Assessing the Local Food Supply Capacity of Detroit, Michigan

by Kathryn J. A. Colasanti and Michael W. Hamm

http://dx.doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2010.012.002, pp. 41–58

Abstract

Urban agriculture is touted as a strategy for more locally reliant food systems, yet there is little under­standing of its potential food provisioning capacity. Using Detroit, Michigan as an example, we use secondary data to develop a methodology for estimating the acreage required to supply, as far as seasonally possible, the quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed by city residents. We com­pare these requirements with a catalog of the publicly owned, vacant parcels in Detroit to assess the feasibility of producing significant quantities of the fresh produce consumed within city limits. We demonstrate that if high-yield, biointensive grow­ing methods are used, 31% and 17% of the sea­sonal­ly available vegetables and fruits, respectively, currently consumed by 900,000 people could be supplied on less than 300 acres without incorpo­rating extraordinary postharvest management or season-extension technology. This indicates that urban agriculture could play an important role in food provisioning in many places.

Keywords: food supply, local food systems, season extension, urban agriculture, urban sustainability