Urbanization of Agricultural Land

Urbanization is rapidly expanding worldwide, although its increase is more prominent in middle-and low-income countries. This worldwide urbanization poses a series of environmental and socioeconomic challenges for agriculture, from loss of prime agricultural land due to urban expansion to the urbanization of poverty. However, urbanization worldwide can provide opportunities to reverse negative trends. Urban and peri-urban agriculture are increasingly being seen as a multifaceted planning instrument for cities to increase local food security while boosting the local green economy and decreasing urban ecological footprints.