Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(32 / 44)
Agricultura urbana y resiliencia
2016Claudia Patricia Osorio Doncel · INGENIO · Colombia (Palmira)
At the "Fundacion Hogar Divino Nino" in Palmira, Colombia, educational and practical workshops are provided for underprivileged youth. A boy named 'El Doc de la granja', who attended the foundation, enjoyed planting and cultivating various green species, including beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, chard, cilantro, bell peppers, and some medicinal and aromatic plants. These crops were used to feed all the children at the foundation.
Food educationWelfareCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Community Gardens’ Contribution to the New Rurality : An Example from Stockholm (Sweden)
2016Madeleine Bonow, Maria Normark · · Sweden (Stockholm)
This paper discusses the renewed interest in urban agriculture (UA) in the global North as a method to re-localize food systems by shortening food supply chains. The abstract is truncated and provides no further details on the study's findings or methods.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe productive landscape in Persian Gardens; Foundations and features
2016Khalilnezhad Seyyed Mohammad Reza, Tobias Kai · · Iran
This study explored the dimensions and attributes of productive and agricultural landscapes in six Persian Gardens (Akbariyeh, Rahim Abad, Amir Abad, Bahlgerd, Pahlavanpur, and Shahzadeh) in Iran. Using descriptive-analytical methodology, library research, interviews, and field studies, it showed that fruitful greenery is significantly present, even in governmental gardens, due to the need to provide recreational services for owners and guests. The combination of ornamental and fruit species enhances garden beauty, aims for efficiency, profitability, and self-sufficiency, and medicinal properties are also noted.
Heirloom & landraceFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageConnexions entre la justice environnementale, l’écologisme populaire et l’écocitoyenneté
2016Nayla Naoufal · VertigO · Global
This article examines global citizen movements related to socio-ecological issues, including urban agriculture development, by analyzing the evolution of their demands. It explores environmental justice, popular ecology, and their theoretical foundations, identifying a relevant framework for contemporary mobilizations. The study also analyzes the concept of ecocitizenship, finding that a participatory and critical form of ecocitizenship particularly contributes to environmental justice.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEstablishing Principles for Community Garden Design to Improve Self-Support Capability of Vulnerable Group - Focused on Supportive Housing for Homeless People -
2016Sook Mee Lee, In Ho Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study aimed to establish principles for community garden space planning to improve the self-support capability of vulnerable groups. Considering the circumstances of homeless individuals, 13 universal design principles were applied, integrating concepts of healing gardens and urban agriculture. The principles include maximally efficient space division for various programs, privacy-protected spaces, rest areas for strengthening resilience and health, pleasant spaces with plants, easily accessible and safe spaces, and easy maintenance and sustainability. For the ultimate goal of financial self-support, spaces for developing acquired skills and engaging in productive activities were also included in the principles.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceSolidarity economy practices in urban agriculture initiatives of the Lisbon municipality. The cases of Vale de Chelas, Alta de Lisboa e Horta do Baldio
2016C. Paizinho, M. de F. Ferreiro · Repositório do ISCTE-IUL · Portugal (Lisbon)
This study identified solidarity economy practices in three urban gardens in Lisbon, Portugal: Vale de Chelas, Alta de Lisboa, and Horta do Baldio. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys of 42 users and interviews with 3 stakeholders, 31 out of 35 evaluated practices were identified, with 7 being "very relevant" and 4 "relevant." Key practices included organic production, contributions to social cohesion and health, knowledge sharing, reciprocity, and democratic decision-making, while 20 practices were considered "less relevant."
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanisation, Nutrition and Food Security: A Climatological Perspective
2016Tom Beer, Brenda B. Lin, A.E.J. McGill · Water science and technology library · Global
This chapter considers the effects of climate change on food production, with particular reference to urban agriculture and its associated impacts on food security. The value of urban agriculture to the health and nutrition of developing and developed countries is described. The current status of related research by international agencies is outlined, and their omissions are highlighted. Proposals are made as to how these overlooked areas of research might be addressed.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsUnderstanding Markets and Marketing Strategies, and Challenges in Locally Grown Fresh Produce Industry
2016J. Dominique Gumirakiza, Laura J. Hopper, Gumirakiza, J. Dominique, Hopper, Laura · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
An exploratory study of existing literature on locally grown food systems identified common findings, recommendations, and proposed priorities, key variables, and relationships for future research. Findings indicate that local food marketing through farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture, along with the benefits of local food systems to local economies (an ongoing debate), heavily dominate the literature. Prior studies commonly reported enthusiasm for locally grown fresh produce but presented diverging results regarding significant consumer characteristics.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFood miles & supply chainUrban Agriculture, Commons and Urban Policies: Scaling up Local Innovation
2016François Mancebo · Challenges in Sustainability · Global
This article explores whether urban agriculture can be a cornerstone for reconfiguring more sustainable cities, and under what conditions and types. It proposes counteracting urban sprawl by fostering "rural sprawl" through introducing nature and rural characteristics like farming into interstitial urban areas and wastelands. From this perspective, urban agriculture becomes a common good that brings people together and reshapes the urban fabric, making it particularly suitable for long-lasting urban policies that transform environmental "bads" into "goods" and urban amenities.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceBalance Del Programa De Agricultura Urbana Liderado Por El Jardín Botánico De Bogotá José Celestino Mutis
2016Salamanca Córdoba, Néstor Leonardo · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This internship report evaluates the urban agriculture program led by the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB) in Colombia. It describes 25 urban gardens that received technical advice, social support, adaptation, and equipment from the JBB. Using a case study methodology, technical diagnostic and harvest forms, along with perceptions from project leaders and participants, were used to describe the gardens. The JBB continuously monitors these gardens to improve urban agriculture practices and gather data for evaluating the effectiveness, impact, strengths, and weaknesses of urban agriculture among the study population.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceBuilding Urban Agricultural Commons: A Utopia or a Reality?
2016Pierre Donadieu · Challenges in Sustainability · Global
This paper distinguishes categories of urban agriculture to efficiently feed urban inhabitants and leverage ecological and social functions. It explores methods to regulate unbuilt urban land and discusses possibilities for creating urban agricultural commons, defined as tangible and intangible resources produced by farmers and gardeners for local consumption and environmental quality. The concept of commons is applied to urban agriculture and landscape, drawing on works by E. Ostrom, P. Dardot, and C. Laval.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing hungry: The politics of food distribution and the shifting boundaries between urban and rural in Dar es Salaam
2016Emily Brownell · Global Environment · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This case study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, examines the politics of food distribution and shifting urban-rural boundaries during the socialist era. The Tanzanian government pursued an anti-urban policy, viewing urbanites as slothful and discouraging migration to cities. However, by the early 1980s, as state food distribution channels failed, the government shifted to transforming as much of Dar es Salaam into agricultural space as possible, with urban agriculture and family networks becoming key bulwarks against hunger in the city.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePlaces of prosumption: Community gardens putting the ‘we’ into neighbourhoods
2016Deirdre Shaw, John Crossan, Andrew Cumbers, Robert McMaster, Katherine Trebeck, Iain Black · Families Relationships and Societies · Global
This article explores the possibilities of prosumption, encompassing production and consumption, for creating new "we" identities based on nature and community. It focuses on community gardens as places that generate progressive social relations. These relations critique mainstream mass production and environmentally destructive food systems.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceCIUDAD AGRÍCOLA: ANÁLISIS SOCIAL DE LOS PROCESOS DE AGRICULTURA URBANA CASO LOCALIDAD BOSA - BOGOTÁ.
2016Vargas Sandoval, Norma Constanza · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This descriptive qualitative research project analyzes how urban agriculture processes in Bosa, Bogotá, contribute to social construction through community development. It characterizes the social structure used by participants, identifying dimensions of community organization, systems supporting social dynamics, and relationships articulating actors for network building. The documentation of these urban agriculture experiences serves as a tool for local and district program planning and execution.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture: Passing Fad or New Prospects for Agriculture and Cities?
2016Heidrun Moschitz, Christoph Kueffer · GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society · Global
This paper argues that while urban agriculture might be considered a passing fad, it is a vehicle to deal with many urgent topics of societal transformation towards a sustainable future. It discusses the potential of urban agriculture to change agriculture and urban life.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageResiliencia y organización comunitaria: el caso de la red de huertas en los Altos de la Estancia, en la localidad de Ciudad Bolívar en Bogotá / Resilience and community organization: the case of the network of orchards in the “Altos de la Estancia”, in “C
2016Diana Paola Vargas Huertas, Juan–Carlos Ruiz · Ciudad Paz-ando · Colombia (Bogotá)
This case study analyzed the creation process of an agricultural-based socio-economic network (orchards) in the Altos de la Estancia sector of Ciudad Bolívar in Bogotá, from the perspective of social resilience. Using participatory design accompaniment methodologies, the study examined resilience variables, vulnerability, and alternative economies within urban agriculture, and analyzed the social actors involved in the network's formation. The research revealed diverse capacities to face environmental adversity within risk management and community building processes, supported by district institutions, academia, and popular collectives.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEl desafío de la alimentación en un mundo cada vez más urbano
2016A. Sempere · Americanae (AECID Library) · Global
This paper argues that the concentration of people in urban areas poses significant ecological and social challenges, such as how to supply food to large population centers that grow at the expense of surrounding agricultural land. According to the United Nations, over half of the world's population currently lives in cities, projected to reach 66% by 2050. Current cities rely on food imported from increasingly distant places rather than food produced in their geographical environment, resulting in cities and citizens disconnected from their ecological and sociocultural context.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsBases Para La Reestructuración Del Programa De Agricultura Urbana Y Periurbana Agroecológica En Bogotá D.C., Con Base Los Lineamientos Dados En El Acuerdo 605 Del 27 De Agosto De 2015
2016Rada Betancourt, Bibian Andrea · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This document, based on an action research methodology, aims to provide informative, conceptual, and methodological bases for formulating an agroecological urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUPA) program in Bogotá. It describes the context of urban and peri-urban agriculture in the capital district, projects its future in Bogotá, and formulates foundational principles based on previously obtained results.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAnchors in a Globalizing World [Book review]
2016Kimberley Curtis · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This book review covers Steven McFadden's "Awakening Community Intelligence," presenting his argument for the exponential expansion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). McFadden believes CSAs have the potential to become "community cornerstones" and function as a "network of light-giving impulses" through digital networking, addressing 21st-century challenges.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana como alternativa de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional : familias de la UPZ Marruecos, localidad Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bogotá
2016Monroy Quevedo, Katherin Mayerli · · Colombia (Bogotá)
A mixed-methods study in UPZ Marruecos, Rafael Uribe Uribe Locality, Bogotá, Colombia, investigated the impact of urban agriculture on the food and nutritional security of participating families. Based on interviews and surveys with 10 participants, urban agriculture was found to contribute to families' food and nutritional security by increasing the availability of safe food and improving physical access. Participants perceived higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, tubers, cereals, and legumes, leading to greater dietary diversity.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityWelfareElderlyCommunity garden: A bridging program between formal and informal learning
2016Ranjan Datta · Cogent Education · Global
Community garden activities play a significant role in bridging formal and informal learning, especially in urban children's science and environmental education, by promoting relational methods that integrate food security, social interactions, community development, environmental activism, and cultural integration. An auto-ethnographic study revealed that community garden-based practices adhere to forms of agency such as embracing diversity, sharing power, and trust building as part of everyday learning.
CommunityFood educationHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEfficient City Farming
2016Stefan Hebold, Andrea Frömel · edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin) · Global
This study aimed to address the lack of scientific documentation on the forms and effects of urban agriculture by investigating the health of urban-produced plant-based foods. Raised beds were established at urban, peri-urban, and rural locations, planted with identical species, and compared with the yields from an ECF container farm hydroponic system. Yields were compared between the hydroponic system and raised beds, while raised beds were compared among themselves based on heavy metal accumulation.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityThe Utopian Idea of Urban Agriculture - Growing Politics in the Urban Area
2016Ida Åberg · · Global
This abstract introduces urban agriculture (UA) as a potential solution to the challenges of feeding rapidly growing cities sustainably and addressing unsustainability and poverty.
PolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCaracterización de diferentes métodos de establecimiento y producción de agricultura urbana, bajo la sostenibilidad y seguridad alimentaria para la población vulnerable de Altos de Cazucá, municipio de Soacha: Informe de avance de investigación
2016Paredes Guzmán, Germán Ricardo · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project aims to describe different methods of establishing and producing urban agriculture, focusing on sustainability and food security for the vulnerable population of Altos de Cazucá, Soacha municipality, Colombia. This population is affected by forced displacement due to armed conflict, resulting in increased poverty and malnutrition, with a chronic malnutrition rate of 30% in children compared to the national average of 8%. The project proposes to apply participatory action research methodologies and techniques to develop an urban production model that addresses these issues.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityHealthIntroduction Context and commonality: Women in agriculture worldwide
2016Manase Kudzai Chiweshe, Kudzai MacMillan Muzanago · · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This exploratory study analyzed the emergence of sack potato farming as an alternative empowerment platform for urban women in Zimbabwe, using qualitative methodologies and secondary literature. It found that sack potato production, which gained prominence in Zimbabwe in 2013, can increase food security and income for urban households and promotes micro-economic enterprises among urban women.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityEconomics