Assessing the social acceptability of urban farming (#journal)

Socially acceptable urban agriculture businesses

The authors hypothesized that societal acceptability of urban agriculture projects are ruling their success or failure. Surveys show 80 % of respondents preferred accessible systems such as public green spaces and rooftop gardens, but land uses that do not provide accessibility showed acceptance below 40 %. Second, 60 % of participants expressed acceptance of rooftop farming, agriculture in the urban fringe, or in inner-city brownfields, whereas 65 % rejected agriculture in multi-story buildings, agroparks, or aquaponic farms. Third, more than 50 % are willing to buy horticultural products, but they reject products from intensive production systems and animal farming. The highest degree of acceptance is reached for multifunctional urban agriculture that combines commercial with ecological and social goals; projects that are purely production-driven or technologically intensive are more likely to be rejected.