Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2115 results(59 / 85)
Vulnerability Analysis of Urban Agriculture Projects: A Case Study of Community and Entrepreneurial Gardens in the Netherlands and Switzerland
2016Ladina Knapp, E.J. Veen, H. Renting, J.S.C. Wiskerke, J.C.J. Groot · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Europe
This study assessed criteria for the successful establishment and continuity of 29 small-scale, bottom-up urban agriculture (UA) initiatives in the Netherlands and Switzerland, using a vulnerability analysis framework. Biophysical and socio-institutional criteria were analyzed through interviews with project leaders. Findings revealed that the vulnerability of UA systems strongly depends on local circumstances, with the main perturbations and causes of vulnerability originating from social-institutional and human conditions, such as the institutional sphere, local authority assistance, and project leaders' determination.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyHealth大阪府における緑地構成要素の変化に関する地域的特性 : 都市農業振興基本法の施行をふまえて
2016肇 石原, Hajime Ishihara · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Osaka)
This study analyzed changes in green space components (parks, agricultural land, forests) across Osaka Prefecture, Japan, from 1970 to 2010. While forest area decreased slightly and park area increased, the increase in park area was insufficient to offset the significant reduction in agricultural land. Consequently, the overall green space ratio in Osaka Prefecture showed a declining trend, particularly noticeable in Osaka City and its surrounding areas.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeХарактер угодий водосбора малых мелководных озер и факторы уязвимости их экосистем
2016Alexandra Rizhinashvili · Digital Library of the Belarusian State University (Belarusian State University) · Global
This study analyzed the key limnetic parameters of four small shallow lakes: two located in allotment garden areas and two in forest-covered areas. It found that lakes with largely unexploited catchments contain a "hidden" source of nutrient load, primarily phosphates. Furthermore, lakes with catchments occupied by allotment gardens exhibited intensive overgrowth by floating vegetation.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityHeavy Metal Status in Urban and Peri-Urban Wetland Soils under Vegetable Cultivation in the Bamenda Municipality Cameroon
2016Godswill Azinwie Asongwe, Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima · Greener Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition · Cameroon (Bamenda)
This study analyzed heavy metal levels (chromium, manganese, lead, cadmium) in 21 urban and peri-urban agricultural wetland soil samples in Bamenda municipality, Cameroon. Average concentrations were 35.73 mg/kg for chromium, 0.08 mg/kg for manganese, 30.64 mg/kg for lead, and 0.45 mg/kg for cadmium. These concentrations were generally lower than the maximum WHO permissible levels.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleL’agriculture métropolitaine à Santiago du chili : une agriculture urbaine qui prend la clé des champs
2016Cécile Faliès · Problèmes d Amérique latine · Chile (Santiago)
This article provides an overview of agriculture around Santiago, Chile, based on fieldwork conducted since 2005. Despite the presence of agriculture linked to Santiago and Valparaiso, and the emergence of some forms like organic farming, it is difficult to classify this as urban agriculture due to the peripheral location and limited number of plots. The study indicates that urban agriculture, as commonly defined, has a limited presence in the Santiago metropolitan area.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyGender, Ethnicity, And Poverty
2016Michael Carolan · · Global
This chapter examines how gender, race, and ethnicity are theorized and studied within agri-food scholarship. It notes that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes and farmers' markets, even when intended for low-income minority groups, often serve affluent, educated European American consumers. Additionally, women in rural Ethiopia face significant problems in food security due to their social status and higher dependence on agriculture for survival compared to men.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareThe Bees among Us: Modelling Occupancy of Solitary Bees
2016J. Scott MacIvor, Laurence Packer · PLoS ONE · Global
This study modeled the occupancy probability of six solitary bee species using nest boxes set along an urbanization gradient over three consecutive years. Native M. pugnata showed decreased occupancy with increasing building footprint, and a similar but not significant pattern was found for native O. pumila. Conversely, introduced M. rotundata and M. centuncularis, along with native M. campanulae, exhibited increased occupancy with rising urbanization.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPollinatorsClimate changeRemembering participation in planning: the case of the Princes Hill Community Garden*
2016Elanna Nolan, Alan March · Australian Planner · Australia (Melbourne)
This paper examined why a proposed community garden project at Hardy Gallagher Reserve in Princes Hill, initiated by Yarra City Council in Melbourne, failed by April 2010 after its launch in October 2008. Using communicative planning theory, it argued that the planning process for the community garden was doomed to fail from the beginning, demonstrating a lack of consideration for appropriate participation.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyCommunity gardening: cultivating subjectivities, space, and justice
2016Jennifer L. Barron · Local Environment · Global
This paper explored how neoliberal processes of privatization, state entrepreneurialism, and devolution intersect with community gardens. It argued that certain characteristics and orientations of gardens are more conducive to resisting neoliberalism. These include cultivating producer, citizen, and activist subjectivities, elevating the use value of shared lived space, advancing spatial justice through community access to non-privatized space, and promoting food justice through non-commodified means of obtaining food.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPeran Pertanian Pinggiran Perkotaan dalam Penyediaan Kesempatan Kerja dan Pendapatan Keluarga
2016A. Husni Malian, Masdjidin Siregar · Forum penelitian Agro Ekonomi · Indonesia
This paper discusses the dwindling role of peri-urban agriculture in Indonesia due to urban development policies favoring manufacturing and service sectors. The economic crisis and policy changes had different effects on farmers of leafy vegetables, orchids, and ornamental plants. Increased fertilizer prices and wage rates, coupled with decreased demand for orchids and ornamental plants in 1999, reduced farmers' income. Conversely, increased demand for leafy vegetables led to more intensive land use, neglecting health and environmental concerns.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban crop production in southeast Nigeria: Potentials and constraints
2016Asadu Anthonia, Enwelu Innocent, Ifejika Philip, Igbokwe Edwin · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Nigeria
A survey and interviews with 210 urban farmers in southeast Nigeria explored the benefits and constraints of urban farming. Farmers reported benefits such as food and income sources, but also faced significant constraints including land insecurity, lack of access to credit, theft, and crop destruction by stray animals. The study concludes that urban farming needs to be legalized and integrated into urban policy to realize its full potential.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justice" But Our Hands Are Tied ": Assessing School Gardening Efforts at Title I Elementary Schools in Pinellas County, Florida
2016Alexandra Grace Lancey · · United States (Florida)
This ethnographic study in Pinellas County, Florida, investigated school gardening efforts at Title I elementary schools, focusing on an organization that installs gardens in "failing" schools. The research found that strict public school standards and neoliberal education reform paradoxically prevent teachers and administrators from fully utilizing school gardens for nutrition education. This limits their effectiveness in discussing nutrition, healthy eating, and local food, as the focus shifts to state-regulated education standards, revealing significant infrastructural challenges.
Governance failureFood educationHealthPolicyCommunityEstudio de la agricultura urbana y periurbana de varzea grande (MT) bajo la perspectiva del análisis de clusters
2016Diogo José Amorim de Almeida, Dilamar Dallemole, Arturo Alejandro Zavala Zavala · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Brazil (Varzea Grande)
This study analyzed the urban and peri-urban horticultural production structure in Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using an exploratory empirical and bibliographic approach followed by Cluster Analysis of primary data from local producers. Despite contributing to food production and maintaining disease-vector-free land, the research found that this activity is in decline. Its low profitability and challenging commercialization process make it unattractive or merely a supplementary income, as small productive forces struggle to sustain themselves against the current market structure and unfavorable social policies.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureHealthEconomicsUrban Agriculture In Mumbai: Worth Its Weight In Produce?
2016Christiane Joi Allen · Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) · India (Mumbai)
This study evaluated the environmental, social, and economic benefits of urban agriculture in Mumbai, India, using Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis. Results indicate that urban agriculture has lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and water consumption but higher eutrophication potential compared to commercial large-scale agriculture.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsClimate changeHealthOrganic cycleAgricultura urbana familiar en una ciudad media en Chiapas. Implicaciones para la sustentabilidad urbana Family urban agriculture in an average city in Chiapas. Implications for urban sustainability
2016Araceli Calderón Cisneros · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Mexico (Chiapas)
This qualitative study analyzed the role of family urban agriculture in urban sustainability in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, using open and structured interviews. The visited agricultural systems showed characteristics favoring resilience and sustainability, such as low use of external inputs and recycling of domestic waste. However, a limitation found was that the contribution of own production to family consumption is very low, despite existing food, environmental, and socio-cultural motivations for its continuity.
Limited or null effectDIYOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeSoil Lead Testing at a High Spatial Resolution in an Urban Community Garden: A Case Study in Relic Lead in Terre Haute, Indiana.
2016Jennifer C. Latimer, David Van Halen, James H. Speer, Stephanie Krull, Patricia G. Weaver, Joseph M. Pettit, Heather Foxx · PubMed · United States (Indiana)
This study collected over 1,061 surface soil samples from an approximately 1.25-acre urban community garden in Terre Haute, Indiana, during the summer of 2012, to evaluate the spatial distribution of lead at the plot level. The results highlighted significant variability in lead concentrations within small areas of a former residential property, with some areas showing high lead concentrations (600 ppm). Based on these findings, several areas of concern were identified, and the community garden was reconfigured to reduce potential lead exposure to gardeners and the local community.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityThe Narrators
2016Starecheski, Amy · · United States (New York City)
This chapter examines the contested nature of value, urban citizenship, and property claims through the study of squatting, urban homesteading, and community garden activism in the South Bronx, New York City. It highlights how squatters' initiatives, while challenging neoliberal privatization, could also be coopted into a discourse of individual responsibility in a neoliberalizing city. The research explores how squatters claimed a right to the city based on their labor and citizenship, and used history and property rights to redefine their urban presence amidst renegotiated meanings of debt and homeownership.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceThe landscape of urban agriculture in California’s capital
2016N. Claire Napawan, Stacie A. Townsend · Landscape Research · United States (California)
This study investigated the landscape of urban agricultural practice in Sacramento, California, examining past and present urban agricultural projects, advocacy, and city and state policies. The research found that community interest in urban agriculture is outpacing local policies in Sacramento. The authors concluded that city-wide initiatives might improve efforts at increasing opportunities for new urban agriculture projects.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceImpacts of Wastewater Reuse on Peri-Urban Agriculture: Case Study in Udaipur City, India
2016Kamal Kishore Yadav, Pradeep Kumar Singh, R. C. Purohit · Water science and technology library · India (Udaipur)
A study in the peri-urban area of Udaipur City, India, investigated heavy metal contamination in soil, vegetable crops, and groundwater due to wastewater reuse. While groundwater-irrigated vegetables showed heavy metal levels within WHO limits, wastewater-irrigated spinach, tomato, and radish at site 3 (Kanpur – Madri Villave) exceeded maximum permissible limits for Fe, Zn, and Cd. Urban wastewater-irrigated spinach was found to accumulate Fe, Zn, and Cd significantly above permissible limits at all three selected locations, making it unsafe for human consumption.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthTransplanting, plotting, fencing: relational property practices in community gardens
2016Ellen van Holstein · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · Australia (Sydney)
Empirical research at three community gardens in Sydney, Australia, examined property practices such as transplanting, plotting, and fencing. The study found that community gardeners create overlapping understandings of common and private property, driven by contradictory motivations for community inclusion and personal interest protection. Feelings of ownership, while contributing to belonging, also legitimize defensive and exclusive spatial claims within these gardens.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyYou Can't Common What You Can't See: Towards a Restorative Polycentrism in the Governance of Our Cities
2016Amy Laura Cahn, Paula Z. Segal · The Fordham urban law journal/Fordham urban law journal · United States
This paper argues that the invisibility of community-stewarded spaces, such as community gardens, within urban governance frameworks in North American cities leads to their enclosure and loss. It highlights that marginalized residents often have the least acknowledged claim to urban space. The study suggests that making existing community-stewarded places visible and exposing pathways to access is crucial to prevent enclosure and promote equity.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyHealthEvaluating peri-urban market gardening and shallow well quality for irrigation: a case study from Lagos, Nigeria
2016Isaiah Sewanu Akoteyon, Adeyemi Davidson Aromolaran · International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study evaluated peri-urban market gardening and shallow well water quality for irrigation in Lagos, Nigeria. It found that the mean values of bicarbonate, calcium, and pH in shallow wells exceeded detection levels in 66.7%, 60%, and 53.3% of samples, respectively. Salinity and sodium hazard patterns showed that approximately 66.7% of shallow wells had low salinity, 26.7% medium, and 6.7% high.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthFood sovereignty & justiceA Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Relationship Between Crime and Community Gardens: A Case Study of Seattle’s P-Patches from 1996 to 2006
2016Taylor L. Frazier, Jin‐Kyu Jung · International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities · United States (Seattle)
This study employed a mixed-methods research design to explore the hypothesis that areas around Seattle's P-Patch community gardens were associated with a reduction in crime from 1996 to 2006. Spatio-temporal GIS analyses, statistical analyses, and qualitative interviews with gardeners were utilized. Outcomes of the correlation between P-Patch and crime variables were inconclusive.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthPOTENSI PENGEMBANGAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN UNTUK MEWUJUDKAN KAWASAN PERKOTAAN BELOPA YANG BERKELANJUTAN
2016Rusida Rusida · Plano Madani : Jurnal Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota · Indonesia (Belopa)
A study in the urban area of Belopa, Indonesia, assessed the potential for urban agriculture, identifying suitable land for various crop types and key commodities. However, the research found that extensive housing development, particularly on the outskirts, and limited land availability mean not all land can be developed for urban agriculture. Urban agriculture supports food security, and public and government perceptions influence future land plans.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyUrban farming as a possible source of trace metals in human diets
2016Joshua Oluwole Olowoyo, Gladness Nteboheng Lion · South African Journal of Science · South Africa
This review reports on the concentrations of trace metals in crops, including leafy vegetables, harvested from various urban areas. It highlights the presence of trace metals in leafy vegetables and discusses various pathways of uptake, possible health risks associated with urban farming, and morphological and physiological impacts of trace metals in leafy vegetables.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkage