PARKER, Colorado — As global populations shift toward urban centers, ensuring access to healthy, affordable food in cities is becoming a critical challenge. Around 1.7 billion people in urban and peri-urban areas face food insecurity, creating an urgent need for innovative solutions to urban hunger and sustainability.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is tackling this dilemma head-on. FAO is investing in strategies that reshape food systems from the inside out. Vertical agriculture, a method of growing crops in stacked layers indoors, addresses food insecurity while conserving land and water.
To better understand its potential, The Borgen Project interviewed two experts from the FAO in the vertical farming industry who explained how this approach could reshape the future of food. Guido Santini, Program Coordinator for Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture and João Intini, Senior Policy Officer on Food Systems for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasize both the global frameworks and local realities shaping urban agriculture today.
A Complex Web of Challenges
According to Santini, food insecurity is threatened not just by climate, but also by socioeconomic instability, conflict and migration. He imparted that the entire food system—from production and distribution to waste management—needs revamping to deliver nutrition effectively. The FAO reports that nearly 40% of food produced globally is lost or wasted, highlighting critical inefficiencies.
Intini explained that urbanization is sharply intensifying food access disparities in Latin America. “More and more people live in cities and many of them—especially in peripheral areas—face severe limitations in accessing fresh and nutritious food due to reduced availability and high product prices, precarious public services and more vulnerable living conditions characterized by economic and social inequalities,” he said.
The FAO prioritizes public policies and mechanisms that improve food access. The organization also promotes urban agriculture in available spaces to strengthen food security for vulnerable families.
Using Public Spaces for Food Production
One promising strategy for land-scarce cities, Intini explained, is to turn public spaces into productive gardens. “Very valuable experiences have been developed using schools, community centers, urban parks and municipal areas,” he said. “These urban gardens have allowed families to produce fresh food, create collaboration networks and strengthen social and cooperative ties.”
In Peñaflor, Chile and Maricá, Brazil, the FAO-supported initiatives have transformed squares and other public areas into community gardens where residents can access healthy, agroecological produce.
Innovation That Works: Technical and Governance Solutions
When asked about strategies that work, Santini highlighted both technological innovations and social governance models. “Technical projects can enhance productivity and reduce losses,” he said. However, he stressed that multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms are equally important in improving coordination among producers, vendors and consumers.
This approach aligns with the FAO’s broader push for resilient city-region food systems, strengthening rural–urban linkages to ensure more equitable food distribution.
Hydroponics, Vertical Farming and Beyond
Vertical farming in urban agriculture remains a growing frontier. Santini pointed to its promise in land-scarce environments. “[Vertical farming] can be a good solution in countries where space and resources are limited,” especially when combined with hydroponics to conserve water. But he also acknowledged limitations, including high energy costs, reduced crop diversity and labor trade-offs.
Intini offered a concrete regional example:
“In Metropolitan Lima, Peru, communities mainly produce vegetables using hydroponics,” he said. “This system optimizes the use of water and nutrients, which is especially important in densely populated urban areas. Moreover, this initiative is connected to community kitchens, creating an important link between food production and the consumption of healthy food.”
He noted that these innovations also build local capacities and community spirit, making them more than just agricultural fixes.
Barriers To Scaling Up
Both experts emphasized that scaling vertical farming in urban agriculture in low-income neighborhoods remains difficult. “Vertical farming requires specific conditions of light, water and inputs, as well as constant technical support,” Intini said. “Without adequate infrastructure and financial resources, it is very difficult for communities to sustain these initiatives over time.”
Government support is therefore crucial. “Local authorities must include urban agriculture as a priority in their public policies,” Intini added. He points to successful examples from Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia, where municipal programs connect community production to school meals and local markets.
A Sustainable Path Forward
Despite the obstacles, both Santini and Intini remain hopeful. Santini emphasized the importance of “technological and social innovations” that improve productivity, distribution and waste reduction. Intini added that digital technologies, efficient irrigation, agroecological practices and seed innovations are transforming urban agriculture.
“Even if they do not completely solve food insecurity, they are a fundamental complementary strategy,” Intini said. “They allow vulnerable communities to produce fresh and healthy food, strengthen resilience and improve quality of life.”
Vertical farming in urban agriculture holds undeniable promise: it offers scalable, resource-efficient ways to grow high-value produce in dense urban settings. However, as both experts emphasized, it is not a silver bullet. Success lies in integrating it into broader urban agriculture strategies—ones that make use of public spaces, empower local communities and strengthen rural–urban linkages.
By combining cutting-edge technologies like hydroponics with inclusive governance and local partnerships, cities can begin to close the food security gap. For the 1.7 billion people living in food-insecure urban areas, these hybrid solutions represent not just survival strategies—but a vision of a greener, more resilient future.
– Hayden Chedid
Hayden is based in Parker, CO, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
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