Urban food forestry is planting trees in cities to provide food for people, as well as many other benefits. This talk illustrates a paper with Kyle Clark where we defined urban food forestry and explored its present form and potential for contributing to food security.

1. Urban Food Forestry:
Linking People, Nature, and Food in Cities
Kimberly Nicholas
kimberly.nicholas.academic@gmail.com, @KA_Nicholas
Reference: Clark, KH & Nicholas, KA. 2013. Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional
approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services. Landscape Ecology 28(9)
Image:MidwestPermaculture

2. Cities and Biodiversity Outlook: Action and Policy 2013
1

3. Current trends
Source: U.N. World Population
Prospects: The 2006 Revision
• Rapid worldwide urbanization
• Concerns about food security (particularly in cities)
• Climate change potentially exacerbating food insecurity
• “Dual burden” of malnutrition
• Governments and planners seeking ways to mitigate these issues

4. Ch. 1 in Elmqvist et al., 20133

5. Ch. 1 in Elmqvist et al., 20134

6. Where People Live
Wikimedia,basedon2010USCensusdata
5
Reuters/StefanWermuth

7. Where People Live
Wikimedia,basedon2010USCensusdata
6
Reuters/StefanWermuth
Where Fruit Trees Live
http://www.usbr.gov/

8. Foley et al. 2005. Science
Tradeoffs Between Ecosystem Services
7

9. Urban Food Forestry (UFF)*
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
* ‘‘the intentional and strategic use of woody perennial food-producing
species in urban edible landscapes to improve the sustainability and resilience of
urban communities.’’
http://urbanfoodforestry.org/
8

10. Trädgård på Spåret, Stockholm
Prinzessinnengarten, Berlin
High Line, NYC
Ten Yards Project, Michael Bernstein9

11. Urban Forestry
Local & regional climate
Water & air quality
Wildlife habitat
Property values
Health
Food security
Resilience
Community
engagement
& development
Habitat
Poverty alleviation
Resource conservation 10
Urban Agriculture
Agroforestry
Urban Food Forestry

12. How can urban forestry enhance food security?
1. Are there existing initiatives that bridge urban
forestry and food security?
2. What is the potential capacity for urban food
trees to contribute to food security?
3. What species are suitable for food production
in the context of a changing climate?
Urban
Sustainability
Food Security
Climate
Resilience

13. 1. What activities do current UFF
initiatives undertake?
12

14. Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
N=37 community UFF initiatives
Most founded 2007 or later
1. What activities are UFF initiatives
undertaking?
13

15. Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
N=37 community UFF initiatives
Most founded 2007 or later
1. What activities are UFF initiatives
undertaking?
14
neighborhoodfruit.com

16. Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
N=37 community UFF initiatives
Most founded 2007 or later
1. What activities are UFF initiatives
undertaking?
neighborhoodfruit.com
15

17. Planting
Mapping
Harvesting
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
1. What activities are UFF initiatives
undertaking?
8%
16

18. Trees are registered online Volunteers pick fruit, split 3 ways Initiative is growing rapidly
Examples of current initiatives

19. Mapping Initiatives
Source: fallenfruit.org Source: neighborhoodfruit.com

20. Fruktsam.info

21. • 34 orchards planted since 2007
• 656 trees
• 1,229 shrubs and vines
• 7,348 perennials
• Planting over 20 varieties of fruit and nut trees
20

22. 2. How are cities planning for
urban food forests?
“Food”
“Fruit”
“Wildlife”
21
Out of 30 Cities…
23 (77%) mentioned
wildlife habitat /
food security
4 (13%) mentioned
human food
security
Analyzed over 2000 pages of text from documents from 30 cities

23. Quotes from UF Plans
“When replacing existing trees, we need to take food
security issues into consideration by planting diverse
varieties of native and non-native food producing trees.”
(Victoria, British Columbia)
“the District can protect the biodiversity of wild foods by
educating about sustainable harvesting, diversifying Park
planting regimens to include fruit and nut trees,
addressing regulatory barriers to food production, and
promoting shade grown foods to preserve tree cover.”
(Selchelt, British Columbia)

24. 2. How are cities planning for UFF?
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
“wildlife”
N= 30 urban forestry master plans
80
60
40
20
Percentmentioningconcept
AndreaColon
77%
23
City planners recognize
benefits of trees
for wildlife…

25. 2. How are cities planning for UFF?
Brendan
Callahan
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
13%
“wildlife” “food”
N= 30 urban forestry master plans
80
60
40
20
Percentmentioningconcept
AndreaColon
77%
24
City planners recognize
benefits of trees
for wildlife…
…but not for people.

26. 25
Trees can benefit both people and wildlife!

27. 3. What is the potential capacity for
UFF to contribute to food security?
26
Components of food security
Food
availability
Food access Food
utilization
S t a b i l i t y o v e r t i m e
Production
Distribution
Exchange
Affordability
Allocation
Preference
Nutritional value
Social value
Food satefy

28. Which trees, and where?
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
Open space in Burlington, VT
Image:fruitwise.net
27

29. How many trees?
Open space
High (50%)
Med (25%)
Low (5%)
Planting scenarios 28

30. How many apples?
29

31. Open space
High (50%)
Med (25%)
Low (5%)
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Commercial yield:
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Yield scenarios
Planting
scenarios
30

32. Open space
High (50%)
Med (25%)
Low (5%)
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Commercial yield:
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Med (50%)
High (75%)
Low (25%)
Yield scenarios
Planting
scenarios
31

33. How much food?
- = Tons
Calories
32

34. Relative to what need?
• Recommended minimum
daily intake of fruit (200 g
according to WHO / FAO)
• Estimated caloric deficit of
“very food insecure” (VFI)
population of Burlington
• 4,870 individuals (11.7% of population) is VFI
• Annual caloric deficit of 833 million kilocalories
• 3,023 metric tons needed to meet minimum intake

35. Relative to what need?
Very Food
Insecure
Recommended
fruit intake
Caloric deficit
34

36. 3. How many people could UFF feed?
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
VFIdeficitmet(inner)
35

37. 3. How many people could UFF feed?
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
VFIdeficitmet(inner)
36

38. 3. How many people could UFF feed?
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
VFIdeficitmet(inner)
37

39. 3. Urban trees could provide substantial food
Clark and Nicholas, 2013, Landscape Ecology
VFIdeficitmet(inner)
38

40. 4. What species are suitable for UFF?
Roloff et al., 2009
+
Additional edible species
1. Edible
2. Commercial
3. Familiarity
4. Edible raw
5. No special prep….
Climate-Species Matrix
39

41. 4. What trees are suitable for UFF?
+
http://urbanfoodforestry.org/ 40
70 recommended, 30 highly suitable

42. UFF contributes to food security
41
Components of food security
Food
availability
Food access Food
utilization
S t a b i l i t y o v e r t i m e
Production
Distribution
Exchange
Affordability
Allocation
Preference
Nutritional value
Social value
Food satefy
New production
Avoided waste
Local
Free or cheap
Economic development
Nutrient-dense
Diverse diets
Buffering shocks, extend seasonal availability, preserving

43. A few potential problems to consider
• Maintenance
• Pests and diseases
• Falling and rotting fruit
• Invasive species
• Unequal access

44. Conclusions
• Urban food forestry initiatives are on the rise and
are growing in ambition
• Urban planners are increasingly integrating food
trees into urban forestry plans
• Urban food trees can address urban food
insecurity
• Only part of the solution
43

45. A few ideas to consider…
44

46. “Agrifitting”
• Agriculturally retrofitting existing urban forest
• Planting shade-tolerant fruiting understory species
• Grafting existing ornamental plants (e.g. pears and
apples), “guerilla grafting”

47. Integrated perennial food/energy systems
• Utilizing food trees that can be coppiced (e.g. hazelnut)
• Utilizing waste fruit for methane production

48. Rethinking landscape value and function
47
Ecobelts-> Food belts?