Problem Statement:
Urban farming systems worldwide respond to the need for more resilient food provisioning, through producing more sustainable food, securing food supplies, and reducing pressure on agricultural land (Thomaier et al., 2014; van Delden et al., 2021). As such, they are an expanding subject of inquiry. However, assessments of the environmental implications (i.e. the positive and negative impacts of urban farming for the local, regional, and global environment) of urban farming remain scarce in the scientific literature, with few cases applying systematic environmental assessments in city regions beyond specific case studies (Dorr et al., 2021). Furthermore, consumers, businesses, and decision-makers are becoming increasingly attentive to the use of feedback and information through credible systems to communicate and evaluate the environmental implications of goods and services. In particular, the food sector has been increasingly employing environmental sustainability assessments for highlighting the sustainability of their products for decision making and promotional purposes (Freidberg, 2014). As such it is important to provide both quantitative and qualitative metrics on the environmental sustainability implications of urban agriculture.
Objectives:
To co-define appropriate environmental impact indicators for UAI
To evaluate the data collection infrastructure needed to inform indicators in an accurate and timely way that meets local needs
To establish concrete, tailored recommendations to address limitations or gaps in this infrastructure
Research Team
Michael Alan Martin, PhD Michael is an Adjunct Professor and Senior Researcher at IVL and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. He has a PhD in Environmental Systems Analysis and Environmental Management from Linköping University in Sweden. Prior to this, he also completed a M.Sc. in Sustainable Technology from KTH. Michael currently leads the SUF-Sustainable Urban Food Lab, which bridges many different disciplines (horticulture, industrial ecology, agronomy, and business administration) to promote and study urban agriculture.
Vivek Voora, PhD Vivek holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Policy, a background in chemical engineering and society, environmental management and international development; and over 15 years of experience in sustainability research. For the JustGrow Project, Vivek will be developing environmental indicators to support sustainable and equitable urban agricultural systems by focusing on reviewing current regional and municipal policies in Sweden.
Mosen Farhanghi Moses is an architect specializing in Building Integrated Agriculture. His research focuses on the technology-driven transformation of urban food production practices and the integration of agriculture into the built environment. As the BIA Lead at Vegger B.V. and the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, he develops innovative vertical farming solutions to address the challenges of urbanization, resource scarcity, and climate change through transformative shifts in urban food and energy systems.
Natalie de Brun Skantz Natalie de Brun Skantz works as business developer at IVL and holds a M.Sc. in Business and Management from Stockholm School of Economics. Previous to working at IVL Natalie co-founded and ran a vertical farming company based in Stockholm. Natalie supports various urban farming projects at IVL from a business point of view. For the JustGrow project Natalie will contribute in the analysis of policy documents connected to the Stockholm region.
justgrowproject.org 