How Urban and Suburban Agriculture Can Bridge the Food Gap

One particularly exciting innovation is the dwarf tomato movement—breeding large, nutritious tomatoes to thrive in compact containers, perfect for balconies and patios.
North Carolina University
April 11, 2025
Excerpt:
The Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences (AHS) publishes a monthly blog written by students, alumni, and faculty sharing important topics and helpful resources related to the fields of agriculture, extension, and human science. In the April blog post, AHS agricultural science student Elizabeth Chiaverini discusses building resilient, local food systems with suburban agriculture.
Getting fresh food onto the plates of people with limited means has long been a persistent challenge. When flaws in the food supply chain become widely recognized, the public is better positioned to seek out and implement solutions. Urban agriculture has been one such solution—and in recent years, it has gained momentum in nearly every major and minor city across the United States. Building on that momentum, we can extend our efforts beyond city centers and into the often-overlooked pockets of suburbia.
Fitting agriculture into urban environments is inherently difficult due to the high population-to-land ratio. As city density increases, the availability of open space for food production sharply decreases. Urban centers prioritize packing people into small spaces, often leaving little to no room for residents to access fresh, healthy food sources. Yet the creativity in addressing this challenge has been inspiring. From farming inside old warehouses and office buildings to rooftop gardens and guerrilla gardening in abandoned lots, urban agriculture has proven itself adaptable and resilient.
Read the complete article here.
Source: https://cityfarmer.info/how-urban-and-suburban-agriculture-can-bridge-the-food-gap/