ASHS 2015 Annual Conference

In the developing world, towns and cities are growing at fast rate. About 10 years ago, an estimated 40% of the developing world’s population and 2 billion people lived in urban areas and by 2025 more than half of the developing world population (3.5 billion) is expected to be urban. In urban areas, the demand for food, job, space, energy, water, and other facilities are increasing. In this context, the contribution of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) becomes a necessity and steps to be undertaken as essential to feed the teeming urban population. In order to augment UPA, it is incumbent on all stakeholders to recognize the contribution of UPA, to address the challenges to have progressive, dynamic and successful urban and peri-urban agriculture in a country. In UPA, among the inputs and outputs of agriculture, horticulture makes a large contribution. The developmental process demands for interministerial, interdepartmental, and interdisciplinary approaches and an implementation mechanism in line with conservation and appropriate utilization of natural resources and the environment.