Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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721 results(8 / 29)
Who's near the local food? A regional proximity analysis of short food supply chain types in southern New England
2024Shawn A. Trivette, Shannon McCarragher · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (New England)
This paper examined three types of locally oriented Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) in southern New England and their spatial alignment with demographic factors. The findings indicate that pay-as-you-go operations are more prevalent in predominantly White areas and, to some extent, higher-income areas. Box share arrangements (community-supported agricultures) showed stronger associations with educational attainment. The study concludes that local food availability is a systematically uneven phenomenon, varying with both outlet type and social characteristics.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareMapping seeds of freedom with Red de Huerteros Medellín
2024Paula Restrepo · · Colombia (Medellín)
As part of the Red de Huerteros Medellín (RHM) collective, urban agriculture in Medellín was mapped to identify its features and problems. A main problem found was a poor or non-existent connection between urban farmers and key organizations like seed keepers. Few urban farmers had knowledge about the ecopolitical implications of the seed business, and even fewer obtained seeds from seed keepers or showed consideration for their labor.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyHeirloom & landraceUneven Ground
2024Ángeles Donoso Macaya, Kendra Sullivan · · United States (New York City)
This chapter explores the experiences of co-authors in the "Archives in Common (AiC)" project, which aimed to strengthen public humanities infrastructure within and beyond CUNY’s Graduate Center. Conducted across three locations in New York City, the project highlighted institutional norms that fail to adequately support community-led research practices or acknowledge and reward diverse expertise.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUsing visual methods to map green infrastructure for a sustainable food economy in Letchworth Garden City
2024Amélie André · · United Kingdom
This case study of Letchworth Garden City examined the interplay between the town's layout, social practices, and governance supporting a local sustainable food economy. Food mapping and an ethnographical approach showed how Letchworth's masterplan provides a backbone for alternative food infrastructure, though the edible landscape is not always visible or effective for residents. Discussions with experts also pointed to a gap in coordination among key local stakeholders, which would be beneficial for improving the local urban food strategy.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculture and household food and nutrition security around Eldoret, Kenya
2024Ivica Petríková, Melvine Anyango Otieno, Gertrude Were, Mahmoud Eltholth, Ana Rodriguez‐Mateos, Seeromanie Harding, Victoria Hall Morán, Odipo Osano, Jennifer Cole · Food Security · Kenya
This study investigated the links between peri-urban households' engagement in agriculture, their dietary behavior, and their children's nutrition outcomes around Eldoret, Kenya. Survey data collected from 518 households indicated that peri-urban households involved in agriculture, particularly crop growing and sales, had more diverse and nutritious diets than non-engaged households. However, a significant improvement in children’s health outcomes in these households was observed only when coupled with improved water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureHealthFood sovereignty & justiceCultivating change: Exploring policies, challenges, and solutions to support city region food systems development in six European countries
2024Ann-Kristin Steines, Michele D’Ostuni, Anna Wissman, Kathrin Specht, Chiara Iodice, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Francesco Monticone, Isabella Righini, Véronique Saint-Gès, Antonella Samoggia, Francesco Orsini · Cities · Europe
This research addressed international and national policies, as well as related constraints and challenges affecting City Region Food System (CRFS) development in six European countries. Data was collected through desktop research, stakeholder interviews, and a workshop. The study found that planning laws restrict possibilities for food production in cities, and legal frameworks prevent the marketing and sale of food produced by non-commercial actors or informal farmers. It also identified a need to expand vocational training in the agricultural sector.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceModelación de ecuaciones estructurales aplicada al estudio de Agricultura Apoyada por Comunidades (AAC) ubicadas en la región Sudeste de Brasil
2024Gustavo Alves de Melo, Luiz Gonzaga de Castro Júnior, Eduardo Gomes Carvalho, Maria Gabriela Mendonça Peixoto, Samuel Borges Barbosa, Patrícia Guarnieri dos Santos, André Luiz Marques Serrano, Lucas Oliveira Gomes Ferreira, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra · Magazine Portal Bibliotech Digital (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) · Brazil
This descriptive, quantitative study investigated the relationship between various Communities Supported Agriculture (CSA) variables in Southeastern Brazil using Structural Equation Modeling. The study confirmed that socioeconomic characteristics positively influence CSAs’ performance. However, limitations were identified regarding the data collection method and difficulties imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Methodological critiqueCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture and the Right to the City: A Practitioner’s Roadmap
2024Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · The Geojournal library · Norway (Oslo)
This essay discusses the motivations for co-creating urban agriculture in public spaces from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. It critiques the current aesthetics of impermanence and temporality in urban agriculture and questions the idea that the joy and freedom it brings should be enhanced by future development and policy. The essay presents a rich collection of stories about regeneration, change, and collective action and cultivation, rather than a replicable model.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceThe development process of urban agricultural networks to ensure urban food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand
2024Orathai Paiyarat, Uthaithip Jiawiwatkul · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Thailand
This qualitative study examined the development process, results, and influencing factors of the Hat Yai urban agricultural network for food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand. Data was collected from 31 participants through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and group discussions. The study identified a three-stage development process: network formation, seeking cooperation, and learning and integration, with results reflected at individual, group, and network levels linked to sustainable development. Negative factors affecting the development process included the nature of Hat Yai urban residents in a developing country context, resource inadequacy, and public policy.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture Embedded in a Food Systems Approach: The Baltimore Story
2024Sarah Buzogany, Abby Cocke, Holly Freishtat, Yeeli Mui, Mariya Strauss, Sylvia Kelly · Urban agriculture · United States (Baltimore)
Baltimore, United States, has developed urban agriculture policies over the last decade, integrating them into a food systems approach to sustainability. Policy development covered zoning, permitting, land leasing, and soil regulations. However, challenges were encountered regarding staffing, funding, resident engagement, and differing city agency priorities, especially concerning land access. The experience highlights the importance of mainstreaming food policy into urban planning.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceParticipatory Development Communication Strategy of an Urban Farming Program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2024Shinta Prastyanti, Retno Wulandari, Adhi Iman Sulaiman · Palabra Clave · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
This study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, examined participatory development communication strategies in urban farming programs using observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. Findings indicate that while the communication strategy embodies community empowerment, the initiative has not been adopted by all community members. Additionally, harvests are limited to daily needs and have not significantly improved group members’ income.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicySpatial Barriers to Transforming toward a Healthy Food System in the Noreste of Mexico
2024Rob Roggema, Aleksandra Krstikj, B. J. Erazo Flores · Nutrients · Mexico (Monterrey)
This study in the Noreste of Mexico, focusing on Monterrey, investigated spatial and non-spatial barriers to adopting healthy diets and accessing plant-based foods. Findings revealed significant disparities in food access across the Monterrey metropolitan area, with central urban zones having superior access to fresh foods compared to suburban and peripheral regions. This inequality disproportionately affects marginalized areas with higher poverty rates, worsening food insecurity.
Equity & displacementHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageLand for Livelihoods
2024Ricardo Jacobs · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter argues that rapid urbanization and global capitalism are destroying established livelihoods faster than creating new ones, leading to a growing surplus population. Dispossessed rural classes are reproducing themselves in urban spaces and converging with wage laborers to create agricultural livelihoods in cities of both the global South and North. This makes urban agriculture an important arena for land struggles and a livelihood option, shaping urbanization and socioecological relations.
Equity & displacementEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyRealising the potential of urban agriculture in Kingston, Jamaica
2024Sonia Gatchair · · Jamaica (Kingston)
In Kingston, Jamaica's largest urban space, systematic efforts to stimulate the adoption of commercially viable urban agriculture have lagged. This study examines the facilitators and impediments to commercially viable urban agriculture, arguing that knowledge transfer and the adoption of innovative, technology-driven approaches to farming, financing, and marketing are needed for success.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agriculture“It's about how you use your privilege”: Privilege, Power, and Social (In)justice in Berlin's Community Food Spaces
2024Ophélie Véron · Antipode · Germany (Berlin)
This paper, based on activist ethnography in Berlin's community gardens, people's kitchens, and co-operative projects, explores how community food spaces reproduce, exacerbate, or dismantle power relations and socio-environmental injustices. It systematically examines exclusion and inclusion dynamics, arguing that diversity alone is not a sufficient indicator of social equity and can overshadow forms of injustice. The study exposes the complex, dual nature of Berlin's food activist landscape, where privilege and power contribute to social inequities.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceBUDAYA PERTANIAN KOTA (URBAN FARMING) SEBAGAI OPTIMALISASI LAHAN TERBATAS DI JAKARTA TIMUR
2024M. S. (Muhammad ) Ramadhan, R. (Renny) Nurhasana · Neliti · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This qualitative case study in East Jakarta, Indonesia, investigated urban farming as a means to balance urban life. Field observations, interviews, and documentation identified several obstacles: a lack of community awareness, limited facilities, and challenges from extreme weather. Proposed solutions include community empowerment, improved facilities, and better climate control and supply chain systems.
