Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5823 results(176 / 233)
Taking Food Public: Redefining Foodways in a Changing World ed. by Psyche Williams-Forson, Carole Counihan (review)
2015Annette B. Fromm · Journal of American Folklore · Global
"Taking Public: Redefining Foodways in a Changing World" is a volume compiling interdisciplinary approaches to five specific topics in worldwide food studies. Authors from diverse fields such as anthropology, sociology, geography, nutrition, and gender studies contribute, addressing themes like production, consumption, performance, food in the diaspora, and activism and foodways. The content spans various subjects including organic farming, veganism, agribusiness, fast food, urban gardens, and dumpster diving, with global examples from Cuba to Southeast Asia, the UK, and African American and Jewish homes in the American South.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageEATING ECOLOGIES: INTEGRATING PRODUCTIVE ECOLOGIES AND FORAGING AT THE LANDSCAPE SCALE
2015Matthew Potteiger · · United States (New York City)
This paper explores a fundamental shift in urban agriculture based on productive urban ecologies and foraging practices. Part one identifies urban foraging as a significant cultural practice, summarizing ethnographic research in Syracuse and New York City, and a multi-city USDA Forest Service study. Part two focuses on design strategies for urban foraging and productive ecologies, presenting case studies and design proposals for Syracuse and New York City. The study outlines a paradigm shift in design and planning to integrate urban agriculture with critical landscape systems and re-localize urban metabolism.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePrograma de desarrollo para una agricultura sostenible en áreas urbana y peri-urbana de la ciudad de Machala.
2015Delgado Pontón, Daniela María · · Ecuador (Machala)
This work aims to provide guidelines for implementing a municipal urban and peri-urban agriculture program in Machala, Ecuador, to improve environmental quality and food security for the population. The proposed program's guidelines are presented, supported by arguments for its importance in combating hunger, enhancing food and nutritional security, reducing urban habitat deterioration, and generating employment for participating families.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityAgriculture urbaine : aménager et nourrir la ville
2015Abou Bâ · VertigO · Global
This reviewed work offers an unusual vision of agricultural production, contrasting with the homogeneity often seen in industrialized countries' agricultural landscapes. The book represents a significant effort by its various authors and is presented as an indispensable tool for researchers interested in urban agriculture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePlant This Movie
2015Sara Parme · Educational Media Reviews Online · Global
The documentary film "Plant This Movie" (2014, 83 min) explores our relationship with food and the wasted space and resource of the 21st-century lawn. This film, one of many similar documentaries on urban farming, proposes learning from and improving upon past mistakes of the Green Movement. It notes that many agricultural nonprofits, including one highlighted, fail due to lack of funding, and while it suggests sustainability efforts should be run like a business, only a fraction of the film is dedicated to this aspect.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthAcciones de Mejora para el Manejo Actual de los Residuos Solidos en los Barrios Manatial y Triangulo Alto Localidad de San Cristobal Sur en la Ciudad de Bogotá
2015Juan Sebastián Muñoz Castiblanco, José Francisco Landinez Cardona · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In the Manantial and Triangulo Alto neighborhoods of Bogotá, serious problems in solid waste management necessitate solutions involving the community and public sanitation companies. This project proposes diagnosing the current state of waste and, based on the findings, implementing an environmental education campaign with an emphasis on urban agriculture and vermiculture. It also aims to improve community collection centers and promote the use of various household materials.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood educationCreating Space: Sack Gardening as a Livelihood Strategy in the Kibera Slums of Nairobi, Kenya
2015Courtney M. Gallaher, Antoinette WinklerPrins, Mary Njenga, Nancy Karanja · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Kenya (Nairobi)
This research investigated how participation in sack gardening improved the livelihoods of farmers in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The study demonstrates that urban agriculture, particularly low-space activities like sack gardening, can be a viable and important livelihood strategy for households, even in densely populated slum environments.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Market-Gardening in Parakou (Republic of Benin): Spatial Dynamics, Food Security, Protection of the Environment and Creation of Employments
2015Abdoul-Ramane Abdoulaye, Aboudou Yacoubou Mama Aboudou Ramanou · Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection · Benin (Parakou)
This study examined urban market-gardening in Parakou, Benin, as a solution for rural farmers migrating to the city, given the city's population growth and 65% poverty rate. Using documentary research, interviews, and field observation, the study found that market-gardening areas have evolved, reducing food insecurity through consistent produce availability. It also contributes to environmental protection by draining urban areas and preserving vegetable diversity, while increasing farmers' household incomes and creating employment.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageDiversity-Grown: Participatory Evaluation of a Community Gardening Initiative through Photovoice
2015P. Qasimah Boston, Ivette A López, Krista Harper · Practicing Anthropology · United States (Tallahassee)
This study used Photovoice to evaluate an urban agricultural food movement event in Tallahassee, Florida. Youth were trained to collect and interpret data, describing the event's value and highlighting cultural influences on the food environment, including diversity and inclusion. The evaluation method, termed Evaluation for Community Action (EFCA), linked improving the food environment with innovative assessment.
CommunityFood educationPolicyMANIFESTAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE AGRÍCOLA NO ESPAÇO URBANO: CASO DO BAIRRO SAGRADA FAMÍLIA EM PIRAPORA-MG
2015Silene Maciel dos Santos, Samuel Ferreira da Fonseca, Luiz Andrei Gonçalves Pereira · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Brazil (Pirapora-MG)
This study analyzed the spatial distribution of urban agricultural activities in the Sagrada Família neighborhood, Pirapora-MG, Brazil, through a literature review. It examined urban agriculture practices, their socio-economic role, and the problems and challenges faced by urban agriculture actors in the neighborhood. The study concluded that the identified issues suggest urban agriculture as an emancipatory process.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityThe Role of Urban Gardening for European’s Ageing Societies
2015Runrid Fox-Kämper · REAL CORP Repository (University of Southampton) · Europe
This paper explores the functions of urban gardening for European cities, with an emphasis on ageing societies. It presents research on living preferences of aged persons in four German cities, indicating the importance of green space access and social functions of urban gardens. The paper also includes a literature review on urban gardening's functions in European cities and initial results from the COST Action on urban allotment gardens.
ElderlyCommunityHealthClimate changeParticipation as if Things Mattered
2015Noortje Marres · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · Global
This text explores the concept of "material participation," where everyday material practices like gardening, washing, and cycling are proposed to facilitate engagement in social and public life. It suggests that material environments, such as kitchens and allotment gardens, have unique capacities to involve people and make broader social problems accessible for intervention. The text raises questions about the legitimacy, efficacy, and distinctiveness of these explicitly material forms of engagement.
CommunityHealthPolicyHistorical approach to urban agriculture in Dahomey (Benin)
2015Dominique Juhé-Beaulaton · · Benin
This study explores the history of urban agriculture in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin) since the 17th century, using European traveler narratives and oral information. It reveals that cities like Abomey, Cana, and Ouidah were centers of agricultural innovation and plant preservation, with farming present in interstitial spaces. Early European contact fostered truck-farming, and colonial administration introduced agricultural stations and new town planning, yet local and European agricultural models coexisted without competition.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityThinking about where the food you eat comes from
2015john standish · · Global
Indira Naidoo and Nick Rose have focused on improving food production and supply chains, encompassing everything from inner-city balcony and community gardens to large-scale commercial production.
CommunityDIYGardens of Sabotage
2015Gabriel R. Valle · Aztlán A Journal of Chicano Studies · United States
This essay explores the self-valorization of work in community gardens to advance a grounded theory of time and value, which has been lacking in Chicana/o studies. Urban community gardens are pivotal to the environmental justice movement, with Chicana/os playing a central role. The essay proposes a revolutionary logic of labor through reframing time and value, aiming to reconnect community gardeners to the means of their own production and reproduction. By creating "gardens of sabotage," communities challenge capitalism by reclaiming the value of work and confronting orthodox notions of economy, work, citizenship, community, and time.
Economic viabilityCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyRelação de confiança em uma rede de cooperação para agricultura urbana
2015Fabio Fernando Kobs, Marcello Sgarbi, Eloy Fassi Casagrande, Maclóvia Corrêa da Silva, Dario Eduardo Amaral Dergint · Revista Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade · Brazil (Curitiba)
This paper aimed to identify mutual trust within an urban farming cooperation network, using a case study of a residence of about 350 square meters for urban farming in the urban area of Curitiba, Parana State, Brazil. Exploratory survey, case study, bibliographical research, and random observation methods were used. Data collection allowed for the construction of a cooperation network, establishing the trust relationship, and confirming the initial hypothesis that the type of trust is process-based.
CommunityFood for thought: edible gardens in New Zealand primary and secondary schools
2015Clare E. Collins, Rosalina Richards, Anthony I. Reeder, Andrew Gray · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · New Zealand
To investigate the implementation of edible gardens in New Zealand primary and secondary schools, a questionnaire was mailed to principals from 764 schools, with 491 responding (64.3% response rate). Among responding schools, 52.9% currently had an edible garden, with most started in the previous two years. Gardens were integrated into curriculum subjects, cooking lessons, recipes, and messages promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption, with vegetables, herbs, and tree fruit commonly grown.
Food educationHealthCommunityProductive Synergies in the City
2015Greg Keeffe · Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) · United Kingdom
This chapter focuses on developing sustainable growing infrastructure at two scales: a large-scale city-wide fuel-productive landscape using algae arrays in Liverpool and a hyper-localized neighborhood food production system in Salford, UK, utilizing a closed-cycle aquaponic system. The author proposes a three-part model for urban agriculture implementation—hardware, software, and interface—concluding that urban agriculture should be viewed as a process rather than a static design, with benefits extending beyond physical outputs like energy and food.
Organic cycleCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeChapter^>10: Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, and Urban Agriculture in the United States
2015V. Ernesto Mendez, Christopher M. Bacon, Roseann Cohen, Stephen R. Gliessman · Agroecology · United States
This chapter discusses the rise of movements for just and sustainable food systems in the United States over the last 15 years, encompassing areas like urban agriculture and food sovereignty. It notes that while most practitioners in US alternative agrifood movements do not use the term "agroecology," they share similar principles. The chapter also describes the evolution of agroecology from a farm-scale focus to a systems-based, transdisciplinary approach for sustainable food systems.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageThe Preference of High- Rise Buildings' Residents Toward Rooftop Garden to Promote Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Malaysia
2015Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunos, Neda Jafari, Utaberta Nangkula, Nor Atiah Ismail, Sumarni Ismail, Nastaran Jafari · · Malaysia
This study examined high-rise building residents' preferences for rooftop gardens to promote urban agriculture in condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. A quantitative survey questionnaire revealed that most participants showed a positive correlation with having a rooftop garden in their living area. Rooftop gardens were found to reduce environmental problems and contribute to microclimate improvement.
DIYCommunityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCoordinated development of urban agricultural multi-functionality of Xi'an metropolitan zone
2015Min Wang · · China (Xi'an)
This study analyzed the dynamic change and spatial difference of urban agricultural multi-functionality in Xi'an metropolitan zone, China, from 2000 to 2013. Using a comprehensive evaluation method and coupling coordinative degree model, it found that production, economic, and social functions generally rose, while ecological function declined. The overall multi-functional coupling coordination degree increased only slightly, and remained low across all regions, showing a core-periphery distribution.
EconomicsCommunityBiodiversityPolicyPutting Food Banks Out of Business: Final Report
2015Beth Perry, ⁄ Walsh, Diana Silver · White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) · United Kingdom
This project, conducted from October 2014 to May 2015, focused on the Biospheric Foundation in Blackfriars, East Salford, UK. The Biospheric Foundation was an urban socio-ecological experiment aiming to implement a whole-system approach to urban farming in a deprived area. Its goals included designing interconnected systems, retrofitting a building for ecological research, and raising public awareness of healthy food and ecological systems in urban settings.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfarehttp://www.agdevjournal.com/volume-5-issue-2/510-products-urban-collective-gardens.html
2015Jeanne Pourias, Éric Duchemin, Christine Aubry · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada (Montreal); France (Paris)
This paper investigates the food function of collective gardens (CGs) in Paris, France, and Montreal, Canada, where their numbers have rapidly increased. Researchers conducted interviews, quantified production, and monitored plots to understand the quantities and types of fruits and vegetables produced, their destination, and space use. The results indicate a wide diversity of practices concerning CGs' food function, which should be considered alongside their multifunctionality.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe Impact of a Community Garden on a Local Township
2015Mariah E Reitz · Digital Commons - Otterbein (Otterbein University) · United States
This research aimed to determine if a community garden would benefit a suburban township, Blendon Township, in addressing food insecurity and food deserts. A survey evaluated fruit and vegetable consumption, healthy food affordability, and education, as well as the garden's effect on participants' families. Through a literature review and survey assessment, the results indicated that Blendon Township needed a community garden due to its proximity to Columbus and suburban setting.
CommunityHealthWelfareThe Agricultural District of Milan (Dam) and the peri-urban agriculture at ‘Parco delle Risaie'
2015Gioia Gibelli · TERRITORIO · Italy (Milan)
Agriculture has long been an important resource for Milan and its surroundings, with its significance increasing in recent years. Agricultural areas near the city can enhance urban metabolism and citizens' quality of life through ecosystem and landscape services, providing cultural and environmental services, and improving urban resilience. In this context, two important initiatives, the Agricultural District of Milan (DAM) and 'Parco delle Risaie', have been underway in Milan since 2008.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate change