Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
222 results(2 / 9)
Rénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureAS DINÂMICAS SOCIOESPACIAIS E AS REPRESENTAÇÕES DA RURALIDADE EM GOIATUBA (GO)
2024Amanda Silva Almeida, Antônio Ananias Nogueira Netto · Espaço em Revista · Brazil
This 2024 study in Goiatuba, Brazil, investigated the spatial configuration and manifestations of rurality, analyzing the implications of rural modernization. Using bibliographic research, secondary data analysis, field work with interviews, and participant observation, it found a high presence of rural elements in Goiatuba, including urban agriculture, traditional foods, and animal husbandry, which are important for local identity. The study also noted the municipality's economic importance in the agrarian sector, particularly sugar-energy, with a significant flow of workers between city and countryside.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanización e industrialización en zonas periurbanas: el caso de una asociación de Carapongo (Lurigancho, Lima)
2024Cavani Guzmán, Pierina · Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (University of Skopje) · Peru (Lima)
This article discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization processes on peri-urban agricultural production in the Nuevo Horizonte de Carapongo association in Lurigancho, Lima, Peru. The research analyzes the development of these phenomena and their relationship with the changes generated in the agricultural production of the area, contributing to the academic discussion on the deagrarianization process of peri-urban spaces.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsCidades e suas agriculturas: avaliação de benefícios da agricultura urbana e periurbana para as pessoas: sumário executivo de Osasco (SP)
2024Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This case study in Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil, identified and characterized the benefits of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) initiatives for the territory. Using a hybrid methodology combining biophysical modeling of ecosystem services with stakeholder input, the study provided an overview of UPA's contributions to microclimate, soil, and water. It highlighted UPA's significant potential to mitigate or solve typical urban problems and contribute to city development.
Urban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureCommunityMotor City Green: A Century of Landscapes and Environmentalism in Detroit
2024Debra A. Reid · Agricultural History · United States (Detroit)
"Motor City Green" explores how Detroiters maintained green landscapes, including nature parks and utilitarian vegetable plots, throughout the 20th century. Author Joseph Stanhope Cialdella identifies personal investment and public projects, such as Belle Isle (1881) and Pingree's Potato Patches (1893), as contributing to the city's "perpetual state of ruin and repair." The work provides historical context for urban agriculture and environmentalism in Detroit.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageURBAN AND PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE IN BRAZILIAN CAPITALS: WHAT DOES RECENT ACADEMIC PRODUCTION REVEAL?
2024M. Kühn, Geisa Zanini Rorato, Bruno César Euphrasio de Mello, Carolina Cristófoli Falcão, Rodrigo Vitória Alves · MIX Sustentável · Brazil
This article presents the results of a systematic literature review on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) in Brazil. The study indicated a quantitative increase in academic articles on UPA and a concentration of cited cases in cities in southern and southeastern Brazil. Qualitatively, the analysis revealed that UPA initiatives are primarily located intra-urban, often in common/public places, and operate within a community system, focusing on vegetable production for self-consumption.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunitySpatial Barriers to Transforming toward a Healthy Food System in the Noreste of Mexico
2024Rob Roggema, Aleksandra Krstikj, B. J. Erazo Flores · Nutrients · Mexico (Monterrey)
This study in the Noreste of Mexico, focusing on Monterrey, investigated spatial and non-spatial barriers to adopting healthy diets and accessing plant-based foods. Findings revealed significant disparities in food access across the Monterrey metropolitan area, with central urban zones having superior access to fresh foods compared to suburban and peripheral regions. This inequality disproportionately affects marginalized areas with higher poverty rates, worsening food insecurity.
Equity & displacementHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageChicago's urban food networks: Mapping the future of a thriving metropolitan foodshed
2024Gundula Proksch, George Lee · · United States
Based on data from the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project, this study used GIS mapping to investigate urban agriculture typologies and their distribution in the Chicago metropolitan area. It showed that small-scale non-profit gardens are integrated closely with communities, while commercial controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations utilize existing infrastructure and buildings in commercial and industrial corridors. Both types of urban agriculture serve different needs, providing various benefits to the urban population, from social services to fresh food production and economic development.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfareUrban–rural linkageCultivando espacios socioambientales : perspectivas y transformaciones a través de la agricultura urbana y periurbana en el municipio de Foz do Iguaçu – PR.
2024Exzolvildres Queiroz Neto, Gilson Brandão de Oliveira Junior, Marcelha Silva de Andrade, Suncar Dabo, Geisiane Michelle Zanquetta de Pintor · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This article presents reflections on the practice of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) and its impact on land use and occupation in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The research raised several questions concerning rural-urban dynamics, the specificities of urban family farmers, and the complexity of land use in the municipality. Diagnostic results from a semi-structured research guide will be used as an empirical basis for further reflection, and the abstract does not state specific research findings or critical findings regarding governance.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyConservation Value to Bats: Assessing Multiple Functional Habitats in a Nature Preserve at the Urban-Agricultural Interface via Temporal Ecology
2024Han Li, Jeremy A. White · Sustainability · United States
This study assessed bat activity patterns at Glacier Creek Preserve in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, from 2018 to 2020 using acoustic monitoring to determine its conservation value for bats. Nine species, including the endangered Myotis septentrionalis, were recorded, with edge habitats showing higher overall and foraging activities for several species compared to open habitats. The preserve provides roosts, commuting corridors, and foraging grounds for different bat species.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureAssessment of aquaponics as a sustainable food production system for urban agriculture
2024Arnaldo Monteiro, Neusa Barbosa, Rosimeire Pereira, Josimar Cardoso · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Brazil (São Paulo)
This 12-month study (March 2022-February 2023) at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, evaluated the productivity, water efficiency, and economic viability of a media-bed aquaponics system compared to conventional hydroponics and soil-based cultivation. Lettuce and basil were grown alongside Nile tilapia. Aquaponics used 78.2% less water than soil-based production and 22.1% less than hydroponics per kilogram of produce. Lettuce yields in aquaponics reached 4.83 kg/m², slightly below hydroponics (5.12 kg/m²) but well above soil cultivation (3.27 kg/m²), and the aquaponics unit achieved economic break-even at month 9 and returned a 14.3% annual profit margin.
EconomicsClimate changeUrban–rural linkage“Farming Inside Cities” – A Look Back After Two Decades
2024Martin Bailkey, Rosalind Greenstein · Urban agriculture · United States
This paper reviews “Farming Inside Cities: Entrepreneurial Urban Agriculture in the United States” (2000) by Jerry Kaufman and Martin Bailkey. This report was one of three concurrent research studies on for-market urban agriculture as a viable reuse of vacant land in major US cities. While its practical nature and description of urban agriculture's opportunities and challenges remain relevant today, it does not explicitly state the value of farming as a vehicle for social equity and food justice in urban communities of color.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageA profile of urban agricultural growers, organizations, their needs, and challenges in the Northeastern United States
2024Matthew L. Richardson, John Taylor, Megan J. Thompson, Anusuya Rangarajan, Mamatha Hanumappa, Neith G. Little · PLoS ONE · United States (Northeastern United States)
This online survey of 394 urban growers, primarily in the Northeastern United States, profiled growers and assessed urban agriculture's state, identifying needs and challenges. Most growers were white (non-Hispanic), under 45, well-educated but without agriculture degrees. Urban agriculture was dominated by small non-profits and home/community gardens. A critical finding is that urban growers face diverse barriers, with the most common being land availability and long-term access in urban areas, and many reported low revenue or operating at a net loss.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceNavigating Urban-Agricultural Watershed Management Conflicts: A View from Watershed Coordinators
2024Landon Yoder, Sarah P. Church, Kamebry Wagner · Society & Natural Resources · United States
This paper analyzed the role of watershed organizations in Iowa, USA, in addressing urban-agricultural conflicts stemming from fertilizer runoff and water quality impairment. Three focus group discussions with 14 watershed coordinators revealed that participant composition significantly impacts problem-solving. While joint urban-agricultural engagement strategies were limited, they showed promise in changing individual perspectives, suggesting that strategic targeting of participants is crucial for conflict resolution.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageA general overview of organic food trade in the Federal District
2023Jéssica Lorhanne Durães Martins, Domingo Sávio Coelho Negrão, Ana Maria Resende Junqueira, João Paulo Guimarães Soares · Concilium · Brazil
An exploratory and descriptive study characterized the trade of organic products from family farming in Brazil's Federal District, using data from August to December 2021. It found that fairs were the main acquisition points for organic products, but their number decreased by 35% due to Covid-19. Concurrently, new trade forms like CSAs and Delivery grew by about 40% due to the pandemic's impact.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageVAZIOS URBANOS EM MONTES CLAROS: POTENCIAL URBANÍSTICO E POSSIBILIDADES DE APROPRIAÇÃO DAS PRÁTICAS AGRÍCOLAS
2023Tainá Ferreira da ROCHA, Hélder dos Anjos Augusto · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil (Montes Claros)
This study explored urban agriculture in Montes Claros, Brazil, identifying its contributions, challenges, and potentials through document analysis, geographic information, farmer testimonies, and field visits. Urban agriculture is widely practiced in the municipality, both collectively and individually, with collective practices showing grassroots organization through neighborhood associations, while spontaneous practices lack external influence. Most urban gardens are developed on public land and vacant private lots, serving multiple uses such as green spaces, food production, economic activity, and occupational therapy.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkagePanorama das Leis de Agricultura Urbana no Brasil: Relações com o Planejamento Urbano
2023M. Kühn, Geisa Zanini Rorato, Bruno César Euphrasio de Mello, Carolina Cristófoli Falcão · Ambiente & sociedade · Brazil
This research surveyed federal and state urban agriculture (UA) laws in Brazil to analyze their implications for urban planning (UP). Findings indicate that despite an increase in approved laws, there is no articulated national policy, laws vaguely address UA's interfaces with UP, and they do not objectively tackle territorial challenges faced by UA.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceOverview of Laws for Urban Agriculture in Brazil: Association with Urban Planning
2023M. Kühn, Geisa Zanini Rorato, Bruno César Euphrasio de Mello, Carolina Cristófoli Falcão · Ambiente & sociedade · Brazil
This study cataloged and analyzed federal and state urban agriculture (UA) laws in Brazil to understand their profile and association with urban planning. The findings indicate that Brazil lacks a coordinated national policy for urban agriculture. Furthermore, existing laws vaguely mention their interfaces with urban-policy legal frameworks and do not clearly address territorial challenges for UA implementation.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageRE-VIVIENDA
2023Diego A. Daleccio Meléndez · [in]genio revista de investigación y labor creativa · United States (Puerto Rico)
This publication presents student proposals from a design workshop at UPR's School of Architecture, led by Dr. Anna Georas, focused on promoting urban agriculture and food self-sufficiency in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico. One individual project, RE-VIVIENDA, proposes sustainable housing for urban farmers using abandoned shipping containers from Crowley in Isla Grande. The project emphasizes minimal materials for easy disassembly and reconstruction to extend container lifecycles.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe food-water-energy nexus and green roofs in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa
2023Fanxin Meng, Qiuling Yuan, Rodrigo A. Bellezoni, José A. Puppim de Oliveira, Yuanchao Hu, Rui Jing, Gengyuan Liu, Zhifeng Yang, Karen C. Seto · npj Urban Sustainability · Brazil (São Paulo)
A framework was developed to analyze the food-water-energy nexus of green roofs in data-sparse cities, integrating environmental costs and benefits. Testing this framework in São José dos Campos, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa, revealed that green roofs are carbon neutral but net energy consumers from a life cycle perspective. São José dos Campos is a net water beneficiary, while Johannesburg is a net water consumer, and rainwater utilization, though saving irrigated water, requires 1.2 times more energy.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSociotechnical Adequacy and Solidarity Economy
2023Ricardo Toledo Neder, Lívia Cristina Barros da Silva Wiesinieksi, Emilene Eustachio, Iasmin de Sousa Jaime, Simone Parrela Tostes, Rafael Oliveira dos Reis · LaSUS FAU eBooks · Brazil
This book presents the fundamentals and basis of a multi-professional course in Science, Technology, and Society (CTS) residency, offered in Brazil in 2021. The course features a pedagogical practice integrating research, teaching, and extension, addressing themes of Habitat, Agroecology, Health, and Associated Work. It involved 15 master's and doctoral students and over 50 individuals from social movements, professionals, and government technicians, discussing topics such as solidarity technology, sociotechnical adequacy, and solidarity economy.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageFood educationA infraestrutura verde como expressão da desigualdade socioespacial: o caso dos loteamentos de acesso controlado e das favelas em Bauru/SP
2023R Verissimo, Silvana Aparecida Alves, Adalberto da Silva, Ana Maria Lombardi Daibem · Risco Revista de Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Urbanismo (Online) · Brazil (Bauru)
This research investigates green and gray infrastructure in Bauru/SP, Brazil, comparing controlled access allotments (Pq. Residencial Paineiras and Jardim Shangri-Lá) with favelas (Ferradura Mirim and Jardim Nicéia). It aims to study green infrastructure as an expression of sociospatial inequalities perpetuated by urban planning. Through analyses and cartographies, the study evaluates the current urban panorama and challenges for mitigating social, environmental, and urbanistic inequalities.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCARACTERIZAÇÃO DO ESPAÇO PERIURBANO E ANÁLISE DE SUAS PARTICULARIDADES NO MUNICÍPIO DE REGENTE FEIJÓ/SP
2023Bruna Trevisan Negri · Geoingá Revista do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia (PGE/UEM) · Brazil (Regente Feijó)
The formation, dynamics, and characteristics of the peri-urban space in the municipality of Regente Feijó, São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed. Through a bibliographic review and satellite image analysis, results showed that Regente Feijó's peri-urban area is multifunctional, hosting both urban activities like industries and rural activities such as urban and peri-urban agriculture. Key processes of peri-urbanization, including the marginalization of low-income urban populations through state investments and self-segregation, were also identified.
Peri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageA agricultura urbana em São Paulo e Belo Horizonte: Uma proposta de abordagem das relações urbano-rural no contexto metropolitano
2023Angele Proust, Maura Neves Coutinho · Confins · Brazil
Public policies for urban agriculture and food in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte face the challenge of considering a perpetually changing territory due to metropolization. Urban agriculture is presented as a political practice that renews the vision of the metropolis and encourages new resistance practices. It is argued that urban agriculture holds a political position in the city, fostering alliances between metropolitan, municipal, and local scales.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityEcosystem Health, Sanitation, and Governance
2023Aldira Guimarães Duarte Domínguez, Diogo Isao Santos Sakai, Alba Evangelista Ramos, Camila Dias de Aragão, Erivan de Jesus Santos, Gleice Kelly Campelo Barbosa, Hisa Dutra Alves, Julia Maria de Oliveira Compan, Plácido Lima Ferreira Sobrinho, Satyam Bömer Dienstmann, Vinicius Araujo Gonçalves · LaSUS FAU eBooks · Brazil
This book presents the fundamentals of a multi-professional course in CTS (Science, Technology, and Society) developed within a graduate program at the University of Brasília. The course socially integrates four interdisciplinary themes: Habitat, Agroecology, Health, and Associated Work, aiming to form a transdisciplinary epistemological base in Solidarity Technoscience.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicy