Urban Agriculture: A Strategy to Promote Employment and Entrepreneurship

Increasing employment and reducing unemployment are considered as one of the indicators of the development of societies. Due to population growth of cities around the world and the increasing demand for food and jobs, urban agriculture can be one of the important strategies to respond these demands. The purpose of this study was investigating the role of urban agriculture in employment and entrepreneurship in different countries of the world. In-depth library study has been used in this study. Results showed that despite limited constraints and support, urban agricultural activities have significant share of employment and production of agricultural products in various countries around the world. According to the results, urban agriculture has a capacity that can provide a wide range of entrepreneurial employment opportunities in the agricultural production and services sector for young job seekers, especially agricultural graduates with new ideas. Also, providing safe food and earning a stable income with entrepreneurial motivations is one of the most important motivations for urban farmers in developing countries, including Iran. Therefore, urban agriculture in Iran, where youth unemployment is one of the main challenges, can be considered as a solution for employment of young people and agricultural graduates.