Assessing Citizens’ Perceptions of Urban Agriculture and Its Contribution to Food Security—Worldwide Analysis and Specific Case Studies in Spain

There is growing worldwide concern about eating healthily and consuming local food. Consequently, urban agriculture has become a topical issue, especially in light of increasing demographics. The present article investigates and assesses how urban agriculture can be implemented to ensure greater food security and achieve sustainable development goals. The methodology consisted in distributing a worldwide survey, along with interviews with project managers of two urban agricultural practices in the cities of Valladolid and Segovia (Spain). The survey gathered 250 responses from nearly all continents, ensuring a diverse and global perspective and that most respondents were familiar with the concept of urban agriculture (80%) rather than food security (57.4%). The survey also revealed that 88.1% of respondents expressed their willingness to be engage in such projects. The interviews brought out a number of common points, such as ensuring that residents are properly aware about the value of integrating the food sector into cities and the benefits it provides, such as organizing activities and workshops, etc. However, promoting small organizations and start-ups linked to local production and consumption and integrating urban planning experts is crucial to ensure more resilient and sustainable cities. This research uniquely integrates quantitative survey data with in-depth qualitative case studies, linking global perceptions of urban agriculture and food security with local realities.