Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
602 results(18 / 25)
Contribución desde Cuba a la actualización de los términos campesinado, agricultura urbana y soberanía alimentaria
2014Angelina Herrera Sorzano · Veredas: Revista del Pensamiento Sociológico · Cuba
This article from Cuba addresses the terms "rural peasantry," "urban agriculture," and "food sovereignty" from a Cuban perspective. It aims to update knowledge on these concepts, which are considered basic pillars of rural development and food needs satisfaction in Latin American and Caribbean rural development.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunity Gardens Versus Family Gardens? Urban Reform and Controversies Around the Beautiful Garden and its Legitimate
2014Arnaud Frauenfelder, Christophe Delay, Laure Scalambrin · Espaces et sociétés · Switzerland (Geneva)
This article examines a contemporary urban reform in Geneva concerning family gardens, whose status is now in competition with new forms of community gardens. While the reform is presented as necessary, spokespersons for family allotment associations welcome it with some reservation. Social actors' positions for or against the reform implicitly refer to different socially situated modes of gardening and lifestyles, revealing that "urban agriculture" masks heterogeneous social meanings behind a visible consensus.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT ON THE ORGANIC SECTOR HORIZONCOMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE IN HUNGARY
2014Zoltán Dezsény, Bálint Balázs, Katalin Réthy · · Hungary
This study explored farm enterprises following Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) practices in Hungary. The research confirmed that CSA can be identified as a sustainable rural business strategy for innovative organic farmers. It also has transformative potential for food-system localization, providing decent livelihood, good care of natural resources, and strengthening social cohesion within the rural-urban interface in Hungary.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageTheory of Connotation and Path of“Modern Agriculture into Town”
2014Liu Hong-yi · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · Global
This paper discusses the concept of "modern agriculture into town," or urban agriculture, covering various city sizes and urban agglomeration areas. Findings indicate that urban farming is viable only when the comprehensive utility of agricultural output per town's land equals or exceeds that of non-agricultural industries. Urban agriculture is characterized by marketability, high profitability, public goods, and vulnerability, and requires national food security, agricultural scientific progress, and reduced industrial-agricultural disparity.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceComparison of Foreign and Domestic Development Modes of Urban Agriculture
2014Na Chen · · Global
This paper analyzed typical urban agriculture practices in domestic and foreign cities, categorizing them into industrialization and community citizenization modes. It compared differences in key functions, agricultural forms, and driving bodies, concluding that the modern industrialization mode is suitable for China's national conditions. The study proposes building an urban agriculture development system that focuses on economic functions while considering social and ecological aspects, with government leadership, enterprise operation, and farmer participation.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageDay in the Lab: Urban Informatics Research Lab, Queensland University of Technology
2014Mark Bilandzic, Marcus Foth · QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) · Australia
The Urban Informatics Research Lab at Queensland University of Technology focuses on interdisciplinary topics at the intersection of social, spatial, and technical research domains, including urban planning, civic innovation, and urban agriculture. The lab's approach involves user-centered design research to understand, conceptualize, develop, and evaluate sociotechnical practices and digital technology opportunities in urban environments.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyDigital agricultureThe Study of Urban Agricultural Manor Construction under the Perspective of Rural Tourism Complex
2014LU Fe · Ecological Economy · Global
This paper analyzed the similarities and differences between rural tourism complexes and urban agricultural manors using a comparative method. Both share resource bases, industrial bases, market orientation, development ideas, target markets, and high-quality services. However, they differ in core profit points, essential supporting facilities, location selection, operators, managers, and stakeholders. The study inferred insights for constructing urban agricultural manors from existing rural tourism complex development modes, proposing construction thoughts focused on agricultural foundation, urban-rural integration, cultural integration, industrial development, and ecological civilization.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunityCity pig farm
2014Ulf Hackauf · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · Global
This paper explores urban pig farming as a specific form of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). It uses a design-based research strategy, drawing on the 'City Pig' study (2009) from Delft University of Technology, to identify the potential benefits of urban pig farming and assess how un-built design projects can inform future real projects. A significant limitation is that the study concerns virtual, un-built design proposals.
Urban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCommunityHealthA Scoping Review of Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Market Vegetables and Biomarker Evidence of Consumer Exposure in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: An African Perspective, 2014
2014Abdirahman Osman Warsame, Fadumo Abdi Mohamud, Ahmed Hassan Ali · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)
This scoping review synthesized evidence on the association between heavy metal contamination in vegetables sold in Kinshasa's urban markets, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and human biomarkers of consumer exposure. Available evidence consistently showed that vegetables, particularly leafy greens, from Kinshasa markets contained elevated levels of lead and cadmium, often exceeding international safety limits. However, studies directly linking vegetable contamination with human biomarkers are notably scarce, suggesting a potential exposure pathway but not establishing definitive causation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageA Probe on Urban Agriculture-Oriented Ecological City
2014Tong Zhou, Tao Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global
This article introduced the connotation and function of urban agriculture, analyzing the relationship between its development and ecological city construction. It concluded that the development of urban agriculture is conducive to eco-city construction and an inevitable choice for it.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyClimate changeLooking over Fences
2014Ben Stringer · WestminsterResearch (University of Westminster) · Global
This essay explains the design development for a city farm within the context of the history of representations of rurality in arts and architecture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageSociocoltura. La riscoperta del rapporto con la terra come "balsamo" per la società ibrida urbana
2014Marco Picone · Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) · Global
This article considers the role of agriculture in contemporary societies, specifically the renaissance of urban gardening and innovative forms of agriculture. It studies the spread and impact of urban gardening and other innovative agriculture and horticulture in hyper-technological postmetropolises. These forms of crop tending are stimulating new forms of relationships, encouraging people to regain control over their lives and spend time closer to nature, and are argued to be becoming a form of "society tending" or socioculture, aligning with growing environmental awareness.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageSeeds for Change? Attaining the benefits of community gardens through council policies in Sydney, Australia
2014Gregory Mintz, Phil McManus · Australian Geographer · Australia (Sydney)
This research in Sydney, Australia, evaluates and compares the quality of community garden policies with the distribution of community gardens across local councils and broader geographic regions. It identifies areas that could benefit from increased access to community gardens and discusses ways for councils and the Sydney Region to improve their policies. The study aims to determine what elements community garden policies should contain to best promote these gardens and their benefits.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDriving forces of land use
2014Matilda Thelin · · Sweden
This qualitative study in peri-urban Uppsala, Sweden, identifies driving forces influencing land use decisions by commercial farmers and institutional landowners. It notes that approximately 700 hectares of land in Sweden are diverted from food production annually, with Uppsala Municipality showing the greatest change in 2013. The expropriation of agricultural land for urban development leads to farmers losing land resources and increased competition for remaining land, resulting in high land prices.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageUrbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Wakuru Magigi · Journal of Environmental Protection · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This paper explores Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, demonstrating that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The study highlights the interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services, and climate change, which influence land governance and productivity. It suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to enhance food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsCommunityThe Ruralization of the World
2013Monika Krause · Public Culture · Global
In response to the current situation where the diagnosis of urbanization has lost meaning, the necessity of analyzing sociospatial transformations from the perspective of "ruralization" is proposed. This approach reveals phenomena such as urban agriculture, urban wildlife, boring towns, and farmers in suburbs, as well as new forms of improvisation in the face of failing infrastructures, making visible developments that are not apparent with a narrow focus on urbanization.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceIn This Issue: The Depth and Breadth of the Emerging Food Systems Literature
2013Duncan Hilchey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This open call edition of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development features diverse topics including beef origin traceability, cultural sustainability, rural food deserts, climate variability and adaptations, food safety regulations, urban agriculture, and food waste. These topics reflect the enormous diversity of the nascent field of food systems.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsLes fonctions alimentaires de l’agriculture urbaine au Nord et au Sud - Diversité et convergences
2013Christine Aubry · Bulletin de l Association de géographes français · Global
This article explores the specificities and convergences of urban agriculture's food functions in both Northern and Southern contexts. It presents a general multi-criteria reflection on urban farming operations, considering their operating systems, cultivation systems, and locations. Examples from Antananarivo, Madagascar, and Île-de-France illustrate these differences and convergences in practice.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAgricultura urbana y el rol de la planificación de las ciudades
2013Camilo Villagrán Oyarzún, Ken Yan Qiu Sun · Revista de Urbanismo · Chile (Santiago de Chile)
This 2013 study investigated the challenges of integrating urban agriculture into Communal Regulatory Plans in Santiago de Chile. Analyzing two case studies in different metropolitan communes, the research inferred the general state of urban agriculture's inclusion in urban planning. The findings implicitly suggest difficulties in its integration, highlighting the need for improved governance in urban planning to effectively incorporate urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityEconomicsNIVELES DE CADMIO, PLOMO, COBRE Y ZINC EN HORTALIZAS CULTIVADAS EN UNA ZONA ALTAMENTE URBANIZADA DE LA CIUDAD DE LA HABANA, CUBA
2013Susana Olivares Reumont, Damarys García Céspedes, Lázaro Lima Cazorla, Israel Saborit Sánchez, Axel Llizo Casals, Pedro Pérez Álvarez · Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental · Cuba (Havana)
This study investigated levels of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn in soils and vegetables from 17 urban agriculture farms around the "Calle 100" landfill in Havana, Cuba, during 2006-2007. Findings showed that 35% of soils exceeded typical Cuban agricultural ranges for Zn, and 52% for Pb. Critically, 23% of soils surpassed phytotoxic and international limit levels for Pb, and 12.5% of vegetable samples exceeded Cuban maximum permissible limits for Pb in food for human consumption. The results indicate a need for strict monitoring of horticultural crops in the area due to contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkagePolicyPotenciál záhrad a produkčných plôch v súčasnom meste
2013Jana Adamková · Brno University of Technology Digital Library (Brno University of Technology) · Global
This article discusses how productive gardens, historically integral to cities, have been disappearing from urban structures in recent years. As urban agglomerations and their resource uses become dominant, cities increasingly depend on external food supplies. The article highlights the importance of gardens for humans and the role of productive urban space in creating a viable urban environment. It states that as the world urbanizes, urban agriculture plays an important role in contributing to the sustainability of cities in spatial, socio-economic, and environmental ways.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeFunctional Change and the Peri‐Urban Region: Food Systems and Agricultural Vulnerability
2013Andrew Butt · Economic Papers A journal of applied economics and policy · Australia
This article reviews changes in farm output and structure in peri-urban regions around Australia's cities. It concludes that farming in these regions is changing differently from other agricultural regions, with productivity centered on a few high-value activities. The majority of peri-urban farming, while potentially providing landscape services, is unable to adjust to changing productivity regimes, creating vulnerabilities for these farming systems.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSocio-economic characterization of integrated cropping systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture of Faisalabad, Pakistan
2013Shoaib Ur Rehman, Martina Předotová, Iqar Ahmad Khan, Eva Schlecht, Buerkert, Andreas · GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) · Pakistan
A baseline survey conducted in Faisalabad, Pakistan, from 2009–2010 studied 140 households to characterize urban and peri-urban agricultural (UPA) systems. Findings showed 96% of households relied on agriculture, with 70% of heads having primary education. Farmers cultivated 35 species, predominantly vegetables (65%), and faced major problems including scarcity of high-quality irrigation water and inadequate mineral fertilizers. Half of the respondents earned less than US$1.25 daily.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityAnalysis and comparison of vacant land resources for urban food production
2013Benjamin Kerrick · The Knowledge Bank (The Ohio State University) · Global
This research aimed to understand how vacant land resources vary by ownership and urbanization, studying over one hundred sites in seven central Ohio counties around Columbus. GIS-based classification identified publicly and privately owned vacant land suitable for vegetable production. No appreciable differences were found between publicly and privately owned land in terms of parcel size, perimeter-area ratio, or quality; however, privately owned land was more prevalent and, when present, tended to occur in greater quantities.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunity“Vertical Farms, Urban Restructuring and The Rise of Capitalist Urban Agriculture ”
2013Lindsey Sarann Hallock · · Global
This paper examines the rise of vertical farms, arguing that they advance the corporate food regime and promote urban elite consumption. It differentiates vertical farms as local food projects that reproduce the capitalist industrial system rather than challenging it, facilitated by devalued built environments and labor surplus in neoliberal cities. The study concludes that these farms reproduce troubling trends in the corporate food regime, signifying capital's ability to standardize food cultivation and incorporate it into factory-like production systems.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkage