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Processes
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Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security
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Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2023) | Viewed by 15125

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jingfeng Huang

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Guest Editor
Republic Polytechnic, School of Engineering, 9 Woodlands Ave 9, Singapore 738964, Singapore
Interests: electrochemical water splitting; sustainability; novel carbon materials; biosensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

By 2050, the world will need to produce 70% more food to feed about 2 billion more people. The COVID-19 pandemic which caused a brief period of panic buying and stocking throughout the world also underscores the need for food security.

One way of achieving food security is through farming near or within major cities—a concept termed urban farming. Given land, water, energy, labor, and climate change constraints in cities, new and innovative ways must emerge for urban farming.

It is a considerable task to reclaim arable land from the concrete jungle, but it must nevertheless be done in the long term to ensure food security for the cities. The future of food security is in the hands of a technologically savvy farm sector powered by scientists and researchers with the right technology and knowledge. The field is growing in importance, and many questions remain to be answered.

In this Special Issue on “Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security”, we aim to curate manuscripts on topics that include but are not limited to the establishment of food security by urban farming using new and innovative ways tackling the constraints of land, water, energy, labor, and climate change.

Dr. Jingfeng Huang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food security
  • urban farming
  • agriculture technology

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 816 KiB  
Article
Study on Spatiotemporal Features and Factors Influencing the Urban Green Total Factor Productivity in the Yellow River Basin under the Constraint of Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction
by Yang Yang, Lin Chen, Zhaoxian Su, Wenbin Wang, Yun Wang and Xin Luo
Processes 2023, 11(3), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030730 - 1 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1519
Abstract
Whether cities can attain a win-win situation with simultaneous environmental protection and economic growth is a compelling issue in current urban development. It will be of great practical significance to comprehensively evaluate the implementation effect of the multi-dimensional goals of an urban development [...] Read more.
Whether cities can attain a win-win situation with simultaneous environmental protection and economic growth is a compelling issue in current urban development. It will be of great practical significance to comprehensively evaluate the implementation effect of the multi-dimensional goals of an urban development from the perspective of a green total factor productivity (GTFP) evaluation. The paper places pollution reduction and carbon reduction into the research framework of GTFP, introduces the SBM-DDF model to evaluate the urban GTFP of 58 cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2006 to 2020, and employs the panel regression model to empirically study the factors influencing the urban GTFP of the region. The results are obtained as follows: (1) from the perspective of time range, the urban GTFP in the basin displays an evolutionary trend of first declining and then mounting, demonstrating the highest GTFP in the downstream, the second-highest in the midstream and the lowest in the upstream; (2) regarding the spatial distribution characteristics, the urban GTFP in the basin presents obvious spatial differences, showing the regional differences by increasing from the upstream to the downstream; (3) from the perspective of the whole basin, the advancement of economic development, urbanization processes, environmental regulations and the ecological background have significantly positive effects in improving the urban GTFP, while the improvement of the industrial structure, opening-up and energy intensity affects the urban GTFP of the basin negatively; and (4) from the perspective of the regional heterogeneity of the effects of the various influencing factors, the improvement of the opening-up and industrial structure expedites the growth of the urban GTFP of the downstream, the advancement of urbanization process restrains the urban GTFP in the upstream and the impact of the ecological background on the urban GTFP in different regions is relatively complex. This study is of great importance to improve the urban GTFP and boost the high-quality development of the cities in the basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
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15 pages, 838 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Agricultural Production Mechanization on Grain Production Capacity and Efficiency
by Xiangjuan Liu and Xibing Li
Processes 2023, 11(2), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020487 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3821
Abstract
As an important production factor of grain production, agricultural machinery can effectively provide a theoretical basis for agricultural modernization development strategies by exploring its impact on grain production capacity and efficiency. This research starts from the two aspects of grain production capacity and [...] Read more.
As an important production factor of grain production, agricultural machinery can effectively provide a theoretical basis for agricultural modernization development strategies by exploring its impact on grain production capacity and efficiency. This research starts from the two aspects of grain production capacity and grain production efficiency, takes rice, wheat, and corn as the research objects, and uses the C–D production function and Tobit model as the basis, respectively, to establish two impact models of production capacity and production efficiency. At the same time, according to the different emphases of the two models, this research designs different variable systems and finally uses the data from 2017 to 2021 for empirical analysis. The research results show that the influence coefficients of machinery service income and machinery power resource input on the total grain production capacity are 0.0976 and 0.0437, respectively, with a significant positive impact. At the same time, for rice crops, wheat crops, and corn crops, the amount of mechanization cost per mu has a significant positive impact on the yield capacity of crops, with impact coefficients of 0.0311, 0.0827, and 0.0233, respectively. The supply level of agricultural machinery services and the utilization rate of agricultural machinery services per mu have a significant positive impact on grain production efficiency. The impact coefficients of the supply level of agricultural machinery services per mu are 0.0192, 0.0587, and 0.0241, respectively. The impact coefficients of the agricultural machinery service utilization rate are 0.0059, 0.0148, and 0.0607, respectively, with a significant positive impact. It can be seen that agricultural production mechanization can effectively promote the improvement in grain production capacity and efficiency and promote the process of agricultural modernization. At present, most of the research on industrial mechanization services is biased toward the choice of agricultural mechanization services by farmers. However, this research has carried out the impact mechanism analysis from the perspective of time and space and the perspective of crops, rationalizing the impact mechanism of agricultural production capacity and agricultural production efficiency under agricultural mechanization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
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14 pages, 274 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Off-Farm Employment on Farmland Production Efficiency: An Empirical Study Based in Jiangsu Province, China
by Yi Hou, Xing Ji, Jia Chen and Hongxiao Zhang
Processes 2023, 11(1), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010219 - 10 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2446
Abstract
The secret to ensuring food security and the growth of agricultural development is farmland production efficiency. In the context of urbanization, this means that farmers need to increase their off-farm employment behavior. The research goal of this paper is to explore whether this [...] Read more.
The secret to ensuring food security and the growth of agricultural development is farmland production efficiency. In the context of urbanization, this means that farmers need to increase their off-farm employment behavior. The research goal of this paper is to explore whether this will have a impact on farmland production. This paper is based on the data of the China Land Economic Survey conducted by Nanjing Agricultural University and uses Tobit and other methods to conduct empirical tests. The main findings of this paper are as follows: (1) When the proportion of the household’s off-farm employment time is less than 73%, an increase in off-farm employment reduces farmland production efficiency. When the proportion of the household’s off-farm employment time exceeds 73%, an increase in off-farm employment increases the farmland production efficiency. (2) This paper eliminates the scale efficiency contribution in farmland production efficiency to obtain pure technical production efficiency. After verification, off-farm employment and farmland pure technical production efficiency show a U-shaped correlation and the inflection points of the two U-shaped curves coincide. (3) The reason for the inflection point is that after the off-farm employment of farmers reaches the inflection point, with a further increase in off-farm employment, the renting-out behavior of farmland increases and there is increased input of labor-saving technology in agricultural land production, because of which the production efficiency and pure technical efficiency of the farmland increase. To sum up, off-farm employment does not necessarily mean reduced farmland production efficiency. Farmland leasing behavior plays a key role in mitigating the impact of off-farm employment on farmland production. Therefore, in the process of urbanization, the improvement of the land transfer market, the development of agricultural socialized services, and the promotion of cooperative operation will help to ensure the productivity of farmland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
18 pages, 3821 KiB  
Article
A Study on Spatial-Temporal Differentiation and Influencing Factors of Agricultural Water Footprint in the Main Grain-Producing Areas in China
by Yun Wang, Zhaoxian Su and Qingqing Zhang
Processes 2022, 10(10), 2105; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10102105 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1712
Abstract
It is an urgent scientific issue to explore the spatial and temporal differentiation and impact indicators of the agricultural water footprint in major grain-producing areas. Therefore, this study tries to use the water footprint theory to implement top-down calculation of the agricultural water [...] Read more.
It is an urgent scientific issue to explore the spatial and temporal differentiation and impact indicators of the agricultural water footprint in major grain-producing areas. Therefore, this study tries to use the water footprint theory to implement top-down calculation of the agricultural water footprint in major grain-producing regions from 2000 to 2019 and investigate the various impacts on the agricultural water footprint under the influence of spatial-temporal effects using spatial autocorrelation and the spatial Dubin model. The results indicate that from 2000 to 2019, the overall agricultural water footprint of China showed a fluctuating downward trend in an inverted N shape and demonstrated high–high and low–low spatial aggregation characteristics. There are notable characteristics, including high spatial dependence, spatial barriers, and path locking of the agricultural water footprint in most provinces and regions of the main grain-producing areas. Policy factors, water-saving technologies, social development, economic development, and industrial structure adjustment are all significantly and negatively correlated with the increase in the agricultural water footprint, while agricultural production and natural factors have a significant positive relationship with the agricultural water footprint. The spatial spillover effect of water-saving technologies, industrial restructuring, agricultural production, and natural factors is powerful. Therefore, a rationally optimized industrial structure, strengthened regional linkage of water resources management and control, and the promotion of efficient water infrastructure technology are important ways to inhibit the agricultural water footprint. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
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17 pages, 1196 KiB  
Article
On-Farm Spatial Composition, Management Practices and Estimated Productivity of Urban Farms in the San Francisco Bay Area
by Joshua Earl Arnold
Processes 2022, 10(3), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10030558 - 13 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2544
Abstract
Urban areas are the fastest growing land type worldwide. By 2060, it is expected that approximately 70% of the human population will live in cities. With increased urban population growth, food sovereignty and security issues have gained more attention, resulting in a drastic [...] Read more.
Urban areas are the fastest growing land type worldwide. By 2060, it is expected that approximately 70% of the human population will live in cities. With increased urban population growth, food sovereignty and security issues have gained more attention, resulting in a drastic increase in urban food production activities including, urban farming and gardening. The extent to which urban farms function, their social, ecological and economic composition, and their overall impact on local food security has become an often overlooked, but important topic. From 2014 to 2017, we partnered with 29 urban farms in the San Francisco Bay Area for a broad-scale survey of urban farm characteristics. Findings reported in this research focused on local (on-farm) characteristics, including management practices, on-farm spatial composition, and estimated productivity. We implemented open-ended surveys for farm managers to better understand management practices, measured on-farm elements, including yields, crop biodiversity, weed composition and abundance, and measured spatial characteristics such as area of production, non-crop area, and proportion of infrastructure to better understand how urban farms were spatially configured. We found trends regarding spatial composition, including a large proportion of farm area dedicated to infrastructure and underutilized potential production space. All farms surveyed had adopted a breadth of agroecological management practices, including cover cropping, crop rotations, intercropping, and a range of soil conservation practices. Measured farms are incredibly productive, with estimated seasonal yields of 7.14 kg/square meter. Estimated yields were comparable with actual yields as measured at two participating farms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
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16 pages, 1880 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nitrogen Conservation Measures on the Nitrogen Uptake by Cotton Plants and Nitrogen Residual in Soil Profile in Extremely Arid Areas of Xinjiang, China
by Jinhu Zhi, Taoyu Qiu, Xinlu Bai, Mengjie Xia, Zhujun Chen and Jianbin Zhou
Processes 2022, 10(2), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020353 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1985
Abstract
This study researched the effects of using various nitrogen (N) conservation measures on the residual characteristics of nitrate and ammonium N in soil and the associated N uptake by cotton plants. A field experiment with six treatments was conducted, as follows, no N [...] Read more.
This study researched the effects of using various nitrogen (N) conservation measures on the residual characteristics of nitrate and ammonium N in soil and the associated N uptake by cotton plants. A field experiment with six treatments was conducted, as follows, no N application (DT1), conventional N application (DT2), 60% conventional N application combined with DCD (DT3), 60% conventional N application combined with NBPT (DT4), 60% conventional N application combined with cotton straw returning (DT5), and 60% conventional N application combined with DCD, NBPT, and cotton straw returning (DT6). The results showed that the cotton straws in the DT5 treatment were beneficial for the vegetative growth of cotton seedlings. However, it was observed that the later performance of the plants in this sample was poor in terms of height, biomass, and yield of cotton. The plant height in the DT6 sample increased by 15 cm compared with those in DT1, and the soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) values of the fourth leaf from the top of the DT6 plants were higher than those in the DT1 and DT4 samples. The DT6 plants (60% Urea + DCD + NBPT + cotton straw) increased N use efficiency by up to 47%, and no significant decrease in biomass and cotton yield was observed compared to the DT2 sample. The residual content of nitrate N in the tillage layer increased gradually over time between two rounds of drip irrigation treatment applications. Compared with the DT2 treatment, the other treatments resulted in lower residual nitrate N contents. In summary, the application of N fertilizers at a reduced rate combined with N conservation measures may increase N use efficiency and decrease the risk of non-point source N fertilizer pollution, while maintaining the cotton yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes in Urban Farming and Food Security)
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