Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3241 results(130 / 130)
Urban Agriculture in the United States
1991Nelson L. Bills, Bills, Nelson L. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States
A National Agricultural Lands Study (NALS) in the United States did not provide conclusive evidence of serious conflicts between urban development land requirements and the nation's agricultural production capacity. The study was also flawed by faulty data on farmland conversion rates.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban Agriculture: Research Questions and Zambian Evidence
1988Rakodi C. · The Journal of Modern African Studies · Zambia (Lusaka)
A field-based study of Zambian urban settlements in the 1970s-1980s, finding that urban cultivation serves as a vital survival strategy for low-income households and warrants integration into urban development planning.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyHealthUrban Farming Has Financial Advantages
1988Mary Clare Ahearn, David E. Banker, Ahearn, Mary, Banker, David · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States
Nearly one-third of all U.S. farms are located in metropolitan areas. These urban farms produce the majority of the nation's high-value crops, such as fruits and vegetables. They also contribute almost a third of the total value of U.S. farm sales and typically exhibit a stronger financial position compared to non-metropolitan farms.
EconomicsPeri-urban agricultureL'agriculture dans la ville : l'exemple de Bangui
1988François Villien · Cahiers d Outre-Mer · Central African Republic (Bangui)
Bangui, Central African Republic, exhibits significant inter-urban agricultural activity, reflecting population poverty. This agriculture is categorized as "inter-domain," practiced within concessions near houses, or "extra-domain," conducted outside family domains. Inter-domain agriculture includes small "jardin de case" (hut gardens) for diverse foodstuffs and larger "champ de case" (hut fields) for single crops like manioc, now also serving as income sources. Extra-domain agriculture utilizes empty land in peripheral districts for food, income, or temporary pioneer front crops, sometimes becoming permanent and hindering urban expansion. Urban agriculture is considered essential for the survival of many family units and for integrating the city into its food supply space.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsCommunity gardens as food producing units∗
1988C J van Vuuren · Development Southern Africa · South Africa
This article discusses the nature and functioning of community gardens in Ciskei, KwaZulu, and KwaNdebele, South Africa. It found that these community gardens are indigenous, acceptable to the local people, and are actively producing food, also demonstrating significant local expertise that should be recognized and developed by agencies. The article argues that these units have often been neglected by agricultural officers.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsEvaluation on Urban Agricultural Land from Residents' Views in Urban Fringe Area
1988Chiaki Negoro, Atsushi Tunekawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan
This paper examines the public perception of urban agricultural land as valuable open space in urban fringe areas. The study found that urban agricultural lands are considered valuable "green" spaces, with orchards (mainly persimmon trees) and farms being particularly highly evaluated. These positive perceptions were observed in both agricultural and nearby residential areas.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityEconomicsA Comparative Study on the Types of Community Farms by Urban Residents
1987Yuzo Uchida · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan
This study aims to clarify the situation and types of community farms in Japan, their usage patterns, and their impact on the lives of urban residents. It notes the strong demand for community farms for cultivating vegetables and flowers among urban residents. Various types of community farms exist, including allotment gardens, Japanese Kleingartens, self-supplying community farms, and full-scale orchards in the countryside.
CommunityEconomicsHealthUrban Cultivation: A Reflection of Household Investment
1985· Food and Nutrition Bulletin · Global
Urban cultivation is an innovative response by the urban poor to insufficient real income, viewed as a form of long-term investment. This investment requires a minimum threshold of predictability of return, and most households need seven to eleven years of urban residence to gain access to land. Variations in cultivation patterns result from differences in land access and the need to maximize the return on domestic labor time. Policy implications include encouraging cultivation, providing legal land titles for land access, and increasing the productivity of rainy-season gardens.
EconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture: Who Cultivates and why? a Case-Study of Lusaka, Zambia
1985Bishwapriya Sanyal · Food and Nutrition Bulletin · Zambia (Lusaka)
Urban agriculture in Lusaka, Zambia, is an innovative response by the urban poor facing insufficient income. Low-income households view urban cultivation as a long-term investment, requiring permanent urban residence (7-11 years) and access to land to ensure a return. Variations in cultivation patterns result from relative differences in land access and the need to maximize the return on domestic labor time.
WelfareEconomicsL'Anti-Alborz : un espace marginal aux portes de Téhéran
1982Bernard Hourcade · Revue Géographique de l Est · Iran (Tehran)
This research investigates the origins and current economy of the Anti-Alborz region, an arid mountain east of Tehran, Iran. Due to military compounds and royal hunting grounds, the expansion of Tehran has been artificially limited, leaving the Anti-Alborz as a remote area. In this region, urban, agricultural, and pastoral economies are growing in conflictual ways, indicating governance challenges in managing land use and development.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureVegetables Food for man and animals
1980· Nutrition & Food Science · Global
The Institute of Biology held a symposium to assess the value of vegetables for feeding people and livestock. The symposium considered the energy, labor, and monetary inputs required for vegetable production across various scales, from allotments to large market gardens. Discussions also included the role of traditional and unconventional animal species within vegetable growing systems.
DIYCommunityEconomics都市農業と農家の都市的土地利用
1979Taizan Oishi, 堪山 大石 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
This study analyzed the transformation and reorganization processes of suburban agriculture and farmers in urbanizing areas, including "former farmer groups." It examined land conversion, changes in crop cultivation, farmer numbers, and agricultural employment. The research found that rental housing management is not economically viable, and that due to an abnormally high land price appreciation rate, the earlier rental housing management is undertaken, the greater the loss incurred, despite an observed increase in rental housing.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyDigital agricultureThe Community Garden: Horticulture for the People1
1973Steven L. Doud, Greg Pagano · HortScience · United States
Many American urban dwellers are rediscovering that gardens can provide inexpensive, high-quality food, recreation, and relaxation. This "green thumb boom" is particularly evident in the emergence of community garden projects in college communities, where students seek to supplement incomes and work with plants. While these projects vary in management philosophy and workload allocation, they share common goals of abundant food production and enjoyment for gardeners.
CommunityEconomicsHealthEnterprise, Management and Organisation in Africa: a plea for research
1971Jeff Garmany · The Journal of Modern African Studies · Africa
This article argues that many African countries, in their pursuit of rapid economic development, risk misaligning their strategies and priorities concerning the rural-urban and agricultural-industrial balance. It specifically advocates for increased research attention on traditional food farming, whether for subsistence or cash, which has been neglected despite its crucial and inevitable role in supporting growing populations over the long term.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyA Pledge Unredeemed: The Housing Crisis in Weimar Germany
1970Silverman D. P. · Central European History, Vol. 3, No. 1–2, pp. 112–139 · Germany
Examines the Weimar constitution's pledge of adequate housing (Article 155) and how chronic shortages and postwar upheaval left it unrealized, providing the institutional backdrop to settlement and housing policy.
PolicyWelfareEconomicsThe School Garden
1902Wilbur S. Jackman · The Elementary School Teacher and Course of Study · Global
The school garden is a useful accessory for nature study from aesthetic, economic, or botanical viewpoints. While aesthetics offer strong attractions, the most important aspect is understanding plant habits and their adaptations to soil, light, heat, air, and other plants, as a garden cannot grow beautifully without this knowledge.
Food educationEconomics