Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3765 results(145 / 151)
Grower Perspectives in Community Supported Agriculture
2004Eva C. Worden · HortTechnology · United States
A study using case study interviews to identify community-supported agriculture (CSA) growers' perspectives in the United States, focusing on their information sources and motivations. Like most organic growers, but unlike most conventional growers, few CSA growers had a family background in agriculture; common information sources and strong informal communication were observed among CSA growers, whose primary sources were other growers, printed material, and conferences, while conventional agricultural information sources such as the cooperative extension system and formal agricultural education were underutilised and ranked lowest in importance. CSA growers were motivated by multiple goals - marketing, education, community, and environment - with marketing the most frequently cited primary goal, followed by consumer education; for many CSA growers, the marketing motive was not purely monetary but also philosophical, pursued as a vehicle for achieving "right livelihood" and building an associative economy that redefines society's relationship to food and land.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomics抓重点 求实效 不断提升蔬菜的质量与档次
2004张兆康 · 上海蔬菜 · China
This short report on a Chinese suburban district notes that vegetable cultivation, with its short cycle and high returns, has become a key route to prosperity for suburban farmers and the leading industry of urban agriculture there. It states that base vegetable area reached 381.2 hectares, plus 840 hectares of year-round vegetable area in farming zones, bringing the district's total vegetable area to 1,220 hectares, or 14.4% of its cultivated land.
EconomicsPeri-urban agriculture经济发达地区农行支持服务“三农”大有作为
2004王建炘 · 农金纵横 · China
Focusing on the economically developed southern Jiangsu region of China, this piece describes a rising momentum toward building modern urban agriculture, driven by heightened attention to "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" issues from party and government at all levels and by growing domestic and foreign investment in agriculture. It states, however, that the Agricultural Bank of China — described as the main force in rural finance — has for years shifted the focus of its business expansion toward urban areas, advantaged secondary and tertiary industries, and quality domestic and foreign industrial enterprises, leaving it providing very little credit service or support to agriculture.
EconomicsPolicyBox 2.1 Commercially successful urban agriculture in Jakarta, Indonesia
2004Kenny Lynch · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This piece reviews the literature on urban agriculture (UA), noting that Bryceson (1993) provides documentary evidence from as early as 1939 of UA's importance during and after the Second World War, and that the UN University's Food Energy Nexus research programme in the mid-1980s prompted researchers to examine agricultural cultivation within city boundaries more seriously. Since then, a significant body of literature has developed around a central debate over whether urban agriculture is beneficial, summarized by Lynch (2002). This summary is described as having two problems: it assumes urban agriculture is a homogenous activity with universally similar impacts, and it is largely viewed from the perspective of a city's population, so urban agriculture tends to be seen as beneficial for food, employment and the environment with little consideration of its impacts on the rural-urban food supply. This led Lynch, Binns and Olofin (2001) to argue that urban agriculture should instead be considered part of the broader urban food supply system.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityEconomicsPolicyThe links between urban and rural development
2003Tacoli, C. · Environment and Urbanization 15(1), 3–12 · Global
A classic synthesis of urban-rural interactions, systematizing flows of people, goods, capital and information between countryside and city, and showing—via South Asian and sub-Saharan cases—that cities are essential to rural development.
EconomicsPolicyContesting Capitalism at the Post-Soviet Dacha: The Meaning of Food Cultivation for Urban Russians
2003Zavisca J.R. · Slavic Review · Russia
An ethnographic study showing that dacha food cultivation among urban Russians serves as a discursive arena for debating the rationality and morality of the post-Soviet transition to capitalism, not merely an economic survival strategy.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyTrajectories in People's Farming in Moscow Oblast during the Post-Socialist Transformation
2003Pallot J., Nefedova T. · Journal of Rural Studies · Russia (Moscow Oblast)
Examines the diverse forms and micro-geography of personal food plot production in Moscow Oblast, revealing how geographic, historical, and structural factors shaped household farming during the post-socialist transition.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityThe African Market Garden: The development of a low-pressure drip irrigation system for smallholders in the Sudano Sahel
2003· Irrigation and Drainage · Sudano-Sahel (Niger)
Documents the development of a low-pressure, low-cost drip irrigation system (the African Market Garden) for smallholder growers in the Sudano-Sahel.
DIYEconomicsContribution of urban and peri-urban agriculture to food security in sub-Saharan Africa
2003Olufunke Cofie, R. van Veenhuizen, Pay Drechsel · · Sub-Saharan Africa
Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) significantly contributes to food supply, employment, livelihoods, and poverty alleviation in many Sub-Saharan African cities, providing diverse foods including perishable items. However, UPA production often carries health risks from polluted urban water and faces challenges due to limited semi-official recognition and support from city authorities, sometimes conflicting with planners regarding land tenure and water use. More data is needed for appropriate recognition of this sector.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicyCommunity Gardens and Politics of Scale in New York City
2003Christopher M. Smith, Hilda E. Kurtz · Geographical Review · United States (New York City)
New York City community gardens have faced political contestation for thirty years, notably in 1999 when 114 gardens were slated for public auction and redevelopment. This article examines the controversy as a politics of scale, where garden advocates expanded the dispute beyond individual gardens and the city. The analysis highlights the significance of scale politics for grassroots organizations within a market-centric, neoliberal economic framework.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban and peri-urban agricultural production in Beijing municipality and its impact on water quality
2003James M. Wolf, M S van Wijk, X Cheng, Yuanhao Hu, C.A. van Diepen, A.W. Jongbloed, H van Keulen, C H Lu, R.P. Roetter · Environment and Urbanization · China (Beijing)
This paper reviews agricultural production trends in Beijing Municipality and their impact on water quality. Rapid urbanization and agricultural intensification have led to concerns regarding water resource quantity and quality. The agricultural sector, while supplying food, is a major water user and has contributed to significant water supply-demand gaps and high levels of water pollution, particularly from intensive crop, vegetable, and livestock production.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleCommunity Supported Agriculture on the Central Coast: The CSA Grower Experience
2003Jan Perez · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · United States (California)
This 2003 research brief investigated the experiences of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) growers on the central coast of California. The study examined their motivations, economic viability, challenges, and issues related to equal access to their products. The research brief indicates that challenges and issues of equal access are present in CSA projects.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityOpportunities for managing solid waste flows in the periurban interface of Bamako and Ouagadougou
2003Derek Eaton, Thea Hilhorst · Environment and Urbanization · Africa
A 2003 paper examined the links between urban solid waste management and peri-urban agriculture in Bamako and Ouagadougou. Farmers near both cities value urban waste as an organic matter source and are willing to pay for it, but uncertain land tenure provides little incentive for safe disposal of dangerous elements in solid waste. Current plans to eliminate this recycling practice and promote large-scale composting are noted to be too costly for farmers, creating an incentive for illicit waste acquisition.
Governance failureOrganic cyclePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomics赋于农业新内涵 构建发展新格局--关于奉贤都市农业发展的思考
2003俞凯丰 · 上海农村经济 · China (Shanghai)
This paper discusses the profound changes in agriculture's function, its role in urbanization, and urban-rural relations within the context of Shanghai's development into an international metropolis. Following fundamental shifts in China's agricultural product supply and demand, agriculture in metropolitan suburbs is no longer merely a subsidiary food base. New urban demands and qualitative changes in agriculture necessitate its extension into secondary and tertiary industries and integration with cities, thereby giving agriculture new connotations and functions, and forming a new development pattern.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsA novel living agricultural concept in urban communities: Family Business Garden
2003Thilak T. Ranasinghe · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Sri Lanka
Through experience in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, the "Family Business Garden" concept justifies the necessity of urban agriculture amidst limited urban infrastructure, environmental conditions, and socio-economic situations. This concept, by properly mixing environmental and commercial agricultural concerns, not only addresses family food requirements but also opens the way to produce for markets under liberalized economies by promoting agro-entrepreneurship and social capital development in urban communities.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareTowards “pro-poor” urban development in South Africa: the case of urban agriculture
2003Christian M. Rogerson · Acta Academica Critical views on society culture and politics · South Africa
This article examines international and South African research on urban agriculture's role in poverty reduction, arguing for the need for policy guidelines to support local initiatives in South Africa. It suggests that best practices from international urban agriculture policy interventions could form the basis for such guidelines.
WelfarePolicyEconomicsCommunityHarmony Development of Urban Agriculture of Urban Compact Districts--A Case Study of ChangshaZhuzhouXiangtan
2003Liao Minghui · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · China (ChangshaZhuzhouXiangtan)
This paper discusses the essentiality of urban agriculture development in urban compact districts, highlighting its multiple efficacies including economic, social, and ecological benefits. Based on an analysis of typical examples in ChangshaZhuzhouXiangtan, the paper describes the current status and identifies many problems in urban agriculture. Finally, numerous countermeasures are proposed for these issues.
Governance failureEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityPolicySeasonal Production Trends and Economic Growth Models in Community Gardens as Urban Food Security Initiatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
2003Mulu Tesfay Gebru · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This research in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, investigated community gardens as urban food security initiatives, collecting data through surveys and market analysis. Seasonal fluctuations showed vegetable production peaked during the rainy season, contributing up to 30% of total annual harvests. Economic models indicated a positive correlation between garden size and local income generation, highlighting the potential of community gardens for food security and economic stability.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice第I編 グリーン・コミュニティ・ツーリズム
2003Jitsuo Saito · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Global
This article explores the concept of green community tourism for urban citizens, discussing the ambivalence towards community and the role of green money in fostering green prosumerism. It suggests that green tourism can build communities that integrate both market and non-market economies, strengthening relationships between urban and rural communities and supporting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The article also references the Japanese Organic Certification Rule announced in 2000.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsOn urban agriculture
2003Diao Yong-zuo · Zhongguo Qingnian Zhengzhi Xueyuan xuebao · Global
Urban agriculture is a significant phenomenon of social and economic development and an important constituent of the urban industrial structure. It has overtaken and promoted traditional agriculture, with its function and influence extending beyond traditional agriculture, becoming a significant aspect of the modern urban economy. Actively cultivating urban agriculture is a key task for developing the modern urban economy and achieving agricultural modernization.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyIdentification of banana production systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Yaoundé
2003Sylvaine Lemeilleur, Ludovic Temple, Moïse Kwa · Agritrop (Cirad) · Cameroon (Yaoundé)
This study states that urban development, a key feature of socioeconomic change in developing countries, presents the challenge of increasing food supply to meet urban consumer demands. While peri-urban agriculture offers favorable conditions for intensifying production systems, there is limited research specifically on bananas. Therefore, this work aims to identify banana production systems in the peri-urban agriculture of Yaoundé, Cameroon's capital (1.4 million inhabitants).
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsL'agriculture face au développement économique : un combat inégal ou des politiques périurbaines à construire
2003N. Bertrand, Nicole Rousier · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · France (Grenoble)
In the Grenoble urban region, agriculture holds relatively minor economic importance despite the region's strong technological development. However, the region's 2000 master plan assigned an essential role to farming. Peri-urban agriculture is a key issue in planning policies, engaging local officials, planners, and farming community representatives, but its economic weight remains low.
Economic viabilityPolicyPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsHeavy metal levels of pasture grasses in metropolitan area
2003G. B. Luilo, Othman C. Othman · Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings) · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study measured heavy metal levels (cadmium, manganese, lead, and zinc) in Cynodon grasses near roads in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Mean levels of lead and zinc varied exponentially with distance from the road up to 15m and correlated with average daily traffic, suggesting vehicular sources. For public health reasons, it is recommended that pasture grasses in road vicinities not be used for foraging dairy cattle and goats.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsResearch on Urban Agriculture and Urbanization Process
2003Lei Qion, Peng Ke-shan · Journal of Chongqing University. English Edition · China
This paper addresses three agricultural problems in China: slow agricultural growth, lagging rural development, and low peasant income. These issues, stemming from urban-rural disparities and financial deviations from the planned economy era, are analyzed with urban agriculture presented as an effective solution. The paper discusses the importance, basic concepts, and characteristics of urban agriculture, summarizes its role and development model in the Yangling agricultural high technology and production model area, and proposes sustainable development countermeasures based on advanced experiences from China and abroad.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceMultifonctionnalités de l'agriculture dans les territoires périurbains : diversité des formes d'exercice du métier d'agriculteur, insertions de l'agriculture dans l'aménagement des territoires
2003André Fleury, Paule Moustier, Jean-Jacques Toiron · Agritrop (Cirad) · Global
This project aims to analyze the specificities and contributions of peri-urban agriculture to the transformation of peri-urban spaces into urban territories. It seeks to unify analytical concepts for agriculture in urban areas and produce intervention tools for urban planning and agricultural policy. The project hypothesizes that the sustainability of peri-urban agriculture depends on its ability to integrate into urban policy and projects, leveraging diverse urban demands.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomics