Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1063 results(21 / 43)
URBANISATION AND THE CONCERNS FOR FOOD SECURITY IN MALAYSIA
2020Azizan Marzuki, Ahmad Sahir Jais · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia
This qualitative exploratory review, based on a Systematic Literature Review of secondary data, investigated the connection between urban sprawl and its impact on agricultural productivity and food security in Malaysia. The study found that urbanization did affect Malaysia's food security self-sufficiency level, particularly for land-intensive food products like vegetables and livestock, due to the conversion of agricultural lands.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageTerritorializing the Urban-Rural Border in Medellín, Colombia: Socio-Ecological Assemblages and Disruptions
2020Colleen Hammelman, Alexis Saenz-Montoya · Journal of Latin American geography · Colombia (Medellín)
In Medellín, Colombia, large infrastructure projects by the local government, intended to transform the city, have contributed to a neoliberal sustainability agenda. Data from community meetings (2015-2017) with displaced people engaged in subsistence urban agriculture revealed that these projects exclude marginalized residents from newly valued "natural" commons. This territorialization strategy controls peripheral spaces by including approved actors while dispossessing less powerful residents of their right to the city.
Equity & displacementUrban–rural linkageCommunityPolicyWelfareRacial capitalism and a tentative commons
2020Rachael Baker · · United States (Detroit)
Farming on Detroit's vacant land has been used for blight reduction and food cultivation since the 1970s, supported by initiatives like Farm-a-Lot. However, in 2015, the mayor’s office directly transferred 40 acres of city-owned land to a for-profit urban agriculture business in Detroit’s east Poletown, raising concerns about equitable resource distribution.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceASSESSMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHOOL FOOD GARDENS: A CASE OF CHRIS HANI DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA
2020Harry Kasumba, M. Mashologu, Patrick W Bwowe · · South Africa
An investigation into the sustainability of school food gardens in Chris Hani District, South Africa, used a mixed-methods approach with a purposive sample of six schools. Findings revealed significant bottlenecks hindering sustainability, specifically inadequate funding and a lack of proper planning for school food gardening activities.
Governance failureFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyLocal foods systems and community economic development
2020Steven C. Deller, David Lamie, Maureen Stickel · · Global
This review provides a critical analysis of current research on local and regional food networks, including urban farming projects. It reveals that many presumptions of the local food movement remain largely untested, and much of the current research lacks strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor. The review emphasizes the importance for practitioners to distinguish between objective, research-based information and speculative, advocacy-oriented analysis.
Methodological critiqueEconomicsPolicyCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceUne ferme urbaine multifonctionnelle : maîtrise foncière publique pour un projet d’agriculture innovant à Rovéréaz, Lausanne.
2020Françoise Jarrige, Cyril Mumenthaler, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · IRIS · Switzerland (Lausanne)
This chapter described and analyzed the implementation of a new agricultural project on a domain in Lausanne, Switzerland. The innovative process was built through confrontation between stakeholder strategies, with negotiations and adjustments. It appeared that powerful economic and legal constraints limited some expected innovations, particularly regarding land contracts. Ultimately, the anticipated multifunctional agricultural project was implemented through three coordinated structures: an association, a cooperative, and an agricultural enterprise.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityTINGKAT PARTISIPASI WARGA DALAM PEMBANGUNAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN BERBASIS MASYARAKAT
2020Sulistiya Sulistiya · Jurnal Pertanian Agros · Indonesia
This qualitative study in Indonesia investigated citizen participation in community-based urban agriculture, finding that while overall participation was high, the decision-making stage showed the lowest level of engagement. Most citizens had low group experience and had lived in their housing for less than 30 years. Age, education, income, and family burden were not significantly related to participation, but group experience, length of stay, activity methods, and service quality were significant factors.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyRepurposing support tendered youth owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises in urban agri-business sector in Durban
2020Tony Ngwenya, Pfano Mashau · Problems and Perspectives in Management · South Africa (Durban)
This study investigated institutional support for youth-owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) in Durban's urban agribusiness sector using a quantitative methodology. Findings indicated that CSR interventions had not yielded a fundamental impact, and there was a lack of tangible, result-driven institutional support from policymakers and authorities. Furthermore, targeted technological transfer was a constraining factor, and a lack of monetary and non-monetary access hampered the SMMEs' competitiveness and profitability.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyThe Effect of Industry Extension Services Packages on the Performance of Small and Micro Enterprises in Dessie, South Wollo and Oromia Zones of Eastern Amhara
2020Mulugeta Chane Wube · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Ethiopia
A descriptive study analyzed the effect of industry extension service packages on the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Dessie, South Wollo, and Oromia Special zones, Ethiopia, sampling 248 out of 646 MSEs. The analysis revealed that industry extension services provided by TVET trainers were inadequate across all four dimensions: technical, technology, Kaizen, and entrepreneurship. The overall performance of the surveyed MSEs was found to be very low, concluding that the provided extension services were insufficient in improving their performance.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicySPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN LAGOS METROPOLIS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN PLANNING
2020Dauda Rotimi Awoniran, Omotayo Ben Olugbamila, Emmanuel Olufemi Omisore · Analele Universităţii din Oradea Seria Geografie · Sub-Saharan Africa (Lagos)
This study examined urban agriculture practices and land use changes in Lagos Metropolis, Sub-Saharan Africa, over three decades using satellite imagery and primary data from four Local Government Areas. It found that cultivated lands decreased by 28.70% between 1986 and 2000, and by 19.25% between 2000 and 2016. Urban farmlands converted to other uses by 89.48% between 1986 and 2000, and by 75.64% between 2000 and 2016, indicating that food security is under threat as land for urban farmers shrinks.
Limited or null effectPolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsWhat Constraints the Expansion of Urban Agriculture in Benin?
2020Mawuna Donald Houessou, Mirte van de Louw, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld · Sustainability · Benin
To identify the main constraints to the expansion of urban agriculture (UA) in Benin, a systematic literature review, a survey among experienced urban gardeners, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders were conducted. The synthesis revealed five predominant constraints: lack of land and tenure insecurity, insufficient government support, restricted market access, limited access to productive factors, and inequality issues. Specifically, the survey indicated a political unwillingness, which was explained by the unperceived benefits of investing in UA and the lack of enforcement of urban development plans.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityVertical Farming: An Assessment of Singapore City
2020Jacob Wood, Caroline Wong, Swathi Paturi · eTropic electronic journal of studies in the tropics · Singapore
This research examines urban farming, specifically vertical farming methods, in Singapore. Despite substantial public and private investment in R&D for high-tech, high-yielding vertical farms, Singapore faces a highly constrained urban environment where land scarcity is exacerbated by a complex regulatory land use framework.
Governance failureDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsA SUSTAINABLE URBAN FARMING INDEX ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR EVALUATING FOOD PRODUCTIVITY THAT APPLIES MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING METHODS — A CASE STUDY IN MALAYSIA
2020Ali Keyvanfar, Arezou Shafaghat, Tan Sze Inn, Sapura Mohamad · DigitalCommons - Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw State University) · Malaysia
This research developed the Sustainable Urban Farming Index Assessment (SUFIA) Model to quantify and evaluate the performance of urban farms' sustainable food production. Applying a critical literature review and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the model identified reducing air pollution, soil health and water cleaning, and food sovereignty as critical for food productivity. When implemented at Zenxin Organic Farm in Malaysia for validation, the farm earned a Grade C, indicating it is a usable urban farm but requires substantial improvements in areas such as soil health, water cleaning, site design, and community environment.
Limited or null effectClimate changeOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomic linkage between urban development and livelihood of peri-urban farming communities in Ethiopia (policies and practices)
2020Idris Mohammed, Abdella Kosa, Nuredin Juhar · Agricultural and Food Economics · Ethiopia
This study assessed the economic linkage between urban development and the livelihood of peri-urban farming communities in Ethiopia, focusing on current practices and policies. Data was collected from 30 municipal officials and 200 evicted peri-urban farmers across five municipalities in the Amara regional state. Findings indicate that the continuous eviction of peri-urban farmers from their indigenous land for redevelopment negatively affects their livelihood, highlighting significant equity issues. Factors contributing to urban expansion include economic policy reform, private investor incentives, and public sector projects, further exacerbated by policy limitations and lack of municipal intervention.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceFormalizing Objectives and Criteria for Urban Agriculture Sustainability with a Participatory Approach
2020Paola Clerino, Agnès Fargue‐Lelièvre · Sustainability · France
This study used a participatory approach with French urban agriculture stakeholders to identify sustainability objectives and 21 criteria for professional intra-urban farms. Six objectives were established, and agro-environmental and socio-territorial criteria were deemed more important than economic ones, with food production not being mentioned. A critical finding was that decision-makers focused more on projects' external sustainability and urban farmers' agricultural background, suggesting a reliance on farmers for internal sustainability rather than direct assessment.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeTra espansione urbana e sicurezza alimentare: il caso della Green Belt bonearense
2020Thomas Gilardi · Geography Notebooks · Argentina
In the Bonearense region, urban expansion is encroaching on fertile plains, impacting territorial characteristics. While urban and peri-urban agriculture contributes to food sustenance for the AMBA population, it has not been sufficiently recognized for green area recovery, organic waste recycling, and wastewater management. Regional authorities have begun to acknowledge urban agriculture's role in combating urban poverty, but local economic development faces challenges in mediating food security and recreational services amidst pressures from urban real estate and agro-industrial production.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCultivating urban conviviality: urban farming in the shadows of Copenhagen's neoliberalisms
2020Rebecca Leigh Rutt · Journal of Political Ecology · Denmark (Copenhagen)
Ethnographic research on a small rooftop garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, explored how urban farming initiatives interact with neoliberal trends. The study found that communal, eco-social urban farming endeavors are entangled in the city's neoliberal turn, with formalization processes and austerity measures both nurturing and endangering these initiatives. Neoliberal labor, food systems, and housing policies are shown to subvert convivial urban farming efforts.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHigh-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis
2020Mosen Farhangi, Margherita Turvani, Arnold van der Valk, G.J. Carsjens · Sustainability · Netherlands (Amsterdam)
An ethnographic study in Amsterdam, Netherlands, analyzed barriers to the integration of high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA) into urban planning processes. The research revealed a lacking connection between planning actors and HTUA technology developers.
Governance failurePolicyDigital agriculture8. Diverse Politics, Difficult Contradictions: Gentrification and the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance
2020Michelle Glowa, Antonio Roman-Alcalá · New York University Press eBooks · United States (California)
This chapter examines the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, analyzing its composition, genesis, and how it has confronted the tensions and limitations of neoliberal urbanization. Based on personal experiences and research, it proposes that justice-driven urban agriculture movements are influenced by political-economic changes and can be absorbed into existing neoliberal and pro-development trajectories. This indicates a critical finding regarding equity and the challenges urban agriculture faces in resisting gentrification.
Equity & displacementPolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGentrification e urban gardening a Berlino. Riflessioni da Tempelhofer Feld e Prinzessinnengärten
2020Sara Giovansana, Giacomo Zanolin · Geography Notebooks · Germany (Berlin)
This study examines urban creativity in Berlin, focusing on urban gardens at Tempelhofer Feld and Prinzessinnengärten. Based on field research, it reflects on the potential of creative class initiatives in relation to gentrification. The work aims to outline the Berlin green experience as a sign of urban change.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrbane Landwirtschaft im Ruhrgebiet
2020Ulrich Häpke · sub\urban zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung · Germany (Ruhrgebiet)
While statistical data demonstrates the significance of urban agriculture in German cities and metropolitan areas, urban agriculture faces the problem of constant land loss despite its proximity to consumers. The example of the Ruhrgebiet highlights challenges such as land loss and high proportions of leased land, indicating governance issues faced by urban agriculture.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyCommunityAccessibility of urban green infrastructure in Addis-Ababa city, Ethiopia: current status and future challenge
2020Sileshi Azagew, Hailu Worku · ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH · Ethiopia (Addis-Ababa)
This study assessed the status, accessibility, and constraints of urban green infrastructure (UGI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It revealed that UGI land use decreased by 9.2% from 2003 to 2016, with urban agriculture declining by 11.9%. City residents lack sufficient recreational UGI, with park per capita at a very small 0.37 m² compared to Ethiopian standards of 15 m², and over 90% of the population lacking access to existing parks within walking distance. Major constraints identified include weak implementation of development plans, density, built-up area expansion, and lack of priority for UGI development.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsA Place to Breathe in the Dense City: Community Gardening and Participatory Urbanism in Paris
2020Carrie Ann Benjamin · Sociální studia / Social Studies · France (Paris)
This study examines community gardening and participatory urbanism in Paris, focusing on the Goutte Verte, a temporary nomadic community garden. The continued existence of the Goutte Verte is in opposition to the city's much-needed housing, with gardeners caught between a desire for green space and a demand for comfortable housing. Community gardens are shown to act as a material alternative to urban planning and governance that often fail to account for a "place to breathe" in the city.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthImpact of urban agriculture on business
2020Takeshi So · The Japanese Journal of Real Estate Sciences · Japan
This study discusses urban agriculture in Japan from three perspectives: suburban farming, urban farming, and isolated farming operations within urban areas. Despite its historical impact on urban planning, urban farmland has dramatically decreased and currently hinders real estate business and new business creation. It is suggested that economic rationality and public interest should be prioritized, and tax incentives for urban farmland should be reconsidered in a stepwise manner.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageA agricultura urbana na Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), dividida entre desejo dos moradores da cidade e ação pública
2020Amélie Robert, Jean Louis Yengué, A. Fanny, Mikael Motelica‐Heino, Edmond Hien, Alain Sanou · Risco Revista de Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Urbanismo (Online) · Africa
This research, conducted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, utilized in situ observations, interviews with farmers and decision-makers, and an analysis of planning documents. It found that urban agriculture has experienced a significant increase in surface area and is popular among city residents. However, it is not officially considered in urban planning, revealing divergences in viewpoints between farmers and public decision-makers.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justice