Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3274 results(101 / 131)
Protecting Sydney's Peri‐Urban Agriculture: Moving beyond a Housing/Farming Dichotomy
2013Sarah James · Geographical Research · Australia (Sydney)
This paper examined the failure of Sydney's 'green zones' farmland protection policies, which were abandoned due to protests. The failure was attributed to a lack of consultation with Sydney's diverse small-scale farmers, rather than a rejection of farmland protection itself. Farmer interviews suggested that a bottom-up policy-making approach would have been more successful in maintaining farming in peri-urban areas.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAnalysis of Constrains Facing Urban Agriculture Development in Tehran, Iran
2013Soraya Pourjavid, Hassan Sadighi, Hossein Shabanali Fami · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Iran (Tehran)
This study identified constraints affecting urban agriculture in Tehran, Iran, by surveying 320 city dwellers across 22 municipal districts. The most important constraints identified were "high start-up costs" and "lack of knowledge among managers and authorities." Factor analysis revealed seven factors explaining 67.36% of the variance, including financial-economic and technical aspects.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyCommunityTo Develop Urban Agriculture in Small Towns Using the Concept of Ecological Civilization
2013Lijie He · · China
This article analyzes the current situation and problems of urban agricultural development in small towns of China. It identifies severe problems hindering progress, including decreasing agricultural land, severe waste of land resources, serious agricultural pollution, low quality and income of agricultural labor, limited transport capacity, insufficient funding, and a lack of related policies and regulations.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsClimate changeUrban–rural linkageBusiness Strategy Choice of Allot Gardens in Beijing Based on SWOT-AHP
2013Yue Guan · Beijing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Beijing)
This paper analyzes the business strategy of allot gardens in Beijing, which face difficulties despite their recent growth. Based on a field survey of 11 allot gardens, the study uses SWOT analysis and the AHP model to quantitatively assess internal and external operating environments and propose business strategies.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityContextualising development projects among the San of Botswana: challenges of community gardening
2013Kirstie Cadger, Thembela Kepe · Development in Practice · Botswana
Challenges facing community garden initiatives among the San of Botswana were analyzed through semi-structured interviews and participant observation in two San communities. The study found that the failure of the gardens related to how the San are treated and how they view their situation as destitute people. Forced resettlement, historical livelihood disruption, and government and NGO policies of development through welfare neglecting genuine empowerment were concluded to be responsible for the limited success of the community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityWelfarePolicyFood sovereignty & justice国外城市农业景观(Urban Agriculture Landscape)案例评析
2013邰杰, 汤洪泉, 曹晋, 陆韡 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · Global
This study interpreted the guiding principles, development strategies, and design methods of urban agriculture landscapes outside China, drawing from conceptual definitions, international practices, and case insights. The analysis aims to provide a reference for open space planning and green infrastructure construction during China's rapid urbanization. It concludes that urban agriculture holds significant potential across various aspects, including urban ecology and form, food security and supply, natural education, and job opportunities.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban Gardening. Eine soziokulturelle Betrachtung neuer Gartenformen
2013Marta Bobowski · Facta Simonidis · Germany
This article addresses the phenomenon of urban gardening, with a specific focus on Germany. Part I defines and categorizes the main forms of non-economically motivated gardening in urban public space, outlining its core attributes and historical background. Part II indicates how the culture of a historical period affects the shape of green areas and clarifies the correlation between urban gardening and present political, social, and ecological discourses.
CommunityPolicyClimate change“BIOPOLIS”: Biopolicy for Greener and More Livable Cities
2013“Biopolis” Biopolicy for Greener and More Livable Cities · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This article proposes a "biopolis" model, supported by biopolicy principles, for sustainable urban management. It suggests that this model can lead to coordinated actions that limit emissions, expand green spaces, protect waterways, and encourage urban farming. The biopolis model aims to enhance cultural development, create green jobs, and promote educational opportunities, contributing to healthier and more livable cities.
PolicyClimate changeHealthEconomicsSmart Irrigation Schemes for Urban Rooftop Gardens in Lagos: An Efficiency Framework for Water Management Policy Recommendations
2013Chinenye Agbaje, Ogechi Nwachukwu · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study investigated the efficacy of smart irrigation schemes to address water management challenges in urban rooftop gardens in Lagos, Nigeria. Employing a mixed-method approach with quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews, it found that smart irrigation systems reduced water consumption by an average of 25% compared to traditional methods, with a 95% confidence level. The research provided robust evidence for the efficacy of smart irrigation schemes in urban rooftop gardens, offering policy recommendations for sustainable water management policies.
PolicyClimate changeDigital agricultureGIS Analysis of Peri-Urban Agricultural Land Encroachment in (FCT), Nigeria
2013N E Etim, J J Dukiya · International Journal of Advanced Remote Sensing and GIS · Nigeria (Abuja)
A study in the Kuje area council of Abuja, Nigeria, used questionnaires and multi-temporal satellite images from 1975–2010 to assess urban encroachment on agricultural lands. It found that urban encroachment into agricultural lands is occurring at an alarming rate of 15.7 km² annually, resulting in a total loss of 509 km² of agricultural land to urbanization over 35 years.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsCONFLICTS, CONTESTATION AND MARGINALIZATION IN URBAN AGRICULTURE: EXPERIENCES FROM KUWADZANA EXTENSION, HARARE
2013Josiah Taru, Hardlife Stephen Basure · Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study applied Norman Long's interface analysis to understand the causes of conflicts and struggles among urban agriculture (UA) actors in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare. Intensified competition for scarce land and water escalated conflicts, particularly in off-plot agriculture due to its contentious nature outside institutional frameworks. Actors with different power bases used them to dispossess and marginalize others. Conflict resolution mechanisms (mediation, litigation, conciliation) often lacked legal binding or institutional backing, tending to generate more disputes.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity Supported Agriculture and Community Labor: Constructing a New Model to Unite Volunteers and Employers
2013A. Bryan Endres, Rachel Armstrong · · United States
This article discusses Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and 'community labor,' where customers participate in food production on farms. It highlights a paradox: traditional employment law, envisioning autonomous competition, makes little room for these novel relationships, potentially undermining CSA values and limiting its viability and growth. The authors suggest that employment law should develop a more nuanced view of relationships in the CSA context, supporting mutual gain and shared values over competition-based rules.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiEconomicsPolicyCommunityFacilitating outcomes: multi-stakeholder processes for influencing policy change on urban agriculture in selected West African and South Asian cities
2013Priyanie Amerasinghe, Olufunke Cofie, Theophilus O. Larbi, Pay Drechsel, Amerasinghe, Priyanie, Cofie, Olufunke, Larbi, T. O., Drechsel, Pay · · Global
This multi-city study applied a Multi-stakeholder Policy Formulation and Action Planning approach to influence urban agriculture policies in three African and two Asian countries. While the approach was successful and yielded remarkable outcomes, it also indicated areas for improvement in its application. The study found significant regional differences in achieving policy change, necessitating careful consideration for maximizing returns on investment in impact pathway facilitation.
PolicyCommunityIntroducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services
2013Kyle Clark, Kimberly A. Nicholas · Landscape Ecology · United States (Burlington, Vermont)
This study proposes "urban food forestry" (UFF), combining urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry, to enhance urban sustainability and food security. It analyzed 37 urban food tree initiatives, finding 73% performed only one activity (planting, mapping, or harvesting) and 8% performed all three. An analysis of 30 urban forestry master plans showed only 13% included human food security objectives. A case study in Burlington, Vermont, estimated that planting Malus domestica in public spaces could meet 108% of the city's daily fruit intake under the most ambitious scenario. The study identified 70 potential food tree species for temperate urban environments, with 30 deemed highly suitable.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe Symbolic Garden: An Intersection of the Food Movement and the First Amendment
2013Jamie M. Bouvier · Maine law review · United States
This essay argues that urban agricultural practices, such as growing food or raising animals, are symbolic acts that communicate viewpoints and support for the "Food Movement." It asserts that these acts, as symbolic expressions, deserve protection under the First Amendment. The article examines the Food Movement as a social and political movement, how urban homesteading practices symbolize it, and the application of First Amendment principles to these practices.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyNot Just the Price of Food: Challenges of an Urban Agriculture Organization in Engaging Local Residents
2013Yuki Kato · Sociological Inquiry · United States (New Orleans)
This case study of a community-supported agriculture (CSA) organization in New Orleans focused on the lack of participation by local residents in the CSA market despite its intentions. Interview and ethnographic observation data indicated a general consensus on economic constraints, while some non-resident supporters attributed the issue to a lack of knowledge about the food system. Residents, however, pointed to spatial and sociocultural barriers, including produce selection, purchase options, market access convenience, and the race-related historical and spatial context of the market's location, making the market less accessible to them.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyResearch on Development of Modern Urban Agriculture in Zhengzhou Based on the View of Function
2013LI Yan-p · Shanxi nongye kexue · China (Zhengzhou)
Zhengzhou's modern urban agriculture plays a significant role in the Central Plains Economic Zone's modern agricultural system, but its function is singular, leading to a large disparity with Beijing's urban agriculture. With policy support and increasing urban resident consumption, Zhengzhou's urban agriculture has a good development opportunity. It is suggested to expand its multi-functional aspects, develop leisure sightseeing agriculture, improve agricultural operators' competence, and increase government support to leverage its multi-functional benefits.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageA Gradual Reawakening: Broadacre City and a New American Agrarianism
2013Ella Wise · Berkeley Planning Journal · United States
Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City proposed a decentralized, agrarian landscape, which was reflected in post-WWII American suburbanization. However, the agrarian ethos of Broadacre City is absent from both suburbia and its alternatives. The rising interest in urban agriculture is argued to represent a demand to reconnect with the land, suggesting that planners should incorporate agrarian design into urban growth models.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityImpacts of Community Supported Agriculture Program Participation on Consumer Food Purchases and Dietary Choice
2013Kynda R. Curtis, Ruby Ward, K. Eileen Allen, Susan L. Slocum, Curtis, Kynda, Ward, Ruby, Allen, Karin, Slocum, Susan · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This study aims to explore the effects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program membership on consumer dietary choice and nutritional intake. It also investigates potential modifications in food purchase, preparation, and dining out practices among participants. The research addresses a gap in understanding how CSA participation might lead to attitude and behavioral changes, which could inform public policy for dietary improvements.
CSA & TeikeiHealthPolicyFood educationDeveloping a Cohesive Urban Agriculture Policy for Burlington, VT
2013Alison Nihart · ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) · United States (Burlington, VT)
This research analyzed urban agriculture governance in Burlington, VT, in coordination with the Urban Agriculture Task Force created in March 2011. Using a governance framework and participatory action research, it examined stakeholder needs, available policy tools, governance networks, and approaches in other cities. Over 50 policy recommendations were developed, highlighting the need to balance stakeholder needs, establish a legal basis for some aspects like livestock treatment, and partner with organizations for technical expertise.
PolicyCommunityFood in the city: urban food movements and the (re)- imagining of urban spaces
2013Kristen Lyons, Carol Richards, Lotus DesFours, Marco Amati · Australian Planner · Australia (Melbourne)
Ethical food movements, including urban agriculture initiatives, are increasing in Australia. This study uses the case of Melbourne to examine how urban agriculture participants are re-imagining urban spaces and the future of Australian agriculture and food systems. It demonstrates that the politics and practices of urban food advocates challenge and resist the enclosure of urban spaces, creating new frontiers that transgress social, political, ecological, and economic boundaries.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDeployment of urban agriculture in East Lima, Peru
2013Javier Morales, Ramón Zamorano, Miguel Salvo · RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2019 · Peru (Lima)
This study showed the situation of urban agriculture five years after the "Farmers in the city" project, carried out by the International Potato Center (CIP) and GESPLAN research group in the East Cone of Lima, Peru, from 2006 to 2008. All members of the Cosanaca producer association, created under the project, were interviewed, and an expert panel was conducted with municipal urban agricultural office representatives. The results showed that Cosanaca had doubled its number of producers and that the participating municipalities had increased their number of workers in urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsPoblación-Ambiente. Desarrollo y Agricultura Urbana en unMunicipio de Ciudad Habana, Cuba
2013Cabrera Trimiño, Gilberto Javier · · Cuba (Ciudad Habana)
In Cuba, urban agriculture is a movement producing food in urban spaces using local resources under ecological principles. While large cities like Havana cannot achieve food self-sufficiency, agricultural programs can enhance understanding of the population-environment-development relationship in Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America. This understanding is crucial for public policies addressing contemporary challenges like environmental vulnerability and climate change impacts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeCommunityUrban Gardening: espacio de creación, crÃtica social y activismo ecológico
2013Àngels Viladomiu Canela · AusArt · Global
This article reviews artistic interventions that address urban land uses and farming methods. These actions, through planting and cultivating, generate spaces for the expression of artistic, political, and social identities, often in urban interstices like abandoned lots or non-urbanized areas. The study identifies these practices as spaces for social critique and ecological activism.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyBiodiversityIn This Issue: The Depth and Breadth of the Emerging Food Systems Literature
2013Duncan Hilchey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This open call edition of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development features diverse topics including beef origin traceability, cultural sustainability, rural food deserts, climate variability and adaptations, food safety regulations, urban agriculture, and food waste. These topics reflect the enormous diversity of the nascent field of food systems.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomics