A quantitative assessment of vegetable farming on vacant lots in an urban fringe area in Metro Manila: Can it sustain long-term local vegetable demand?

The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess vegetable production and consumption in an urban fringe area in Metro Manila, the Philippines. We conducted field investigations into vegetable production at a farm within a subdivision, monitored customers for 1 week at the farm's vegetable stand, interviewed customers of the stand, and conducted household monitoring and interviews to identify purchasing behavior. We also conducted an object-based WorldView-2 image analysis of a larger area to identify current and potential future vegetable farming plots and a spatial analysis using GIS to visualize the vegetable production/consumption ratio. We found that about one-third of current vegetable demand could be supplied by greater promotion of vegetable farming in vacant lots and by setting up more vegetable stands at spatial intervals less than 1-km. Subdivision regulations also influenced vegetable farming because of the level of social acceptance of caretakers of vacant lots. The current planning and institutional framework does not consider social contexts in land use and planning. We suggested that a new framework is necessary; it should consider balancing the formation of social capital and formalize planning and institutional procedures to support sustainable local vegetable production. •Vegetable production and consumption in the suburbs of Metro Manila were assessed.•Field investigation and object-based satellite image analysis were conducted.•One-third of demand can be supplied by promoting vegetable farming in vacant lots.•Subdivision regulations influenced vacant lot farming through caretaker acceptance.