaki et al., 2019; Giordano et al., 2020). Studies note the potential applications of NBSs in prevention, early intervention, treatment and care specific to public health (Maller et al., 2006; Truong et al., 2018).

Acknowledging the cultural differences and perceptions of urban agriculture (Egerer et al., 2019a), it can nonetheless be broadly defined as the production (including processing and marketing) of food, flowers, fibre, feed and herbs on land (and water), dispersed throughout urban and peri-urban areas (FAO, 2016). It is well established that urban agriculture has the capacity to enhance climate change mitigation/adaptation and ecosystem services, and to improve food security, wellbeing and social cohesion (Cabral et al., 2017a; Artmann and Sartison, 2018; Edmondson et al., 2020). Specifically, urban agriculture can help to reduce urban heat, and improve the resilience of cities to multiple shocks from climatic events (e.g. drought) as well as possible future pandemics (Webster et al., 2017; Clarke et al., 2018; Butler and Hanigan, 2019; Lin and Egerer, 2020). This is particularly evident when urban agriculture is used to transform either vacant lots (or grey fields) or urban brownfields contributing to land use change that assists climate change mitigation and adaptation (Kremer et al., 2013; McPhearson et al., 2013).

Although there is strong evidence highlighting the social, environmental and health benefits of urban agriculture (Spano et al., 2020) there are limited studies that frame this in the context of a NBS. As such, there is no well-developed narrative situating urban agriculture as an effective NBS in Australia, where it may be of great benefit. This short communication positions urban agriculture in Australia as a ‘visible’ NBS and effective sustainable intervention with social-ecological and health benefits. To account for more than a ‘solution to support social encounter’, a more holistic and integrative understanding of the multiple benefits of urban agriculture is required. Our short communication is a starting point for a more integrative view of urban agriculture and the implication for the planning and policy support required to be situated as a valid option for nature-based urbanism.

In Australia, urban agriculture in its various manifestations is not only one of the most popular outdoor activities, but also a driver of “cultural aesthetics”, and “an agent… of environmental change” (Tyrrell, 2007: 339). It is often used to encourage civic engagement, through its various forms of community (Marsh et al., 2018a; Ong et al., 2019; Wesener et al., 2020), allotment (Cabral et al., 2017b; Scott et al., 2018) or guerrilla gardening (Hardman and Larkham, 2014). Urban agriculture occurs within home yards, on rooftops and in public spaces in towns and cities, both in settings for private use and for enterprise (Keatinge et al., 2012; Notteboom, 2018; Elsadek et al., 2019; Kotze et al., 2020). Urban agriculture can build ethno-cultural identity (Truong et al., 2018), food cultures and security for new immigrants (Harris et al., 2014) by reconnecting people with foods from their homelands (Morgan et al., 2005). Urban agriculture is associated with a sense of belonging (Kingsley et al., 2009; Marsh et al., 2017; 2018; Egerer et al., 2019a; Ong et al., 2019); creates places of trust, support and reciprocity (Kingsley and Townsend, 2006; Kingsley et al., 2020); and settings for education, empowerment and social cohesion (Evers and Hodgson, 2011). In Australia, urban agriculture can foster nature connectedness (Marsh et al., 2017; Lin et al., 2018; Egerer et al., 2019a; Bailey and Kingsley, 2020). Gardens in aged care facilities provide aesthetic pleasure and social engagement that enhance therapeutic outcomes (Tsai et al., 2020; Fielder and Marsh, 2020), while healing gardens in children’s hospitals can promote wellbeing (Reeve et al., 2017). Australian school gardening programs can also increase children’s social engagement, health, and academic performance (Block et al., 2012; Guitart et al., 2014; Truong et al., 2016).