Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(33 / 44)
Farmers' place identity and decision-making in a changing peri-urban environment: a case study of Wollondilly Shire Council
2016Laure‐Elise Ruoso, R. Plant, Brent Jacobs, Pierre Maurel · · Australia (Western Sydney)
This study, based on in-depth interviews with farmers in peri-urban Sydney, Australia, examines how changes in these areas impact farmers' place identity and decision-making. It analyzes how increasing urban development, land subdivision, rising land values, and environmental regulations threaten farming activities. The findings indicate that these factors influence farmers' practices, business management, and decisions to continue or relocate peri-urban farming.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyContributing to food security in urban areas: differences between urban agriculture and peri-urban agriculture in the Global North
2015Ina Opitz, Regine Berges, Annette Piorr, Thomas Krikser · Agriculture and Human Values · Global
An extensive literature review systematically analyzed urban and peri-urban agriculture in the Global North, comparing their spatial, ecological, and socio-economic characteristics. The study found that urban and peri-urban agriculture differ in most characteristics and in their ability to meet urban food needs. Urban agriculture primarily meets household-level food needs, while peri-urban agriculture provides larger quantities and broader distribution pathways, indicating distinct roles in food security. Both forms of agriculture face similar threats from urbanization pressures.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyUrban agriculture in the transition to low carbon cities through urban greening
2015Mary J. Thornbush · AIMS environmental science · Global
This review paper examines global trends in urban agriculture as a climate change mitigation and adaptation approach. It presents urban agriculture as a land-use solution that enhances food security, sequesters carbon, and offers rural services within cities. The review discusses physical and human factors influencing urban agriculture adoption, integrating a social-ecological perspective.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyGreen infrastructure as life support: urban nature and climate change
2015Sheryn D. Pitman, Christopher B. Daniels, Martin Edward Ely · Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia · Australia
A literature review conducted between 2012 and 2014 for the South Australian Green Infrastructure Project established the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure. These benefits include temperature modification, improved human health, enhanced community liveability, effective water management, increased economic prosperity, biodiversity conservation, and extensive urban food production. The paper primarily focuses on Green Infrastructure's contribution to climate adaptation and protection.
Climate changeHealthBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceEvaluación de la producción de papa criolla solanum phureja clon paisa en contenedores de polietileno de alta densidad bajo el marco de agricultura urbana
2015Daniel Andrés Vega Castro · Luna Azul · Colombia
A 2015 descriptive study in Colombia evaluated the production of criolla potato Solanum phureja 'Paisa' clone in an urban context. High-density polyethylene double-bottom containers and agroecological production techniques, including fertilization based on organic matter, minerals, and microorganisms, were used. Results showed an average production of 528.36 g/plant for S. phureja in containers, indicating a viable alternative compared to average production in Colombia and the department of Cundinamarca.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceThrough the Generations:VictoryGardens for Tomorrow's Tables
2015Susan Andreatta · Culture Agriculture Food and Environment · Global
This paper examines the historical role of Victory Gardens and explores their potential relevance today for addressing climate change and reducing food deserts. It also discusses community gardens, ideas for connecting people to local food production at home or in communities, and the sharing of harvests. Additionally, the paper considers agrivoltaic production as a method for dual-purposing farmland for both power generation and produce cultivation.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageRacism and Capitalism: Dual Challenges for the Food Movement
2015Eric Holt-Giménez · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This paper argues that the modern food system, shaped by 30 years of neoliberal globalization, has led to unprecedented global inequality, disproportionately affecting people of color. Despite the emergence of a U.S. food movement focusing on various components like urban agriculture, the underlying structures of the corporate food regime continue to control the context of these alternatives, hindering systemic change.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban agriculture as embedded in the social and solidarity economy Basel
2015Isidor Wallimann · · Switzerland (Basel)
In 2010, the SEA founded the Urban Agriculture Network Basel Association (UAB) to enhance food production for the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and the urban space. The UAB aims to strengthen the SSE's focus on local and environmental sustainability and shift Basel's food policy towards "food sovereignty." The network fosters social integration by issuing its own hour-based currency and has contributed to building a pilot Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) producer-consumer coop for solar-powered cheese.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCSA & TeikeiAgriculture urbaine et périurbaine, les exploitations laitières du Caire, Égypte
2015Annabelle Daburon, Véronique Alary, Ali Ahmed, Mohammad El-Srogi, Jean–François Tourrand · Industrias Culturais (Universidade de Coimbra) · Egypt (Le Caire)
In the Cairo megacity, Egypt, family-based agricultural activities persist in its core and periphery. This chapter illuminates the situation of these farms, which contribute to Cairo's food supply, particularly dairy and market garden products. The data were derived from a study conducted as part of the Dairy project by Cirad and a university.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureUnravelling the politics of urban food transitions. A governance approach on Alternative Food Networks
2015Alessandra Manganelli · Lirias · Global
This early-stage PhD research (Month 12) investigates the governance of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), focusing on their internal dynamics and relations with external institutions. While civil society actors catalyze AFNs, the institutional environment they face is not always favorable or accountable, with examples including changes in political priorities and constraining regulations. The Brussels-Capital Region serves as the main empirical case study, analyzing movements like GASAP and "Le Debut des Haricots."
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe Death of Distance: Food Deserts Across the Global Divide
2015Meredith Gartin · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · Global
Over half of humanity resides in cities, and most cities cannot produce enough food to sustain their residents. Some cities are exploring urban agriculture to create more resilient food systems, aiming for food security despite external forces. However, some argue that the global food system is too interconnected with local systems, making no system entirely invulnerable. This chapter focuses on three case studies exploring interlocking food deserts to illustrate how global and local processes converge on health issues like obesity in urban settings.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFortalecimiento cultural desde la agricultura en el cabildo indigena Ambiká -Pijao, a través de la casa de pensamiento semillas Ambiká
2015Jenny Morales Sánchez, Paola Aguilera Rocha · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Usme locality, Bogotá, Colombia, the Ambiká-Pijao indigenous community, displaced from Tolima, undertook an initiative through the "Ambiká Seeds House of Thought" to recognize ancestral agricultural traditions. This non-conventional education facility hosts children aged 2 months to 5 years to maintain and strengthen their customs and ancestral knowledge. Maize, a native and sacred plant, was planted in soda bottles as an urban agriculture strategy for limited spaces, allowing children to connect with their customs and understand planting as a sacred act in their worldview.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceHeirloom & landraceCommunity and School Gardens as Spaces for Learning Social Resilience.
2015Kimberley Reis, Jo-Anne S. Ferreira · ePublications@SCU (Southern Cross University) · Australia
This study examines how community and school gardens can teach individual and community resilience to potential food shortages, emergencies, food insecurity, and climate change challenges. It focuses on the role of gardens in providing food access and building resilience among school-aged children and young adults. Insights from a larger Australian PhD thesis are analyzed to assist educators, particularly in policy, who engage with young learners in these gardens, with findings argued to have international relevance.
CommunityFood educationClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable Development for People or Profit?
2015Eric Weaver · Suburban Sustainability · Global
This review details the relationship between key planetary systems and the many adverse impacts of industrial agriculture, drawing from top-tier journals. Research indicates that industrial agriculture is a major force pushing environmental limits, with multinational corporations continuing to influence national environmental regulations. Current literature debates whether political systems can institute sustainable solutions, suggesting that grassroots efforts may be the most viable solution to displace the industrial agriculture model.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsContesting urban agriculture: the politics of meat production in the License-Buy-Back Scheme (2006-2007) in Hong Kong
2015Kin Wing Chan · Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) · Hong Kong
This study examines the politics of meat production in Hong Kong's 2006-2007 License-Buy-Back Scheme (LBBS), focusing on pig farming. It investigates how the LBBS served as a tactic to reduce and control the pig farming industry, contrasting it with urban vegetable farming which holds a more positive aesthetic image. The research highlights a scarcity of studies on why certain forms of urban agriculture are valued more than others.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceTransforming Food Systems Through Food Sovereignty: An Australian Urban Context
2015Federico Davila, Robert Dyball · Australian Journal of Environmental Education · Australia
This article examines the potential of food sovereignty, as defined by La Via Campesina, to reframe food as a human right within the Australian food discourse. It argues that urban food production in Australia offers educative value by transforming individuals' social and environmental concerns about food systems. Community participation in urban food production can foster political understanding and support for alternative food systems, developing elements of food sovereignty in an Australian urban context.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationPolicyBeyond ‘local’ food: how supermarkets and consumer choice affect the economic viability of small‐scale family farms in Sydney, Australia
2015Sarah James · Area · Australia (Sydney)
This paper argues that small-scale family farmers on Sydney's urban fringe are directly connected to and reliant on the mainstream food system for their economic viability. It highlights that a localized focus on threats and solutions risks neglecting the impact of supermarket power and consumer choice on these producers. The study emphasizes the need to examine the continuing connection between the mainstream system and 'local', small-scale producers to achieve food system change.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe business models of commercial urban farming in developed countries
2015David Ingemar Hedin · · Global
This thesis analyzed business models in commercial urban farming in developed countries, identifying three main classes: small production, large production, and secondary purpose. Small production typically uses farmer's markets and restaurants, large production focuses on leafy greens for retail and restaurants, and secondary purpose operations benefit other business activities. The analysis found that the small production cluster is unstable, with firms likely to expand outside the city, grow into large production, or introduce secondary value propositions.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanization and soil nutrient challenges and opportunities: lessons from Malawian cities.
2015David Mkwambisi, Andrew J. Dougill, Philip Antwi‐Agyei, C. P. Chabvuta · CABI eBooks · Malawi
Research in Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi, assessed urban agriculture's potential to improve soil quality, crop yields, and livelihoods. Preliminary evidence showed urban waste could address food insecurity and soil nutrient benefits, but several constraints in waste management were identified. City authorities are not proactively utilizing organic municipal waste for soil quality and agricultural production benefits.
Governance failureOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCompostProducts from urban collective gardens : food for thought or for consumption?
2015Jeanne Pourias, Éric Duchemin, Christine Aubry · · Global
This paper investigated the food function of urban collective gardens (CGs) in Paris and Montreal, defined as the quantitative and qualitative food supply they provide to gardeners. Comprehensive interviews with gardeners, production quantification, and plot monitoring revealed a wide diversity of practices regarding CGs' food function. This diversity must be considered in relation to the multifunctionality of these gardens.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunity supported agriculture as public education: networked communities of practice building alternative agrifood systems
2015R. Alan Wight · Environmental Education Research · Global
This abstract cites a study titled "Community supported agriculture as public education: networked communities of practice building alternative agrifood systems." The study was published in Environmental Education Research, volume 22, issue 3, pages 456–457.
CSA & TeikeiFood educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceModern Capitalism and Food Commoditization: The Limitations of Industrial Agriculture and the Challenges of Sustainable Alternatives
2015Gerardo Patron-Cano · Digital Commons - DU (University of Denver) · Global
This thesis argues that agriculture should be divorced from capitalist economic principles, pointing out that industrialized growing methods have been economically, socially, and environmentally unsustainable. For sustainable and equitable agriculture, food systems need to be de-commodified, with policies empowering local community control and subsidizing localized production-consumption cycles. Urban farming and food hub initiatives are discussed as primary solutions to address challenges limiting local food systems from replacing the dominant industrial agricultural paradigm.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunityRevealing the Impacts of Climate Change on Peri-Urban Agriculture and Vegetation Cover in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania
2015Leonia John Raphael · Tanzania Journal for Population studies and Development · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
A 2015 study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, found that extreme climatic changes, including rainfall and temperature, have adversely affected peri-urban agricultural productivity and vegetation cover. Excessive rains lead to the destruction of urban gardens, vegetation, property, and loss of livelihoods for urban dwellers, 87% of whom are rural migrants. This highlights significant risks for urban communities dependent on land resources in rapidly growing cities.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe importance of stories in understanding people’s relationship to food: narrative inquiry methodology has much to offer the public health nutrition researcher and practitioner
2015Gabrielle O’Kane, Barbara Pamphilon · Public Health Nutrition · Australia
This paper contributes to a food-related doctoral research study by applying narrative inquiry methodology and focus groups across five food systems in the Canberra region of Australia: community gardens, community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets, fresh food markets, and supermarkets. Based on data from eight focus groups with 52 participants, the paper demonstrates the application of narrative inquiry and reveals the important role of narratives in generating new knowledge.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic Urban Agriculture
2015Klaus Lorenz · Soil Science · Global
Urban agriculture (UA) engages approximately 800 million people globally and covers over 67 million hectares of urban cropland. While UA contributes to food security, growing food in urban ecosystems, particularly on degraded urban soils, presents challenges. Past research on UA has focused on social sciences, and although studies on urban soils have increased, many urban areas remain neglected. Further research and dissemination of knowledge are needed on how to maintain or enhance urban soil fertility through soil and land-use management practices.
Limited or null effectOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCompost