Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(19 / 44)
The Sprouting Farms: You Are What You Grow
2021Jamie Wang · Humanities · Singapore
This article explores the rise of urban farming in Singapore, following small- to medium-scale urban farms, including rooftop gardens, community farms, and organic farms, through the politics of localism and the notion of care. It investigates how localism, in some contexts, has been reduced to a narrow sense of geographic location. The study also examines what is being cared for in urban farming and how it might transform bio-cultural and social-technological relations.
Equity & displacementPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureCARACTERIZACIÓN DE LOS SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN AGRÍCOLA PERIURBANOS EN LA PARROQUIA FEBRES CORDERO Y SU CONTRIBUCIÓN PARA LA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA
2021Julissa Basurto-Bajaña, Victoria Rendón-Ledesma, Oscar Caicedo-Camposano, Georgina Jácome-Lara · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Ecuador
This study aimed to characterize peri-urban agricultural production systems in the Febres Cordero parish. It notes that food insecurity is not uniform across Ecuador, with rural Sierra regions showing higher concentrations of households lacking access to basic food baskets and a higher prevalence of chronic malnutrition. A multicriteria analysis was used to group surveyed families, illustrating their situation in the study area.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsExperiencia educativa: Práctica de huertos familiares y escolares en la zona rural Capachalito, Municipio Tovar, Estado Aragua
2021María Moreno Jaimes · Revista EDUCARE - UPEL-IPB - Segunda Nueva Etapa 2 0 · Venezuela
This qualitative action research study in Capachalito, Tovar Municipality, Aragua State, Venezuela, developed an action plan to improve residents' quality of life by encouraging parents, students, and teachers to resume school garden practices within the School Feeding Program. The study, based on a Socio-Critical Paradigm and Participatory Action Research, aimed to support food sovereignty and security. It highlighted the importance of endogenous development and sustainable community agriculture for reviving traditional knowledge related to family and school gardens.
Food educationPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity3.1 Urbane Landwirtschaft, Aktivismus, Gemeinschaft: Neighbourhood Fruit Forages, Fruitmaps (beide seit 2004) und Double Standard (2008) von Fallen Fruit
2021Anne Kersten · transcript Verlag eBooks · Global
This paper describes the works "Neighbourhood Fruit Forages," "Fruitmaps" (both since 2004), and "Double Standard" (2008) by Fallen Fruit, which relate to urban agriculture, activism, and community. These works were published in "Kunst und Landwirtschaft" on page 143.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEstrategias comunitarias para la seguridad alimentaria en indígenas wayuu, La Guajira, Colombia
2021Jennifer Marcela López Ríos Admon, Cristina María Mejía Merino, Carmen Estefanía Frías Epinayú · Revista Espanola De Nutricion Comunitaria-spanish Journal of Community Nutrition · Colombia
This Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) aimed to publicize and evaluate food security microprojects created with three Wayuu indigenous communities in La Guajira, Colombia, involving 46 families (204 people). Strategies included creating community gardens as a sustainable alternative for autonomy and ancestral practice rescue, intercultural nutritional education, and community strengthening based on life plans.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationWelfareO papel da moderna agricultura urbana de Singapura na política de segurança alimentar e na contribuição da redução de emissão de CO2 na atmosfera
2021Leandro Pessoa Lucena, Fernanda Mariano Massuia · urbe Revista Brasileira de Gestão Urbana · Singapore
This post-doctoral research investigated the evolution and impacts of urban agriculture models in Singapore as public policy for sustainability, food security, and ecological economy. The study used bibliographic investigations and field research at high-tech soilless urban farms to estimate CO₂ emission reductions from modern urban agriculture. Results showed Singapore intensively uses urban agriculture, including vertical, indoor, and rooftop farms, all demonstrating technological innovations, high productivity, organic certification, and contributions to CO₂ emission reduction.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsModernist Projects of Community-Based Urban Farms in Residential Areas—A Review of Agrarian Cooperatives in the Context of Contemporary Urban Development
2021Aleksandra Nowysz · Buildings · Global
This paper addresses the issue of food systems in urban development, describing residential area ideas that integrate cities with food production, particularly agrarian cooperatives. Historical projects aimed for self-sufficiency and sustainability, while contemporary projects demonstrate that urban agriculture performs key functions in residential architecture. Production in urban agriculture extends beyond private goods for market or own use.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageMore than the sum of the parts: System analysis of the usability of roofs in housing estates
2021Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Gara Villalba, Xavier Gabarrell, Cristina Madrid‐López · Journal of Industrial Ecology · Global
This study developed an integrated framework for designing sustainable roof mosaic scenarios, combining urban farming, solar energy, and rainwater harvesting on unused rooftops of housing estates. Applied to a 66,433 m² rooftop area, the framework involved multi-scale and multi-dimensional analysis. Five participatory-designed rooftop scenarios were found to improve residents' resource self-sufficiency, providing 42–53% of vegetable consumption, 9–35% of electricity, and 38–200% of water needs, depending on the scenario.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceIn remembrance of our colleague Evan Weissman: Scholar, community leader, mentor, and friend
2021Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Anne C. Bellows, Rick Welsh, Mary Kiernan · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This article is a remembrance of Evan Weissman, a food studies scholar and urban geographer who passed away in spring 2020. His academic contributions focused on local food policy, community food systems, food system inequality, and urban agriculture. This special issue reflects his work and enduring impact on food justice and sustainable agricultural and regional planning.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculture and alternative food networks in Athens: Solidarity dynamics, spatial planning challenges and institutional reforms
2021Sofia Nikolaidou · Cahiers de la Méditerranée · Greece (Athens)
This article analyzed the role of peri-urban agriculture and alternative food networks (AFN) in the Athens metropolitan area, Greece, using a mixed method approach including qualitative, quantitative research, and spatial data collection. Bottom-up claims for food security positively impacted sustainable food systems and public policies, while informal retail channels and self-production schemes strengthened agricultural resilience. However, poor land management and zoning control are major constraints to sustainable agricultural production and farmers' resilience in the Athens metropolitan area.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyFood
2021Margaret Robertson · · Global
Chapter 13 examines how food is grown, from smallholders and pastoralists to small farmers and industrialized agriculture, addressing issues of ecosystem health, human health, food waste, and the impact of meat diets. It also discusses the importance of pollinators. The chapter then explores finding space for food in cities, including in schools, yards, urban farms, community gardens, and on public lands.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceS7ílhen tl’a Swa7ám (Food of the Ancestors)
2021T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss · Public · Global
T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss has dedicated her life to Indigenous plant remediation and restoration projects supporting wetland ecosystems, food forests, and their wild inhabitants. This work aims to restore what was taken from the natural world over the past 150 years, ensuring the survival of future ancestors. Interdisciplinary documentation, including true plant names in Indigenous languages, ensures future generations remain connected to the natural world.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleUrban agroforestry as a strategy for aligning agroecology with resilience planning initiatives
2021Sarah Taylor Lovell, John Taylor · · Global
This paper discusses urban agroforestry (UAF) as a strategy to integrate fruit and nut production into urban settings, emphasizing the inclusion of agroecological principles for improved design. It suggests that UAF can be intentionally integrated into urban landscapes, considering synergies with adjacent land uses. Guidelines for planting design can draw from multi-strata systems found in permaculture and food forest literature.
BiodiversityPollinatorsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyContainer gardens: Possibilities and challenges for environmental and social benefits in cities
2021Ayako Nagase, Jeremy Lundholm · Journal of Living Architecture · Global
This review elucidates potential ecosystem services provided by container gardening, which are used in cities globally where access to soil is limited. The services include food production, stormwater management, air quality improvement, energy savings, thermal comfort, plant biodiversity, creation of animal habitats, aesthetic value, communication, and environmental education. The review aims to recognize the value of container gardens to promote them as part of green infrastructure in urban areas.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeFood educationDynamics of the Nature and Value of Urban Agriculture in Arusha City, Tanzania: The Case of Daraja Mbili and Lemala Wards
2021Pastory Salvatory Thomas, Wilbard Kombe, Aldo Lupala · Current Urban Studies · Tanzania (Arusha)
This study examined factors characterizing changes in the nature and value of urban agriculture in Arusha City, Tanzania, a rapidly urbanizing city, through in-depth interviews with 60 respondents in Daraja Mbili and Lemala wards. Findings revealed that limited access to ideal urban agriculture areas leads some farmers to acquire small plots in unlawful areas, restricting livestock numbers and crop types, and reducing their ability to meet food needs. While uncontrolled agricultural practices accelerate environmental degradation and pollution, they also support the livelihoods of needy farmers; however, the study concluded that urban agriculture cannot thrive without adequate access to agricultural land and a strong institutional framework.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageSTACKED
2021Luuk Graamans · Architecture and the Built Environment · Global
This research investigated the potential and limitations of plant factories (vertical farming) for urban food production. The STACKED method was developed to assess plant factory performance across multiple scales, from leaf to facility to city, analyzing resource requirements including energy, electricity, water, CO2, and land area use for fresh vegetable production. The study found that while plant factories feature extensive climate control, their necessity, effectiveness, and efficiency remain questionable, and their effects on the urban energy balance were also assessed.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsA systematic review of design solution for urban agriculture in allotment areas
2021Maryam Jahed, Seyed-Abbas Yazdanfar, Saeid Norouzian‐Maleki · فصلنامه علوم محیطی · Global
This study is a systematic review aimed at identifying physical design solutions for urban agriculture in allotment areas to facilitate its implementation. It analyzed 18 relevant sources extracted from six databases: Web of Science, Springer, IEEE, JSTOR, Science Direct, and Magiran. The lack of physical design solutions for urban agriculture is identified as a main obstacle hindering its expansion.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePerspectiva agroecológica en el Antropoceno
2021Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · Magna Scientia UCEVA · Global
This reflection explores agroecology as a sustainable development alternative for a post-COVID-19 agricultural system, revitalizing peasant agriculture and enhancing urban agriculture. An agroecology-based system can minimize future food supply disruptions by improving links between small-scale food production and local consumption. Agroecology is presented as a strategy for autonomy and resilience, addressing global challenges like climate change and food insecurity.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityHealthUrban–rural linkageUrban Farming During the Pandemic and Its Effect on Everyday Life
2021Maya Andini, Ova Candra Dewi, Annisa Marwati · International Journal of Built Environment and Scientific Research · Global
This study investigated the effects of urban farming in limited spaces during the pandemic on people's health and well-being, using literature review and case studies. Urban farming was found to be beneficial for maintaining people's health and well-being, in addition to supporting food security and benefiting the surrounding environment.
HealthFood sovereignty & justiceCommunitySteering the Nexus: iZindaba Zokudla and Governing for Sustainability
2021Naudé Malan · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This reflective essay describes iZindaba Zokudla, a public innovation lab that uses stakeholder engagement to create opportunities for urban agriculture within a sustainable food system. iZindaba Zokudla functions as an extra-institutional means to govern the water, land, energy, and waste nexus. The article generalizes how its activities can be used to govern this nexus for sustainability, demonstrating how it has achieved progressive governance by facilitating its Farmers' Lab and website, creating participation opportunities, and enabling critical reflection.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGerminando redes
2021Laura Vanesa Martínez Gordillo · South Florida Journal of Development · Colombia (Bogotá)
This document reflects on a social and ecological project in Barrio La Concordia, Bogotá, Colombia, which uses vertical urban agriculture and graffiti on facades. The project, "Germinating Networks," encourages residents to adopt sustainable practices and reconnect with nature using reusable materials for hanging pots. It aims to foster cooperative relationships and cultural changes around organic food, influencing neighborhood identity.
CommunityDIYOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceAlliances and Exchanges
2021Caroline Goodson · Cambridge University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the economic context of urban food production in the Middle Ages, focusing on household-scale cultivation. It explores the emergence of urban food markets and the absence of evidence for them before the eleventh century. In the absence of commercial farming, household-level cultivation was the primary food source for most city-dwellers, with food gardens and their exchange through family networks highlighting the role of family links in urban food production.
EconomicsCommunityDIYFood sovereignty & justiceAQUAPONIK SOLUSI URBAN FARMING
2021Livia Windiana, Desiana Nuriza Putri, Dina Amalia, Annisa' Melliana Rahmah · VIABEL Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu-Ilmu Pertanian · Global
This community service study aimed to analyze household vegetable consumption frequency and income (savings) from aquaponics application. Using a qualitative approach, survey methods, and income analysis, the study found a 9.5% increase in household vegetable consumption frequency among respondents, reaching 100% daily consumption after the activity. Additionally, household food income or savings from aquaponics application amounted to Rp. 126,000/month from harvested vegetables and catfish.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthLocal food communities: exploring health-related adaptivity and self-management practices
2021Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Ágnes Neulinger, György Bárdos, Adrien Rigó, József Rácz, Szilvia Boros · British Food Journal · Global
This study qualitatively examined the influence of local food communities, specifically Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation, on health-related adaptivity and self-management practices. Based on semi-structured interviews with 35 participants, the findings suggest that local food communities can influence health in themes such as awareness of product origins, enhanced food-management capability, expanding applicability and usability of the food environment, and strengthening one's food-related self-image.
CSA & TeikeiHealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFACTORS AFFECTING URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THAI NGUYEN PROVINCE, VIET NAM
2021Vu Bach Điep, Dinh Hong Linh, Bui Thi Minh Hang · International Journal of Legal Studies ( IJOLS ) · Viet Nam
Thai Nguyen province in Vietnam is experiencing agricultural land reduction due to rapid urbanization. This article analyzed five groups of factors affecting urban agricultural development in Thai Nguyen province during 2015-2018: Socio-economic; Natural conditions and infrastructure; Policy factors; Planning factors; and Links and integration. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze and synthesize secondary and primary data sources.
PolicyEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justice