Urban agriculture in Mexico City: Functions provided by the use of space for dairy based livelihoods

This paper examines the use of urban space by dairy production activities i n two areas of Mexico City with different degrees of urbanization (east and south). These activities have adapted to the recent urban conditions, from an original rural state. Dairy production is carried out in the house area , and producers pay for urban services as other residents, In the eastern z one, the activity is the sole form of income, while in the south, livelihoo ds are more diversified. In the east, a wide variety of food wastes from va rious sources are used, while in the south grass remains an important part of the diet, Raw milk in the east is usually sold direct to the consumer, w hile intermediaries are more common in the south. Herds tend to be larger a nd more specialized in the east than the south, In both cases there is impo rtant use of local resources both for housing and feeding the animals, Manu re is used in pre-Hispanic agricultural systems in sub and peri-urban areas . Based on the range of functions provided to the city by these systems, an d the present unnecessary dependence of Mexico City on imported milk, the o ptions for policy and development support are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.