Urban and Peri- Urban Horticulture -A Perspective

The urban population in the world will double in 30 years, leading to the challenges for the mankind to meet food and nutritional security, besides the problems of environment. The urban population will increase more in developing countries as a result of the immigration from rural areas, since people flock to the cities with the expectation of better quality of life in the cities and towns. Looking to accelerated growth in population of cities and small towns, it could be expected that, by 2050, more than 60 percent population will live in urban area. Besides the growing demand for food, there is a rapid increase of poverty, unemployment, hunger and malnutrition in the urban and peri-urban environment around the world. This has been a cause of concern across the globe, and has attracted attention for urban and peri-urban agriculture/ horticulture (UPA/UPH) .In this context,a key challenge is to develop policy, strategies and technical support mechanisms for the sustainable management of urban and peri-urban horticulture, addressing production issues within a broader framework of environmental planning and management.In cities, environmental benefits and synergies can be achieved when horticulture is planned as a part of the urban landscape, including safe recycling of solid waste and water.This book represents Indian urban horticulture Statu