Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
151 results(3 / 7)
Urban Farming in Atlanta, Georgia: The Seed of Neoliberal Contestation or Hybridized Compromise?
2022Julia R Bryant · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States (Atlanta)
This paper explores how urban farming in Atlanta, Georgia, shows evidence of neoliberal shaping and retooling. Through qualitative analysis, including a case study, interviews with farmers, participant observation, and archival data collection, it examines how the city and the farm are understood from the perspective of the farmer to understand the degree to which these contestations are resisting neoliberalism. The research suggests that while urban farming can provide spaces for contestation to neoliberalism, scholars should more fully consider the hybridized nature in which urban farmers understand their work.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunityMobilizing ‘impermaculture’: Temporary urban agriculture and the sustainability fix
2022Eugene McCann, Nathan McClintock, Christiana Miewald · Environment and Planning E Nature and Space · United States (Portland, Oregon)
This paper introduces "impermaculture," a model of urban agriculture where farmers in cities like Portland, Oregon, embrace the impermanence of their operations, viewing the potential for displacement by higher-value developments as an intended modus operandi. This approach, utilizing portable growing systems, is presented as a means of stabilizing the "sustainability fix" in neoliberal cities. The study suggests that this 'impermaculture by design' shores up and temporally rescales the sustainability fix, providing stability to urban agriculture initiatives despite their temporary nature.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsGardening from the ground up: a review of grassroots governance and management of domestic gardening in Canada
2022Janet Music, Charlotte Large, Sylvain Charlebois, Kydra Mayhew · Local Environment · Canada
This systematic scoping review revealed the extent of existing knowledge regarding the governance and management of urban grassroots agri-food organizations in Canada. Among Canadian studies, 15 were qualitative case studies, 11 were exploration/analysis papers, one was a literature review, and one was a quantitative analysis. It was found that for greater success in urban agriculture, municipal policymakers need to intentionally and radically shift policy to plan for and integrate urban agriculture networks into the urban environment without taking over the networks themselves. The review also indicated a lack of broad research into the influence of gender dynamics on the organization and management of urban agriculture or community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceRecent challenges and new possibilities with urban agriculture in Victoria, British Columbia
2022Abdolzaher Ghezeljeh, Jutta Gutberlet, Denise Cloutier · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes · Canada (Victoria)
This study used qualitative research methods to explore the main barriers to urban agriculture as perceived by community-based groups in Victoria, British Columbia. Data from 18 semi-structured interviews and two community mapping workshops with residents, government officials, and non-governmental groups revealed "urban agriculture zones" and "garden-style" apartment housing as important avenues. However, progress towards far-reaching changes requires an efficient urban agriculture development process, including creating site inventories, increasing stakeholder participation, reducing waitlists, and tackling high land prices.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityO DESENVOLVIMENTO SÓCIO-ESPACIAL DA AGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA (AUP) NA CIDADE DE FORTALEZA, CEARÁ
2021Gabriela de Azevedo Marques, Iara Rafaela Gomes · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Brazil
This empirical study analyzed the socio-spatial development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, examining both spontaneous agricultural activities and municipal institutional actions. While AUP holds significant relevance in the city, particularly in peripheral areas, governmental initiatives were found to be sporadic and discontinuous, lacking a broader institutional agenda. The study concluded that despite recent municipal efforts, legal and institutional support for AUP remains weak, leading to the rapid disappearance of productive spaces and indicating that institutional actions have not effectively fostered the socio-spatial development of spontaneous initiatives.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageIn Search of Maudell Sleet's Garden
2021Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore · Southern cultures · United States
This article examines urban gardening practices by women in the New South during the early 20th century, which provided self-sufficiency and profits. It chronicles how urban planners and zoning eliminated most of these urban gardening opportunities by the late 1930s. The study considers these practices through two collages by artist Romare Bearden, focusing on the gardener Maudell Sleet.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyVisions of Ecotopia
2021Meredith Gaglio · · United States
The "Ecotopia" concept, promoting ecologically and socially responsible American Appropriate Technology (AT), included innovative urban planning like rooftop gardens. However, the expansion and contraction of the intranational Ecotopian network built by former Rainmakers in the mid-to-late 1970s revealed a crisis of purpose within RAIN and signaled a crisis within the AT Movement itself.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCultivando relações no Arranjo Local da Penha: A mobilização de mulheres a partir das práticas de agricultura urbana na favela
2021Mariana Portilho, Camila Rodrigues, Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez · Cidades, comunidades e território/Cidades comunidades e territórios · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study describes the formation of Arranjo Local da Penha, a community network created in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex, focused on urban agriculture and led by women. Through fieldwork and participant observation, the study analyzed themes of women and agroecology, health, and healthy eating. The network promoted women's empowerment and access to healthy food, but faced limits in the mobilization and development of urban agriculture.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareUrban–rural linkageHORTAS ESCOLARES: PARÂMETROS PEDAGÓGICOS PARA RECURSOS MATERIAIS E ESTRUTURA FÍSICA
2021ELIZABETE CRISTINA RIBEIRO SILVA JARDIM · Editora Realize eBooks · Brazil
This research analyzed Brazilian school garden experiences across three document sets, identifying procedures and resources incongruent with stated counter-hegemonic objectives. The study found structural inadequacies for the school space and omissions regarding the protection and safety of farmers and students during activities. It recommends adjustments to location, spatial organization, and material resources for school gardens to ensure the health of food producers.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealthPolicyPublic food forest opportunities and challenges in small municipalities
2021Sarah E. Coffey, John F. Munsell, Rico Hübner, Curtis R. Friedel · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Virginia)
A survey of 68 mayors (39% response rate) in Virginia, US, from communities under 25,000 population, investigated public food forest initiatives. Mayors identified long-term maintenance as the greatest barrier and noted that 78% of municipalities lack land use codes for food-producing trees and shrubs. While nearly 70% reported some public land food production, only one-fifth included food-producing trees. Mayors emphasized sociocultural programs and education over food access as the most compelling aspect.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood educationClimate changeFrom urban waste to urban farmers: Can we close the agriculture loop within the city bounds?
2021Rafael Carvalho Machado, Sieglinde Kindl Da Cunha · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Curitiba)
This study investigated Curitiba, Brazil's Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) and its decentralized composting strategy, which aimed to close the agricultural loop within city bounds. Despite training 24 urban farmer communities in composting techniques, the program was unable to achieve this goal. The research, based on secondary data review, interviews, and participatory observation, identified cultural barriers and conflicts among actor roles within the UAP that hindered the adoption of composting practices.
Governance failureCompostCommunityOrganic cyclePolicyAgricultura urbana, governança territorial e planejamento urbano em área protegida de Manaus – Brasil
2021Camila Garcia Fernandes de Souza Margem, Néliton Marques da Sílva · Cadernos Metrópole · Brazil (Manaus)
This article analyzed the feasibility of implementing urban agriculture (UA) on idle land within the Tarumã – Ponta Negra Environmental Protection Area in Manaus, Brazil, as a tool for territorial governance and urban planning. Semi-structured interviews and card sorting techniques were applied to the target population. The study found that the use of idle land for UA is not envisioned as a territorial governance instrument, a situation exacerbated by municipal authorities hindering the legitimization of bills for such land use.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageO 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 & justiceCommunityUne 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 failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityModeling 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 changeA 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 failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsLaboratorios 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 cycleConsuming the city: challenges and possibilities for foraging in Toronto’s parks
2020Anna Shortly, Thembela Kepe · Forests Trees and Livelihoods · Canada (Toronto)
This paper explores the opportunities and challenges of incorporating foraging practices into parks planning and management in Toronto, Canada, where foraging is often not permitted in urban parks. The study, based on a scan of practices and interviews, concludes that urban parkland managers should establish dedicated spaces like community orchards to safely and sustainably accommodate foraging, acknowledging current restrictions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageThe underutilized role of community gardens in improving cities’ adaptation to climate change: a review
2019Mysha Clarke, Melissa Davidson, Monika Egerer, Elsa C. Anderson, Nakisha Fouch · People Place and Policy Online · United States
This paper argues that community gardens should be a prioritized element of green infrastructure to improve cities' adaptation to climate change. Community gardens can reduce urban heat islands, provide ecosystem services, and increase stormwater retention. However, a qualitative analysis of 18 policy documents for Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City, U.S.A., found that green infrastructure for climate change adaptation prioritizes rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs, but seldom acknowledges the role of community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityClimate changePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceWild Leaves on Narrow STEMs: Exploring Formal and Non-Formal Education Tensions Through Garden-Based Learning
2019Sarah E. Cramer, Anna Ball · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States
This qualitative case study in the United States examined a school garden program transitioning from non-profit to public school district control, conceptualizing this as a shift from a non-formal to a formal education paradigm. The research explored tensions between constructivist, non-formal educational philosophies and standardized, formal education within school garden settings. The findings indicate challenges in integrating non-formal learning into formal public education structures, arguing for broader legitimation of garden-based learning in curriculum.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyDiseño de una estrategia como alternativa para incrementar e incentivar el uso de la Agricultura Urbana
2019Arantza Elena Sanchez Gutierrez · · Mexico
In Querétaro Municipality, Mexico, a strategy was designed and implemented to increase and incentivize the use of urban agriculture. Previous strategies implemented in Mexico had resulted in low participation and abandonment of practice due due to low interest from inhabitants and a lack of will to follow through on plans. This qualitative research analyzed the causes of these failures using User-Centered Design tools and Design Thinking. Findings showed that a "strategy of appropriation," emphasizing a sense of belonging, well-being, and commitment, resulted in an increase in this variable, which influences the abandonment of agricultural practices.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsPotencialidades da produção de alimentos nas cidades: experiências de agricultura urbana no município de Pirapozinho – São Paulo
2019Daiara Batista Mendes · Geografia em Atos (Online) · Brazil (Pirapozinho)
This article identifies the potentialities of urban agriculture in Pirapozinho, São Paulo, focusing on food and economic use. Based on field research and interviews, the study found that urban agriculture provides quick access to quality products and fosters close farmer-consumer links. However, it also found that urban agricultural practices have not received due governmental attention at national or local scales, despite their potential.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban family agriculture
2019Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez, Almir Cezar Baptista Filho · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article describes the obstacles to implementing public policy for family agriculture in urban areas of Brazil. Representations associated with rural-agricultural concepts have shaped the classification criteria of rural technical assistance technicians, limiting the policy's application in urban settings. Social movements in Rio de Janeiro highlighted the lack of access for urban family farmers to agrarian policies, leading to the recognition of urban family agriculture as a public problem.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageMaterial and social relations in a coastal community garden assemblage
2019Lindsay K. Campbell, Erika S. Svendsen, Renae Reynolds, Victoria Marshall · Social & Cultural Geography · United States (Rockaway, NY)
This study used Actor Network Theory to explore the material and social dynamics of a coastal community garden on public housing grounds in Rockaway, NY, after Hurricane Sandy. Three assemblages with different governance arrangements—tidal shore, garden plots, and treed lawn—were identified. However, "unruly" actors and actants, including people, saltwater, poison ivy, dogs, and trash, were found to spark controversy and resist governing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeLa cara oculta de la seguridad alimentaria - Estudio de caso del sur del Estado de Jalisco, Occidente de México
2019Peter R. W. Gerritsen, Víctor Sanchez Bernal, Georgina Torres Rodríguez · Brazilian Journal of Development · Mexico
This study analyzed food security in two medium-sized cities in Western Mexico using secondary data and field research. It found that while these highly globalized cities had a low degree of food security, extensive domestic backyard agricultural activities significantly raised family-level food security. A critical finding is that this potential for urban food security is not valued by governmental institutions.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkage