Understanding Peri-Urban Agriculture

Dr. Parvani Rekhi
The custom of work age has not stayed up with the development of metropolitan population as an outcome, the example of neediness occurrences is quickly moving from rural to urban areas. True to form, a huge number of millionsof individuals, 30-40 percent live in urban communities and the extent is relied upon to increment by around 60% in 2050. Many people migrate to other cities in search of economic activity or for pursuing other interests but are unable to do because of high living costs in city areas. The population movement and concentration of population triggered by economic reasons or by land speculation led to the occurrence of changes and increases in peri-urban (or peripheral urban) areas.Peri-urban areas are the dynamic interface between our cities and rural areas. These regions usually comprise a mix of urban and rural uses, such as residential dwellings (often on large ‘rural lifestyle’ blocks), small-to-medium-scale agriculture,and as well as the occasional town center, often concentrated around a transport hub. Peri-urban regions tend to share many characteristics with urban regions; however, serve distinct functions that support the urban area to which they are adjacent.Due to their close proximity to market and population, peri-urban areas play an important role in providing food for the urban population – especially in supplying food that is perishable and cannot travel long distances to market. However, peri-urban regions are also the areas into which our cities tend to grow as they expand over time, making them vulnerable to being subsumed for housing and infrastructure. The term peri-urban is characterized as far as topography, population density, level of workforce in agriculture, or some other variable, serves the purpose of indicating areas along the urban-rural continuum. According to FAO, urban and peri-urban agriculture is an industry situated inside (intra-metropolitan) or on the periphery (peri-urban) of a town or a city, which develops raises, processes, and disseminates a variety of agribusiness items, utilizing generally human, land, and water assets, items and administrations viewed as in and around the urban region. It’s a new kind of multi-functional territory, as intermediary zones overlapping rural and urban jurisdiction and inhabited by the native population, who are normally engaged in agro-based activities, livestock rearing, and fishing-as well as by a migrant population who pursue non-farm interests.
The concept of peri-urban agriculture has become prevalent as a result of limitations in the dichotomy between rural and urban areas. Historically, rural and urban land have been viewed as two separate economic systems with few interactions and often these arguments refer to the disappearance and urbanization of rural-urban land. It is expected to become increasingly important for food security and nutrition as rural land is built up. It is predicted to be particularly key for growing perishable produce accessible to the approximately 700 million urban residents already living in developing countries, especially because most growth is expected to take place in urban areas of developing countries.Urban and peri-urban agriculture tend to differ in their form and their purpose. “Urban” usually refers to small areas such as vacant plots, gardens, balconies, containers within cities for growing crops, and raising small livestock or milk cows for own consumption or sale in neighborhood markets. Peri-urban farming more often consists of units close to town which operate intensive semi-or fully commercial farms to grow vegetables and other horticulture, raise chickens and other livestock, and produce milk and eggs.
Benefits of Peri-Urban Agriculture
* Peri-urban agriculture reduces noise and waste management issues associated with farming; urban planners pushed farming away from cities.
* Food production in peri-urban areas relieves the pressure that cities put on rural areas.
* Peri-urban farming underscores a symbolic relationship between rural and urban areas.
* Peri-urban areas are in close proximity to markets and densely populated regions, they play a key role in providing food to urban populations.
* In peri-urban areas food waste is also reduced as a result of converting organic waste as compost.
* Another added benefit of peri-urban agriculture is, it lowers the need for transportation. With urbanization on increase, there has been a higher demand for vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
* It reduces the burden on transport and the greenhouse gas emissions from cold storage.
* Peri-urban farms can better adapt to climate change, owing to the small-scale and diverse beds and are more resistant to unstable and unpredictable weather, and can even help with avoiding floods.
* Peri-urban agriculture is a keystone in closing the mental gap between urban consumers and “rural” producers by harnessing the enormous purchasing power of cities to benefit people and the environment along the whole food chain.
Urban food security is becoming a matter of increasing concern and urban poverty is reflected in the nutritional status of people. With the emphasis on rural agriculture, the positive contribution that production closer to the cities can make has been hardly acknowledged. As the population of our world grows, sustainability is key, and preserving such highly valuable farming areas is a step in that direction. With the steady growth of urbanization, we can increase global sustainability in rural and urban areas to efficiently utilize resources through peri-urban agriculture.
( The author is Lecturer, GCW Parade)