Prospective Environmental Assessment of Urban Agriculture Emerging-Systems (PROTEAN)

A growing number of city folk are experimenting with herbs and leafy vegetables in their backyard or on their balcony. The urban agriculture movement – which includes vertical farming to green rooftops – has emerged as a more sustainable alternative compared to rural, more traditional agricultural systems in terms of energy and water use. The EU-funded PROTEAN project will develop environmental impact assessment models for urban agriculture and rural agriculture. This will help flag the parameters that can render urban agriculture more environmentally sustainable in the future. The results will prove instrumental for policymakers and the design of supportive intervention mechanisms.