The potential of intra-regional supply and demand of agricultural products in an urban fringe area: A case study of the Kanto Plain,Japan |
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| Authors: | Hideharu Kurita Makoto Yokohari Jay Bolthouse |
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| Institution: | Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo , Japan E-mail: myoko@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
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| Abstract: | Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 109(2):147–159, 2009 The increasingly global reach of industrial agricultural production has progressively distanced consumers and producers. Not surprisingly, opposition to the global food system commonly seeks to re-localize agriculture by cutting the distance between agricultural production and consumption. Analysis of potential foodsheds can provide an important basis upon which to recover local systems of production and consumption. Here, we examine the potential for municipal and micro-level foodsheds in the greater Tokyo mega-region. Similar to other large cities in Asia, the urban fringe of Tokyo has extensive areas of mixed urban and agricultural land-uses which are often seen as problematic, but which may have many merits from the standpoint of sustainable foodsheds. Indeed, our results indicate that many areas on the urban fringe of the Tokyo mega-region bear potential to meet demand for both rice and vegetables within their borders. Moreover, many people could meet their food needs within a short distance of their residence. These results demonstrate the need to examine the potential for micro-level foodsheds on the urban fringe. |
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| Keywords: | Asian region mixed urban-agricultural landscape foodsheds intraregional supply and demand Japan |
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