Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2015 results(72 / 81)
Proximité entre ville et agriculture au Nord et au Sud de la Méditerranée
2011Saloua Toumi, Roland Vidal · Projets de paysage · Europe, Africa
Urban agriculture is expanding in various metropolitan areas, but its agro-economic and socio-spatial logic differs by context. Tunisia's urban agriculture is threatened by increasing urban expansion and is not yet integrated into territorial projects. Issues related to land value appreciation are dominant, and its landscape and environmental benefits could be compromised in the relatively short term if it does not find its place in urban development plans.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkage余杭现代农业“两区”建设的问题和对策
2011胡永林 · 浙江现代农业 · China (Yuhang)
This paper examines the development of modern urban agriculture in Yuhang District, China, driven by an urbanization strategy. It notes that the provincial initiative in 2010 to establish "two zones" (modern agricultural demonstration zones and grain production functional zones) provides a clear direction and strong framework for advancing modern urban agriculture, necessitating in-depth research and practical implementation.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsGovernance of Urban Agricultural Space: Struggle for Land in Kinshasa (DRC)
2011Inge Wagemakers, Oracle Makangu Diki · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · Congo (Kinshasa)
In rapidly growing African cities, particularly Kinshasa, urban agriculture is crucial for food provision, yet land available for agriculture decreases as cities expand. This study points out that in Kinshasa, population growth and a lack of empty land are pushing agriculture towards the city's periphery, threatening urban agricultural space. This situation highlights a conflict between the need to produce food and the need for living space.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageEntre el jardín y el huerto urbano. Propuestas de intervención crítica en la ciudad.
2011José Luis Galdeano Tostado · Creatividad y sociedad: revista de la Asociación para la Creatividad · Global
This paper observes an increasing awareness of environmental issues and neighborhood action in city centers, with concepts like urban gardens and self-managed spaces becoming more familiar. It suggests that vacant lands and unused building sites in cities offer significant potential for citizens' creative initiatives. The abstract does not present any specific findings on governance challenges or critical interventions.
Governance failureCommunityDIYPolicyUrban–rural linkageJust How Much Can School Pupils Learn from School Gardening? A Study of Two Supervised Agricultural Experience Approaches in Uganda
2011John James Okiror, Biryabaho Matsiko, Joseph Oonyu · Journal of Agricultural Education · Uganda
This study, conducted in eight primary schools in Uganda, compared the learning achievement of pupils taught using supervised home gardens and those taught using school gardens. Data were collected over four school terms using questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews, observations, and a posttest examination, and analyzed with a t-test. Findings showed no significant difference in knowledge achievement between the two groups of pupils.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityLand quality, urban development and urban agriculture within the Cape Town urban edge
2011H.S. Geyer, Bennie Schloms, Danie du Plessis, Amanda van Eeden · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · South Africa (Cape Town)
An analysis of agricultural land consumption within the Cape Town urban edge between 2002 and 2007 revealed that low-density residential development is the primary consumer of high-potential agricultural land. Commercial, industrial, and informal residential developments had minimal impact on agricultural land loss. High-potential agricultural land is not adequately protected, and urban agriculture is constrained by competition with more profitable land uses like residential development.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAn assessment of the barriers to accessing food among food-insecure people in Cobourg, Ontario
2011Siny Tsang, AM Holt, Eduardo Bessa Azevedo · Chronic diseases and injuries in Canada · Canada (Cobourg, Ontario)
This needs assessment in Cobourg, Ontario, interviewed food program clients to identify barriers to food access. Clients reported lack of transportation, insufficient food quantities, and inconvenient operating hours as barriers to using food programs. They also cited lack of available vegetables and fruit at home and income as barriers to consuming more produce.
Equity & displacementWelfareCommunityHealthEconomics三富地域における持続的な循環型都市農業の課題〔論文〕
2011幸治 江口 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
The Santome Area in Saitama Prefecture has practiced circular urban agriculture utilizing plain woods for 300 years, but urbanization, particularly in Kawagoe City and Tokorozawa City, is causing a significant decline in farmland and plain woods. While the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Saitama Prefecture promote urban agriculture and plain wood preservation, the plain-wood-utilizing circular urban agriculture in Santome Area faces specific problems. This paper identifies land systems, including taxation, as a central issue among these problems and examines the possibility of integrated preservation for farmland and plain woods.
Governance failureOrganic cyclePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageSocio-territorial changes in peri-urban food production spaces in Central Mexico
2011Héctor Ávila-Sánchez · Norois · Mexico
This paper discusses socio-territorial changes in peri-urban food production spaces in Central Mexico, focusing on the impacts of urbanization on old rural areas. It highlights that peri-urban poor populations often face marginalization, degradation of their agricultural activities, and conflict over space with other social groups. The development of peri-urban agriculture has led to significant transformations in land use, production structures, and social and cultural aspects.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageKaupunkiluonto käsin tehtynä
2011Ari Jokinen, Ville Viljanen, Krista Willman · Alue ja Ympäristö · Finland (Tampere)
This article analyzes the social and ecological significance of the Pispala allotment area in Tampere, Finland, where nearly 300 plots are used for urban farming, despite city plans for building purposes. A mixed-method analysis, using field observation, planning documents, biological surveys, and questionnaires, found that farming practices make the place visible, foster social interaction, and link the site ecologically to rare plant species. However, these crucial features of urban diversity are frequently disregarded by local administrative bodies in planning.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood security in Southern African cities
2011Jonathan Crush, Alice J. Hovorka, Daniel Tevera · Progress in Development Studies · Africa
This article examines the contemporary importance of household food production in poor urban communities across 11 Southern African Development Community (SADC) cities. It finds that urban food production is not particularly significant in most communities, with many more households relying on supermarkets and the informal sector for food access. Furthermore, few households derive income from selling produce, though the situation varies considerably by city.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsWelfareAgricultura urbana na cidade de Teresina: hortas comunitárias - políticas públicas ou segurança alimentar?
2011Marcos Antonio de Castro Marques Teixeira · Aleph UCLA Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences · Brazil
This study surveyed urban gardens in Santa Maria da Codipi and Dirceu Arcoverde, Teresina, Brazil, to assess their economic viability for gardeners. The study found that urban gardens in both areas do not provide income security for those who work them. Problems identified include petty theft, low education levels, lack of technical assistance hindering investment in new crops, and pesticide use creating a competitive disadvantage.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsProperties and Heavy Metal Contents of Urban Agricultural Soils in Seoul
2011Hyuck-Soo Kim, Young‐Nam Kim, Jin‐Won Kim, Kye-Hoon Kim · 한국토양비료학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)
This study investigated the properties and total and phytoavailable contents of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) in 21 urban agricultural soils in Seoul, South Korea. The total heavy metal concentrations in the examined urban agricultural soils were found to be lower than the warning levels for area 1 according to the Soil Environmental Conservation Act of Korea. Phytoavailable-Cu, -Pb, and -Zn concentrations were also reported as 0.02-0.28, N.D-0.09, and 0.01-0.43 mg/kg, respectively.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleSupermarket Expansion and the Informal Food Economy in Southern African Cities: Implications for Urban Food Security
2011Jonathan Crush, Bruce Frayne · Journal of Southern African Studies · Southern Africa
This article reviews urban food sources in Southern African cities, focusing on supermarket expansion, its impact on informal food suppliers, and the relative insignificance of urban agriculture for poor urban households. Findings from an eleven-city survey by AFSUN are presented, highlighting that urban agriculture has limited significance in addressing urban food insecurity in the region.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePath Choice on Rural Industrial Upgrading in the Process of Rural-urban Integration in Binhai New Area
2011Liu Xiang, Na Fu, Liu, Xiang, Fu, Na · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · China
This study analyzed the current situation of rural industrialization in the process of rural-urban integration in Binhai New Area using reference and field research methods. It identified problems such as difficulties in breaking the dual economic structure in urban and rural areas, imbalanced economic development, and inadequate development of the third industry. Countermeasures proposed include optimizing agricultural industrial structure to form an urban agricultural model focusing on facility, park, and high-end agriculture to achieve intensive agricultural growth.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyHow City Hall Can Foster the Urban Farming Revolution in Buffalo
2011Michael Raleigh · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)
The City of Buffalo has made progress in accepting urban farming on vacant land, but remains unwilling to take risks in this area. Policies restrict farmers' access to land, long-term security, food diversity (including animals), and sales. To foster urban farming, the City should amend these policies to grant farmers more freedom and could promote farming through a city-wide composting program and a demolition policy requiring vacant lots to be seeded with clover.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsCompostA quantitative assessment of agricultural production from allotment gardens
2011Shinichi TAHARA, Sayaka SHIOYAMA, Hideharu KURITA, Toru Terada · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Japan
This study in Japan aimed to identify the actual amount of agricultural production by measuring harvested products from two urban agricultural gardens. It found that production from an 'experience farm' was sufficient for annual household consumption, while allotment gardens could not reach these amounts. At the district scale (500m radius) in this study, urban agricultural gardens could cover more than 10% of all vegetable consumption by urban residents.
Limited or null effectCommunityEconomicsAgriculture urbaine comme réponse au chômage à Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo
2011Dieudonné E. Musibono, E.M. Biey, M. Kisangala, Camille Ipey Nsimanda, B.A. Munzundu, V. Kekolemba, J.J Palus · VertigO · Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Urban agriculture in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, serves as a palliative solution for social survival constraints such as a lack of remunerative salaries and sustainable jobs. However, poorly supervised urban farmers cultivate along busy roads, exposing vegetables to various contaminations, including lead. This practice highlights issues with site selection and supervision.
Contamination & food safetyWelfareEconomicsPolicyUSING SCHOOL GARDENS AS A VEHICLE FOR HEALTH PROMOTION FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOUTH: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
2011Hillary Anne Doerfler · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) · Global
A literature review examined the use of school garden programs for health promotion among elementary school youth. The review found that school gardens successfully improved academic achievement, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and enhanced social skills. However, significant barriers to implementation were identified, particularly in low socioeconomic status schools, including a lack of funding, insufficient gardening knowledge among teachers, and limited community and parent involvement.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityWelfareAn evaluation of the California Instructional School Garden Program
2011Eric L. Hazzard, Elizabeth Moreno, Deborah Lane Beall, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · Public Health Nutrition · United States (California)
A mid-term evaluation was conducted on 3103 California public schools (80.6% of applicants) to assess the effectiveness of the California Instructional School Garden Program (CISGP). Many schools reported not achieving their predicted goals related to the CISGP grant, with only 39.4% of schools accomplishing all their garden-related goals. Additionally, 37.8% of schools reported that their school gardens were negatively affected by the California budget deficit, suggesting that the discrepancy between predicted and actual grant utilization may be due to a combination of budget shortfall and insufficient grant award amounts.
Limited or null effectFood educationPolicyEconomics‘More punitive penalties should be given to urban farmers’:
2011Romborah Simiyu, Dick Foeken · · Kenya
This chapter reviews national and Eldoret Municipal Council laws and policies related to Urban Agriculture (UA) in Eldoret town, Kenya. It assesses how these policies have shaped the livelihoods of urban farmers and the development of UA as a strategy for urban dwellers. The chapter also reflects on recent developments towards a more facilitative policy framework for UA at the national level.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture and Other Green Uses: Remaking the Shrinking City
2010Catherine J. LaCroix · Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons (Case Western Reserve University) · United States (Cleveland)
This paper explores legal challenges faced by shrinking cities, using Cleveland, Ohio as an example. It specifically examines issues related to downzoning urban property for urban agriculture and other green uses, focusing on takings law, fairness, and the limitations of current legal structures for Brownfield revitalization when traditional redevelopment is improbable. The study identifies significant legal constraints and challenges in implementing such land use changes.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPower at the Roots: Gentrification, Community Gardens, and the Puerto Ricans of the Lower East Side
2010Miranda Martinez · · United States (Lower East Side)
This work explores the dynamics of gentrification, community gardens, and their impact on the Puerto Rican community in the Lower East Side. It examines class cultures in conflict, neighborhood transformation, and the symbolic significance of the area.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceSpatial dispersion and characterisation of mosquito breeding habitats in urban vegetable-production areas of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
2010Barbara Matthys, Benjamin G. Koudou, Eliézer K. N’Goran, Penelope Vounatsou, Laura Gosoniu, Moussa Koné, G. Gissé, Jürg Utzinger · Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology · Côte d'Ivoire (Abidjan)
Two surveys were conducted in market gardens of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the rainy and dry seasons to identify mosquito breeding habitats. The study found that urban agriculture areas may lead to higher densities of mosquito breeding sites, with "agricultural trenches" between seedbeds being the most likely sites to be positive for Anopheles larvae and mosquito pupae.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageHavana’s changing urban agriculture landscape: A shift to the right?
2010Charles French, Mimi Larsen Becker, Bruce E. Lindsay · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Cuba (Havana)
This study examined urban agriculture in Havana, Cuba, using secondary data and interviews with 11 urban gardeners. It found that while agrarian reforms after 1991 led to the growth of private urban gardens and cooperatives, Cuba's integration with the global economy and adoption of free-market principles have since forced dramatic adjustments in the urban agriculture sector. This shift presents challenges to the sector's original role in food security.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunity