The last decade was marked by high volatility and different shocks, from the aftermath of a global financial crisis and its political and socio-economic fallout, to the more recent effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The next 10 years are expected to be as (if not more) unpredictable, with several megatrends—demographic changes, technological developments, the transition towards climate neutrality that have accompanied this period expected to assume even greater importance.

As the main loci for the world’s energy and resource consumption and carbon emissions, cities are in the centre of this discussion. With around 70% of the population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, cities have significant ecological impacts, operating as dysfunctional ecosystems in which natural resources are distributed, used, and disposed within the prevalent, linear “take-make-dispose” economy (IRP, 2018). In 2018, cities were already consuming around 70% of global resources and energy, producing over 70% of all greenhouse gases, and creating more than 70% of global waste (Paiho et al., 2020). These numbers are expected to rise, and since linear, industrial agri-food systems are at the centre of the socio-ecological crisis, food production systems need to shift considerably if we are to meet our global environmental goals (Pascucci, 2020). However, cities simultaneously have a high potential to address these negative impacts as they are dynamic innovation centres for technological development, new business models and fertile in resources that can close energy production-consumption loops.

In addition to growing urbanisation, the world faces other challenges spanning from climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution to more recent risks related to health (COVID-19) and energy and food security (linked with the war in Ukraine). Due to the eminence of these threats, urban agriculture (UA) has been gaining importance as a strategy to tackle some of the social, economic, and environmental challenges cities face (Davies et al., 2021). Within this context, this white paper explores the potential of UA to enhance food security, improve resource efficiency, and promote smart, resilient, and circular cities. The discussion is framed within the scope of the Horizon 2020 project ‘Sino-European Innovative Green and Smart Cities’ (SiEUGreen) which explored different pathways to turn waste into resources for growing food in cities through the combination of different technologies This white paper uses as data the insights and knowledge gained during the SiEUGreen project to discuss the barriers and drivers of UA in the transition to more sustainable and resilient circular cities. The questions at the heart of this discussion are: What are the lessons learned from the SiEUGreen showcases concerning the role of UA, and what are the drivers and barriers to applying resource circularity in cities?