Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
582 results(23 / 24)
Livelihoods in conflict: disputes over water for household-level productive uses in Tarata, Bolivia.
2004Rocío García Bustamante, John Butterworth, M. Flierman, Daniel Herbas, Melvin Hollander, S. van der Meer, P. Ravenstijn, Magaly Reynaga, Gustavo Zurita · · Bolivia (Tarata)
In 2002, Tarata, Cochabamba, Bolivia, experienced violent conflicts over the right to use water from the Laka Laka dam for urban agriculture. The dam was intended for large-scale irrigation and domestic use, but not urban productive uses, leading to disputes when the urban population sought water for homestead cultivation. Although 5% of the reservoir yield was allocated for urban supply, its poor quality prevented drinking use, prompting the community to organize for its use in irrigating small plots, despite opposition from irrigation farmers.
Governance failureCommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyAgricultura urbana en la ciudad de Valdivia, Chile: Una nueva alternativa microempresarial
2004Beatriz Vera O., Juri Zencovich O. · Agro Sur · Chile (Valdivia)
This study aimed to characterize urban agricultural small enterprises in Valdivia city, Chile, and define the jobs they create. Using a Snowball poll, 22 small enterprises engaged in urban agriculture were identified and analyzed for their economic, productive, and commercial aspects.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageA Preliminary Discussion on Urban Agriculture
2004Jin Guo-feng · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · Global
This paper discusses urban agriculture, defining its concept and analyzing its types, features, and functions. It posits that with rapid urban development, the integration of city and countryside, along with urban agriculture, represents a trend in modern agriculture.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket
2004Brian Halweil · · Global
This book points out that the long-distance food system consumes staggering amounts of fuel, generates greenhouse gases, and compromises food security. Since 1961, the tonnage of food shipped between nations has grown fourfold, with food in the United States typically traveling 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to plate. While this system often runs roughshod over local cuisines, varieties, and agriculture, a local-foods movement is beginning to emerge globally.
Environmental trade-offsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageRural life in the city: the chalet garden in Denmark
2003Amy Damin, James Palmer · · Denmark (Copenhagen)
This paper investigates the history and social life of allotment gardens with small cottages in Denmark, which offer a partial rural lifestyle in urban areas. These gardens allow urbanites to coexist with nature for several months annually through temporary living and plant cultivation. The study specifically examines the Sano garden near Copenhagen.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageOn urban agriculture
2003Diao Yong-zuo · Zhongguo Qingnian Zhengzhi Xueyuan xuebao · Global
Urban agriculture is a significant phenomenon of social and economic development and an important constituent of the urban industrial structure. It has overtaken and promoted traditional agriculture, with its function and influence extending beyond traditional agriculture, becoming a significant aspect of the modern urban economy. Actively cultivating urban agriculture is a key task for developing the modern urban economy and achieving agricultural modernization.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyGrowing Awareness in Paraguay: School Gardens Give Children the Tools to Prosper
2003Darcy Varney · Children Youth and Environments · Paraguay
In the summer of 2000, Plan International introduced vegetable gardening to 48 rural primary schools in Paraguay's southern provinces. This program aimed to improve children's health through nutrition and equip them with skills to share with their parents. Plan provided seeds, tools, fencing materials, and technical support to help children and community members build gardens.
Food educationCommunityUrban–rural linkageMultifonctionnalités de l'agriculture dans les territoires périurbains : diversité des formes d'exercice du métier d'agriculteur, insertions de l'agriculture dans l'aménagement des territoires
2003André Fleury, Paule Moustier, Jean-Jacques Toiron · Agritrop (Cirad) · Global
This project aims to analyze the specificities and contributions of peri-urban agriculture to the transformation of peri-urban spaces into urban territories. It seeks to unify analytical concepts for agriculture in urban areas and produce intervention tools for urban planning and agricultural policy. The project hypothesizes that the sustainability of peri-urban agriculture depends on its ability to integrate into urban policy and projects, leveraging diverse urban demands.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsOperation G.R.U.B.: Gardens Replace Urban Blight - An Ecological Alternative for Addressing the Health, Socio Economic, and Environmental Needs of At-Risk Communities
2003Neil S. Brantley · San José State University ScholarWorks (San Jose State University) · Global
This research project aims to provide a framework of relevant information for developing sustainable urban agriculture systems as a tool to improve the quality of life for the urban poor. Two different infrastructure contexts are presented, with the intent of relating the applicability of urban agriculture initiatives to enhancing destitute urban communities in both developed and developing worlds, referencing successful case studies. Urban agriculture is beginning to be recognized by the world community as one viable urban development option.
WelfareCommunityHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkage13The city and the country
2003Derek Wall · · Global
The Green movement has historically been defined by ruralism, concerned not just with environmental quality but with promoting a way of life close to the land, with calls for radical land reform by figures like John Ball and Fergus O’Connor. Modern remnants of this "back to the land" campaign include allotments and city farms, often situated in depressed urban areas.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityPolicyUrbanizzazione e sicurezza alimentare a Niamey Niger
2002Maurizio Tiepolo · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Niger
This paper investigates whether urbanization in Niamey, Niger, generates or aggravates urban food insecurity by examining agro-pastoral production, food demand, and buying power. It found that Niamey's high rate of urban growth has increased food insecurity for its inhabitants. This insecurity is attributed to low productivity of peri-urban agriculture, insufficient food influxes, rising prices, extreme poverty, and a nutrient-poor diet, with current measures failing to address root causes like land tenure uncertainty.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsOn Basic Characteristics and Function Exploitation of Urban Agriculture
2002LI Ya-hong · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · Global
This paper describes urban agriculture as a modern agricultural industry shaped by metropolitan regions and socio-economic circumstances. Its main characteristics include a perfect market system, aggregated production patterns, industrialized management, high-tech production, and the harmonization of three agricultural benefits. Beyond commodity production, urban agriculture should also offer direct and indirect multifunctions such as ecological construction, leisure tourism, cultural education, export, and demonstration.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsFood educationClimate changeAgricultura Urbana em Cuba: análise de alguns aspectos técnicos.
2002Adriana Maria de Aquino · · Cuba
This study analyzes the geographical scope and organizational structure of urban agriculture in Cuba. It identifies organic matter as one of the key bases for urban agriculture and describes modalities for producing fresh vegetables and condiments.
Urban–rural linkageOrganic cyclePolicyEstudio de la biodiversidad en huertos agrícolas urbanos de dos municipios de ciudad de La Habana. Caracterización de las accesiones del género Vigna
2001Rodomiro Ortíz, Celia Vera · Cultivos Tropicales · Cuba (Ciudad de La Habana)
This study investigated the agricultural biodiversity in urban gardens across eight localities in the municipalities of Boyeros and Arroyo Naranjo.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe Inner links and the Transition Points Between Urban Agriculture and Suburbs Agriculture
2001Gan Jin-tian · · Global
Urban agriculture originates from and develops within suburban agriculture. This study argues that important inner links and transition points exist between urban and suburban agriculture, such as growth regions, functions, and industrial layouts.
Urban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture in Mwanza, Tanzania
2001Karen Flynn · Africa · Tanzania
This article compares urban farmers in Mwanza, Tanzania, with those in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. In Mwanza, urban agriculturalists are increasingly not among the poorest, often being middle and upper-class males with access to scarce land and inputs, similar to Ghana. They differ from farmers in Kenya and Zambia in terms of gender, socio-economic class, and motivations. Many of Mwanza's wealthier males continue to face enough job/income insecurity to choose to plant crops to support themselves and their household in lean times.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageWelfareUrban agriculture, a project for Tunis
2001Moez Bouraoui, Pierre Donadieu, André Fleury · Cahiers Agricultures · Tunisia (Tunis)
In Tunis, the concept of public green spaces has not evolved much, and the risk of continuous urbanization is real, making agriculture not inherently sustainable between dynamic urbanization poles. However, new attitudes are emerging, with environmental concerns influencing public planning policies, and residential forms, recreational/cultural practices associated with agriculture, and new citizen interest in rural areas are appearing. These developments may signal the beginning of a new planning policy and the advent of urban agriculture in Tunis.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityUrban agriculture and sustainable cities.
2000Tjeerd Deelstra, Herbert Girardet, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Global
This text describes humanity's transformation into an urban species by the end of the 20th century, with large cities becoming the primary habitat. It notes that global urban populations expanded from 15% to 50% of the total population within one century, while the total population grew from 1.5 billion to nearly 6 billion. The text highlights the unprecedented size of modern cities, citing that by 1990, the 100 largest cities housed 540 million people.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe Myth of the Urban Peasant
2000Simon Clarke, Elena Varshavskaya, Сергей Алашеев, Marina Karelina · Work Employment and Society · Russia
This paper examines the "myth of the urban peasant" in Russia, which suggests urban households survive economic collapse through subsistence agriculture. Based on official and survey data analysis, it shows that while many urban households grow food, those with low incomes are least likely to do so, and subsistence production complements rather than replaces paid employment. Furthermore, those who grow their own food work long hours for little return, spending no less on purchased food than those who grow nothing.
Limited or null effectEconomicsCommunityWelfareUrban–rural linkage특집 : 지역사회와 농업구조의 변화 / 도시근교농업의 복합산업화와 공간 활용
2000유병규 · · Global
This paper argues that peri-urban agriculture faces difficulties in maintaining its agricultural production function alone due to external factors such as rising land prices, urban development, the IMF crisis, and WTO agricultural renegotiations. It proposes that to revitalize peri-urban agriculture, a multi-industrialization strategy is needed, emphasizing not only agricultural production but also the spatial concept of "rural areas" by incorporating secondary and tertiary industry concepts. Specifically, the paper suggests that multi-industrialization strategies within the spatial concept of urban-integrated rural areas, such as the creation of "urban agricultural villages," are essential for the maintenance and development of agriculture.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageSofia: urban agriculture in an economy in transition.
2000A. Yoveva, B. Gocheva, G. Voykova, B. Borissov, A. Spassov, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Bulgaria (Sofia)
This abstract describes Bulgaria's geographical location, surface area, and general natural conditions favorable for agriculture. Bulgaria is located on the Balkan peninsula and covers 111,000 square kilometers. Climatic data provided include average winter temperature of 1.6°C, summer average of 21°C, mean annual temperature of 10°C, and mean annual rainfall of 813.6 mm.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsLa paz: urban agriculture in harsh ecological conditions.
2000P. Kreinecker, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Bolivia (La Paz)
This abstract describes the geographical and administrative context of La Paz, Bolivia, and its suburb El Alto. La Paz is situated at 3,600-3,800 meters above sea level, with El Alto located at 4,000-4,100 meters. The city lies in a basin with suburbs extending into the surrounding hills and mountains.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFarming in the shadow of the city: changes in land rights and livelihoods in peri-urban Accra
1999Daniel Maxwell, Wordsworth Odame Larbi, Grace Mary Lamptey, Sawudatu Zakariah, Margaret Armar‐Klemesu · Third World Planning Review · Ghana (Accra)
This paper compares four cases within peri-urban Greater Accra, Ghana, to assess the impact of rapid urban sprawl on the surrounding area. The study examines cases including land loss to housing, protection of agricultural land from urban sprawl, environmental degradation due to urbanization, and commercialization of peri-urban agricultural production from changing market demand. The paper also reviews the perspective that rapid peri-urban growth leads to the destruction of agricultural livelihoods without necessarily replacing them with alternative economic activity.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageThe changing nature of the peri‐urban zone in Africa: Evidence from Dar‐es‐Salaam, Tanzania
1999John A. G. Briggs, Davis Mwamfupe · Scottish Geographical Journal · Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam)
Drawing on recent evidence from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, this paper suggests that a combination of structural adjustment measures and the eased economic crisis in the 1990s changed conditions, resulting in the increasing commodification of land in the peri-urban zone. This shift transformed the peri-urban zone into an area of investment and economic opportunity, rather than survival, leading to the increasing exclusion of poorer urban groups. Furthermore, confusion arising from current Tanzanian land law, particularly tensions between customary and statutory law, complicates the situation.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageAppropriate Technologies for Effective Management of Industrial and Domestic Waste Waters: The Decentralised Approach
1999J.B. van Lier, G. Lettinga · Water Science & Technology · Global
This paper discusses integrated environmental protection and resource conservation (EP&RC) concepts for managing industrial and domestic wastewaters, particularly in water-scarce regions. EP&RC aims for minimal consumption of energy, chemicals, and water, and maximal reuse of treated wastewater and residues, transforming wastes into resources for water, fertilizers, and soil conditioners. Anaerobic treatment is presented as a core technology for mineralizing organic compounds, stimulating urban agriculture near large cities by linking environmental protection and agricultural practices.
Organic cycleClimate changeUrban–rural linkage