Role of Urban Metabolism Assessments in Addressing Food Security through Urban Agriculture in Informal Settlements: A Critical Review

Abstract

Abstract This literature review explores the role of urban metabolism (UM) assessments in addressing food security through urban agriculture in informal settlements, particularly in lower-income countries. It addresses the challenges of food security in urban areas and aims to unravel existing urban dynamics and networks to generate agro-food resources in these settings. The review included a comprehensive search using the Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases to identify relevant studies. A total of 381 articles published between 2000 and 2023 were retrieved. Additionally, a systematic review of grey literature was performed using Google Scholar, focusing on publications in the Spanish language from the years 2000 to 2023 to address food security dynamics in Latin America as a key case study area. After screening titles, keywords, and abstracts, 127 journal articles from the Scopus and WOS databases and 51 results from the grey literature were considered for further analysis. Bibliometric coupling techniques, including co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and keyword analysis, were employed using VOSviewer software to visualize the scholarly landscape and identify major themes. The analysis of white literature facilitated the identification of six major themes: (1) UM and Sustainability; (2) Phosphorus Management and Recycling; (3) Food Security and Waste Management; (4) Material Flow Analysis and Environmental Impact; (5) Human Impacts on the Environment; and (6) Food Systems and Sustainability. The main findings pointed to the environmental and social sustainability impacts of food flows in UM studies, emphasizing the pertinence of UM as a conceptual framework to address urban sustainability and justice challenges, particularly in informal settlements. Additionally, the grey literature provided insights into community strategies, urban resilience, and social inequality, enriching the understanding of local realities and socio-economic dimensions related to UM and food security in informal settlements. The review showed that by incorporating UM approaches and circular economy strategies, it is possible to optimize flows and stocks within the agro-food systems, leading to improved food security, sustainable development, and enhanced resilience in urban environments.