Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
685 results(22 / 28)
Governance of agriculture in the cities of developing countries: Local leaders perspectives
2014Suleiman Mkwela Hawa · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Tanzania (Dar Es Salaam)
This study assessed the governance of urban agriculture (UA) in Kinondoni Municipality, Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania, through the perceptions of 24 local leaders. Unstructured interviews focused on leadership quality, infrastructure provision, and farmers' land rights. The leaders generally perceived limited efforts and plans to support UA in the municipality based on these criteria.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban agriculture and poverty alleviation in developing countries
2014Zogo Ndomo, Yannick Emmanuel · Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa · Global
Urban agriculture in developing countries is a vital asset in the livelihood strategies of urban households, having expanded rapidly over the last two decades and contributing to income generation for unqualified workforces. However, the illegal status of urban agriculture has created a governance vacuum, necessitating policy formulation and institutionalized management to secure land for the urban poor and improve food security and the environment. Political leaders have a role in regulating this sector.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageGearing up to support urban farming in California: Preliminary results of a needs assessment
2014Rachel Surls, Gail Feenstra, Sheila Golden, Ryan E. Galt, Shermain Hardesty, Claire Napawan, Cheryl Wilen · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (California)
Urban agriculture (UA) in California has been slower to gain momentum compared to other urban states, partly due to limited availability of relevant information and technical assistance for urban farmers and municipal decision-makers. A University of California Cooperative Extension project is developing web-based educational resources based on a needs assessment, which includes a literature review, an internal survey of personnel, and community interviews. Preliminary findings indicate challenges in supporting urban farming due to resource constraints and information gaps.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityA desalambrar. Agricultura urbana, huertos comunitarios y regulación urbanística
2014Nerea Morán Alonso, José Luis Fernández de Casadevante · Hábitat y Sociedad · Spain
In Spain, urban agriculture is gaining importance, but faces difficulties in municipal regulation, particularly for community gardens. This regulatory challenge perpetuates the insecurity and precariousness of urban agriculture projects.
Governance failureCommunityPolicy加快都市农业发展 促进园区农民增收——乌当区樱桃现代高效农业示范园区建设存在问题及对策
2014Chen Ao Nan · 农民致富之友 · China (Wudang District)
A field survey conducted on agricultural parks in Wudang District, Guizhou Province, China, studied the development status, progress, and existing problems of the Wudang District Cherry Modern High-Efficiency Agricultural Demonstration Park. The findings indicated that while the park's construction progressed rapidly and orderly with some innovations in its operating mechanism, it also faced many problems and difficulties.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityYou are Hungry: Flâneuring, Edible Mapping and Feeding Imaginations
2014Mikey Tomkins · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · United Kingdom (London)
This research explored reactions to the idea of potential urban agriculture landscapes through 32 participatory walks with 150 local residents around a 25-hectare site in east London. The walks used an "edible map" that suggested food growing in vacant urban areas. The study showed initial engagement with urban agriculture and local food systems, but also produced a strong critique of urban spatial design and a desire for place-making.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationPolicyLegal and Policy Framework Affecting the Development of Urban Agriculture Market in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya
2014H.W. Kamwele, George Mark Onyango, George G. Wagah, Maria Nyström · Chalmers Publication Library (Chalmers University of Technology) · Kenya
This paper examines the legal and policy framework affecting urban agriculture development in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya, through a case study involving interviews with government officials and review of various acts and bylaws. It found that while national legislation allows for urban agriculture, there is no specific policy for it, and Eldoret Municipality tolerates the practice despite its illegality. The study concludes that the awareness of urban farming's importance has not translated into formal recognition in bylaws and ordinances.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsS'intégrer pour se pérenniser : pratiques d'agriculteurs urbains dans trois villes du Sud
2014Ophélie Robineau, Julia Tichit, Thomas Maillard · Espaces et sociétés · Global
This study examines the socio-spatial integration of urban agriculture in three Southern cities, despite its limited consideration in urban planning policies. In Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), farmers secure access to productive resources through social relations. In Metro Manila (Philippines), local actor networks ensure the sustainability of practices. In Saint-Louis (Senegal), farmers' self-initiated organizations enable them to assert their interests with urban authorities, highlighting the challenge of urban agriculture not being adequately integrated into planning policies.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsInitiating and sustaining community gardens and community kitchens: A preliminary study in Nova Scotia
2014Tim Cashion, I. Forbes, Irena Knežević · · Canada
This preliminary study in Nova Scotia, Canada, explored the initiation and sustainability of community food initiatives through in-depth interviews with coordinators. The research identified that these initiatives are in a precarious state due to reliance on volunteers, land ownership issues, and a lack of consistent funding. Despite these challenges, they persist through community support and coordinator dedication.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsWelfarePolicyGovernmentality in urban food production? Following “community” from intentions to outcomes
2014Luke Drake · Urban Geography · Global
This study analyzed six case studies of community gardens, categorized by grassroots, externally-organized, and active nonprofit management, to examine how "community" definitions influence participation or resistance in urban food production. The analysis highlights specific organizational and management moments that affect engagement, scrutinizing community gardens as sites of governmentality that produce neoliberal subjects.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsPolicies and practices of urban and peri-urban agriculture: a great deal of participation but a little public action/ Politiche e pratiche dell’agricoltura urbana e periurbana: molta partecipazione e poca azione pubblica
2014Giuseppe Cinà · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Italy
This paper examines Italian planning, highlighting an unresolved discrepancy between urban and agricultural policies due to a long-standing separation of urban and rural worlds. It outlines how this historical gap results in two inconsistent and low-effective policies. The paper discusses agricultural parks as an attempt to overcome this planning backwardness by integrating spatial planning and agricultural activity, documenting three Italian examples.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageCommunityCommunity Gardens Versus Family Gardens? Urban Reform and Controversies Around the Beautiful Garden and its Legitimate
2014Arnaud Frauenfelder, Christophe Delay, Laure Scalambrin · Espaces et sociétés · Switzerland (Geneva)
This article examines a contemporary urban reform in Geneva concerning family gardens, whose status is now in competition with new forms of community gardens. While the reform is presented as necessary, spokespersons for family allotment associations welcome it with some reservation. Social actors' positions for or against the reform implicitly refer to different socially situated modes of gardening and lifestyles, revealing that "urban agriculture" masks heterogeneous social meanings behind a visible consensus.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCurrent State of Development and Strategy Selection of Urban Agriculture in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region
2014Jiang Lu · Nongye jingji yu guanli · China (Beijing)
This study analyzed the current state of urban agriculture development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, focusing on aspects like leading industry and farmers' income. It found that while the urban agriculture layout was basically formed, significant problems exist. These include resource and environmental crises, a lack of integrated regional planning, imperfect municipal systems, and challenges in upgrading the agricultural industry.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeDependency syndrome by communities or insufficient ingestion period by benefactor organizations? The Chirumanzu caritas community gardening project experiencein Zimbabwe
2014Mark Matsa, Beauty Dzawanda · · Zimbabwe
This study assessed the performance of Caritas-initiated and sponsored community gardens in Chaka ward, Chirumanzu District, Zimbabwe, during and after the sponsors' regime. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, and direct observations, and analyzed with descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results showed that the gardens flourished during Caritas's presence but quickly shrank and folded after the NGO's departure, indicating a lack of sustainability.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsClimate changePolicyStudy on the Major Problems of Science and Technology of Tianjin Leisure Agriculture
2014Shi Jia-li · · China (Tianjin)
This paper studies the important roles of leisure agriculture in the development of Tianjin's modern urban agriculture. It emphatically analyzes the major problems of science and technology during the promotion of leisure agriculture and puts forward the significances of science and technology support in leisure agriculture.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyResearch on Urban Agricultural Scientific Development Path of the Construction of Central Economic Region
2014Dehui Wu, WU, Dehui · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · China
This 2014 study analyzed urban agriculture development in China's Central Economic Zone, identifying several existing problems. These issues included understanding deviation, extensive development, market confusion, short industrial chains, low specialization, and a harsh environment. The study proposed countermeasures such as strengthening government macro-control and perfecting compensation mechanisms.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAssessing supply-demand balance of nitrogen toward local-scale organic material circulation: a case studyof suburban residential district in Metro Manila
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armand PALIJON, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Philippines (Metro Manila)
The nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in suburban residential districts of Quezon City, Metro Manila, was assessed. Analysis revealed that almost half of the subdivisions faced nitrogen oversupply, while several were in short supply. Current centralized composting facilities may not adequately support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. It was proposed that existing barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture require greater flexibility and attention to coordination systems across subdivision boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureContentious Territorial Alliances: Coalition Politics and Struggles over Urban Development in Pikine, Senegal
2014Nicole C. List · EchoGéo · Senegal (Pikine)
Based on fieldwork in Pikine, a rapidly urbanized city in Senegal's Dakar region, two interconnected conflict cases concerning the development of urban agricultural land for middle-class and elite housing were analyzed. The analysis indicates that public and private actors, including producers, traditional authorities, real estate developers, and local/central government officials, are abandoning old forms of governance in favor of "territorial alliances" to promote their own urban development projects. These alliances lead to new relationships between local/central government members and civil society, impacting urban Senegal's land registry, property rights, and public infrastructure.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceStudy of Improving the Biotope Area Ratio System for Urban Agriculture Vitalization - Focus on Daylight Condition Analysis-
2014Gunwon Lee, Yunnam Jeong, Byunghak Min, Seiyong Kim · Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society · South Korea
This study investigated improving South Korea's Biotope Area Ratio system for urban agriculture vitalization. The research found that the existing Biotope Area Ratio indicators, which only consider soil depth and permeability, have limitations in managing plant growth for urban agriculture. Focusing on daylight conditions as a critical factor, the study concluded that the current Biotope Area Ratio indicators are insufficient for adequately addressing plant growth in urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeEarth under the Nails: : The Extraordinary Return to the Land
2014· Hart Publishing eBooks · United Kingdom (England and Wales)
This paper explores the phenomenon of people in England and Wales returning to the land for various food-growing projects, including over 1,000 community gardens and 82 school farms. It examines the legal frameworks regulating these diverse projects and finds that the legal framework is fragmented, poorly signposted, and often absent, with projects sometimes depending entirely on landowner goodwill. The study concludes that there is little coherency in the law regarding these initiatives.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceSustaining Sustainability: a Management Plan for ACRES Student Farm
2014Sarah Legg · Figshare · United States (Wyoming)
ACRES Student Farm, a University of Wyoming organization, has grown significantly over six years, providing local produce, CSA shares, composting, and educational opportunities. However, the farm suffers from continuous losses in efficiency and acquired knowledge due to the transient nature of its student management and workforce, leading to unsustainable internal functioning. This project aims to develop a management plan and handbook to address these issues and improve the farm's operational efficiency.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiCompostFood educationCommunityメトロマニラ郊外部を対象とした有機性廃棄物の地域内循環実現可能性
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armando M. Palijon, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Philippines
This study assessed the nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in subdivisions and barangays in Quezon City, Metro Manila, using GIS. It found that nearly half of the subdivisions experienced nitrogen oversupply, while others faced shortages. Although cooperation among subdivisions within a barangay could improve nitrogen balance, the current centralized composting facilities were deemed insufficient to support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. The study concluded that current barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture need greater flexibility and attention to inter-subdivision coordination across barangay boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureChartering Worcester's Success
2014Benjamin Drury, Renee Laliberte, Jared Watson, Connor Wilgress · Digital WPI · United States (Worcester)
The city of Worcester, MA, faces health issues due to economic instability and low access to affordable healthy food. While urban farming has the potential to address these problems, the city lacks an effective policy.
Governance failureHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePresent Situation of Protected Horticulture in Hainan and Its Strategy for Sustainable Development
2014Tian Lib · Chinese Journal of Tropical Agriculture · China (Hainan)
This paper summarized the status of protected horticulture in Hainan, China, identifying major problems such as a deficiency of special varieties, unsuitable introduced facility types, lack of a non-nuisance production system, and insufficient capacity for resisting natural disasters and environmental control. To achieve sustainable development, the local government needs to strengthen funding and policy support, enhance farmers' awareness of pollution-free production, and improve management techniques.
Governance failureClimate changeEconomicsPolicyDriving forces of land use
2014Matilda Thelin · · Sweden
This qualitative study in peri-urban Uppsala, Sweden, identifies driving forces influencing land use decisions by commercial farmers and institutional landowners. It notes that approximately 700 hectares of land in Sweden are diverted from food production annually, with Uppsala Municipality showing the greatest change in 2013. The expropriation of agricultural land for urban development leads to farmers losing land resources and increased competition for remaining land, resulting in high land prices.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkage