A co-benefit of urban forests is their ability to serve as urban edible forests, also known as urban food forests, which are city permaculture projects consisting of a diversity of edible trees and perennials. This is an additional co-benefit of the project because many of the native species which could be planted in these urban forests and rain gardens could be edible product bearing trees and perennials. As a result, in addition to providing stormwater mitigation and shade these urban forests could provide a source of food for local residents. This would be particularly critical in areas where these urban forests would be making an impact on shade equity because food security, particularly to fresh produce, is far more limited.
With food prices, especially fresh produce, currently raised high above average and continuing to climb this would be a timely and important co-benefit of the urban forests implemented.