What determines whether an urban agriculture (UA) project succeeds or fails? Twenty years of front-line experience has taught IDRC and its partners that the following are critical factors:

Readiness: IDRC-supported researchers typically play a critical role in analyzing the local context to assess wether it is favourable to UA approaches. Is there an appetite for social and technological innovation? Do all stakeholders share a common goal? What cultural, political, and economic factors need to be addressed?

Leadership: Who are the local researchers? What are their capabilities? Can they find ways for the community and decision-makers to identify their common interests and entry points for dialogue?

Integration: Successful UA becomes an integral part of how free urban markets operate by offering high-quality, innovative products that generate sustainable demand. This requires producers and governments to work together to develop more and better products, inform consumers about choices, and create regulations and incentives that spur innovation.

Commitment: Sustainable UA requires what IDRC calls a “community of trust.” Building trust demands a long-term commitment from politicians, long-term residents, and recent migrants.

Pragmatism: UA projects need to be grounded in a realistic assessment of both opportunities and obstacles. Regional networks are a key resource for helping cities share successful strategies and avoid common pitfalls.

Communication: Often it takes outside recognition to persuade decision-makers that a local project is successful and can be the basis for developing UA-friendly policies and planning. For many UA projects, a key success factor is the ability to push evidence-based research results beyond the research community to the general public.

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