Urban food forestry (journal)

Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services

The authors examine the potential of perennial woody food-producing species (“food trees”) in cities and propose a multifunctional approach that combines elements of urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry into what they call “urban food forestry” (UFF). They use four approaches at different scales to gauge the potential of UFF to enhance urban sustainability and contribute to food security. They also develop a Climate–Food–Species Matrix of potential food trees appropriate for temperate urban environments, including 70 species, 30 of which were deemed “highly suitable” for urban food forestry. Untapped potential exists for urban food forestry to contribute to urban sustainability via increased food security and landscape multifunctionality.