There are many challenges facing the global food system. A tempest of global forces, in the form of climate change, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity, is threatening the foundation of land and water resources upon which agriculture has been built. Yet at the same time, the presence of millions of undernourished people combined with continued population growth demands that agriculture produce more than ever. In order to meet this continued demand for food and reduce its environmental impact, the global food system must strive to increase the efficiency of its resource use and adapt to changing climate conditions.

Cities are of particular concern in the global food system. For the first time in history, more humans live in urban areas than rural areas, and as a result, cities are important sites for food security and human well-being, as well as hotspots for resource consumption. Peri-urban agriculture is located on the fringe of urban centres and has the potential to offer many benefits towards food security and the overall “liveability” within urban regions. Nonetheless, peri-urban agriculture also faces additional challenges on its land and water resources due to competing demands from urban development.

Therefore, intense competition for land and water resources in effect magnifies the food security, climate, environmental, and population challenges facing the food system in urban and peri-urban areas, and could result in decreased “liveability” in cities. 

The following sections provide more detail on how these changing conditions are affecting land and water resources, and how this is of particular concern on the urban-rural fringe where peri-urban agriculture is located.

Continue next to the Land and Water Resources page.