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Peri-urban agro-ecosystems in the Mediterranean: diversity, dynamics, and drivers

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Abstract

To address sustainability challenges of agro-ecosystems located in Mediterranean urban regions, this paper focuses on the multidisciplinary subject of urban agricultural systems. To better understand the diversity and dynamics of peri-urban agro-ecosystems and the main drivers of their sustainability, we compare six case studies located in Southern Europe (Montpellier, France; Pisa, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; Athens, Greece) and the Maghreb (Constantine, Algeria; Meknes, Morocco). The research is based on fieldwork in each urban region (qualitative analysis) and literature analysis aimed to position each case study in its national and Mediterranean contexts. The comparison between local contexts indicates large discrepancies in the integration of environmental focus among the respective urban planning objectives. Generally, urbanization tends to accentuate agricultural diversity. The different forms of peri-urban agriculture evolve despite their persistent decline, and they also show a capacity to resist and even new growth in response to urban demand.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the French National Research Agency (ANR) funding via the DAUME project n°ANR-2010-STRA-007. They thank all the members of the DAUME project, Ben Boswell for English language revision, and the reviewers for their valuable advices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR Innovation, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Montpellier, France

    Christophe-Toussaint Soulard & Coline Perrin

  2. Campus INRA-Supagro, UMR Innovation, Montpellier Supagro, 2, place Viala, 34060, Montpellier cedex 1, France

    Christophe-Toussaint Soulard

  3. UMR TETIS, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France

    Elodie Valette

  4. Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Patricia Catarina Abrantes

  5. Panteion University, Athens, Greece

    Theodosia Anthopoulou

  6. RNAMS Research Unit, Larbi Ben M’Hidi University of Oum El Bouaghi, Oum el Bouaghi, Algeria

    Ouassila Benjaballah & Salah Bouchemal

  7. UMR Innovation, French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France

    Patrick Dugué

  8. National School of Agriculture (ENA) of Meknes, Meknes, Morocco

    Mohamed El Amrani

  9. UMR Metafort, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Sylvie Lardon

  10. UMR Metafort, AgroParisTech, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Sylvie Lardon

  11. UniLaSalle, Beauvais, France

    Elisa Marraccini

  12. Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy

    Elisa Marraccini

  13. UMR PASSAGES, University of Bordeaux Montaigne, Pessac, France

    Guilhem Mousselin

  14. UR Ecodeveloppement, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Avignon, France

    Claude Napoleone

  15. LRDE Research Unit, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Corté, France

    Jean-Christophe Paoli

Authors
  1. Christophe-Toussaint Soulard
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  2. Elodie Valette
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  4. Patricia Catarina Abrantes
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  5. Theodosia Anthopoulou
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  6. Ouassila Benjaballah
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  7. Salah Bouchemal
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  9. Mohamed El Amrani
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  10. Sylvie Lardon
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  12. Guilhem Mousselin
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  13. Claude Napoleone
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  14. Jean-Christophe Paoli
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Correspondence to Christophe-Toussaint Soulard.

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Soulard, CT., Valette, E., Perrin, C. et al. Peri-urban agro-ecosystems in the Mediterranean: diversity, dynamics, and drivers. Reg Environ Change 18, 651–662 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1102-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1102-z

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