Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1063 results(25 / 43)
Food for all?
2019Michael Hardman, Mags Adams, Melissa Barker, Luke Beesley · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom (Todmorden)
The Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET) movement in Todmorden, UK, was investigated using a qualitative approach. The scheme was found to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the town, providing social, environmental, and economic benefits and contributing to a more just food movement through its "free for all" philosophy. However, negative aspects were also highlighted, including maintenance issues and a lack of perceived inclusivity in some parts.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceA Framework for Integrating Agriculture in Urban Sustainability in Australia
2019A. J. Sarker, Janet F. Bornman, Дора Маринова · Urban Science · Australia
This study analyzes policy and planning practices for integrating urban agriculture into city land-use planning in Australia. It found that recent planning has overlooked and failed to realize the opportunity of urban agriculture, with regulatory and legal frameworks, including land access, being significant constraints. The study concludes that without direct public policy support and institutional recognition, integrating urban agriculture into Australian cities' development and planning goals is difficult.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeEconomicsDevelopment policies and urban agriculture policies
2019Isabela Laís Tavares, Gisela da Cunha Viana Leonelli · Revista dos Trabalhos de Iniciação Científica da UNICAMP · Global
This study investigated the position of urban agriculture within development policies and legislation for urban and regional planning. Through legal analysis of legislation from supranational to municipal levels, it was shown that urban agriculture can be a tool in city planning to reduce vacant lots and buildings not fulfilling their social function. However, the research revealed that despite a diverse range of legislation for urban agriculture development, these laws are not fully interconnected and often operate as parallel initiatives.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityUrban Agriculture as Livelihood Strategy
2019Ashenafi Tilahun Hailie · IGI Global eBooks · Global
This chapter assessed the benefits of urban agriculture in a study area, using qualitative and quantitative analysis aligned with a sustainable livelihood framework. Findings indicated that urban agriculture is sustained by sex indiscrimination, migrant dominancy, poor educational status, and agricultural background. While assets like land access and fertile soil were promising, skills, knowledge transfer, labor ability, and good health were found insufficient. Identified vulnerabilities included population explosion, absence of good governance, frequent natural calamities, land tenure insecurity, and seasonality of prices.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyInterpartner Risks in Solidarity Partnerships
2019Sonia Aissaoui, Pascale Bueno Merino, Samuel Grandval · · Global
This study discusses the risk of having no contract in a solidarity partnership, specifically Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) formed between an agricultural entrepreneur and consumers, based on an extreme case analysis. Through 47 semi-structured interviews, three non-participant observations, and seven additional semi-structured interviews, findings showed that trust mechanisms can quickly weaken during misunderstandings, exposing partners to the risk of exploiting the agreement. Contractual logic, particularly its coordinating function, complements trust in maintaining the stability of a solidarity partnership.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiEconomicsPolicyKontribusi Perusahaan Pengembang Terhadap Pemberdayaan Petani Perkotaan dalam Mewujudkan Ketahanan Pangan
2019Rikawanto Eko Muljawan · Prosiding Konferensi Nasional Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dan Corporate Social Responsibility (PKM-CSR) · Indonesia (Surabaya)
In East Java, Indonesia, rapid infrastructure development leads to approximately 100 hectares of agricultural land being converted annually, reducing food supply. In Surabaya, 2000 hectares are controlled by developers, with some loaned for farming, and the local government supports urban farming for 624 households on 400 hectares. The abstract suggests that developers, who benefit from extensive land conversion, should contribute to agricultural resource improvement through Corporate Social Responsibility funds for agro eco-technology programs.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyFarming in cities: Potentials and challenges of urban agriculture in Maputo and Cape Town
2019Erik Engel, Karin Fiege, Anja Kühn · · Africa
The UFISAMO project analyzed urban agriculture (UA) in Maputo and Cape Town. In Maputo, UA is the main income source for about 5% of the population, though it often does not cover monthly food costs, and a major challenge is the uncontrolled application of pesticides due to mono-cropping. In Cape Town's townships, UA plays a negligible role in income and food security due to small plots, sandy soils, water stress, and weak market links.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityEconomicsHealthPolicyl’Horta De València: Past and present dynamics in landscape change and planning
2019Carme Melo Escrihuela · International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning · Spain (Valencia)
The evolution in the preservation, management, and planning of l'Horta de València, a historical Mediterranean huerta in Valencia, Spain, was assessed. It is argued that negative changes and impacts in l'Horta are not simply the outcome of global dynamics but result from the region's planning trajectory and landscape management approach. This approach has been shaped by a lack of territorial and supra-municipal perspective and the primacy of culture, identity, and heritage aspects over the landscape's productive dimension.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageAgricultura Urbana y Periurbana. Reconfiguraciones territoriales y potencialidades en torno a los sistemas alimentarios urbanos
2019Héctor Ávila Sánchez · Investigaciones Geográficas Boletín del Instituto de Geografía · Global
This study analyzed the impact and potential of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) on urban food systems, focusing on cities in Western Europe, North America, and Latin America. It concluded that while UPA practices have increased, their presence in urban food systems remains limited, and their consideration in territorial public policies is still marginal. In developed countries, its impact has been primarily therapeutic, landscape-related, and for heritage preservation, while in poorer countries, it has contributed to self-sufficiency for low-income urban populations, public space recovery, social fabric strengthening, and community development.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsPeri-urban agriculture: lessons learnt from Jakarta and Addis Ababa
2019Stephan Pauleit, Didit Okta Pribadi, Hany Abo El Wafa · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Jakarta)
The continued existence of agriculture in and near urban areas, such as in Jakarta and Addis Ababa, is an important means to strengthen city resilience. However, its importance is still poorly, or at best intermittently, acknowledged by politicians and urban planners, who are inspired by visions of "modern" cities where agriculture is considered a negligible activity.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsClimate changeStrengthening social ties in vulnerable cities
2019Jean-Christophe Levassor · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · France
This study addresses social divisions in Le Pile, east Roubaix, France, where over 40% of residents live below the poverty line. It states that without proactive policies, social divisions will worsen, and initiatives like urban farming and zero waste will only have a limited effect beyond a small circle of insiders. La Condition Publique aims to recreate ties among various actors to support urban renovation and foster resilience in this deprived neighborhood.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyWelfarePartisipasi Masyarakat dalam Program Pertanian Perkotaan pada Penghuni Rumah Susun Marunda, Jakarta Utara
2019Riska Rahma Arriani, Mardwi Rahdriawan · Teknik PWK (Perencanaan Wilayah Kota) · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A qualitative study using purposive sampling investigated the reasons for decreasing community participation in the government-initiated Urban Farming Program at Rusun Marunda, Jakarta, Indonesia. The program, which started with 50 farmers in 2014, saw participation drop to only 5 farmers by 2019. The study found that obstacles in farming demotivated farmers, leading to a decline in participation, particularly among those with economic-egoism motivations.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban 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 & displacementEconomicsPolicyCommunityHealthPolitics and the contested terrain of urban gardening in the neoliberal city
2019Chiara Certomà, Chiara Tornaghi · Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) · Global
This book is a collection of chapters unpacking the forms, functioning, and meanings of urban gardening in the context of the neoliberal transformation of cities. It offers an overview of diverse claims in the micro-politics of garden activism and discusses how these projects are fraught with social solidarities and divisions, empowerment and learning processes, conflicts and negotiations. The collection aims to contribute to a critical discussion of the “politics of urban space” and enrich the emerging debate on radical, critical, and political gardening.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDIYFactors 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 educationGlobal urbanization and food production in direct competition for land: Leverage places to mitigate impacts on SDG2 and on the Earth System
2019Stephan Barthel, Christian Isendahl, Benjamin N. Vis, Axel Drescher, Daniel Evans, Arjan van Timmeren · The Anthropocene Review · Global
Global urbanization and food production are in direct competition for land. Displacing crop production from urban and peri-urban land due to soil quality issues will demand a substantially larger proportion of the Earth’s terrestrial land surface than the area lost to urban encroachment. This risks triggering distancing effects, unfair social-ecological teleconnections, and amplifying effects within the Earth System, potentially leading to food riots in cities of the Global South. The paper identifies multi-level leverage points, specifically an advisory global policy aligned with regional policies enabling robust common property rights for bottom-up actors in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), to navigate urban expansion away from fertile croplands.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceDiscursos de agricultura urbana em São Paulo: formação, profusão e captura
2019Martin Jayo, Eduardo de Lima Caldas · kult-ur revista interdisciplinària sobre la cultura de la ciutat · Brazil (São Paulo)
A study in São Paulo, Brazil, examined recent forms of appropriation of the urban agriculture agenda, using a historical analysis of urban agriculture practices by Caldas and Jayo (2019). It was observed that traditional urban agriculture discourses have been captured by new actors, including parts of the public sector opportunistically appropriating the theme and the real estate market promoting an imitation of urban agriculture as a marketing tool.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityThe Role of Urban Agriculture in Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability in Africa
2019Lemi Gonfa · · Africa
This paper reviewed the role of urban agriculture in socio-economic and environmental sustainability in Africa, drawing on theoretical and empirical literature. While urban agriculture is recognized for job creation, improved diet, and environmental benefits like urban greenery and biodiversity, challenges such as difficult land access, lack of experience, financial support, training, and credit facilities, as well as low land productivity, animal grazing, and theft, were identified. These factors present potential negative externalities and hinder the development of urban agriculture.
Economic viabilityEconomicsHealthCommunityPolicyTemporary urban landscapes and urban gardening
2019Sofia Nikolaidou · Manchester University Press eBooks · Europe
This chapter examines new forms of urban gardening, often involving informal and temporary reuse of vacant land, and their impact on urban green space governance and planning practices. Using examples from Greece and Switzerland, it highlights differences and similarities in practices, social and institutional contexts, and collaborative governance patterns. The study calls attention to the critical role of the temporary nature of these initiatives, which affects new configurations of urban green areas and public space, and related planning practices.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPaesaggi transitori e agricoltura urbana: possibilità dagli scenari di espansione urbana a Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro
2019A Noussia · Research Open (London South Bank University) · Brazil
This paper discusses urban agriculture on city peripheries within a scenario of urban expansion, focusing on the Guaratiba neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. It argues that the city's urban expansion process does not invest in the inclusion of urban agriculture activities within the area's socio-environmental dynamics.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageConflation in political gardening
2019Lucy Rose Wright, Ross Fraser Young · Manchester University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter introduces the concept of political gardening, contextualizing its rise within neoliberal processes and academic interest in urban gardening. It conflates political gardening with injustice, drawing on Rawls' theory of social justice. The chapter uses case study examples to define political gardening as a six-stage iterative process that participants undergo to address injustices and become engaged, democratized citizens.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe experience of community urban gardens: Social organization and food security
2019Joeli Silva de Souza, Ryzia de Cássia Vieira Cardoso, Lídice Almeida Arlego PARAGUASSÚ, Sidione Ferreira dos Santos · Revista de Nutrição · Brazil (Salvador-Bahia)
A cross-sectional exploratory study in Salvador-Bahia characterized community gardens, with five out of seven gardens participating and data collected from 13 horticulturists. 80.0% of gardens lacked land legalization, 100.0% operated without technical support, and 60.0% had no social organization. Major difficulties included lack of funding, volunteers, and water use restrictions, indicating insufficient policies limited technical support and financing.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban agriculture in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town: examining the linkages between urban gardeners and supporting actors
2019Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira, Daniel Tevera · South African Geographical Journal · South Africa (Cape Town)
A mixed-methods study in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, examined the linkages between urban gardeners and supporting actors using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that the nature and strength of these linkages are critical for urban gardening success. However, there is minimal cooperation among non-state actors in the area.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban and Peri-Urban Agriculture as A Pathway to Food Security: A Review Mapping the Use of Food Sovereignty
2018Michelle Tendai. Chihambakwe, Paramu Mafongoya, Obert Jiri · Challenges · Zimbabwe
This review maps the use of food sovereignty principles in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Zimbabwe, addressing its potential for food security. Despite UPA being ingrained in urban households' livelihoods, institutional arrangements governing the practice remain ambivalent. The review underscores that the failure to involve all stakeholders undermines UPA, leading to heightened food insecurity and unsustainable practices.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsThe politics of urban agriculture
2018Nathan McClintock, Christiana Miewald, Eugene McCann · · North America
This chapter explores urban agriculture (UA) as fundamentally political practices, examining its role in neoliberal governance and sustainability policy-making, and as an object of contestation. It relates UA motivations and practices to processes of urbanization and political economic restructuring. The chapter highlights that UA is a site of political contestation, arising from broader political economic shifts.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomics