Factors affecting the development of urban agriculture in Latvia

Abstract

Urban agriculture is not only a practice of providing food, but also a social lifestyle trend. Different approaches to practice provide the opportunity of different forms and functions, from growing products for household selfconsumption to setting up community gardens and commercial practices. Despite the international experience and the potential of urban agriculture in the sustainable development, in Latvia the practice is mostly implemented through individual or community initiatives. The development of urban agriculture in Latvia is influenced by several factors; therefore, the aim of the scientific article is to identify, classify and characterize factors affecting urban agriculture in Latvia. To achieve the aim, tasks are set: 1) to identify factors influencing urban agriculture, 2) to classify factors and characterize the impact. Several methods have been used in the study to fulfil tasks: systematic theoretical review for factor selection, coverage and characterization, methods of analysis, synthesis and deduction for identification and classification of factors, mathematical statistics correlation method for data correlation, force field analysis for the visualization of the factors impact. Results show that urban agriculture in Latvia has several obstacles – unclear status in legislation, the high cost of needed resources compared to rural areas, the increasing level of the household income. However, there are also factors that contribute to the development, such as criteria for urban greening and sustainability in the development strategies, the concentration of food-demand-driven businesses in cities, food-growing habits and positive attitudes among urban dwellers, and the potential of urban agriculture to promote environmental sustainability.