BIA as Complement, Not Replacement
A regenerative layer on top of the food system — not a substitute for it.
“BIA is not a substitute for the global food system. Instead, it is a regenerative layer added on top of it.”
The report's closing word on what BIA is — and, pointedly, what it isn't.
The report's closing position is stated plainly: BIA is not a substitute for the global food system. Instead, it is a regenerative layer added on top of it, addressing specific urban vulnerabilities and resource gaps that conventional agriculture and traditional city infrastructure cannot reach on their own.
The research does not advocate for the replacement of conventional agriculture. The report directly refutes this reading in its conclusion. It states that BIA is "not the only solution to the grand challenges described," yet calls its implementation a "no-brainer" for sustainable city development because it operates within a physical footprint—existing and new buildings—that traditional agriculture structurally cannot access.
The report recommends treating BIA as one critical lever among several planetary-scale interventions, alongside global dietary shifts and farmland restoration. BIA's value lies uniquely in what only buildings can offer: activated, underutilized urban space, readily accessible waste-to-resource streams, and immediate proximity to the end consumer.
In the report:
Part VII, "Conclusions and Recommendations."