Interest in urban agriculture has grown as residents seek to revitalize cities and improve access to fresh produce. Investigators are figuring out how to maximize the benefits of gardening while minimizing the risks of contaminated urban soils.

The accelerated growth of the global urban population implies an increasing demand for public services. Yet, urban centres in developing countries are unable to meet such demand – services such as sanitation are poor or inadequate to cope with the increasing rates of urbanisation and the associated higher standards of living. According to the UN 2002 Human Development Report, 2.4 billion people...

The definition of food security has evolved to emphasise access to food, rather than mere availability of food. It also explicitly incorporates the need for a healthy diet, complete with necessary vitamins and proteins, rather than simply sufficient calories. Therefore, adequate national and community-level food supplies must be available year-round; households must have both physical and econo...