Governance failureCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable urban horticulture—Providing more than just food
2024Jill L. Edmondson · Cell Reports Sustainability · Global
Growing fruits and vegetables in cities is recognized as a potential contributor to local food security and can provide additional benefits for urban dwellers. However, it is crucial to ensure equity in access to land for all urban communities and to support the development of necessary skills and knowledge for successful cultivation.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityFood educationA GIS-based assessment of flood impact on agricultural farm activities along river Dilimi, JOS north local government area of Plateau state
2024Epsar Philip Kopteer, Olakunle Rufus Oladosu, Samuel Adeyemi Samson, Jasini Ali Alwadood, Olaide Monsur Aderoju, Bose Adetutu Ogwurike, Michael Nnaemeka Ihenacho, James Adah John, Philip Okoh Amodu, Nkechinyere Gift Nwagwu, Chikodili Evans Ezurike, Kamila Abba Tukur, Augustine Abah Odeh, Sumaiyat Abdullahi Kpanja, Halimat Ifedolapo Oriola, Vivian Ibrahim, Udya Aniya, Elizabeth Rizga Jackson, Kikelomo Oluwabukola Adebo · World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews · Nigeria (Jos)
This study investigated the economic impact of urban flooding on agricultural activities along the Dilimi River in Jos North LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria, using a 2021 satellite image and GIS analysis. The study found that loss of farmland, hunger and starvation, loss of properties, and high incidence of poverty were perceived as serious economic impacts of floods on farmers. Agricultural land use covered 2.82% of the study area.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable utilization of cultivated land resources based on "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework: A case study of Guangdong, China
2024Hao Yang, Runyan Zou, Yueming Hu, Lu Wang, Yingkai Xie, Zhengxi Tan, Zhiqiang Zhu, A‐Xing Zhu, Jianzhou Gong, Xiaoyun Mao · Land Use Policy · China
This study introduced an "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework and constructed a causal Bayesian belief network to identify trade-offs and synergies among multiple functions of cultivated land resources in Guangdong, China. The findings revealed trade-offs between food cleanliness and food production/social security. Synergistic relationships were found among food production, social security, and ecological regulation, as well as among ecological regulation, habitat maintenance, and landscape culture. The study divided the area into eight functional zones and formulated multi-objective management plans.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityPolicyIntegrating nature-based solutions in the urbanization process by urban agriculture: a case of Bhubaneswar city, India
2024Sudha Panda, Chandana Parida, Anisa Azharunnisa, Rakesh Ranjan Thakur · Discover Sustainability · India (Bhubaneswar)
This paper uses remote sensing data from 2011 to 2023 to examine agricultural land loss in Bhubaneswar, India, a smaller city experiencing significant agricultural decline. It compares the decrease in agricultural land with the increase in built-up areas. The study highlights that agricultural land conversion negatively impacts food security and proposes a nature-based solution to achieve urban food self-sufficiency.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageClimate changeCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLa agricultura urbana como un modelo de transiciones justas
2024Jaume Vilasís Pamos, Pablo Aránguiz, Stefhania Lozano, Guillermo Palau Salvador · Revista Lecciones Vitales · Spain (Valencia)
This study examines urban agriculture initiatives in Valencia, Spain, which adopt an agroecological approach to promote sustainable practices like composting. While these collective strategies aim for sustainable agricultural models and contribute to food sovereignty, they face significant challenges, particularly regarding access to water. The initiatives also engage in political action and promote equitable organizational models.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityCompostPolicyStrategi Pemberdayaan Wanita Tani Penyangga Ketahanan Pangan Perkotaan Melalui Program Pekarangan Pangan Lestari
2024Dilla Aldilla, Andi Nuddin, Yusriadi, Suherman · Open MIND · Indonesia
This 2024 research focused on developing Women Farmer Groups (KWT) through the Sustainable Food Farms (P2L) program in Parepare City, Indonesia. An analysis identified weaknesses including a lack of fulfillment of market demands and internal group conflicts. Strategies proposed included selecting short-harvest crops, forming partnerships, and increasing group awareness of program outcomes to address these challenges.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEconomicsSiEUGreen 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 cycleCommunityPolicySelecting and operationalizing indicators for a comparative sustainability assessment of urban agriculture on the example of vertical farming and community supported agriculture
2024Martina Artmann, Marie Herzig, Henriette John · Discover Cities · Global
This study provides a framework for selecting and operationalizing indicators for a comparative sustainability assessment of different urban agriculture types, exemplified by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and vertical farming. Based on a qualitative content analysis of vision guidelines, results suggest that CSA can be considered the more sustainable form across all three sustainability dimensions. However, considering vertical farming's main benefit is increased food production efficiency, it is suggested to balance its shortcomings and lack of vision on social justice, biodiversity conservation, and food quality by fostering a hybrid model of community supported vertical farming. This suggestion implies that vertical farming alone has limited effects in these aspects.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture in the Kathmandu Valley: Assessing Practices, Impacts, and Challenges for Sustainable Food Production and Well-being
2024Kalpana Waiba, Alina Maharjan, R Shakya · Journal of Environment Sciences · Nepal
This study investigated the status and impact of urban agriculture on the population in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A structured questionnaire survey of 230 families showed that 51% of respondents had access to growing areas and 76% chose kitchen gardening. The main motivations were economic considerations (50%) and personal satisfaction (20%). Participants reported cultivating 55% of their diet, contributing to good health, though challenges such as plant diseases (40%) were present.
Limited or null effectHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculture