Urban-rural linkages and their future: impacts on agriculture, diets and food security

Résumé En

Recent debates on food and agricultural issues emphasize the significance of the spatialization of food systems and location of agriculture. In this emerging food system geography, urban-rural relationships play a significant role in food value chains, food security and nutrition, which is still poorly understood. This presentation explores these issues based on rural-urban scenarios at 2050. This research combines two approaches: a comprehensive scientific review of urban and rural changes, and a foresight method based on an expert group. Our results focus on four main future figures: megacities and rural-urban blurring; role of intermediate urban centres in agri-food networks; household mobilities and multi-activities between urban and rural areas; counter-urbanization and re-agrarianization. These four scenarios help to understand how distinct issues might be articulated, and to better differentiate what is at stake for agriculture and food security in those specific forms of urban-rural relationships.