Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(34 / 44)
Energy studies on high yield container farming systems
2015Pei Xin Koh · DR-NTU (Nanyang Technological University) · Singapore
This study aimed to verify the viability of vertical farming systems with LED supplementary light compared to conventional hydroponic farming systems, focusing on energy consumption, cost, plant growth quality, and yield. Experiments with Butterhead lettuce showed that LED lights contributed 90.12% of the total energy consumption in the vertical farming setup. The commercial viability and realistic cost levels of vertical farming have not been established, and a detailed cost-benefit and energy-benefit analysis is yet to be made.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEpitomizing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Agriculture in Bamenda
2015Bongajum Simplice Ngoran, Suinyuy Derrick Ngoran · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Cameroon (Bamenda)
This article examines the socioeconomic implications of urban agriculture in Bamenda, Cameroon. It found that urban agriculture has improved living conditions, providing employment to about 11% of the working population and reducing food expenses for civil servants. However, urban agriculture in Bamenda lags behind other cities due to rudimentary tools, suggesting a need for advanced technology and improved seedlings.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood educationCommunityFrån konsument till medproducent
2015Jenny Sjöblom · · Sweden
This study describes the origin and development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Sweden, identifying and interviewing organizations and entrepreneurs. While CSA is nascent but growing, with prerequisites for expansion in both rural and urban areas, the study notes implications regarding its accessibility to the broader population that require further exploration.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceMultifunctional Peri-Urban Agriculture and Local Food Access in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: A Review
2015Shreema Rana · Journal of Natural Resources and Development · Nepal
This paper reviews existing literature on urban food supply chains and food security benefits of peri-urban agriculture in developing regions, focusing on the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It highlights the significance of peri-urban areas for a sustainable food chain and points out existing but unrecognized features of peri-urban agriculture at local and policy-making levels. The review identifies gaps in local preferences and policy acknowledgment, suggesting further research is needed for sustainable peri-urban agriculture approaches.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsTaking Food Public: Redefining Foodways in a Changing World ed. by Psyche Williams-Forson, Carole Counihan (review)
2015Annette B. Fromm · Journal of American Folklore · Global
"Taking Public: Redefining Foodways in a Changing World" is a volume compiling interdisciplinary approaches to five specific topics in worldwide food studies. Authors from diverse fields such as anthropology, sociology, geography, nutrition, and gender studies contribute, addressing themes like production, consumption, performance, food in the diaspora, and activism and foodways. The content spans various subjects including organic farming, veganism, agribusiness, fast food, urban gardens, and dumpster diving, with global examples from Cuba to Southeast Asia, the UK, and African American and Jewish homes in the American South.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkagePrograma de desarrollo para una agricultura sostenible en áreas urbana y peri-urbana de la ciudad de Machala.
2015Delgado Pontón, Daniela María · · Ecuador (Machala)
This work aims to provide guidelines for implementing a municipal urban and peri-urban agriculture program in Machala, Ecuador, to improve environmental quality and food security for the population. The proposed program's guidelines are presented, supported by arguments for its importance in combating hunger, enhancing food and nutritional security, reducing urban habitat deterioration, and generating employment for participating families.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityUrban food policies and programmes: an overview
2015Lauren Baker and Henk de Zeeuw · · Global
This chapter analyzes the opportunities and limitations of urban agriculture for climate change mitigation and adaptation, providing information on city projects and policies. It identifies challenges for research and policy development concerning urban agriculture's potential as a city climate change and disaster risk-reduction strategy.
PolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePlant This Movie
2015Sara Parme · Educational Media Reviews Online · Global
The documentary film "Plant This Movie" (2014, 83 min) explores our relationship with food and the wasted space and resource of the 21st-century lawn. This film, one of many similar documentaries on urban farming, proposes learning from and improving upon past mistakes of the Green Movement. It notes that many agricultural nonprofits, including one highlighted, fail due to lack of funding, and while it suggests sustainability efforts should be run like a business, only a fraction of the film is dedicated to this aspect.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFoodSpace: Food production in the city
2015Ursula Lang · ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) · Global
This article argues that existing alternatives to factory foods often rely on nostalgic models of rural purity, limiting the incorporation of new urban farming methods. Cultural associations with rural purity and urban pollution have led to an oversight of cities' potential to provide fresh, seasonal, and local foods by focusing on standard, horizontal spatial relationships.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity Food Literacies: An Introduction
2015Michael L. Pennell · Community Literacy Journal · Global
This abstract introduces a special issue of the Community Literacy Journal on community food literacies, highlighting the intertwined relationship between food and literacy. It notes that both are in "revolutionary" stages, with food systems re-localizing through farmers’ markets, CSAs, and community gardens. The issue presents various perspectives on community food literacies, responding to a call for service-learning practitioners and literacy workers to address these expanding relationships.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareGlobal assessment of urban and peri-urban agriculture: irrigated and rainfed croplands
2014Anne Thebo, Pay Drechsel, Éric F. Lambin · Environmental Research Letters · Global
This study used spatial overlay analysis of global cropland and urban extent data to estimate the global area of urban and peri-urban irrigated and rainfed croplands. Urban irrigated croplands were estimated at approximately 24 Mha (11.0% of all irrigated croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.48. Urban rainfed croplands were estimated at about 44 Mha (4.7% of all rainfed croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.03. Additionally, 60% of all irrigated croplands and 35% of all rainfed croplands were found within 20 km of urban extents.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeSustainable Food Systems for Future Cities: The Potential of Urban Agriculture*
2014Kubi Ackerman, Michael Conard, Patricia J. Culligan · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Global
This multi-year study by the Urban Design Laboratory at the Earth Institute assessed urban agriculture in New York City (NYC). It presented metrics on potential growing capacity, surveyed NYC urban farmers on production challenges, and monitored a commercial rooftop farm in Brooklyn. The study aimed to provide insight into urban agriculture's role in creating sustainable food systems for NYC and other cities.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityFood educationCritical geography of urban agriculture
2014Chiara Tornaghi · Progress in Human Geography · Global
This paper defines the scope and an initial agenda for a critical geography of urban agriculture, noting that despite growing interest across disciplines, it remains a marginal field in human geography. Beyond rhetoric, urban agriculture raises questions for critical geographers, particularly regarding its role in reshaping urban landscapes and experimenting with alternatives to capitalist urban organization. The paper highlights that urban agriculture is sometimes establishing embryonic forms of recreating the Commons.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFarming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up
2014Carey Clouse · · Cuba (Havana)
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Cuba developed a significant urban agriculture initiative. By 1998, Havana alone had over 8,000 urban farms, producing nearly half of the country's vegetables. This grassroots effort evolved into the largest sustainable agriculture program, establishing Cuba as a world leader in urban farming.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeUnpermitted Urban Agriculture: Transgressive Actions, Changing Norms and the Local Food Movement
2014Sarah Schindler · Faculty publications · Global
This article explores unauthorized actions in urban and suburban communities that further local food goals, despite violating existing laws and norms. Examples include keeping chickens, planting gardens on foreclosed lots, and operating underground restaurants. The study examines the overlap between food policy and land use law concerning these transgressive activities.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban Camel (Camelus dromendarius) Production System in Saudi Arabia: A note
2014Izeldin A. Babiker · Journal of animal research · Saudi Arabia
This study aims to characterize the diversity of camel production systems in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on peri-urban camel production. Socio-economic changes post-petroleum era led Bedouins to settle in urban areas, increasing demand for camel milk from an urbanized population. This stimulated the development of peri-urban camel dairy production, which the study seeks to describe in terms of production orientation, resource endowments, and strategies.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceGrupe solidarne razmjene. Počeci ekonomije solidarnosti u Hrvatskoj/ Community supported agriculture. The beginnings of solidarity economy in Croatia
2014Olga Orlić · Etnološka tribina · Croatia
This paper presents research results on solidarity exchange groups in Zagreb County, Croatia. These groups are described as an alternative form of direct food procurement, primarily organic, from producers. They promote ecological food production, foster equal partnerships between buyers and producers, and build solidarity and trust among people.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban agriculture and poverty alleviation in developing countries
2014Zogo Ndomo, Yannick Emmanuel · Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa · Global
Urban agriculture in developing countries is a vital asset in the livelihood strategies of urban households, having expanded rapidly over the last two decades and contributing to income generation for unqualified workforces. However, the illegal status of urban agriculture has created a governance vacuum, necessitating policy formulation and institutionalized management to secure land for the urban poor and improve food security and the environment. Political leaders have a role in regulating this sector.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageFactores limitantes en la producción de semillas en la provincia de Cienfuegos
2014Rafaela Soto Ortíz, Michael Peña Smith, Idia Concepción, Islay García Hernández · Revista Científica Agroecosistemas · Cuba (Cienfuegos)
In Cienfuegos province, Cuba, limiting factors and seed production quality were identified through a non-experimental, longitudinal study from 2001 to 2012. The investigation revealed a decreasing trend in seed production levels and genetic erosion at the Company of Several Seeds in Cienfuegos, with basic seed categories declining and producers lacking necessary knowledge. Productive infrastructure, resource availability, climate change impacts, and insufficient knowledge were identified as key limiting factors.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceA RÖVID ELLÁTÁSI LÁNCBAN REJLŐ LEHETŐSÉGEK ÉS VESZÉLYEK MAGYARORSZÁGON
2014Dorottya Szabó, Szabó, Dorottya · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Hungary
This study examines the situation of short supply chains (SSC) in Hungary. It highlights that developing SSC in Hungary is not an easy task, as small farmers typically have weak cooperation and lobbying skills. While traditional direct marketing is common, innovative forms of SSC are rare.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFactors affecting roadside urban agriculture in Zimbabwe: A case study of Harare high density suburb of Mufakose
2014Wisdom Kurangwa, Retseleng Karonga, Kwayedza Muranda Kaseke, Liliosa Pahwaringira · International journal of research in social sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)
A case study on roadside urban agriculture in Mufakose high density suburb, Harare, Zimbabwe, showed that the majority of respondents were unemployed, aged 41-60, had a high number of dependents, and earned less than $200 per month. This high level of poverty, combined with inadequate home garden space, forced them to practice roadside agriculture to supplement their diet and income.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEnhancing Food Security and Economic Welfare through Urban Agriculture in Zimbabwe
2014Ezra Pedzisai, Pedzisai Kowe, C. H. Matarira, Anyway Katanha, Ronald Rutsvara · Journal of food security · Zimbabwe
The contributions of urban agriculture to household food security and income were assessed in Cold Stream, a low-income residential area of Chinhoyi town in Zimbabwe. Twenty questionnaires were administered to urban farmers, five key informants were interviewed, and three fieldworks were carried out. Results showed that urban agriculture is a prominent livelihood for the poor unemployed majority (53%), and while local non-governmental organizations provide inputs and technical advice, there is no government support. Questionnaire results confirmed that farmers are poor, using yields and income primarily for basic necessities. All urban farmers (100%) consume their produce, enhancing food security. A majority (80%) agreed that urban farming makes food cheaper, improving accessibility. About half (48%) also agreed that urban agriculture reduces food insecurity in their rural homes. Challenges include a lack of credit lines for inputs and unfavorable policy arrangements that classify urban agriculture as an illegal activity.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareCommunityPolicyCuban Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
2014Efe Can Gürcan · Latin American Perspectives · Cuba
An analysis of the restructuring of Cuban agriculture shows that food sovereignty policies in Cuba are built on a fourfold strategy emerging from a state/civil-society partnership at local, national, and regional levels. These strategies include the collectivization of land through agrarian cooperatives, the socialization of urban agriculture based on participatory methods, the guaranteeing of local access to food through free agricultural markets, and the transnationalization and solidarity of agroecological movements.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityPOPULAÇÃO-AMBIENTE. DESENVOLVIMENTO E AGRICULTURA URBANA NUM MUNICIPIO DE HAVANA, CUBA
2014Gilberto Javier Cabrera Trimñio · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (Havana)
In Cuba, urban agriculture is viewed as a movement to produce food in available urban spaces using local resources under sustainable ecological principles. While large cities like Havana cannot achieve food self-sufficiency, implementing agricultural programs there can foster an understanding of the population-environment-development relationship, which is crucial for public policies addressing environmental vulnerability and climate change impacts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeCommunityWastewater Treatment Project for Palma Soriano, Cuba: Assessment of Cultural and Ecological Conditions
2014Daniela Peña Corvillon · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Cuba
The Palma Project in Palma Soriano, Cuba, is an experiment using cultural identity to address ecological degradation. It employs environmental, social, and urban analyses to develop a master plan for wastewater treatment, reforestation, urban agriculture, and public space utilization along the Cauto River. The project aims to improve quality of life, provide potable water, restore the riparian zone, and create new food production opportunities.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justice