A dependency on a long-distance supply chain for food can be problematic, with disruptions in the global supply chain (such as pandemics such as COVID-19, or conflicts in major production areas) can impact food security. Local food production can reduce the vulnerability to, and impacts of, such disruptions.
This project intends to investigate the benefits and trade-offs that urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) development would bring to socio-economic sustainability at the regional level in the event of current and future disturbances, including armed conflict and climate change.
The study is focused on Latin America (Colombia), with the objective of performing a multi-scale sustainability assessment on regional UPAs to explore opportunities to develop a new economic business model to incorporate sustainable resource management. The research is to be conducted at the smallholder level, and addresses questions related to the socio-ecological and economic impacts of UPA at the regional level. A Resource Nexus Approach will be used to develop a framework to assess UPA's economics based on composite economic index performance. The project will also outline the resilience of Colombia for agricultural production, and the country’s potential to contribute to the food supply chain. The outcome of the project will provide science-based evidence to inform decision-making.
This project is funded by the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK).
