Research & reports

Mupeta M., Kuntashula E., Kalinda T. · Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development · Zambia (Kitwe, Lusaka)

Using propensity score matching on survey data from Kitwe and Lusaka, this study finds that urban agriculture participation increases household income by 13.7–19.1%, demonstrating a significant positive economic impact.

Shrestha P., Small G.E., Kay A. · PLOS ONE, 15(4):e0230996 · United States

A study measuring and quantifying nutrient recovery efficiency and loss from compost application in urban gardens. It shows compost often supplies phosphorus far in excess of crop demand, and surplus P can be lost to waterways. The work argues that closing the food-waste-to-compost loop in urban agriculture must be designed for sustainable nutrient management, not just diversion.

Charlotte Glennie · City & Community · United States (Seattle)

This study examines how culture shapes urban political and economic processes by analyzing documents and interviewing advocates of Seattle's P-Patch community garden program, which has secured near-permanence for its publicly owned sites. It finds that advocates leveraged cultural capital and Seattle's legal-policy infrastructure to institutionalize the gardens within urban planning, but notes that as amenities signaling sustainability the gardens also contribute to gentrification, so equity requires deliberate consideration.

Yuki Kato · City & Community · United States (New Orleans)

This study examines the development of the urban cultivation scene in New Orleans over the decade following Hurricane Katrina, focusing on entrepreneurial projects. Contextualizing in-depth interviews with growers, it finds that dominant motives shifted from social missions to economic interests as the city moved from recovery to redevelopment, and argues that the distinction between socially and economically motivated cultivation cannot be easily drawn.

· Landscape and Urban Planning · USA (New York City)

Empirical study of NYC's public High Line project showing housing values near the park rose 35% and rents ~68%, with parkgoers overwhelmingly white/tourist—evidence that a flagship public greening investment captured value for the affluent and failed its low-income host neighborhood.

Carola Grebitus, Lauren Chenarides, Rebecca Logsdon Muenich, Alex Mahalov · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States

This research investigates consumers' perception and acceptance of urban agriculture through a qualitative, exploratory field study with 19 residents from a major metropolitan area in the southwest U.S. The concept mapping procedure was used, and data were analyzed using content and semantic network analysis. Consumers' perceptions of urban farming related to environment, society, economy, and food attributes. The study found a much higher number of positive associations than negative, signaling that consumers would likely accept farming in close proximity, though individual perceptions varied greatly.

Larissa 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.

Jonathan London, Bethany B. Cutts, Kirsten Schwarz, Li Schmidt, Mary L. Cadenasso · Agriculture and Human Values · United States (California)

This study, based on 24 interviews with urban agriculture (UA) leaders in Sacramento, California, identifies three "taproots" of UA projects: justice, health, and market. The analysis reveals how these roots interact differently with racial capitalism, creating disparities in their growth trajectories. Specifically, UA projects associated with the justice taproot are historically underrepresented and undervalued.

Arione Porto da Silva · · Brazil (Maceió)

This research aims to analyze how the municipality of Maceió, Brazil, implements public policies to promote urban and peri-urban agricultural production, as stipulated in the city's Master Plan. It involves analyzing documents from the Municipal Secretariat for Sustainable Development (SEMDS) to identify programs and policies supporting urban farmers. The study is justified by agriculture's key role in compensating for job losses in Brazil before and after the pandemic.

Matthew Q. McPherson, Daniel Friesner, Carl S. Bozman · International Journal of Social Economics · United States

This study conducted a retrospective analysis of secondary data from the 2015–2016 Gonzaga University Logan Neighborhood Asset Mapping Project in the United States. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical cluster analyses were used to establish interrelationships between the perceived importance of various community assets. Findings revealed intuitive clustering, with farmers’ markets, community gardens, and meeting spaces clustered closely together.

Paulo de Oliveira Neto, Andréa Rossi Scalco, Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani, Sandra Cristina de Oliveira · Ciência e Natura · Brazil

This study analyzed the impact of urban agriculture on food security in community gardens in the city of Maringá, Brazil. The research was carried out using the EBIA method, with descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression procedures. The results indicate that the activity did not contribute to the food security of people who depend on the resources generated, whether for consumption or income.

Rachael Baker · · United States (Detroit)

Farming on Detroit's vacant land has been used for blight reduction and food cultivation since the 1970s, supported by initiatives like Farm-a-Lot. However, in 2015, the mayor’s office directly transferred 40 acres of city-owned land to a for-profit urban agriculture business in Detroit’s east Poletown, raising concerns about equitable resource distribution.

Ivan Siqueira Barreto, Danilo França Bomfim, Jessica Rayane de Oliveira Melo, Mariane Marques · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

In Aracaju, Brazil, the "Cultivating Citizenship Urban Agriculture Project" pioneers the establishment of vegetable gardens in community spaces. This initiative aims to generate income and promote financial autonomy for 100 low-income beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program, including persons with disabilities. The project seeks to foster social and productive inclusion for vulnerable populations.

Françoise 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.

Cinthia de Oliveira Rodrigues, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Rosália do Socorro da Silva Corrêa · Research Society and Development · Brazil (Irituia, Pará)

A quantitative and qualitative study using 40 semi-structured questionnaires was conducted with urban and peri-urban farmers in Irituia, Pará, Brazil, to identify the socioeconomic profile and productive dynamics of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) systems. The study identified three distinct categories of farmers: 42.5% for whom AUP is the main source of income, 32.5% who are public servants, and 25.0% who are small traders. Although no effective public policies for AUP promotion were evident in Irituia, spontaneous initiatives and significant growth potential were observed due to the municipality's rural nature.

Daniele Eckert Matzembacher, Fábio Bittencourt Meira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Minas Gerais)

This case study in Minas Gerais, Brazil, examined Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a countermovement to the commodification of agriculture, using Karl Polanyi's theoretical framework. Analyzing the CSA Alfa case, the study found a coexistence of market exchange and reciprocity, where economic activity is intertwined with social aspects like friendship and commitment. CSA appears to manifest a countermovement by enhancing individuals' relative autonomy and increasing social cohesion among participating groups.

Michelle Glowa, Antonio Roman-Alcalá · New York University Press eBooks · United States (California)

This chapter examines the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, analyzing its composition, genesis, and how it has confronted the tensions and limitations of neoliberal urbanization. Based on personal experiences and research, it proposes that justice-driven urban agriculture movements are influenced by political-economic changes and can be absorbed into existing neoliberal and pro-development trajectories. This indicates a critical finding regarding equity and the challenges urban agriculture faces in resisting gentrification.

Glauco Régis Florisbelo, Angelina Moreira Melo, Alair Ferreira de Freitas, Pinheiro, Daniel Calbino · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil

This study analyzed how the implementation of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in an urban community garden in Sete Lagoas (MG), Brazil, contributed to food and nutritional security for consumers and increased the income of family farmers. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with farmers and questionnaires administered to consumers. The results demonstrated that the CSA strengthened social relations between farmers and consumers, added elements of food and nutritional security, and improved the income of farming families.

M. Petrie, S. Basu, E. Sayer, R. Bellin, J. O apos Neill, S.A. Berkowitz · UNC Libraries · United States

This study estimated the population-level effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a subsidized community-supported agriculture (CSA) intervention in the United States. A microsimulation model developed in 2019 utilized national demographic, biomedical, and dietary data (NHANES, 2013-2016) and a randomized trial (Massachusetts, 2017-2018). Two interventions were modeled: an unconditional cash transfer ($300/year) and a subsidized CSA ($300/year subsidy), both of which were shown to reduce discounted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for cardiovascular disease and diabetes complications. Both interventions had negative incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, implying cost savings to society.

Miho Lowan‐Trudeau, Noel Keough, Joshua Wong, Sara Haidey · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes · Canada (Calgary)

This study, examining community gardens in Calgary, aimed to determine the socio-economic demographics of neighborhoods supporting community gardens and their proximity to active transportation and public transit. GIS visualization and quantitative analyses were used to investigate relationships between demographic variables and transportation accessibility. Findings showed that community garden neighborhoods are located in areas with significantly fewer visible minorities, higher levels of educational attainment, and more attached dwellings like apartments and townhomes. This study suggests potential inequities in the proliferation of public community gardens based on socio-economic factors beyond economic capital.

Marc F. Bellemare, Vaneesha Dusoruth · Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy · Canada (Montreal)

A survey of 882 Montreal residents investigated participation in urban agriculture. The study found that urban agriculture practitioners are more educated, more likely to be homeowners, and report higher incomes. These findings suggest that urban agriculture functions as a luxury good.

Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Diego Cesar Alves Lima Verde, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio, Elson de Oliveira · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Petrolina)

This study analyzed land use and occupation seasonality at the EREMCC Community Garden in Petrolina, Brazil, from August 2018 to March 2019. In August 2018, 73% of the 6,200 m² garden area was uncultivated, indicating a large unexplored area for production. By March 2019, food production increased by 35.71%, with most beds cultivated with cabbage, coriander, and lettuce.

Susie Cochran, Leia Minaker · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Ontario)

This paper reviews literature on community gardens, identifying gaps in translating their qualitative outcomes into monetary terms for municipal decision-makers. It describes a pilot return on investment assessment of a community garden in Ontario, Canada. Despite substantial data constraints, the limited available data suggest that community gardens could be an ROI-positive government investment.

Anderson Nunes de Carvalho Vieira, Alexandro Rodrigues Ribeiro, Silvio Santos Cardoso · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Cuiabá)

This study describes the socioeconomic and productive profile of urban farmers in Cuiabá, Brazil, and their potential contribution to ecological economics. Using a mixed-method descriptive approach with primary data collected via questionnaires, the research found that urban agriculture often emerges as a survival alternative for poorer populations from rural areas. The study concludes that this practice, if adequately supported, can foster a better understanding and practice of ecological economics in the region.

Fatmir Haskaj · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · United States (New York City)

This article explores the historical context of community gardens in New York and Oakland, California, to understand and contest hegemonic forces in the urban environment. It posits that the work of gardeners is co-opted into a value regime through a process called "conspicuous labor." This process reconfigures the urban poor as productive, passive, and pastoral, contributing to gentrification.