Sustainable food systems for the cities of the future: Potential of urban agriculture for small entrepreneurs in Canton Machala

Abstract

The role of urban agriculture in global food security is a subject of growing debate. There are several types of research on urban and peri-urban agriculture, especially in the major cities. These studies usually consist of an analysis of cases that often have different definitions of urban and peri-urban agriculture depending on the local setting and mostly about the objectives of the study. (Thebo, et al., 2014). This lack of steadiness makes it difficult to quantify the scope of this practice on a global scale and presents a challenge for citizens, authorities and academic institutions to provide adequate structure for the transition from theory to the application of urban agriculture within cities. On the one hand, the design of policies that seek the development of regions is framed between two aspects that shape today's world: the global, as a growing economic, cultural and political integration. On the other side the local, as that trend towards Higher levels of self-determination, management, decentralization and development in communities. (Fuchs, et al., 2003). As a result, it is becoming easier for people to get involved in local politics by posing problems that directly affect neighborhoods. Local regulations become much more relevant to the daily life of a person trying to grow their food and feel that they can contribute positively to their community. On the other hand, Climate change and environmental impacts represent a real and grave threat, but there are many potential solutions to them. The present paper aims to analyze the potential of urban agriculture within our environment.