Research & reports

Becky Lundberg Witt · FLASH - Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship & History (Fordham University) · United States (Baltimore City)

This article argues that property law in Baltimore City, Maryland, creates a significant barrier to urban growing by prioritizing the right to exclude others from vacant and abandoned land. Thousands of fallow lots remain inaccessible to neighbors for community benefit due to property ownership laws, which can neglect the human rights of the poorest citizens. The paper examines how the universal right to adequate food might legally support urban farming and gardening.

Nala Walla · · United States

A 2016 essay on the urban agriculture movement and race in the United States. It argues that urban gardens give people of color a way to reestablish agrarian skills without moving to rural areas, and states that much of the US urban agriculture movement is led by people of color. It also notes that in the UK, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones founded the Young City Farmers program on a similar premise.

Cristian Suzin Magrin, Angélica Ferari Rodrigues · Mostra IFTec em Resumos · Brazil

This report from Brazil describes aquaponics — a system combining fish farming and soil-free hydroponic plant cultivation, in which fish waste nourishes plants that in turn filter the water for the fish — through a literature review and an experimental simulation of an aquaponic setup with a physically separate fish tank and hydroponic unit connected by pumping. It states the system requires no removal of final filtration waste and less complex filtration than aquaculture, has lower pest losses and earlier harvests than soil-based gardens, and operates at low cost, and concludes it is a sustainable, economical food-production approach suited to both household and industrial scale.

Leila de Castro Louback Ferraz, E. R. de O. Carvalho, Mayara Márcia Sarsur Viana, Nathália Rabelo Pereira Oliveira · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

A study of community gardens run by the municipal government of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, Brazil for nearly 33 years — cited as a reference example of urban agriculture in Brazil — found that more than 95 plant species are cultivated there, spanning food, condiment, ornamental and medicinal uses. This is described as contributing to improved quality of life for the population by securing food security with variety and quality, as well as playing a role in guaranteeing income in the urban setting.

Wende Marshall · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (New York City)

A book review of Kristin Reynolds and Nevin Cohen's Beyond the Kale, which analyzes the grassroots urban farming and gardening movement in New York City. The review frames the book's account, likening it to Antonio Gramsci's "war of position", as depicting urban gardening not merely as food growing but as a challenge to race- and class-based structures of oppression, oriented toward environmental justice and liberation.

Gabriela Ivonne Pérez Rodríguez, Rafael Delgado Morales, Lydia Guadalupe Bernal Negrete · · Mexico

This is a progress report on research into urban agriculture (UA) in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone (ZMG), Mexico, aimed at understanding the actions being taken to promote and develop UA there and identifying cases of success or failure. The paper presents only the first phase of a research project intended to reproduce the ZMG's UA model in the Laja-Bajío zone of Guanajuato state, consisting of a study and analysis of the current state of UA and urban gardens in the ZMG. It is organized into three sections: the first covers the current state of urban agriculture worldwide, in Mexico, and in the ZMG, including its relevance to regional development, how it develops in different countries, and public policies and their shortcomings; the second describes the desk and field research conducted in the ZMG and its results; and the third addresses the prospects for UA in Mexico and areas of opportunity.

Rose Tardiff · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States

The Salt City Harvest Farm (SCHF) in Kirkville, NY, is an all-volunteer project with limited capacity and concerns about long-term sustainability, despite providing benefits to New American participants. Research identified challenges and suggested organizational improvements, including clearly defining roles and integrating New Americans into decision-making. The study found that the SCHF would best suit participants' interests by remaining a place for growing their own food rather than transitioning to an incubator model.

Altair Luiz da Silva, Ester Pereira de Oliveira Gomes, Alfeu Ohlweiler, Flavio Renato da Silva · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

The agroecological community garden in the Patativa do Assaré settlement, 54 km from Sao Gabriel do Oeste-MS, Brazil, operates through a partnership involving the Settlers' Association, Agrarian Development and Rural Extension Agency, and Municipal Government. From May to August 2014, ten settler families, mostly women, commercialized over 780 kg and 1770 bunches of 24 different vegetable items. Produce is sold at municipal open-air markets and through the National School Feeding Program (PNAE).

Lea Rekow · · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This paper describes key initiatives in urban agriculture within Rio de Janeiro's favela communities, which are experiencing displacement and destabilization due to rapid urbanization policies. These initiatives aim to create resilient and productive spaces, particularly addressing food and nutrition security amidst socio-economic and security landscape changes.

Margaret Ellen Kubek · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States (Wisconsin)

This thesis explored the food provisioning strategies of year-round and seasonal residents of Phelps, WI. Ethnographic data gathered in the summer and fall of 2011 found that Phelps, WI, is classified as food insecure, leading residents to modify routines for lengthy drives to purchase food, while year-round residents utilized self-provisioning strategies. Newly initiated farmers' market and community supported agriculture projects increased overall food availability, but these efforts were mostly utilized by seasonal residents, with year-round residents finding these options unaffordable and inconveniently scheduled.

Silvana Maria Ribeiro, Cláudia Maria Bógus, Helena Akemi Wada Watanabe · · Brazil (São Paulo)

This paper systematizes the experience of the "Colhendo Sustentabilidade" project, implemented in Embu das Artes, São Paulo metropolitan region, from 2008 to 2011, analyzing it from a Health Promotion perspective. Data was obtained through workshops and interviews with participants, public service technicians, and project team members. Conclusions revealed that agroecological urban agriculture serves as a health-promoting tool by contributing to individual and community empowerment, creating favorable health environments, and multiplying knowledge on income generation, health, and environment.

Rosangela Medeiros Hespanhol · Confins · Brazil (Natal)

This study analyzed the trajectory of farmers from AMIGS (Association of Friends and Producers of Vegetables Residents of Sitio Gramoré and Adjacencies), a significant vegetable supplier in Natal, Brazil, who have been transitioning from conventional to organic production since 2012. The organization of farmers through the association and partnerships with companies and institutions were crucial for enabling this change, reducing dependence on intermediaries through direct sales at ecological fairs. However, problems related to the individual acquisition of inputs and conflicts with farmers still using conventional systems were observed.

Cláudia Maria Bógus, Helena Akemi, Wada Watanabe · · Brazil (São Paulo)

This study systematized the "Gathering sustainability, community practices on food security and urban agriculture" project conducted in Embu das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2008 to 2011. Through workshops and interviews with participants and project staff, the research found that ecological urban agriculture serves as a health promotion tool by strengthening individual and community leadership, fostering empowerment, and creating supportive environments. It also facilitates knowledge sharing related to health, environment, and income generation.

Lauren Goode · Journal of Agricultural & Food Information · United States

This article describes the long tradition in the United States of citizens and communities growing their own food. This tradition was particularly evident during World War II, when canned foods were rationed and materials for food production and transport were scarce.

Ryan E. Galt, Katharine A. Bradley, Libby Christensen, Julia Van Soelen Kim, Ramiro Lobo · Sociologia Ruralis · United States (California)

A study of 111 CSA farms in California examined the effects of competition within alternative food networks. Analysis showed that perceived competition is negatively correlated with CSA farms' profitability, farmer satisfaction, various indicators of CSA's social embeddedness, and two community food security strategies. Competition was found to undermine some commonly held CSA values, specifically fair farmer compensation and strong member-farmer relationships.

Virajita Singh, Alexander Thill, Daniel Handeen · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Minneapolis)

Project Sweetie Pie (PSP) is a non-profit organization in North Minneapolis, United States, that addresses food insecurity by establishing community gardens. To date, PSP has started over 25 gardens, providing fresh produce to citizens. The Camden Greenhouse planning project engaged the community to understand needs and generate ideas for creating a food hub in Camden and North Minneapolis.

Walter Belik · Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional · Brazil

This article discusses the use of the Food and Nutritional Security concept in Brazil's Fome Zero Project and its implementation through various programs initiated in the past decade. It concludes by calling attention to the need to improve programs related to supply, food and nutritional education, and urban agriculture to enable the functioning of an integrated Food and Nutritional Security system.

José Luis Rocha · Envío: publicación mensual del Instituto Histórico Centroamericano · United States (Los Angeles)

This article discusses three Central American migrant organizations: CARECEN in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Casa de Maryland in Washington, and the Dolores Huerta Community Garden in Los Angeles. Despite varying sizes and profiles, all grew from the grassroots, challenging the state through civil disobedience and peaceful resistance, thereby complicating anti-immigrant powers in the United States.

Jennifer Haney, Michael A. J. Ferguson, Elyzabeth W. Engle, Kathleen M. Wood, Kyle Olcott, A. E. Luloff, James Finley · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Pennsylvania)

This study aimed to define "community" in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by interviewing 97 members and four operators from four CSA farms in central Pennsylvania. Respondents were highly satisfied with CSA products and services, but satisfaction scores varied significantly across farms. These differences indicated that member-defined attributes of a CSA community varied, with farm management practices and personal interactions affecting members' perceptions of community.

Rania Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed · USF Scholarship Repository (University of San Francisco) · United States (San Francisco)

This research analyzes San Francisco's 2014 Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone (UAIZ) Act, a tax incentive for using undeveloped private properties for urban agriculture. It employs GIS analysis to examine urban agriculture on private lands in relation to low-income populations, producing a vacant land inventory. Findings reveal opportunities and challenges, but the UAIZ is in its very beginning phase of implementation.

Felipe de Jesús Cruz Celis, María Sánchez Zarate, Martha Lis Garrido Cardona · · Mexico

This study surveyed 384 residents in Ixtepec, Juchitan, Tehuantepec, and Salina Cruz in the Istmo Oaxaqueño, Mexico, regarding urban agriculture and tomato consumption. Findings indicate that 73.06% of respondents buy Saladet tomatoes, and 84.87% purchase 1 to 2 kg per week. Additionally, 79.34% buy tomatoes in the local market, and 54.98% state that price is the main characteristic they seek when buying.

Taina Tremblay · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · United States

This research outlines the intent to examine the correlation between access to healthy, organic food and poverty, and the increasing problem of food insecurity in the United States. Urban agriculture and urban gardening are considered as solutions to food instabilities in poverty-stricken areas. The study aims to uncover reasons for the lack of access to healthy food and to discover solutions for promoting better food access and eating habits.

Maria José Pereira Tavares, Ana Paula Maia Espíndola Rodrigues, Reginaldo Ferreira de Lima Júnior, Pedro José Santos Carneiro Cruz · Encontro Regional Nordeste I 2015 · Brazil (João Pessoa)

The "Praticas Integrais da Promocao da Saude e Nutricao na Atencao Basica – PINAB" University Extension Program, active since 2007 in João Pessoa, Brazil, uses popular education methodology to promote health and food security. The "Horta Popular Boa Esperanca" community garden, a key initiative, provides weekly educational activities like cultivation and harvesting, fostering collective work and social mobilization. The program's actions create a collective space for learning and integration between the community, health services, and university, contributing to health promotion and environmental care.

Eleni Papaoikonomou, Matías Ginieis · Revista Internacional de Organizaciones · United States (New York City)

This study conducts an empirical comparison between two local food systems: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Manhattan, New York, and Responsible Consumption Cooperatives in Catalonia, Spain. Using a qualitative methodology, the research identifies and explores the practices and narratives established between producers and consumers, which are also defined by the orientation and raison d’être of the local system. The study aims to empirically verify romanticized discourses about local food systems.

Bryanna Sherman · · United States

This literature review comprehensively studied local food system efforts in Watauga County, United States, examining how local food is integrated into the landscape. The review analyzed benchmarks for success and failure, and the recognized impact of local food on community life. It determined the social, environmental, and economic reasons for continuing to produce quality food for community benefits, noting strong community readiness and support for local agriculture in Watauga County.