Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
485 results(10 / 20)
Reconciliation and Resistance from the Ground Up: The Power of Affect in Chicago’s Community Gardens
2020Olivia Lee · Johns Hopkins University eBooks · United States (Chicago)
This study, drawing on affect theory, examines community gardens in Chicago's low-income, primarily Black South Side neighborhoods. It argues that while these gardens offer a spatial break from violence, they appear unable to fully counteract the ongoing marginalization by race and socioeconomic status. The gardens represent a quiet, nascent resistance against neoliberal injustices through intimate human-nature interaction.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceDirect producer‚Ä"consumer transactions: Community Supported Agriculture and its offshoots
2020Ted White · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · United States
Non-market sales, barter, trade, donations, and other creative transactions have been integral to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) since its inception, promoting creativity and new economic thinking due to its advance payment system for unknown harvests. Based on qualitative field research, primarily in the Northeastern United States, this chapter examines the innovative transactions that have enabled CSA and other Community Supported Enterprises (CSEs) to grow. While acknowledging that the 'Community Supported' model has not solved the challenge of providing adequate incomes for producers or attracting diverse participants, the chapter presents evidence of CSA as a vibrant system connecting producers and consumers through creative transactions.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityCollaborative research to support urban agriculture in the face of change: The case of the Sumida watercress farm on O‘ahu
2020Jennifer Engels, Sheree J. Watson, Henrietta Dulai, Kimberly Burnett, Christopher A. Wada, ‘Ano‘ilani Aga, Nathan DeMaagd, J. J. McHugh, Barbara Sumida, Leah L. Bremer · PLoS ONE · United States (O‘ahu)
A researcher-farmer collaboration on O‘ahu's Sumida watercress farm conducted a 25-year trend analysis and a year of intensive spring water sampling. Negative correlations were found between historical crop yields and increases in the Oceanic Niño Index, temperature thresholds, and pest outbreaks. Despite urbanization, on-farm water quality was very high, and microbial analyses suggested the farm provides nutrient retention services to downstream systems. The study demonstrates that challenges facing urban agricultural systems shift over time.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityClimate changeBiodiversityOrganic cycleExcluded by design: informality versus tactical urbanism in the redevelopment of Detroit neighborhoods
2020Lisa Berglund · · United States (Detroit)
This paper analyzes media coverage of informal practices like street vending, murals, and urban agriculture in Detroit's redeveloping neighborhoods. It reveals that while these practices are appropriated by developers and new, affluent arrivals as entrepreneurial and necessary for redevelopment, they are treated fundamentally differently from the informal practices of long-standing, marginalized residents, which are often condemned as illegal. This inconsistency highlights how legal frameworks are manipulated to exclude long-standing residents from the city's "renaissance."
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyWelfare13. Black Urban Growers and the Land Question in Cleveland: Externalities of Gentrification
2020Justine Lindemann · New York University Press eBooks · United States (Cleveland)
This chapter explores how gentrification in Cleveland, Ohio, impacts Black urban farmers' and gardeners' access to land in disinvested neighborhoods. It examines the ancillary effects of development on alternative land reuse efforts. The study highlights that despite a seemingly endless supply of vacant lots, gentrification negatively affects land access for these communities.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe underutilized role of community gardens in improving cities’ adaptation to climate change: a review
2019Mysha Clarke, Melissa Davidson, Monika Egerer, Elsa C. Anderson, Nakisha Fouch · People Place and Policy Online · United States
This paper argues that community gardens should be a prioritized element of green infrastructure to improve cities' adaptation to climate change. Community gardens can reduce urban heat islands, provide ecosystem services, and increase stormwater retention. However, a qualitative analysis of 18 policy documents for Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City, U.S.A., found that green infrastructure for climate change adaptation prioritizes rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs, but seldom acknowledges the role of community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityClimate changePolicyFood sovereignty & justice“Urban Farming Is Going High Tech”
2019Michael Carolan · Journal of the American Planning Association · United States
This 2019 study, based on 82 interviews in Denver, New York, and San Francisco, investigated how traditional and digital urban agriculture converge and diverge regarding land use and gentrification. It found that both digital and traditional urban farming systems are linked to gentrification and inequitable land use patterns. Digital urban farming systems also operate in a regulatory gray area, with their "digital" aspects used to gain more zoning permission than traditional urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityWild Leaves on Narrow STEMs: Exploring Formal and Non-Formal Education Tensions Through Garden-Based Learning
2019Sarah E. Cramer, Anna Ball · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States
This qualitative case study in the United States examined a school garden program transitioning from non-profit to public school district control, conceptualizing this as a shift from a non-formal to a formal education paradigm. The research explored tensions between constructivist, non-formal educational philosophies and standardized, formal education within school garden settings. The findings indicate challenges in integrating non-formal learning into formal public education structures, arguing for broader legitimation of garden-based learning in curriculum.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyAngier, The Last Frontier: Representation and Gentrification in the Alternative Food Movement
2019Giszell Dymond Weather · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States
A 7-month study of the Angier Avenue Neighborhood Farm in East Durham, a predominantly Black area, found that Black residents rarely participate in farm activities. This research, based on participant observation, interviews, and food systems research, theorizes the relationship between urban farming and gentrification, arguing that equitable community food projects must incorporate local Black residents' cultures and histories to be sustainable.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyDiseño de una estrategia como alternativa para incrementar e incentivar el uso de la Agricultura Urbana
2019Arantza Elena Sanchez Gutierrez · · Mexico
In Querétaro Municipality, Mexico, a strategy was designed and implemented to increase and incentivize the use of urban agriculture. Previous strategies implemented in Mexico had resulted in low participation and abandonment of practice due due to low interest from inhabitants and a lack of will to follow through on plans. This qualitative research analyzed the causes of these failures using User-Centered Design tools and Design Thinking. Findings showed that a "strategy of appropriation," emphasizing a sense of belonging, well-being, and commitment, resulted in an increase in this variable, which influences the abandonment of agricultural practices.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsGeospatial analysis and assessment of garden soil contamination in New York City
2019Anna Paltseva, Zhongqi Cheng · RUDN Journal of Agronomy and Animal Industries · United States (New York City)
Elevated trace metal concentrations, particularly lead (Pb), are prevalent in New York City urban soils. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of lead in NYC gardens and assessed pollution levels and ecological risks. Findings indicated that lead posed moderate to significantly high ecological risk, and the majority of NYC garden soils were characterized as polluted.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityPotencialidades da produção de alimentos nas cidades: experiências de agricultura urbana no município de Pirapozinho – São Paulo
2019Daiara Batista Mendes · Geografia em Atos (Online) · Brazil (Pirapozinho)
This article identifies the potentialities of urban agriculture in Pirapozinho, São Paulo, focusing on food and economic use. Based on field research and interviews, the study found that urban agriculture provides quick access to quality products and fosters close farmer-consumer links. However, it also found that urban agricultural practices have not received due governmental attention at national or local scales, despite their potential.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyTECHNICAL-PRODUCTIVE AND SOCIOECONOMIC LIMITATIONS TO THE ADOPTION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. THE CASE OF THE URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE NETWORK OF XALAPA, VERACRUZ
2019Guadalupe Del Ángel-Lozano, Martha Elena Nava-Tablada · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Mexico
This study analyzed technical-productive and socioeconomic limitations to urban agriculture adoption within the Urban and Periurban Agriculture Network (RAUP) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Based on 25 questionnaires from active members and 10 from sporadic participants, both groups agreed that the main constraints are socioeconomic, such as lack of space and limited free time, which are linked to urban lifestyles. Technical-productive limitations were not considered relevant.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceLIMITANTES TÉCNICO-PRODUCTIVAS Y SOCIOECONÓMICAS PARA LA ADOPCIÓN DE LA AGRICULTURA URBANA. EL CASO DE LA RED DE AGRICULTURA URBANA Y PERIURBANA DE XALAPA, VERACRUZ
2019Guadalupe Del Ángel-Lozano, Martha Elena Nava-Tablada · Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems · Mexico (Xalapa)
This study analyzed technical-productive and socioeconomic limitations to urban agriculture adoption among members of the Network of Urban and Periurban Agriculture (RAUP) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Researchers applied 25 questionnaires to active members and 10 to non-practicing participants. Both groups of RAUP participants identified socioeconomic factors, such as lack of space and limited free time due to urban lifestyles, as the main constraints, while technical-productive limitations were not considered relevant.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureWhat’s on the menu? Succulent sustainability goes to school
2019M. A. McKenna, Jessica Wall, Suchitra Roy · · Canada
This chapter summarizes the status of plant-based food initiatives in Canadian schools. While considerable progress has been made in establishing school gardens, youth leadership programs, and food sustainability education, researchers note that more work is needed to reach all students, offer programs addressing all aspects of food literacy, and achieve system change.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityHealthExcess phosphorus from compost applications in urban gardens creates potential pollution hotspots
2019Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Geneviève S. Metson, Katherine Polsky, Ivan Jimenez, Adam D. Kay · Environmental Research Communications · United States
Survey data from 142 gardeners and urban farmers in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, USA, characterized phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) inputs and harvest, and measured soil P concentrations at a subset of sites. Median application rates were 300 kg P/ha and 1400 kg N/ha, with low nutrient use efficiencies (2.5% for P, 5.0% for N). Garden soils had a median Bray P value of 80 ppm, far exceeding recommended levels, indicating a buildup and potential loss of P and N. Urban gardens, though only 0.1% of land area, constitute one of the largest inputs of P to the watershed.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleClimate changeOn the Path to a Resilient Urban Food System in a Rural State: A Mixed-Method Needs Assessment of Urban Producers and County Extension Agents in Arkansas
2019Catherine Dobbins · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States (Arkansas)
This mixed-method needs assessment in Arkansas investigated urban agriculture, using interviews with 16 urban farmers and a quantitative survey of County Extension Agents (CEAs) with a 57% response rate. Farmers expressed varied needs, and while they viewed the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) positively, CES lacked specific resources for small-scale sustainable farming. The survey revealed that 70.2% of CEAs reported low or nonexistent concentrations of urban farming in their counties, indicating potential barriers for agents to work with urban farmers.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageUrban family agriculture
2019Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez, Almir Cezar Baptista Filho · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article describes the obstacles to implementing public policy for family agriculture in urban areas of Brazil. Representations associated with rural-agricultural concepts have shaped the classification criteria of rural technical assistance technicians, limiting the policy's application in urban settings. Social movements in Rio de Janeiro highlighted the lack of access for urban family farmers to agrarian policies, leading to the recognition of urban family agriculture as a public problem.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageMaterial and social relations in a coastal community garden assemblage
2019Lindsay K. Campbell, Erika S. Svendsen, Renae Reynolds, Victoria Marshall · Social & Cultural Geography · United States (Rockaway, NY)
This study used Actor Network Theory to explore the material and social dynamics of a coastal community garden on public housing grounds in Rockaway, NY, after Hurricane Sandy. Three assemblages with different governance arrangements—tidal shore, garden plots, and treed lawn—were identified. However, "unruly" actors and actants, including people, saltwater, poison ivy, dogs, and trash, were found to spark controversy and resist governing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeA feminist political ecology of food justice in Iowa
2019Carrie Chennault · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States
This three-year feminist ethnographic study examined the Growing Together Iowa community donation gardening and food rescue program, focusing on its institutional and community partners. The research aimed to understand how solutions to food insecurity emerge from social relations and socio-historical contexts. Findings demonstrated that uneven power relations permeate even well-intended efforts to address food insecurity within such initiatives.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyEconomicsNature, Technology, & the Pursuit of Justice: Urban Agriculture Networks in San Diego County
2019Blaire O’Neal · · United States (San Diego County)
This research investigates the significance of soil in distinguishing urban agriculture forms in San Diego County and examines how soil-based and soilless growing methods relate to justice. The results illustrate that while the way food is grown is important for urban agriculture organizations' identity and practices, it is only one of many factors influencing justice, such as socio-spatial context. Justice is an ongoing process that evolves as urban agriculture commodities travel through their circuits and interact with placed networks filled with intentions, actions, discourses, objects, actors, and forces.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureLa cara oculta de la seguridad alimentaria - Estudio de caso del sur del Estado de Jalisco, Occidente de México
2019Peter R. W. Gerritsen, Víctor Sanchez Bernal, Georgina Torres Rodríguez · Brazilian Journal of Development · Mexico
This study analyzed food security in two medium-sized cities in Western Mexico using secondary data and field research. It found that while these highly globalized cities had a low degree of food security, extensive domestic backyard agricultural activities significantly raised family-level food security. A critical finding is that this potential for urban food security is not valued by governmental institutions.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageAGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA: POTENCIALIDADES E LIMITAÇÕES PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO DO MUNICÍPIO DE BENEVIDES (PA)
2019Glenda Maria Braga Abud, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Rosália do Socorro da Silva Corrêa, Ruth Helena Cristo Almeida · Revista em Agronegócio e Meio Ambiente · Brazil (Benevides)
A descriptive survey was conducted with 25 producers in Benevides municipality, Pará State, Brazil, to analyze the contribution of flower and ornamental plant production to local development. The activity was found to be essentially subsistence-based, with low articulation among producers and technological and productive limitations. These aspects resulted in a restricted capacity to contribute to development in the studied municipality.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture, Revalorization, and Green Gentrification in Denver, Colorado
2019Joshua Sbicca · · United States (Colorado)
This study investigated the potential for urban agriculture to drive green gentrification, using Denver, Colorado, as a case study. Urban agriculture was shown to drive gentrification and act as a force for displacement, even when advocates are aware of its exclusionary potential for urban farmers and residents. The research argues that political economy and cultural forces create neighborhood disinvestment and economic marginalization, and urban agriculture contributes to green gentrification through a process of revalorization that exploits rent gaps.
Equity & displacementEconomicsPolicyCommunityHealthFactors That Affect African-American Enrollment in Urban Agricultural Degree Programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia
2019Thomas Earl Tracy · ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University) · United States (Virginia)
This study investigated reasons for the low enrollment of African Americans in urban agriculture degree programs in Virginia, which contributes to few African Americans in leadership positions in the urban agriculture industry. Data were collected through surveys and interviews with agriculture students, non-agriculture students, and department chairpersons at Virginia State University and other colleges. The findings indicate a dearth of African Americans enrolled in these programs.
Equity & displacementPolicyFood education