Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
491 results(10 / 20)
Reflecting on the Potential and Limitations of Urban Agriculture as an Urban Greening Tool in South Africa
2020Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, Louis Lategan, Sarel S. Cilliers, Karla Stander · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · South Africa
This paper investigates urban agriculture (UA) in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, reviewing case studies and the national policy framework. Key limitations include many UA initiatives not being self-sustaining or fully citizen-driven, a cultural stigma, limited national support due to the absence of a dedicated UA policy, and South African spatial planners' limited knowledge of UA. These issues hinder the broader implementation of UA.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageNærum Allotment Gardens
2020Phoebe Lickwar, Roxi Thoren · · Denmark
The Nærum Allotment Gardens in Denmark are publicly owned and privately leased and managed. A national Allotment Garden Association provides gardeners with a forum to counter the inherent vulnerability of these allotments to land use change. This structure indicates a persistent vulnerability of the gardens to changes in land use.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceO reflexo da ausência de políticas de incentivo à agricultura urbana orgânica: um estudo de caso em duas cidades no Brasil
2020Larissa Maas, Rosane Malvestiti, Leila Amaral Gontijo · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · Brazil
This study assessed the main difficulties faced by seven urban organic farmers in two Brazilian cities without policies encouraging urban farming, through semi-structured interviews conducted from July to December 2018. The research revealed challenges such as a lack of trained labor, inadequate machinery and equipment for small areas, and insufficient financing, indicating that the absence of policies hinders the development of urban organic farming.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity"Don't Just Come for Yourself": Understanding Leadership Approaches and Volunteer Engagement in Community Gardens
2020Jeffrey Gilbert, Christina Chauvenet, Brett C. Sheppard, Molly De Marco · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This study investigated leadership styles and volunteer engagement in community gardens through interviews with 13 garden managers and six focus groups with 48 volunteers. Findings revealed that managers struggled to recruit and retain volunteers capable of maintaining gardens. Garden managers exhibited either collaborative or directive leadership styles, both of which were acknowledged and appreciated by participants.
Governance failureCommunityHealthFood educationASSESSMENT 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 & justiceCommunityPolicyUne 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 failureCommunityPolicyWhat 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 & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityFormalizing 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 changeModeling the Potential Productivity of Urban Agriculture and Its Impacts on Soil Quality Through Experimental Research on Scale-Appropriate Systems
2020John Taylor · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (Rhode Island)
This long-term replicated trial in Rhode Island evaluated the yield performance and soil quality impacts of four small-scale food production systems over three summer growing seasons. While total marketable food yields (2.22 to 2.96 kg m-2) were modest compared to biointensive agriculture (4.64 kg m-2), individual crop yields often exceeded regional and national averages without soil quality loss. The study addresses a lack of experimental research on urban agriculture and provides a framework for normative research, offering more reliable yield estimates for modeling urban production potential.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeCultivating 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 & justiceUrbane 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 linkageEconomicsPolicyCommunityA 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 failureCommunityPolicyHealthA 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 & justiceUrban agroforestry and its potential integration into city planning efforts
2020Sarah Taylor Lovell · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
Despite increasing awareness and proposals for urban agriculture implementation, broad integration into the urban environment has not yet been observed. In most cities, the level of food production has not expanded significantly enough to impact the supply of vegetables, fruits, or other products. Key barriers limiting widespread adoption of urban agriculture include land access, zoning and tax policies, risks of soil and air contaminants, and urban forestry plans neglecting food security.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunityPemberdayaan Masyarakat melalui Urban Farming di Rusun Marunda Jakarta Utara
2020Nisa Maidah Rahmawati, Joko Winarno, Agung Wibowo · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This study investigated community empowerment activities through urban farming in Marunda flats, North Jakarta. The flats' irrigation has deficiencies and group working is not yet fair, leading the society to choose to do agriculture activities by themselves. The research identified external factors (natural resources, environments, group dynamics, networking, human resources, policy, facilities and infrastructure) and internal factors (skill, non-formal education, and income) that obstruct empowerment activities.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationWelfarePolicy« Arriver à conjuguer transition écologique et cohésion est un réel défi à l’échelle de la région bruxelloise »
2020Pierre Jassogne · · Belgium
SAULE (Urban Agriculture Housing Ecosystem Symbiosis) was a co-creation project conducted in Brussels, Belgium, from 2017 to 2020, involving citizens, urban agriculture professionals, researchers, social information specialists, and urban planners. Focused on the Ferme du Chant des Cailles urban agriculture site and the Archiducs – Logis-Floreal neighborhood, the project was initiated due to construction threats to the site. The research aimed to reflect on the challenge of combining ecological transition and social cohesion at the Brussels regional level.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeThe Attitudes of Local Authorities and Civil Actors to Sofia’s Green Urban Development Through Urban Agriculture
2020Dona Pickard · Sociological Problems Journal · Bulgaria (Sofia)
This article analyzes the attitudes toward urban agriculture as an instrument for sustainable urban policies among local authorities, practitioners, and civil groups in Sofia, Bulgaria. Based on data from the research project "Urban agriculture as a strategy for improving the quality of life of urban communities" (2016–2020), the analysis reveals existing deficits in communication and information exchange between these actors. Factors for these deficits and ways to overcome them are also outlined.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityClimate changeDeterrent Factors in Urban Farming Participation
2020Noriah Othman, Siti Zabeda Mohammad, Nurhayati Abdul Malek, Mohd Ali Waliyuddin A. Razak · Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal · Malaysia
This study was conducted in Malaysia to identify deterrent factors hindering "community buy-in" in urban farming projects and to understand how to overcome these problems. The research aims to identify these factors to achieve and sustain community buy-in in urban farming projects in the future.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyWelfareA agricultura urbana como forma de uso e ocupação no espaço urbano
2020Ana Carla Alves Gomes, Maria Lúcia Brito da Cruz · Revista Campo-Território · Brazil
This study investigated the spatial distribution of Urban Agriculture (UA) in Fortaleza, Brazil, particularly in the Lagoa Redonda neighborhood, and the permanence of these gardens amidst territorial disputes over urban space. Using bibliographic and secondary data surveys, site visits, and geoprocessing techniques, it analyzed the feasibility of UA reproduction and the implementation of specific policies for the activity. The study points to governance challenges, specifically territorial disputes concerning the permanence of urban agriculture in urban spaces.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomics„mind grabbing und ästhetische Gentrifizierung“
2020Stefan Staehle · sub\urban zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung · Global
This study offers an alternative perspective on the critical practice of urban gardening, highlighting the ambivalence of the phenomenon. Specifically, the decoupling of social and artistic critique is shown to lead to a programmatic weakening of initiatives and their co-optation by neoliberal urban policies. This can reverse the critical practice of spatial appropriation into its opposite.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsA Study on the Activation of Urban Agricultural Education for the Students' Agricultural Literacy
2020Jongwoo Kim · · South Korea
This study aimed to propose activation measures for school-based urban agricultural education in South Korea, using focus group interviews with teachers and literature analysis. Teachers reported a lack of school gardens, particularly open-field plots, and difficulties in management, highlighting the need for personnel. They also noted the use of container gardens to compensate for the lack of space and the selection of crops for student harvesting experiences.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyWelfareLaboratorios para la Vida
2020Bruce G. Ferguson, Helda Morales · · Mexico (Chiapas)
The Laboratorios para la Vida action research team in Chiapas, Mexico, trains educators to use school gardens and local food systems as venues for experiential learning. However, teachers face a host of hurdles to successful garden programs, including high teacher turnover, lack of space, and the difficulty of matching garden growth with the national curriculum calendar.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityOrganic cycleCo-designing cities
2020Andrea Baier, Christa Müller · · Germany
This chapter discusses the results of semi-structured face-to-face interviews conducted in 2016 with activists in three urban community gardens in Bremen, Cologne, and Kassel, Germany. The study focused on the relationship between urban projects and municipal administrations. It showed that initiatives taken by grassroots activists to form collaborations with administrative actors are limited, though the traditional role of citizens can be extended in new local partnerships.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsHet natuurlijk kapitaal van de Lutkemeerpolder
2020Jeroen Schütt, Bas Amelung · · Europe
This research, conducted by the Science Shop of Wageningen University and Research, estimated the monetary value of ecosystem services in the Lutkemeerpolder, Amsterdam, which is slated for conversion into a business park. The study identified food production, air purification, recreation, and the effect of greenery on housing prices as key services, valuing them at 1.5 to 8.6 million euros per year. These ecosystem service values were not considered in the original decision-making twenty years ago, leading to a recommendation to reconsider the development plan.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsBiodiversity