Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
667 results(14 / 27)
Mutirão como ferramenta política: agricultura urbana e cidadania.
2019André Ruoppolo Biazoti, André Ruoppolo Biazoti · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This paper analyzes the mutirão (collective work) practices established in some community gardens in São Paulo city. Mutirão is observed as a practice with an inherent political and insurgent character that promotes not only food production but also shared management of public spaces, community building, and the production of the common as a political principle of self-governance.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyPaesaggi transitori e agricoltura urbana: possibilità dagli scenari di espansione urbana a Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro
2019A Noussia · Research Open (London South Bank University) · Brazil
This paper discusses urban agriculture on city peripheries within a scenario of urban expansion, focusing on the Guaratiba neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. It argues that the city's urban expansion process does not invest in the inclusion of urban agriculture activities within the area's socio-environmental dynamics.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageAGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2018: SUMMARY AND PERSPECTIVE
2019Carl Zulauf · EСONOMY FINANСES MANAGEMENT Topical issues of science and practical activity · United States
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the latest US farm bill, authorized programmatic changes without major spending realignment across its 12 titles. Commodity assistance payments are now more closely tied to market conditions, and commitment to private-public partnerships for environmental issues increased. US land conservation programs are evolving into a pyramid policy approach, and mandatory funding for research, extension, and agricultural export programs saw significant increases. Issues addressed across multiple titles include urban agriculture, organic production, and assistance for various farmer groups.
PolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe experience of community urban gardens: Social organization and food security
2019Joeli Silva de Souza, Ryzia de Cássia Vieira Cardoso, Lídice Almeida Arlego PARAGUASSÚ, Sidione Ferreira dos Santos · Revista de Nutrição · Brazil (Salvador-Bahia)
A cross-sectional exploratory study in Salvador-Bahia characterized community gardens, with five out of seven gardens participating and data collected from 13 horticulturists. 80.0% of gardens lacked land legalization, 100.0% operated without technical support, and 60.0% had no social organization. Major difficulties included lack of funding, volunteers, and water use restrictions, indicating insufficient policies limited technical support and financing.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicySocial perception of urban agriculture in Latin-America. A case study in Mexican social housing
2018Nadal A., Cerón-Palma I., García-Gómez C., Pérez-Sánchez M., Rodríguez-Labajos B., Cuerva E., Josa A., Rieradevall J. · Land Use Policy 76:719-734 · Mexico
Through interviews with 65 stakeholders in Mérida's social housing, this study analyzes social perceptions of urban agriculture in low-income Latin American settings, exploring its potential for safe, nutritious food supply and social benefits.
CommunityWelfarePolicyUrban agriculture, racial capitalism, and resistance in the settler‐colonial city
2018Nathan McClintock · Geography Compass · United States
This review proposes that the lens of "racial capitalism" can illuminate the contradictory motivations and outcomes of urban agriculture (UA). It examines how UA can contribute to racial Othering, the racialization of space, and dispossession on the one hand, while enabling struggles of resistance and self-determination on the other. The author uses this framework to address how settler-colonial logics persist in the contemporary North American city.
PolicyCommunityExploring a Big Data Approach to Building a List Frame for Urban Agriculture: A Pilot Study in the City of Baltimore
2018Linda J. Young, Michael Hyman, Barbara R. Rater · Journal of Official Statistics · United States (Baltimore)
This pilot study explored a big-data approach to building a list frame for enumerating urban agriculture, which is challenging because urban agricultural holdings tend to be small, diverse, dispersed and transient. Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service in the City of Baltimore, it identified areas of potential agricultural activity by gathering web-based information (permits, Facebook and Twitter feeds, interest groups) and then verified a sample via in-person survey. The paper presents the pilot results and discusses lessons learned and next steps.
PolicyEconomicsCultivating (a) Sustainability Capital: Urban Agriculture, Ecogentrification, and the Uneven Valorization of Social Reproduction
2018McClintock N. · Annals of the American Association of Geographers · USA
Demonstrates how urban agriculture becomes entangled in eco-gentrification, arguing that eco-gentrification is not merely a side effect of an urban sustainability fix but is central to how racial capitalism operates through green urbanization.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyGated gardens: Effects of urbanization on community formation and commons management in community gardens
2018Egerer M., Fairbairn M. · Geoforum · California, USA
Under rapid urbanization on California's central coast, social tensions permeate garden boundaries and shape internal relations. Conflicts over membership rules, resource management, and theft of produce erode community cohesion within the gardens.
CommunityPolicyEvaluating Food Policy Councils Using Structural Equation Modeling
2018Calancie Larissa, Allen Nicole E., Ng Shu Wen, Weiner Bryan J., Ward Dianne S., Ware William B., Ammerman Alice S. · American Journal of Community Psychology · USA
Quantitatively evaluates US food policy councils, modelling links between council characteristics and policy activity. Reveals many councils have limited capacity and achieve modest policy engagement, identifying structural weaknesses that constrain their effectiveness as governance bodies.
Policy"We're not in the business of housing:" Environmental gentrification and the nonprofitization of green infrastructure projects
2018Jeremy Németh, Alessandro Rigolon · Cities · USA (Chicago, The 606)
Case study of Chicago's publicly-backed 606 greenway showing how reliance on park nonprofits to deliver large green-infrastructure projects accelerates environmental gentrification: the governance model disclaims responsibility for the displacement it causes.
PolicyEconomicsWelfareThe politics of urban agriculture
2018Nathan McClintock, Christiana Miewald, Eugene McCann · · North America
This chapter explores urban agriculture (UA) as fundamentally political practices, examining its role in neoliberal governance and sustainability policy-making, and as an object of contestation. It relates UA motivations and practices to processes of urbanization and political economic restructuring. The chapter highlights that UA is a site of political contestation, arising from broader political economic shifts.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsBrownfields to Greenfields: Environmental Justice Versus Environmental Gentrification
2018Juliana Maantay, Andrew Maroko · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United States (New York City)
This study examined whether proximity to community gardens in less affluent neighborhoods is associated with an increased likelihood of gentrification, using Brooklyn, New York as a case study. Employing GIS and spatial analysis, the results suggest that proximity to community gardens is associated with significant increases in per capita income over a five-year period. This indicates that environmental improvements, such as community gardens, may paradoxically spur gentrification and the displacement of existing lower-income residents, raising concerns for environmental justice.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyWelfareMunicipal Policy Enabling Regional Food Systems in British Columbia, Canada: Assessing Focal Areas and Gaps
2018Naomi Robert, Kent Mullinix · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada
This study assessed Official Community Plans (OCPs) from 61 municipalities in British Columbia, Canada, to identify focal points and gaps in local government food system planning. It found that policies addressing food access and urban agriculture were most prevalent, but recognition of Indigenous foodways was scarce. Gaps were identified in post-production capacity, waste management, and environmental stewardship, suggesting a need for coordinated policy efforts beyond urban agriculture.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCompeting Discourses of Household Food Insecurity in Canada
2018Zsofia Mendly‐Zambo, Dennis Raphael · Social Policy and Society · Canada
Household food insecurity (HFI) affects over 1.7 million Canadian households, yet government action to address it has been remarkably limited. Non-governmental efforts like food banks and community gardens have depoliticized HFI, complicating solutions. The study argues that the critical materialist political economy discourse, which is least considered, best explains HFI in Canada and offers the most effective response.
Limited or null effectWelfareCommunityPolicyEconomicsGrowing Gardens Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Strategic Expansion of Anchorage, Alaska’s Community Garden System
2018Shannon Donovan · Case Studies in the Environment · United States (Anchorage)
A multi-faceted needs assessment, including a community survey, stakeholder workshop, and key informant interviews, was conducted in Anchorage, Alaska, to explore the strategic expansion of its community garden system. The study found that demand for community gardens far outweighs supply. To sustainably meet diverse needs, expansion efforts should focus on accessible locations, gardener capacity building, and strengthening partnerships.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUM DIÁLOGO ENTRE A AGROECOLOGIA E A AGRICULTURA URBANA EM REGIÕES METROPOLITANAS
2018Daniela Adil Oliveira de Almeida, Gabriel Mattos Ornelas, Melissa Luciana de Araújo, Luisa Melgaço Ferreira Jorge Marques, Camila Marina Teixeira Ferreira, Victor Gabriel de Souza Lima, Patricia Cristina Coutinho Nardini, Rodrigo Pinto da Matta Machado, Heloísa Soares de Moura Costa · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Brazil
The process of systematizing the experience of AUÊ!, the Urban Agriculture Study Group at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, helped to record and critically reflect on the group's trajectory. This systematization made it possible to identify the qualities, potentialities, and gaps in the group's performance.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationPolicyDepiction of Wild Food Foraging Practices in the Media: Impact of the Great Recession
2018Sonya Sachdeva, Marla R. Emery, Patrick T. Hurley · Society & Natural Resources · United States
