Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1063 results(11 / 43)
Ernährungsrat, Essbare Stadt, Gemeinschaftsgärten: Innere und äußere Logiken und Widersprüche der sozialökologischen Transformation durch Urban Gardening am Beispiel Köln
2024Alexander Follmann, Dorothea Hohengarten · transcript Verlag eBooks · Germany (Cologne)
This publication, titled "Ernährungsrat, Essbare Stadt, Gemeinschaftsgärten: Innere und äußere Logiken und Widersprüche der sozialökologischen Transformation durch Urban Gardening am Beispiel Köln," discusses the internal and external logics and contradictions of socio-ecological transformation through urban gardening, using Cologne as an example. The abstract states that this work was published in "Unterwegs in die Stadt der Zukunft" on page 241.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFarm-to-Table Initiatives in Restaurant Food Production: Benefits, Challenges, and Consumer Perceptions
2024Dr.M.K. Ganesh · International Journal for Multidimensional Research Perspectives · Global
This mixed-methods study examined the farm-to-table movement in restaurant food production, identifying benefits like enhanced food freshness and local economic support. However, it also found significant challenges including higher costs, seasonal variability, and complex supply chain logistics. Consumer perceptions were generally positive, but the study emphasized the need for increased consumer education and policy support to overcome barriers.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood miles & supply chainPolicyCommunitySiEUGreen White Paper with best practices
2024Nordregio, Luciane Aguiar Borges, Ana de Jesus · · Global
This report discusses the barriers and drivers of Urban Agriculture (UA) within the framework of the Horizon 2020 project 'SiEUGreen,' across environmental, technological, economic, social/cultural, and regulatory/institutional aspects. Based on insights from five showcases in Norway, Denmark, Turkey, and China, the results suggest that city food provision and UA systems can be designed considering circular economy regenerative cycles. However, key barriers limiting UA uptake include the need for more evidence-based research, further experimentation for innovative technological developments, high investments, difficulties accessing financial support, underdeveloped business cases, limited recognition of UA's benefits, and behavioral/cultural barriers.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityPolicyCultivando espacios socioambientales : perspectivas y transformaciones a través de la agricultura urbana y periurbana en el municipio de Foz do Iguaçu – PR.
2024Exzolvildres Queiroz Neto, Gilson Brandão de Oliveira Junior, Marcelha Silva de Andrade, Suncar Dabo, Geisiane Michelle Zanquetta de Pintor · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This article presents reflections on the practice of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) and its impact on land use and occupation in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The research raised several questions concerning rural-urban dynamics, the specificities of urban family farmers, and the complexity of land use in the municipality. Diagnostic results from a semi-structured research guide will be used as an empirical basis for further reflection, and the abstract does not state specific research findings or critical findings regarding governance.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyUrban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems Special Section: Improving Livability in Urban Areas: Examining Urban and Peri‐Urban Soil and Plant Management
2024Roberta Bulgari, Erdona Demiraj, Calogero Schillaci, Ahlem Tlili, Yushu Xia · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
This special issue examines urban and peri-urban soil and plant management, highlighting that soil-related factors in urban agricultural systems pose unique challenges. Issues such as soil fertility, soil biodiversity, and soil contamination require further investigation to enhance urban agriculture's contribution to livability. The issue collects studies supporting sustainable soil management and crop diversification, and explores remote sensing and deep learning for soil health monitoring and plant disease detection related to contamination.
Contamination & food safetyUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityPolicyHealthPractice of compost use in urban farming: Opportunities and constraints in the West Region, Cameroon
2024Moye Eric Kongnso · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Cameroon
A mixed-methods study in the West Region, Cameroon, examined compost use in urban farming through 265 household surveys, 11 in-depth interviews, and one focus group. While compost availability and technical assistance favor its use, small-scale farmers face significant technical, knowledge, financial, institutional, and policy constraints. State extension services prioritize mineral fertilizers over compost, and the current regulatory framework does not encourage compost use, leading to the persistence of traditional practices.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyInvestigating the Social Relations of Community Gardens for Adult Education
2024Mitchell McLarnon · Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education · Canada
This paper described and analyzed the social relations emerging from an adult education internship and community-based garden project in Montreal, Canada. Using institutional ethnography, it uncovered how adult education internships in community gardens and gardening programming can produce disproportionate outcomes for adult learners, community workers, and community members. It elucidated that specific institutional contrivances, such as funding, policy, work processes, and discourse, structure and define who experiences access to gardens, gardening, its ostensible health and well-being benefits, and adult education.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood educationPolicyLand Market and the “Sendoff” of Peri-Urban Agriculture in Tanzania: An Evolutionary Analysis of Practices and Actors
2024Kelvin Haule, Bupe Kabigi · Ghana Journal of Geography · Tanzania
This study analyzed land markets and their influence on peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies in Tanzania. It found that widespread monetary land markets, including formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing forms, are transforming peri-urban agriculture into non-farm activities. These informal changes are causing a “sendoff” of peri-urban agriculture, and if unmanaged, land markets are suggested to become a blight for indigenous people selling land.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyThe Disenfranchisement of Practitioners and the Public Sector in Innovative Urban Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Nigeria
2024Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin, Abiola Adegoke, Gertrud Buchenrieder · Land · Nigeria (Lagos)
This exploratory qualitative research, conducted in Lagos, Nigeria, used focus group discussions to compare the perspectives of private urban farmers and public sector representatives on innovative urban farming. Urban farmers identified a lack of public sector support for circular agri-food technologies, while public sector representatives attributed issues to farmers' behavioral and educational shortcomings, including poor coordination. These differing views highlight complex dynamics and a need for structural changes and stakeholder dialogues to develop effective urban farming policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityDigital agricultureUrban agriculture between territorial anchoring and challenges of urbanisation: case of Guersif City (Eastern Morocco)
2024Mohammed Elyaagoubi · African J of Economic and Sustainable Development · Morocco
This study investigates the decline of agricultural land in Guersif City, Morocco, due to rapid urbanization. Sociological surveys and technical data from 1954 and 2021 were used to identify and quantify the rate of agricultural land loss. The preservation of urban agriculture in Guersif faces a real challenge from other, more profitable activities.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban Agriculture as a Public Good: Valuing Farming and Gardening in Philadelphia and Chicago
2024Domenic Vitiello · Urban agriculture · United States
US cities have developed urban agriculture support systems reflecting competing values, with some prioritizing public good and others economic gains. A chapter reflecting on urban agriculture planning in Chicago and Philadelphia notes that institutional structures significantly impact equity and justice. The study indicates that the existing urban agriculture support systems in these cities may not adequately promote equity and justice.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsHealthChallenges of Formation and Development of Legal System of Urban Agriculture
2024Farhang FaghihLarijani, Elaheh Amani Vamarzani · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Iran
This study investigated whether an independent legal system exists in urban areas of Iran to recognize, maintain, and develop urban agriculture. It found that despite urban laws recognizing agricultural activities, legislators have not enacted a comprehensive law specifically for urban agriculture, nor explicitly included it in urban land definitions. The study hypothesized that a primary challenge is the lack of a compatible legal framework.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunitySocial prescribing of urban agriculture: The importance of minimizing risks from soil contamination
2024Luke Beesley, Michael Hardman · Cities · Global
This opinion piece discusses the potential risks of urban agriculture (UA) practices within Green Social Prescribing (GSP), particularly in post-industrial regions. It highlights barriers related to heavy metal-enriched urban soils, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and management of these risks. The piece provides recommendations for improving knowledge exchange on urban soils and risk in GSP contexts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityPolicyGREEN INFORMALITIES AS SOCIALLY JUST ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: Enduring with Dignity at the Edges of Resilient Development in Dhaka
2024Efadul Huq · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
This article argues that in the global South, ecological infrastructure often displaces marginalized urban dwellers by erasing existing informal agricultural practices, or "green informalities." Based on research with urban farmers facing eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh, it highlights that these green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and collective power-building. The study advocates for recognizing the political and affective dimensions of informal urban agriculture as a socially just ecological infrastructure that prioritizes justice and dweller agency.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfarePolicyEconomicsInvestigating the role of women producers in alternative food networks implementing organic farming in Berlin Brandenburg
2024Faiza Darkhani · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Germany (Berlin)
A qualitative content analysis of interviews with active female respondents in community-supported agriculture, food cooperatives, and self-harvest gardens in Berlin Brandenburg revealed challenges faced by women in alternative food networks. Interviewees expressed optimism but emphasized the need for increased governmental support and community engagement, and the data highlighted demands for gender equality improvements and support mechanisms.
Equity & displacementCommunityCSA & TeikeiPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUnderstanding the emerging phenomenon of food forestry in the Netherlands: An assemblage theory approach
2024Anna M. Roodhof · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Netherlands
To map and analyze food forestry (FF) in the Netherlands, a survey of 109 participants and interviews with five experts were conducted, identifying 231 food forests established since 2017. The survey data indicates that while FF initiatives are diverse in goals, few focus on profitability. Practitioners are largely homogeneous, consisting of university-educated individuals aged 40 to 60.
Economic viabilityCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageTackling Social Inequality in the City of Porto, Northern Portugal: Grassroots Horticultural Practices and the Desired City
2024Paula Mota Santos · Social Inclusion · Portugal (Porto)
Grassroots urban horticultural plots (hortas) in the Porto Metropolitan Area, Northern Portugal, are informal communities that have existed for decades, often involving over 20-30 people. However, these low-income urbanite horticultural communities are not cherished by city governance, which does not prevent their destruction. This incompatibility between urban governance and grassroots communities hinders the right to the city for the low-income urbanites who created them.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHandmade Spaces: Creative Placemaking in a Local Neighborhood
2024Silvia Gullino, Heidi Seetzen · · United Kingdom (London)
This ethnographic research in a former Victorian square in South London examined how residents transformed derelict spaces, including creating two community gardens, over three decades. The study found that while informal, bottom-up practices shaped a vibrant urban culture, the neighborhood is now undergoing progressive gentrification. This gentrification reflects trends in other London neighborhoods, posing challenges to community initiatives.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyA review of food asset maps in Canada
2024Belinda Li, Tammara Soma, Raghava Payment, Srishti Kumar, Nicole Anderson, Flora Xu, Phonpoom Piensatienkul · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada
This study reviewed and categorized 73 food asset maps in Canada based on their included food assets and design characteristics. Most maps included built environment assets like grocery stores and food banks, as well as agriculture-based natural food assets such as farms, community gardens, and orchards. However, representations of Indigenous-focused food assets and non-agriculture-based natural food assets like forests, water bodies, and foraging areas were generally lacking. This lack of Indigenous perspectives reinforces the values of a settler-colonial food system within food asset maps.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsGreen Informalities as Socially Just Ecological Infrastucture: Enduring with Dignity at the Edges of Resilient Development in Dhaka
2024Huq, Efadul · Smith ScholarWorks (Smith College) · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh, indicates that ecological infrastructure often erases existing informal agricultural practices, leading to the displacement of marginalized urban dwellers. Based on engaged research with a collective of urban farmers facing eviction, this paper argues that green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and can be appreciated as socially just ecological infrastructure.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyWelfareA tale of service regimes in irrigated urban agriculture: evidence from two cities in the Global South
2024B.J.M. van Vliet, Kamonashish Haldar, Matthijs T. Wessels, Katarzyna Kujawa-Roeleveld, Gert Jan Veldwisch · Water International · Global
This study examined the governance of irrigated urban agriculture in Arusha, Tanzania, and Khulna, Bangladesh, from a service regime perspective. Findings showed how service regimes bridge the gap between formal governance institutions and practices around irrigated urban agriculture. It is concluded that acknowledging, facilitating, and aligning these regimes can strengthen governance arrangements.
Governance failurePolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeGreen resilience: Securing life through vegetal being
2024Delf Rothe · Political Geography · United States (New York City)
This paper critically examines the concept of "green resilience" through a case study of various green resilience projects in New York City, including survivor trees, memorial groves, and community gardens. The study argues that these spaces function as key forms of state rule and biopolitical power, identifying three tensions or contradictions of green resilience as a form of biopolitical government: visibility and invisibility, knowledge and ignorance, and control and emergence.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing together or growing apart? A study of food donation community garden programming during the COVID-19 pandemic
2024Moses Wanyakha, Nancy Grudens‐Schuck, Ann M. Oberhauser · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Iowa)
This study investigated resilience and vulnerabilities in fresh produce donation partnership programs to food pantries in Iowa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings revealed a significant decrease in labor hours during the pandemic years of 2020–2021, attributed to government policies and social distancing requirements. Volunteer shortages, donation inconsistency, and exclusionary community practices appeared to be inherent vulnerabilities of volunteer-based food donation programs.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareFood lossPolicyA profile of urban agricultural growers, organizations, their needs, and challenges in the Northeastern United States
2024Matthew L. Richardson, John Taylor, Megan J. Thompson, Anusuya Rangarajan, Mamatha Hanumappa, Neith G. Little · PLoS ONE · United States (Northeastern United States)
This online survey of 394 urban growers, primarily in the Northeastern United States, profiled growers and assessed urban agriculture's state, identifying needs and challenges. Most growers were white (non-Hispanic), under 45, well-educated but without agriculture degrees. Urban agriculture was dominated by small non-profits and home/community gardens. A critical finding is that urban growers face diverse barriers, with the most common being land availability and long-term access in urban areas, and many reported low revenue or operating at a net loss.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceA Comprehensive Review on Evolution, Challenges of Models, Opportunities in Urban Farming Practices in the World
2024Anushi Anushi, A. Krishnamoorthi, Jitendra Chaurasia, Bijay Kumar Baidya, Abhishek Singh, Sapna, Vijay Kumar, Anushka Singh · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
This review explores the historical evolution and diverse models of urban farming, highlighting their contributions to food security, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. Challenges faced by urban farmers include limited space, soil contamination, regulatory hurdles, and access to resources.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyEconomics