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Agricultural activities within the city boundaries have a long history in both developed and developing countries. Especially in developing countries these activities contribute to food security and the mitigation of malnutrition (food grown for home consumption). They generate additional income and contribute to recreation, environmental health as well as social interaction. In this paper, a broad approach of Urban AgriCulture is used, which includes the production of crops in urban and peri-urban areas and ranges in developed countries from allotment gardens (Schrebergarten) over community gardens (Urban Gardening) to semi-entrepreneurial self-harvest farms and fully commercialized agriculture (Urban Farming). Citizens seek to make a shift from traditional to new (sustainable) forms of food supply. From this evolves a demand for urban spaces that can be used agriculturally. The way how these citizens’ initiatives can be supported and their contribution to a resilient and sustainable urban food system increasingly attracts attention. This paper presents an empirical case study on Urban AgriCulture initiatives in the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg region (Germany). Urban AgriCulture is still a niche movement with the potential to contribute more significantly to urban development and constitute a pillar of urban quality of life.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach is the most important tool in the evaluation of environmental (sustainability) impacts of products and processes. We used the method to conduct an impact analysis with regard to raw material inputs (pulp) for the German paper production industry. In our analysis, we compare the environmental effects of primary sulphate pulp, scrap paper pulp and grass-based pulp and estimate their impacts in the impact categories "greenhouse gas emissions", "eutrophication" as well as "energy and water consumption". Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities of the methodical approach and some general problems and limits of the application of a LCA. In conclusion, we found environmental advantages for the use of grass as an alternative resource in the German paper production industry, especially in the fields of transport and water consumption.