Public perceptions of multiple ecosystem services from urban agriculture

Abstract

Urban agriculture has garnered increasing attention as a nature-based solution to achieve urban sustainability. Besides producing quality food for urban residents, urban agriculture could provide diverse and non-tangible ecosystem services that still need to be explored. While prior research has investigated direct stakeholders’ (e.g., urban farmers and growers) perspectives on ecosystem services from urban agriculture, the general public’s perception and underlying factors remain less understood. Such understanding is crucial as the broader community, beyond direct stakeholders, will benefit from urban agriculture and influence the policy and planning that determines its development trajectory. This study investigated the general public’s perception of ecosystem services associated with urban agriculture in the Miami Metropolitan Area, a region experiencing rapid urbanization and emerging urban agriculture development. Among 23 services surveyed, community-level cultural and regulating/supporting services were the most recognized. Conversely, individual-level cultural and provisioning services were the least recognized, underscoring the recognized contribution of urban agriculture to a much larger community and society. Respondents’ demographics, personal experience with farming/gardening, and awareness of urban agriculture in their surroundings were the significant factors, whereas geographic factors (e.g., land-use cluster) exerted less impact. Our findings highlight the perceived multifunctionality of urban agriculture from a public perspective and suggest a nuanced understanding of how urban agriculture contributes to social well-being. Our research provides empirical evidence of public support for urban agriculture development and has critical implications for urban regions interested in integrating urban agriculture to achieve urban sustainability.