This paper investigated how wild food foraging is framed in print and digital news media and how these depictions varied over a 15-year period including the Great Recession, using automated content analysis. Results showed that prevalent framings represented foraging as either a self-provisioning practice or a source of luxury commodities and experiences, with economic uncertainty appearing to affect the frequency of each framing by news media sources. These distinct framings may influence future regulatory landscapes of foraging.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityAfecto y disidencia : re-configuración y alternativas de espacio público en los jardines comunitarios de Loisaida, Nueva York = Affect and Dissidence : The Re-Configuration of Public Space through Loisaida´s Community Gardens, New York
2018Natalia Matesanz Ventura · · United States (New York City)
This article examines over fifty self-managed community gardens in Loisaida, New York, which form an informal network combining "affection" and "dissidence" to create "affect-dent" spaces. These gardens, established since the 1960s, reconfigure public space by opposing administration, the real-estate market, media invasion, and the appropriation of public space by the private sector. The study highlights how these spaces challenge dominant power structures and serve as a reference in contemporary architecture of the common.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing Syracuse: The Architect's Role in Improving Syracuse, NY's Food Environment
2018Stephanie Wagner · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States (Syracuse)
This project explores Syracuse, NY's food environment and socio-economic issues pertaining to lack of food accessibility. It examines the existing network of Syracuse Grows community gardens, how architecture can intervene within it, and the architect's role in improving the local food environment. The goal of architectural interventions is to provide the community with a platform to kick start a larger change in the urban and socioeconomic fabrics of the city.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceAvanços e desafios das hortas comunitárias urbanas de base agroecológica: uma análise do município de Sete Lagoas
2018Daniel Calbino, I. Borges, Luis Antonio Andrade Rosas, C.T. Abreu, Fernanda Anziliero Gonçalves · COLÓQUIO - Revista do Desenvolvimento Regional · Brazil
This case study in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, discusses the advances and challenges of agroecological urban community gardens, which have a history of approximately 33 years. Research findings indicate that public policy enables income generation for producers, increased supply, and food security in the region. However, the study highlights the need for greater support to address producers' limited technical knowledge and the importance of more supportive interpersonal relationships.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPlanning and designing low-carbon cities in México
2018Silverio Hernández Moreno, José Antonio Hernández Moreno, Bianca G. Alcaraz Vargas · Cuadernos de Vivienda y Urbanismo · Mexico
This article proposes an urban cluster for planning low-carbon cities in Mexico, drawing on environmental design models for buildings and smart city planning strategies integrating urban and rural land uses. It suggests allocating areas for urban agriculture and alternative energy generation, in addition to housing, commerce, and green spaces. The cluster design is concluded to function as an urban design pattern, useful for smart city planning, and a reference point for planning "ruracities."
PolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeUrban Farming in Philadelphia
2018Kaitlyn Lawrence · Digital Commons - Ursinus (Ursinus College) · United States (Philadelphia)
This study aims to understand urban farming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by investigating who farms as a business, what they grow, their methods, and reasons for involvement. Recognizing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not track urban farmers, the research intends to develop an understanding of the collective identity of Philadelphia's urban farmers to help them better serve their communities.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture, Uneven Development, and Gentrification in Portland, Oregon
2018Brian Elliott · Environmental Ethics · United States
This paper argues that Portland, Oregon's thriving urban agriculture scene, despite its reputation for sustainability, should be viewed as an adjunct to advanced neoliberal urban governance rather than a resistance movement against it. It critiques recent case studies that suggest the social sustainability of urban agriculture remains an open question, asserting that this view lacks a critical urban geography perspective. The study concludes that urban agriculture in Portland, on the whole, contributes to uneven development and gentrification.
Equity & displacementCommunityCSA & TeikeiPolicyEconomicsAnálise da necessidade de escolarização de jovens, adultos e idosos: O estudo de caso na Horta Comunitária Girassol – São Sebastião/DF
2018Tallyrand Moreira Jorcelino, Getúlio Francisco Silva, Jorge Alfredo Cerqueira Streit · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (São Sebastião/DF)
A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research was conducted at the Girassol Community Garden in São Sebastião/DF, Brazil. The study aimed to collect educational data from garden members through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis, intending to contribute to public policy formulation. Main results showed that 62.5% of Girassol Community Garden members had incomplete elementary school, 25% had completed high school, and 12.5% had incomplete high school. The conclusions identified a necessity for access to schooling in youth and adult education segments, and for knowledge relevant to environmental education and the work they develop in the garden.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfare