Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
2531 results(37 / 102)
Brazil’s Return to the Hunger Map: An Analysis of Public Policies and Effective Measures for Food Security
2023Ana Tereza Souza Domingos, Carolina Oliveira Mesquita, Emiliano Lôbo de Godoi, Thiago Augusto Mendes · Laws · Brazil
This bibliographical and documentary research analyzed the effectiveness of public food security policies in Brazil between 2012 and 2022, also considering urban agriculture as an alternative. It concluded that public policies were gradually weakened, and from 2019 to 2022, the Brazilian government discouraged food policy implementation. Consequently, Brazil faces food insecurity and hunger due to disjointed policies, the pandemic, and an economic crisis.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityToward Evidence-Based Local Food Policy: An Agroecological Assessment of Urban Agriculture in Rome
2023Davide Marino, Francesca Curcio, Francesca Benedetta Felici, Giampiero Mazzocchi · Land · Italy (Rome)
This paper proposes agroecological assessment as a tool for formulating evidence-based local food policies, adapting the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) model on a sample of 20 farms in the city-region food system of Rome, Italy. Data analysis showed that agroecological principles are not fully adopted by the majority of farms considered in Rome. Additionally, farms with the highest agroecological level are mainly driven by social factors and have a lower propensity for innovation, which could hinder the transformation process of food systems.
Limited or null effectPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsANALISIS POTENSI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP RENCANA KEGIATAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN DI KOTA MAGELANG Studi Kasus: Kecamatan Magelang Utara
2023Sri Purwanti · Jurnal Jendela Inovasi Daerah · Indonesia (Magelang)
This study used quantitative methods to assess the community's potential and competence for urban agricultural activities in Magelang Utara District, Magelang City, Indonesia. Field findings indicated that the community is capable and competent, evidenced by their participation in yard planting and waste management to support economical and accessible plant cultivation.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsTransforming a local food system to address food and nutrition insecurity in an urban informal settlement area: A study in Umlazi Township in Durban, South Africa
2023Xolile Mkhize, Bonginkosi E. Mthembu, Carin Napier · Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · South Africa (Durban)
This study in Umlazi Township, Durban, South Africa, assessed food and nutrition insecurity in an urban informal settlement through a household survey (n=200), vendor survey (n=25), anthropometric data, and land ecotope data. Findings showed that over 67.0% of informal dwellers were unemployed, surviving on a household food budget under US$115.1 per month, and 73.0% of households lacked access to land for cultivation. The study concludes that land accessibility for food production is restricted, contributing to food insecurity.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureHealthUrban and peri-urban agriculture as a strategy for creating more sustainable and resilient urban food systems and facing socio-environmental emergencies
2022Andrea Fantini · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This paper analyzes the functions of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a strategy for sustainable and resilient urban food systems and for coping with global emergencies. It identifies various functions of UPA and how they connect, but also discusses obstacles to its large-scale implementation. The paper highlights that despite its potential, significant barriers hinder UPA's widespread adoption.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Agriculture as an Alternative Source of Food and Water Security in Today’s Sustainable Cities
2022Aleksandra Nowysz, Łukasz Mazur, Magdalena Daria Vaverková, Eugeniusz Koda, Jan Winkler · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
This study explored urban agriculture (UA) as an alternative source of food and water security, employing a mixed-method approach including literature survey, case studies, and comparative analysis. It compared 25 existing projects in the global north, including allotment gardens, community gardens, and urban farms, categorizing UA into architectural-urban, ecological, social, and economic aspects. The analysis concluded that UA fulfills economic, social, and environmental functions, aligning with the concept of sustainable development.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityCommunityHortas urbanas – História, Classificação, Benefícios e Perspectivas.
2022Marc François Richter, Luiza Vigne Bennedetti, Bruna Raquel Rodrigues Teixeira, Maico Ismael Klein, Angélica Gomes Florczak dos Santos · Confins · Brazil
This study mapped the concepts and benefits of urban gardens globally and in Brazil, presenting the history of urban agriculture and its modalities. A systematic literature review via Portal periódicos da CAPES corroborated various social, environmental, and economic advantages. In recent decades, Brazil has implemented federal, state, and municipal policies to support community garden projects, aiming to reduce poverty and ensure food security.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceMoveable Gardens: Itineraries and Sanctuaries of Memory ed. by Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. Gagnon
2022Pierrette Hondagneu‐Sotelo · Journal of Latin American geography · Global
This edited book explores how various displacements lead people to re-engage with plant life, creating meaning and sustaining biodiversity. It examines how gardening, seed saving, and cooking restore social and cultural continuity, connecting past and present. The volume, rooted in anthropology, discusses plant-human engagements in movement ("itineraries") and emplaced efforts of belonging ("sanctuaries").
CommunityHeirloom & landraceBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceFarming on Top: Rooftop Agriculture for Healthy Cities
2022Elisa Appolloni, Giorgio Gianquinto · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global
Rooftop agriculture, a form of urban agriculture where food is grown on buildings, is presented as a solution to urban food insecurity and environmental protection. This practice offers benefits such as reducing urban heat, decreasing urban poverty, fostering socialization, and benefiting buildings. Rooftop agriculture is gaining global popularity due to these advantages.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthCommunitySeeds and the city: a review of municipal home food gardening programs in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022Janet Music, Lisa Mullins, Sylvain Charlebois, Charlotte Large, Kydra Mayhew · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Canada
This study compared 19 municipal urban home food gardening programs in Canada in 2020, which provided free gardening supplies and instructions. It found a complicated relationship between municipalities, gardening programs, and food security, and determined that gardening somewhat alleviated social and emotional challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, municipalities are limited in their policy capacities to adequately address food insecurity in Canada.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthHow community capacity building in urban agriculture can improve food access in predominantly Black communities
2022Saria Lofton, Marjorie Kersten, Nanyombi Lubimbi, Angela Odoms‐Young · Journal of Community Practice · United States
This study used Chaskin’s relational framework to describe community capacity-building efforts to enhance urban agriculture in predominantly Black communities. Strategies identified for community capacity building in urban agriculture included building on existing resources, community engagement, expanding organizational capacity, identifying threats, and identifying ideal solutions. These strategies were identified by urban farmers, gardeners, and advocates to strengthen local control of the food environment through sustainable urban agriculture.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthGreening the Virtual Smart City: Accelerating Peer-to-Peer Learning in Urban Agriculture With Virtual Reality Environments
2022Tapan S. Parikh, Sara Perl Egendorf, Isaiah Murray, Ali Jamali, Bryan Yee, Sammi Lin, Kendra Cooper-Smith, Brendan Parker, Koron Smiley, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · United States
This study described the development of virtual reality (VR) platforms to support farmer knowledge transfer and innovation in urban agriculture in the U.S. The platform features a VR model of an organic farm in New York City, detailing farm operations and offering opportunities to integrate educational materials and personal narratives. VR has the potential to accelerate innovations in food justice by transcending the physical constraints of traditional agricultural extension.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceFrom small-scale agriculture to urban agriculture: women, subsistence economy, and the question of the commons
2022Elisabeth Meyer-Renschhausen · Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe · Global
This article provides a historical overview of small-scale, subsistence farming, primarily by women, spanning two centuries from the early 19th century to the 21st century. It traces the evolution from the loss of commons in Prussia to urban farming in contemporary cities across Europe, America, and Africa. The discussion includes subsistence farming in towns, garden cities, post-war initiatives, and the significant role of unacknowledged family production in Eastern Europe.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageExploring the need for innovation in greening urban environments: Reflecting on radical practice in Greater Manchester, UK
2022Adelina Court, Aileen Kelly, Michael Hardman · Cogent Social Sciences · United Kingdom (Greater Manchester)
This paper explores the need for innovation in urban green infrastructure, focusing on enabling urban food growing in cities. It reviews current policy tools and presents a case study of a multifunctional forest school in Salford, UK, which enables larger-scale farming in a deprived area. The study, conducted by a multidisciplinary team, also proposes a visual methodology framework for future replication.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceLand Tenure Security and Urban Agriculture: Focusing on the Vegetable Cultivation in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania
2022Betty Mntambo · Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania · Tanzania (Morogoro Municipality)
This study examined land tenure security in urban agriculture among 69 male and female vegetable farmers in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, using snowball sampling and a cross-sectional design. Findings revealed that farmers access land informally by renting from legal landowners, with social relationships determining tenure security. Land tenure insecurity negatively affects vegetable cultivation and generates uncertainty and animosity between farmers and landlords.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEdible Landscapes and Landscaping
2022Avi Friedman · · Canada (Montreal)
This chapter explores how food production can initiate change at the neighborhood level and how using native flora in landscaping decreases water consumption and benefits local biodiversity. The Benny Farm Project in Montreal, Canada, is presented as an example of a highly productive urban agriculture undertaking.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageURBAN AGRICULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN KHULNA CITY CORPORATION, SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH
2022Mosammat Rowshan Ara · Khulna University Studies · Bangladesh (Khulna City)
This study surveyed 361 household heads in Khulna City, Bangladesh, to assess the contribution of urban agriculture to the sustainable livelihoods of low-income people. Agricultural activities observed included vegetable cultivation, livestock rearing, aquaculture, crop cultivation, and innovative gardening. The Index of Agriculture for Sustainable Livelihood (IASL) showed that landowners engaged in more sustainable activities, with sustainability increasing by 0.218 units per decimal of land, and male respondents contributed more to agricultural activities than females. The findings suggest agriculture can help fulfill basic needs for low-income urban residents.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity-Supported Agriculture Networks in Wales and Central Germany: Scaling Up, Out, and Deep through Local Collaboration
2022Bernd Bonfert · Sustainability · Wales
This paper investigated local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks in Wales and Germany using semi-structured interviews and observations. It found that local collaboration enables CSAs to integrate supply chains, engage communities, and participate in food councils. However, the study also revealed competitive tensions between neighboring CSAs, which presents a previously unknown challenge to CSA's potential scalability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAnalyser l’agriculture urbaine occidentale à travers la notion de capital environnemental
2022Carmen Cantuarias-Villessuzanne, Mathilde Vignau · Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales · Global
This paper aims to analyze urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) projects in France through the notion of environmental capital. Interest in UPA has grown in Western countries since the late 19th century, and this study seeks to clarify its economic models and ultimately formalize a new mapping of contemporary UPA projects in France.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceNarratives and Benefits of Agricultural Technology in Urban Buildings: A Review
2022Michael G. Parkes, Duarte Leal Azevedo, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira · Atmosphere · Global
This literature review, covering 28 articles from 2015–2022 on 68 active urban agriculture (UA) installations, systematizes narratives about the benefits of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and soil-less growing systems in urban buildings. The review found that data quantifying the claimed benefits are limited, and thus the exact environmental effects of CEA remain undetermined.
Digital agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAvances de la Secretaría Distrital de Salud en la implementación de huertas agroecológicas en zonas urbanas y periurbanas de Bogotá, una estrategia que integra la salud ambiental y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional. Bogotá 2021
2022Claudia Ortega Realpe, Edna Katalina Medina, Óscar Fernández · Boletín Epidemiológico Distrital - Bed · Colombia
Bogotá's District Health Secretariat implemented agroecological urban gardens from January to September 2021 to address COVID-19's social impacts. The community environment showed the highest healthy and sustainable food production, with Sumapaz, Usme, and Ciudad Bolívar having the largest planted areas. Vegetables and greens were the most relevant crops, while medicinal and aromatic plants were common in home gardens. The community showed good reception and acceptance, contributing to food security and environmental health.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityPeri-urban agricultureIntegration of Urban Farming into City Infrastructure Development
2022Ayobami Abayomi Popoola, Bolanle Wahab, Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha, Lovemore Chipungu · CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development · Nigeria (Ibadan)
This mixed-methods study in Ibadan, Nigeria, surveyed 236 urban farmers across five local government areas to determine patterns of integrating urban farming into city infrastructure development. Findings indicated that old age limited farmers' travel distance and farm produce theft was detected, highlighting challenges in current urban farming practices and infrastructure.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceSunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle - Exhibtion
2022Ionat; id_orcid 0000-0001-9080-2282 Zurr, Oron; id_orcid 0000-0002-2893-5364 Catts · UWA Profiles and Research Repository (University of Western Australia) · Australia
The "Sunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle" project, presented by SymbioticA in February 2022, is a performative experiment exploring agricultural technology (AgTech) and its aim to remove natural elements like sunlight, soil, and organic waste from food production. This project considers whether the precursor to sustainable food systems will be the creation of a metabolic rift, where the means of production grow ever distant from nature. It highlights a critical environmental tradeoff by questioning the separation of humans from nature in technological farming.
Environmental trade-offsDigital agricultureCommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceImplementation of urban farming as a part of the national movement for mental revolution
2022Rayhan Ramadhani, Sarah Natalia, Faurica Nurul Syifa, Maulida Asha Sabilla, Arya Prayoga, Moch. Imron Rosyidi · Community Empowerment · Indonesia
In Bromo Hamlet, Kalinegoro Village, Indonesia, the KKN GNRM program on urban farming was held to maintain food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program aimed to provide knowledge, insight, and experience to boost organic vegetable production on narrow land through hydroponic training. The KKN GNRM increased public awareness of urban farming and hydroponics as a source of food security during the pandemic.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationDIYIs a vegetable garden essential? Toronto gardens as culinary infrastructure
2022Sarah Elton, Donald C. Cole · Food Culture & Society · Canada (Toronto)
This paper analyzes mixed methods data from Toronto, Canada, generated pre-pandemic, to understand the role of urban agriculture in gardeners' lives. It found that gardening supported health and wellbeing and provided an important, often culturally significant, food source for participants. The study argues that gardens are essential and should be viewed as part of culinary infrastructure, prompting policy decisions that support nonmarket food sources during crises.
CommunityHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justice