A growing number of urban farms are providing major benefits such as employment, fresh food and green space to local communities, a study has found.
But researchers have called for greater awareness of the value urban farms have for the often deprived areas in which they are situated, and more support as many face financial pressures.
The study, presented at the Royal Geographical Society‘s annual conference, examined a range of larger scale urban agricultural projects from schemes with poly-tunnels for growing crops to city farms with animals and petting zoos.
The number of urban farms, which are bigger than community gardens or allotments and typically occupy an area the size of a football pitch, have surged in recent years, the study’s lead Dr. Michael Hardman, from the University of Salford, said.
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