Environmental and Social Compliance Consultant at Continental Clothing Company UK, France
I am an ambitious graduate student from ESSEC. I now work in sustainable development and on very important and contemporary issues such as water and natural resources management. My thesis revolved around an alternative system to traditional agriculture, which is urban agriculture. The study that I have carried out on this subject is done through the assessment of its viability in the long term in megacities, mainly through its economic, environmental, and social review. Investigating this viability was a way of addressing my question, which was whether the biggest cities in the world would be a pathway in order to meet the urgent need for more sustainable agriculture.
Sustainability is a growing concern in modern times as the impact of climate change is already felt in many parts of the world. In this context, I personally believe it is essential to address the challenges required to build a world more sustainable.
I soon discovered that Agriculture was taking on a central role in these discussions. Primarily because it is necessary to feed the fast-growing population. Secondly, because the farming industry relies a lot on our planet’s limited resources while having at the same time a significant impact on biodiversity. In the coming years, Agriculture will have to satisfy a growing demand coming from cities and megacities, which is something it is currently unable to assume without making an enormous impact on our planet.
Session: The future of Agriculture : feeding the world in a sustainable way in megacities?
This session outlines and discusses the viability of a system that is regaining popularity. Frequently suggested as a core solution for reconciling the sustainable goals of cities and agriculture, Urban Agriculture constitutes a contemporary and pertinent topic to work on.
My ambition was to dig a little deeper into the subject and see if there were any obstacles to this system, in order to analyze its real impact. I believe that it is necessary not to rush into alternative solutions which at first sight may seem perfect, but which could have negative repercussions decades later.
I have drawn up a plan that will first provide an understanding of the subject, its importance, and the method I have used to study it. Then, the Shanghai case study will be a way to grasp and illustrate the various advantages and challenges of urban agriculture in megacities, and to infer the implications for the viability of this model in order to apprehend the future with new keys of development.
Learning outcomes:
- In this session, participants will learn key concepts concerning urban agriculture.
- In this session, participants will be able to learn about the future of agriculture and urban agriculture.
- In this session, participants will understand the importance of agriculture in sustainability.
- It will be an interactive session, with interesting and unknown facts.
Additional information and programme of International Conference on Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Biological Systems in the Digital Age here
