Urban Agroecology: Interdisciplinary Research and Future Directions

Today, 20 percent of the global food supply relies on urban agriculture: social-ecological systems shaped by both human and non-human interactions. This book shows how urban agroecologists measure flora and fauna that underpin the ecological dynamics of these systems, and how people manage and benefit from these systems. It explains how the sociopolitical landscape in which these systems are embedded can in turn shape the social, ecological, political, and economic dynamics within them. Synthesizing interdisciplinary approaches in urban agroecology in the natural and social sciences, the book explores methodologies and new directions in research that can be adopted by scholars and practitioners alike.

With contributions from researchers utilizing both social and natural science approaches, Urban Agroecology describes the current social-environmental understandings of the science, the movement and the practices in urban agroecology. By investigating the role of agroecology in cities, the book calls for the creation of spaces for food to be sustainably grown in urban spaces: an Urban Agriculture (UA) movement. Essential reading for graduate students, practitioners, policy makers and researchers, this book charts the course for accelerating this movement.

Monika Egerer is a tenure-track professor in Urban Productive Ecosystems in the School of Life Sciences at the Technical University of Munich. Her research investigates relationships between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provision, and human wellbeing in urban agroecosystems. Her work aims to bridge theory and practice to create productive systems in cities that offer food, habitat and community.

Hamutahl Cohen is a postdoctoral researcher in Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Her research investigates drivers of insect declines in changing urban landscapes and the subsequent impacts to ecosystem services in farms and gardens. She leverages natural ecology and molecular and microbial methodologies to address questions of applied significance for promoting food security.