As urban populations continue to grow, cities like Paris are turning to organic market gardening as a solution to safeguard environmental resources, foster community connections and bolster local food supplies. However, a recent study evaluating the agronomic and environmental performance of commercial organic market gardening farms supplying vegetables to Paris reveals opportunities and challenges in this endeavor. The study compared six commercial organic market gardening farms in terms of their yield and environmental impact. While organic market gardening holds promise for creating social bonds and preserving groundwater resources, its yield falls short when compared to open-field organic cropping systems. Factors such as the need to meet drinking water standards for infiltrated water severely limit fertilization rates, thus constraining production capacity. To meet the vegetable demand of the Paris agglomeration, which boasts 12 million inhabitants, the study suggests that organic market gardening would require a vast agricultural area—160,000 to 205,000 hectares, representing 28% to 36% of the agricultural land in the surrounding Ile-de-France region. This highlights the need for a diversified approach to farming systems to ensure a localized supply of vegetables to large cities. For Paris to achieve self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables, approximately 11,000 hectares of market garden cultivation would be needed, along with an additional 5,000 hectares for non-resident workers. This ambitious goal underscores the significance of urban agriculture in meeting the nutritional needs of Parisians and catering to the city's vast consumer base, which includes 29.3 million annual visitors. In light of these findings, the Paris gardening industry faces the challenge of developing robust production, supply and distribution networks for fresh produce. Initiatives such as the Paris Sustainable Food Plan aim to increase the proportion of sustainable food served in mass catering refectories to 50%, aligning with broader efforts to promote environmentally friendly food systems.