Food forests as a nature-based solution for achieving urban sustainability: Possibilities and challenges

Urban food forests (UFFs) represent innovative nature-based solutions that address multiple urban challenges while creating sustainable food systems in cities worldwide. These multi-layered ecosystems mimic natural forest structures through seven distinct vertical layers, from canopy trees to ground cover. Drawing from traditional agroforestry practices that have sustained communities for millennia, modern urban food forests combine indigenous wisdom with contemporary urban planning approaches to create resilient food production systems. This comprehensive review examines how urban food forests align with the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, demonstrating their capacity to tackle societal challenges, including food insecurity, climate change impacts, and urban biodiversity loss. Beyond environmental benefits, urban food forests strengthen community social cohesion through collaborative governance models and educational opportunities. Due to their multifaceted functionalities, urban food forests demonstrate measurable sustainability outcomes and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, implementation faces challenges, including land tenure security, regulatory barriers, and the need for long-term community stewardship. The review synthesizes an integrated assessment framework taking insights from existing literature for evaluating UFF performance across environmental, social, and economic dimensions while addressing spatial planning considerations and species selection criteria. Future research priorities include standardising implementation protocols, developing supportive governance frameworks, and exploring technological integration to enhance the scalability and effectiveness of UFF as transformative urban solutions.