Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico
Amid rapid urbanization and persistent food insecurity in Latin America, urban gardens have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture. This study evaluates the technical and economic efficiency of producing four vegetables (lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomato) in urban an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Urban Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/164 |
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| author | Elimelec Muñoz-Nuñez Omar Romero-Arenas Sonia Emilia Silva Gómez Rolando Rueda Luna Ricardo Munguía Pérez Manuel Huerta-Lara |
| author_facet | Elimelec Muñoz-Nuñez Omar Romero-Arenas Sonia Emilia Silva Gómez Rolando Rueda Luna Ricardo Munguía Pérez Manuel Huerta-Lara |
| author_sort | Elimelec Muñoz-Nuñez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Amid rapid urbanization and persistent food insecurity in Latin America, urban gardens have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture. This study evaluates the technical and economic efficiency of producing four vegetables (lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomato) in urban and conventional systems in Puebla, Mexico. Using a stochastic frontier model, the analysis integrates key environmental costs, specifically, water-use efficiency and nutrient balance valuation, to assess the sustainability trade-offs. The results show that urban gardens achieve comparable efficiency to conventional systems while reducing water use by up to 66% and optimizing nutrient cycling. These findings support urban agroecological models as viable strategies for local food production and provide actionable insights for municipal policies aimed at enhancing urban food resilience and environmental performance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf16f6d8f8a34f2cb812d55dc2c33133 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf16f6d8f8a34f2cb812d55dc2c331332025-08-20T03:48:02ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512025-05-019516410.3390/urbansci9050164Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, MexicoElimelec Muñoz-Nuñez0Omar Romero-Arenas1Sonia Emilia Silva Gómez2Rolando Rueda Luna3Ricardo Munguía Pérez4Manuel Huerta-Lara5Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, MexicoCentro de Agroecología, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Edificio VAL 1, Km 1.7 Carretera a San Baltazar Tetela, San Pedro Zacachimalpa, Puebla 72960, MexicoDepartamento de Desarrollo Sustentable, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, MexicoCentro de Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, MexicoCentro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, MexicoDepartamento de Desarrollo Sustentable, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, MexicoAmid rapid urbanization and persistent food insecurity in Latin America, urban gardens have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture. This study evaluates the technical and economic efficiency of producing four vegetables (lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomato) in urban and conventional systems in Puebla, Mexico. Using a stochastic frontier model, the analysis integrates key environmental costs, specifically, water-use efficiency and nutrient balance valuation, to assess the sustainability trade-offs. The results show that urban gardens achieve comparable efficiency to conventional systems while reducing water use by up to 66% and optimizing nutrient cycling. These findings support urban agroecological models as viable strategies for local food production and provide actionable insights for municipal policies aimed at enhancing urban food resilience and environmental performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/164technical efficiencyenvironmental valuationurban agroecological systemsresource optimization |
| spellingShingle | Elimelec Muñoz-Nuñez Omar Romero-Arenas Sonia Emilia Silva Gómez Rolando Rueda Luna Ricardo Munguía Pérez Manuel Huerta-Lara Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico Urban Science technical efficiency environmental valuation urban agroecological systems resource optimization |
| title | Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico |
| title_full | Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico |
| title_short | Stochastic Frontier Model for the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Urban Gardens in Puebla, Mexico |
| title_sort | stochastic frontier model for the evaluation of the sustainability of urban gardens in puebla mexico |
| topic | technical efficiency environmental valuation urban agroecological systems resource optimization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/164 |
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