Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(22 / 44)
Agriculture urbaine et péri-urbaine, pauvreté, sécurité alimentaire et environnement dans les pays en développement : une revue exploratoire des méthodologies et des impacts
2020Paule Olivia Akotto, Dorothée Boccanfuso, Marie-Ève Yergeau · Cahiers de recherche · Global
This exploratory review synthesizes 35 reports and articles published between 1980 and 2019 to assess the potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to build resilience against poverty, food insecurity, and environmental challenges in developing countries. The review found that UPA creates one job for every 50 to 100 individuals, but these jobs are generally seasonal, and market access remains a significant constraint for farmers.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyRooftop gardening to improve food security in Dhaka city: A review of the present practices
2020Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, Md. Fahim Sharker Eashat, Chinmoy Sarkar, Nafisa Habib Purba, Mohammad Asadul Habib, Plabon Sarkar, Lincon Chandra Shill · International Multidisciplinary Research Journal · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Rooftop gardening for vegetable production has gained momentum in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, offering alternative spaces for urban agriculture and contributing to agricultural sustainability. While rooftop agriculture can improve ecosystem services, biodiversity, and food security, its widespread implementation is currently limited by multiple challenges. Green roofs are considered a supplement to other urban food production sources, not a total solution for food security.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeURBANISATION AND THE CONCERNS FOR FOOD SECURITY IN MALAYSIA
2020Azizan Marzuki, Ahmad Sahir Jais · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia
This qualitative exploratory review, based on a Systematic Literature Review of secondary data, investigated the connection between urban sprawl and its impact on agricultural productivity and food security in Malaysia. The study found that urbanization did affect Malaysia's food security self-sufficiency level, particularly for land-intensive food products like vegetables and livestock, due to the conversion of agricultural lands.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood Security
2020Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter defines the expanding concept of food security, which now includes social and cultural issues beyond simply providing enough food, and introduces its four pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. It also explores urban agriculture and the use of satellite information and Internet-connected devices for farm management.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDigital agricultureEconomicsA Short Survey of Integrating Urban Agriculture and Environmental Planning
2020Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This study surveyed 35 articles on urban agriculture to identify its benefits in environmental planning strategies, particularly in non-western countries like Iran. Using a qualitative approach and documentary studies, the analysis revealed a wide range of positive benefits of urban agriculture on food security, nutrition, health, environmental outcomes, and social capital. However, the review found no definitive conclusions regarding the negative effects of urban agriculture.
PolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAn anthropological reflection on urban gardening through the lens of citizenship
2020Robin Smith · · Global
This chapter analyzes the concept of food citizenship within urban gardening from an anthropological perspective. Urban gardens fulfill local needs in many communities, from widening food access to serving as an avenue for engagement in food politics. It is also shown that urban gardens can be understood as autonomous spaces that governance regimes struggle to bring under their purview.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLocal foods systems and community economic development
2020Steven C. Deller, David Lamie, Maureen Stickel · · Global
This review provides a critical analysis of current research on local and regional food networks, including urban farming projects. It reveals that many presumptions of the local food movement remain largely untested, and much of the current research lacks strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor. The review emphasizes the importance for practitioners to distinguish between objective, research-based information and speculative, advocacy-oriented analysis.
Methodological critiqueEconomicsPolicyCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceArticuler un « penser global » et un « agir local » : la territorialisation des « Community Supported Agriculture »
2020Michaël Pouzenc · Développement durable et territoires · Global
This study demonstrated that the "local to global relationship" in the territorialization of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) interacts with, rather than replaces, multiscalar territorialization. Through local observations in France and Mexico, combined with a literature review, a cartographic analysis of CSAs in Europe, and an analysis of their websites, the role of geographical scales implied by the convergence between the ecologization of practices and the territorialization of activities was clarified.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityEcological Resilience of Food Systems in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis
2020James Worstell · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This paper examines the resilience of food systems during the COVID-19 disruption. It notes trends such as direct food delivery, online farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), backyard food production, expansion of seed producers and plant nurseries, and increased home cooking. These trends are viewed as complex adaptive systems.
CSA & TeikeiDIYClimate changeFood sovereignty & justice‘Cultivating Integration’? Migrant Space-making in Urban Gardens
2020Linda Lapiņa · · Denmark (Copenhagen)
This article explores how migrants create space within integration gardens in Copenhagen, an urban gardening association aiming to dismantle social and cultural boundaries. The gardens function as both an "integration grid" centered on a foreigner–Dane binary and a "web of gardening" focused on plants and practices. The analysis juxtaposes these spatiotemporal logics to understand the possibilities for action and relating they offer.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceشناسایی و دستهبندی کاربردهای تحلیل داده فناوری اینترنت اشیاء در توسعۀ کشاورزی هوشمند با استفاده از روش فراترکیب
2020ایوب محمدیان, جلیل حیدری دهوئی, علیرضا قربانی · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This research identified applications of IoT in smart agriculture by examining 168 selected academic documents (from 480, 2010-2017) using a meta-synthesis approach. Documents were categorized into eight agricultural areas, including urban agriculture, and clustered into six analytics domains such as monitoring and control. The study determined the effect coefficient of elements using the Shannon entropy method, addressing technical uses of IoT in each sector.
Digital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsVertical Farming: An Assessment of Singapore City
2020Jacob Wood, Caroline Wong, Swathi Paturi · eTropic electronic journal of studies in the tropics · Singapore
This research examines urban farming, specifically vertical farming methods, in Singapore. Despite substantial public and private investment in R&D for high-tech, high-yielding vertical farms, Singapore faces a highly constrained urban environment where land scarcity is exacerbated by a complex regulatory land use framework.
Governance failureDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsA SUSTAINABLE URBAN FARMING INDEX ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR EVALUATING FOOD PRODUCTIVITY THAT APPLIES MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING METHODS — A CASE STUDY IN MALAYSIA
2020Ali Keyvanfar, Arezou Shafaghat, Tan Sze Inn, Sapura Mohamad · DigitalCommons - Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw State University) · Malaysia
This research developed the Sustainable Urban Farming Index Assessment (SUFIA) Model to quantify and evaluate the performance of urban farms' sustainable food production. Applying a critical literature review and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the model identified reducing air pollution, soil health and water cleaning, and food sovereignty as critical for food productivity. When implemented at Zenxin Organic Farm in Malaysia for validation, the farm earned a Grade C, indicating it is a usable urban farm but requires substantial improvements in areas such as soil health, water cleaning, site design, and community environment.
Limited or null effectClimate changeOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justicePolicyMechanisms of Green Development of Urban Agricultural Production in a Large Industrial City
2020Е. В. Малыш · Economics and Management · Global
This study aimed to propose methods for developing urban agricultural production in a large industrial city, based on green economy principles, to strengthen food security and improve food supply. Using general scientific methods, comparison, systems analysis, and monographic methods, the study described a strategic project for green development of urban agricultural systems. The findings suggest that green development mechanisms can foster city self-sufficiency in organic and safe products, short supply chains, and green urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyA framework for recognizing diversity beyond capitalism in agri-food systems
2020Olga Vincent, Giuseppe Feola · Journal of Rural Studies · Global
This paper proposes and illustrates a framework for recognizing capitalist, alternative capitalist, and non-capitalist configurations in agri-food systems. Informed by poststructuralist theories, the framework includes dimensions such as ontology, economic relations, relation with the State, and knowledge. Its application to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) cases shows the coexistence of capitalist, alternative-capitalist, or non-capitalist elements within CSA initiatives.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable agriculture trough regional solidary in global markets
2020Wellbrock Wanja, Daniela Ludin, Ludwig Lisa N, Kristina Muhlfeld, Wolfgang Gerstlberger · Journal of Applied and Physical Sciences · Global
This paper examines whether Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a solution to the dilemma of farmers needing to operate both economically and sustainably. Through an expert interview and a survey of members, the study identifies problems in the realization of a CSA and provides possible solutions.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceTra espansione urbana e sicurezza alimentare: il caso della Green Belt bonearense
2020Thomas Gilardi · Geography Notebooks · Argentina
In the Bonearense region, urban expansion is encroaching on fertile plains, impacting territorial characteristics. While urban and peri-urban agriculture contributes to food sustenance for the AMBA population, it has not been sufficiently recognized for green area recovery, organic waste recycling, and wastewater management. Regional authorities have begun to acknowledge urban agriculture's role in combating urban poverty, but local economic development faces challenges in mediating food security and recreational services amidst pressures from urban real estate and agro-industrial production.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCultivating urban conviviality: urban farming in the shadows of Copenhagen's neoliberalisms
2020Rebecca Leigh Rutt · Journal of Political Ecology · Denmark (Copenhagen)
Ethnographic research on a small rooftop garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, explored how urban farming initiatives interact with neoliberal trends. The study found that communal, eco-social urban farming endeavors are entangled in the city's neoliberal turn, with formalization processes and austerity measures both nurturing and endangering these initiatives. Neoliberal labor, food systems, and housing policies are shown to subvert convivial urban farming efforts.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFuture research directions
2020Ferne Edwards, Anitra Nelson · · Global
This chapter suggests future research directions in food for degrowth studies, drawing from a collection of case studies and critiques. It offers transdisciplinary theoretical and practical approaches and key research questions, covering topics like household self-provisioning, collective endeavors, networks, and degrowth perspectives on the circular economy and food waste. The chapter proposes research questions related to accessibility, visibility, temporality, spatiality, and various measures.
DIYCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceMicrogreen Farming: A Nutrient Dense Crop for Income Generation in Urban Agriculture.
2020Pooja Bhatt, Sonika Sharma · · Global
Microgreen farming is presented as a popular method for income generation in urban agriculture. It is characterized by high nutrient density, a fast turnaround time (10-14 days after germination), year-round cultivation, minimal resource requirements (seeds, soil, water, trays), and a high yield-to-space ratio. Prices for microgreens range from INR 150-250 per 50 grams, indicating good market value for urban farmers.
DIYEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justiceGreen Roofs in Uppsala : Potential food yield and thermal insulating effects of a green roof on a building
2020Sagnik Sinha Roy · · Sweden (Uppsala)
This paper states that urban agriculture (UA) can be a sustainable solution to the severe vulnerabilities climate change has caused for the global food production system.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCommunion Composed: Fostering Unity Through a Nourished Architecture
2020David Acevedo · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · Guatemala
This thesis explores how architecture can have greater agency in unifying people, especially distraught communities, by utilizing food and its inherent social properties. Guatemala is chosen as the zone of exploration for implementing such a collaboration at a ceremonial scale. The approach combines techniques from ecologically efficient urban food production, intimate domestic food consumption, and ceremonial food preparation to create a new edible landscape of socially sustaining architecture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCo-Creating Value in Sustainable and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of Community Supported Agriculture in New Zealand
2020Mariarosaria Savarese, Kerry Chamberlain, Guendalina Graffigna · Sustainability · New Zealand
This qualitative study explored how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in New Zealand create value for sustainability practices from both farmer and consumer perspectives. The research, conducted using focused ethnography, found that CSA is a complex concept involving active consumer participation in economic, social, and environmental values. These interconnected values foster an ecosystem where sustainable food practices are promoted through a "learning by doing" process.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceRooftop Gardening as A Need for Sustainable Urban Farming: A case of Kathmandu, Nepal
2020Sandesh Thapa, Anjal Nainabasti, Sashila Acharya, Neha Rai, Rakshya Bhandari · International Journal of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology · Nepal (Kathmandu)
A key informant survey of 52 respondents was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, to assess the current status of rooftop gardening. All respondents expressed positive views on rooftop gardening, with rooftop farms covering 5-13% of the area. Significant monetary soft benefits were identified for food production, air quality, stormwater retention, and carbon sequestration. However, traditional methods using plastic bags, pots, and styrofoam were employed for garden maintenance. Constraints were recorded regarding rooftop farming establishment and continuation, indicating a need for proper training for efficient management.
Limited or null effectDIYFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityLos techos verdes como innovación para la sustentabilidad en vivienda, ciudad y territorio
2020Beatriz Giobellina · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global
This chapter explores the concept of green roofs as an innovation for sustainability in housing, cities, and territories, particularly in the context of global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests revisiting ideas linking environment, development, urban agriculture, and self-sufficiency gardens to address climate change, food security, and health. This chapter is part of the book "Green Infrastructures: from territory to habitable roof."
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealth