Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1180 results(25 / 48)
Peri-Urban Agriculture in the Metropolitan Area of Rabat, Morocco: Potentials and Constraints
2020Fatiha Hakimi, Mohamed Brech · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Morocco
This study assessed the practices, potentials, and constraints of peri-urban agriculture (PUA) in Rabat Metropolis, Morocco, using field observation, interviews, and surveys with 50 randomly selected farmers. While PUA contributes to economic development, employment, and food supply, the study found significant legal constraints, including the absence of regulating laws and the obligation for some farmers to pay housing taxes. Technical constraints such as insufficient workforce, high labor costs, difficult access to irrigation water, and lack of training also hinder PUA growth.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyDocumentation of Edible City Solutions in Follower Cities (D4.3)
2020Maximilian Manderscheid, Valentin Fiala, Bernhard Freyer · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This report D4.3 describes the status quo analysis and documentation of Edible City Solutions (ECS). Over 300 ECS were identified in Berlin and Montevideo, and online research was conducted in Carthage and Lomé, after which a total of 84 ECS were documented in detail using a mixed-method approach (online survey, interviews, workshops, etc.). Most documented ECS take the form of urban gardening and focus on social benefits like providing education and fostering social cohesion, but the report does not detail specific challenges or limitations regarding governance.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeFood, agriculture, and environmental justice
2020Kristin Reynolds · Environmental Justice · Global
This chapter explores the intersection of food systems, agriculture, and environmental justice within social movements, activism, and scholarship. It reviews historical instances of these intersections, including indigenous peoples' movements, farmworker organizing, urban agriculture, and consumer solidarity campaigns. The chapter also discusses recent developments and future concerns connecting environmental justice, food, and agriculture with issues like climate change, gentrification, and Black Agrarianism.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyClimate changeThe Concept of Urban Agriculture – Historical Development and Tendencies
2020Madara Dobele, Andra Zvirbule · Rural Sustainability Research · Global
This study aimed to identify the historical development stages of the concept of urban agriculture and its main research tendencies. Using monographic and descriptive analysis, it revealed that the concept has evolved from an initial stage associated with technical solutions for urban planning to provide food, to current diverse directions including the analysis of agriculture's role in urban areas and its place in sustainable development. Researchers adapting definitions to local characteristics creates a risk of limited possibilities for quantitative comparisons between studies.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityThe changing role of urban agriculture in municipal planning: from planning for urban agriculture to urban agriculture for planning
2020Nevin Cohen · · Global
This paper discusses the evolving role of urban agriculture within municipal planning. It examines the shift from planning specifically for urban agriculture to utilizing urban agriculture as a tool for broader planning objectives.
PolicyThe impact of care farms on quality of life, depression and anxiety among different population groups: A systematic review
2019Murray J., Wickramasekera N., Elings M., Bragg R., Brennan C., Elsey H. · Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(4):e1061 · Global
A systematic review assessing how care farming (social farming) affects quality of life, depression and anxiety across different service-user groups. It finds that agriculture-based welfare support may improve mental health and social interaction, while highlighting the need for more robust evidence.
HealthWelfareCommunityPolicyUrban-Rural Linkages: Guiding Principles — Framework for Action
2019UN-Habitat · UN-Habitat · Global
An international normative document codifying 10 guiding principles for urban-rural linkages (rights, participation, governance, food, land, ecosystem services, etc.), advocating multi-sector, multi-level, multi-stakeholder integrated governance.
PolicyCommunityScaling out access to land for urban agriculture. Governance hybridities in the Brussels-Capital Region
2019Manganelli A., Moulaert F. · Land Use Policy · Belgium (Brussels)
This paper applies a Hybrid Governance Approach to analyze the Boeren Bruxsel Paysans coalition in the Brussels-Capital Region, revealing how scaling out land access for urban agriculture produces governance tensions across local, regional, and institutional scales.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban and Peri-Urban Agriculture, the Dairy Farms of Cairo, Egypt: Existence, Transformations and Possible Futures of Family Farms
2019Daburon A., Alary V., Ali A., El-Srogi M., Tourrand J.F. · Diversity of Family Farming Around the World (Springer) · Egypt (Cairo)
Examines family farms engaged in dairy and market gardening in and around Cairo (population ~20 million), analyzing their role in the city's food supply chain and the transformations they undergo under urbanization pressure. Based on collaborative fieldwork by CIRAD, Ain Shams University, and the Animal Production Research Institute.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyNew scholarly pathways on green gentrification: What does the urban 'green turn' mean and where is it going?
2019Anguelovski I., Connolly J. J. T., Garcia-Lamarca M., Cole H., Pearsall H. · Progress in Human Geography · Global
A critical review synthesizing research on green gentrification, arguing that urban greening interventions can create elite enclaves of environmental privilege that exclude and displace lower-income and minority residents.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban agriculture as a keystone contribution towards securing sustainable and healthy development for cities in the future
2019Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, Rocío Pineda‐Martos, Axel Timpe, Bernd Pölling, Katrin Bohn, Mart Külvik, Cecília Delgado, Celestina Pedras, Teresa A. Paço, Mirjana Ćujić, Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Antonios Chrysargyris, A. Peticilă, Gitana Alenčikienė, Hendrik Monsees, Ranka Junge · Blue-Green Systems · Global
This article discusses urban agriculture's role in creating sustainable and climate-friendly cities, drawing on 20 years of research and practice. It highlights that urban agriculture can minimize climate change effects and improve urban quality of life. Effective land use and spatial planning are crucial for establishing food production sites within cities, integrating resource streams like water, waste, and energy.
Climate changeHealthPolicyCommunityEdible urbanism 5.0
2019Alessio Russo, Giuseppe T. Cirella · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Global
This comment examines "edible urbanism 5.0," noting that urban and peri-urban agriculture can have negative effects on city ecosystems, which urbanists and planners have largely overlooked. It highlights the need for a concept that considers trade-offs between ecosystem services and disservices, especially given current unsustainable industrial intensive farming. Edible urbanism aims to integrate food security, resilience, and social inclusion through edible green infrastructure and modern food production.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyEconomicsClimate changeBiodiversityLocal connections
2019Philip Pregill · · Global
This article discusses the increasing focus on local connections, such as alleys and local streets, within urban grids, driven by an emphasis on green spaces and stormwater management. Planning initiatives aim to enhance these areas to encourage social places, green spaces, and fine art, as alleys offer opportunities for off-avenue functions like parks and cafes. Independent entities and movements like guerrilla gardening are utilizing alleys for various artistic and urban interventions.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityMotivation and satisfaction of volunteers for community‐based urban agriculture programmes
2019Leelanayagi Ramalingam, Juwaidah Sharifuddin, Zainal Abidin Mohamed, Fazlin Ali · International Social Science Journal · Malaysia (Klang Valley)
This study analyzed data from 375 volunteers in Community-based Urban Agriculture Programmes in Klang Valley, Malaysia, to determine the relationship between motivation and satisfaction. It found that volunteer satisfaction was primarily influenced by external factors like campaigns, support groups, extension departments, community, and government policy, followed by love of farming, social referents, and values. The program faces problems in attracting and retaining enough volunteers, indicating a governance challenge for sustainability.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsTemporary urban landscapes and urban gardening: re-inventing open space in Greece and Switzerland
2019Sofia Nikolaidou · Manchester University Press eBooks · Greece
This chapter examines new forms of urban gardening in Greece and Switzerland, which often involve the informal and temporary reuse of vacant land. It highlights differences and similarities in practices, social and institutional contexts, and governance patterns, emphasizing the critical role of the temporary nature of these initiatives in shaping urban green areas and public space.
CommunityPolicyMethodology to Identify and Assess Agroecological Practices in Metropolitan Areas. Case Study, Concepción, Chile
2019Montserrat Delpino-Chamy, María Arquero de Alarcón, Sandra Calduch Fernández, José R. Soto · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Chile (Concepción)
This research focused on developing and applying a methodology to identify and assess agroecological practices in the metropolitan area of Concepción, Chile. A methodology based on production forms, sociopolitical organization, and metropolitan sustainability was proposed. Strengths identified include their location in rururban interstices and small scale, contributing to metropolitan sustainability. However, weaknesses include a lack of appropriate planning policies and regulations, threatening their existence under urban development pressures.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityOrganic cyclePolicyPENENTU SOSIAL PENGLIBATAN KOMUNITI DALAM PROJEK KEBUN KOMUNITI BANDAR: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN URBAN COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECTS
2019Zaidi Tajuddin, Sarmila Md Sum, Rosmiza Mohd Zainol, Hamzah Jusoh · · Malaysia
This article reviews the issue of community involvement in urban community garden projects, focusing on social determinants that influence project sustainability. Analysis of past studies contributed to a better understanding of significant factors affecting the community in the People’s Housing Program area. It concludes that future research is needed to study the community gardening experience in Malaysia and the factors affecting community involvement.
CommunityPolicyHealthFuturistic Urbanism- Integrating Farming into Urban Landscape for Sustainable Development
2019· International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) · Global
Unplanned urban expansion leads to the conversion of farmland, causing urban environmental degradation and food security concerns. This paper analyzes the correlation between urban farming and supporting food demands in urban areas. It further discusses critical challenges and opportunities for promoting urban farming as a significant tool for encouraging balanced sustenance in urban areas.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyFood system lessons from the SDGs
2019Alison Blay‐Palmer, Laine Young · · Global
This abstract discusses how initiatives like the Habitat III New Urban Agenda and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact can complement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at municipal and regional scales. It explores the complexities of SDG 2 (food and hunger) when considering SDG 5 (gender equality), suggesting that urban agriculture and agroecology offer potential for transformative opportunities and policy coherence.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDiagnostic Agronomique de la Riziculture Périurbaine dans la Commune de Ziguinchor au Sénégal
2019Maurice Dasylva, Ngor Ndour, Bienvenu Sambou, Sara Danielle Dieng · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Senegal (Ziguinchor)
In Ziguinchor, Senegal, the peri-urban rice farming system contributes to food security but is ignored by decision-makers and suffers from urbanization and physicochemical changes in rice field soils. An agronomic diagnosis, based on 180 yield squares (1/4m side) installed in 4 peri-urban valleys, showed average yields of 4.79 ± 0.35 t.ha-1. However, urbanization, silting, acidification, and progressive salinization of soils are the main limiting factors for this production system.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyThe Role of Urban Agriculture in Alleviating Poverty Facing Women in Tanzania: A Review
2019Emmanuel Patroba Mhache, Elna Lyamuya · Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This review paper examined the role of urban agriculture in alleviating poverty for women in the Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. It found that women's participation in urban agriculture contributes to food security, increases household income (average net income Tshs 58,356.2 per month), offers employment, and reduces poverty. However, numerous bottlenecks hinder women's involvement in urban agriculture, including poor markets, water shortage, land shortage, seed unavailability, lack of capital, lack of government support, crude working tools, lack of water pumping machines for irrigation, poor storage facilities, and lack of agricultural extension services.
Equity & displacementWelfareEconomicsBiodiversityClimate changePolicyEvaluación de la gestión de proyectos de inversión en la agricultura urbana
2019Milagros de la Caridad Mata Varela, Johana Meza Salvatierra, Ana Yilian Santana Mata · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This research evaluated investment project management in urban agriculture through its life cycle, applying eighteen indicators and a management index. The study concluded that an agroecological farm development project exhibited economic inefficiency during its first two years of operation due to an imbalance between income and expenses, preventing high management values.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyThe foreseen future of urban gardening
2019Efrat Eizenberg · Manchester University Press eBooks · Global
This concluding chapter reviews the literature on urban gardening, outlining both enthusiastic approaches that focus on its transformative potential and critical approaches that analyze it as greenwash or a strategy of neoliberal development. The chapter discusses how the book's chapters address this gap in understanding urban gardening and the resolutions and new directions they offer. It states that urban gardening is sometimes analyzed as a form of greenwash and a strategy of neoliberal development.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceSituated agroecology: massification and reclaiming university programs in Venezuela
2019Olga Domené-Painenao, Francisco Herrera · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Venezuela
The Bolivarian University of Venezuela established the Program Degree in Agroecology (PDA) in 2004 to expand agroecological practices and knowledge. Over a decade, more than a thousand PDA graduates have contributed to agroecological scaling in urban and rural areas, playing a key role in urban agriculture amidst economic crisis. The PDA has created human talent for territorializing agroecology and institutionalizing pro-peasant policy in Venezuela.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsFood educationUrban–rural linkagePower-shifts in the organizational landscapes of transport provision
2019Nadine Appelhans, Sabine Baumgart · · Morocco
An analysis of documents related to planning and agriculture and interviews with experts in Morocco indicated that urban and rural issues were treated as separate areas. Urban development affects daily travel distances as urban expansion changes distances between cultivated land and dwelling places. Data from Morocco show a lack of serious support for urban agriculture and animal husbandry in expanding urban agglomerations.
Governance failureEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyCommunity