Global warming and the resulting climate change effects are now accepted as unfortunate realities within most of the scientific and agricultural communities.   The staggering possibility is the destruction of many aspects of our urban civilization.  As global warming and climate change continue to accelerate, we are seeing water shortages, drought, an increase in violent storms, desertification, famine, eco-migration, inter-tribal wars, and the weakening of food security in major portions of the world. 

Since 2004 over half of the world’s population has lived in urban centers.  The most rapid growth in urbanization as been in parts of the world with the least food security.  Urban places cover between two and three percent of the world’s surface and are responsible for the majority of air and water pollution, carbon and other toxic emissions,  global warming and climate change. 

A climate zone may be considered as a river valley or watershed, a mountain range, a coastal area, or a desert.  The majority of climate zones containing urban places already or soon will experience negative climate impacts and are becoming hotter and dryer.  A lesser number of zones will received some positive impacts including becoming wetter and warmer.  Therefore, many areas will have less rural agriculture potential while others may increase their potential for agricultural output. 

Urban agriculture, with substantially improved technology since the 1970s, uses only one-fifth to one-tenth as much water per unit of production – while producing five to ten times more per acre or square meter as does rural agriculture.  Urban agriculture has the subsidiary benefit of making use of waste water and urban solid waste as key inputs to production. 

In both hot and dry and warm and wet climate zones, urban agriculture can mitigate some of the negative impacts of climate change.  It is already doing so in many areas.  At the same time, every acre of urban farming will potentially free up to ten acres of rural areas to restore biodiversity. 

There is no better tool known or available to fight climate change than urban agriculture.  It is simultaneously a low cost solution and contributes to building both the economy and community of local urban areas.