The challenges to urban agriculture in the Sydney basin and lower Blue Mountains region of Australia

A four-year project identified critical tools to bolster the economic and environmental resilience of urban agriculture in the Sydney basin and lower Blue Mountains region, acting as a buffer between urban expansion and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The study developed an integrated bio-system approach for organic waste conversion and landscape function analysis to tackle erosion, nutrient loss, and water inefficiency. By collaborating with representative landholders, the research addressed regulatory, economic, and environmental sustainability challenges, offering practical solutions to sustain vulnerable farming communities amid rapid urban development.

Merson, J., Attwater, R., Ampt, P., Wildman, H., & Chapple, R. (2010). The challenges to urban agriculture in the Sydney basin and lower Blue Mountains region of Australia. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 8(1-2), 72–85. https://doi.org/10.3763/ijas.2009.0464