Local food production in home gardens: measuring on-site sustainability potential of residential development
by Sumita Ghosh, Robert Vale, Brenda Vale
International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development (IJESD), Vol. 7, No. 4, 2008

Abstract: Local food production is an integrated pathway to achieving a sustainable food future, appropriate urban ecosystem maintenance and meaningful environmental impact reduction. Current urban food production policies have demonstrated the sustainability importance of growing food locally. This paper analyses local vegetable productivities associated with available productive land areas as home gardens in low, medium and high density residential urban forms using aerial photographs, spatial ArcGIS and mathematical methods. It compares the food production potential of a household in five different residential urban form case studies from the Auckland Region, New Zealand. Potential annual household savings are estimated as Land Area Equivalents (LEQs) in hectares using ecological footprint conversion methods. The case studies were compared to determine the most 'food efficient' urban form considering average and maximum production scenarios. Outcomes indicate that community behaviour change and appropriate policy measures are critical for the uptake of local food production in home gardens.

Online publication date: Fri, 02-Jan-2009

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development (IJESD):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com