Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1177 results(39 / 48)
Le jardin participatif du CPAS d'Etterbeek attrapera-t-il le train de l'emploi ?
2013Catherine Closson · · Belgium (Brussels)
A study assessed the job creation potential of urban agriculture in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. Etterbeek residents are struggling to transition from theory to practice. While professional integration has not yet been achieved, the social dynamic around the vegetable gardens is proving effective.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsWelfareA Utopian perspective on global food security
2013Alec Thornton · · South Pacific
This abstract links urban agriculture and local food production to food security and development in the South Pacific.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsRoutes Choice of Urban Agriculture,Ecotourism and Cultural Innovation Fusion
2013Zhu Qi-jiu · Anhui nongye kexue · Global
This paper discusses the fusion of urban agriculture, ecotourism, and cultural innovation as a necessary approach for industrial upgrading, value creation, and income improvement in suburban areas. It outlines four methods for this fusion: government-led corporate development, market-guided corporate management with government support, market and policy-guided collective development, and individual development with villager participation based on government-provided infrastructure. The paper suggests that different villages and towns should adopt the most suitable route based on local conditions.
EconomicsPeri-urban agricultureCommunityEnhancing Direct Marketing Opportunities for Local Foods
2013Kynda R. Curtis, Voravee Chakreeyarat, J. Dominique Gumirakiza · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · Global
The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, also known as Subscription Farming, first originated in Japan in the 1960s. This concept was later introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFood security and the commons in ASEAN: the role of Singapore
2013M Cate Christ · · Singapore
This paper presents Singapore as a case study for the increasing importance of taking a commons perspective on food supply and security, as Singapore is a net-food importing country, importing 90% of its food from limited sources. The paper focuses on actions to diversify food sources, increase local food production, and promote food and agro-based industry, research, and development. In the context of a highly urbanized population with limited land and natural resources, it traces the recent history of food security policies and actions in Singapore regarding increased local production and examines several case studies demonstrating the development of research, technology, and community resources for urban agricultural production.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsBorrowed Ground: Evaluating the Potential Role of Usufruct in Neighborhood-Scale Foodsheds
2013Benjamin Carl Kerrick · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · Global
Urban growth in the 20th and 21st centuries has increased urban food demand while diminishing agricultural production areas around cities. Urban agriculture can expand food access, engage urban dwellers in food production, and utilize unused urban lots. Idle or vacant land, both public and private, represents an important resource for this purpose.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageAPPLICATION OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION MAKING METHOD AND THE INTEGRATED ANP- DEMATEL MODEL FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND SUITABILITY ANALYSIS (CASE STUDY: QAZVIN PLAIN)
2013Hamidreza Pourkhabbaz, Javanmardi Saeedeh, Yavari Ahmad Reza, H A Faraji Sabokbar · · Iran
This paper presented an integrated DEMATEL and ANP technique to evaluate land for peri-urban agriculture in the Qazvin Plain, Iran. Ecological word model, slope, climatic soil properties, water resources, and vegetation density were chosen as major factors and evaluated using a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model. Results confirmed six classes of agricultural land use, indicating that northern parts are not suitable for agriculture development. However, 98,598.20 hectares of polygons were determined to be extremely to medium suitable for agriculture.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsClimate changePromoting Urban Agriculture: Insurance as an Important Tool
2013Pian Pian Wang, John G. Nevius · Environmental Claims Journal · Global
This article discusses the role of insurance in promoting urban agriculture, which is increasingly important due to population density and climate change. It suggests that insurance, public policy, and land use law must be combined with financial support to help urban agricultural initiatives flourish. The article proposes adjusting existing insurance, establishing local programs, and incorporating risk analysis into urban land use planning to encourage urban agriculture.
PolicyEconomicsClimate changeFarmers’ Perceptions of an Innovative Food Production Technology: Freight Farms
2013Corey James Majeika, Raymond P Stockwell, Shawn A Czerniak · Digital WPI · Global
This study conducted 13 in-depth interviews with farmers to assess their perceptions of Freight Farms, a company growing leafy greens and basil in adapted shipping containers. Most farmers doubted the economic feasibility of Freight Farms, questioned its technologies, and noted the lack of organic certification.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsUrban Agriculture and Poverty Mitigation in Zimbabwe: Prospects and Obstacles in Bulawayo Townships
2013Philani Moyo · Journal of Human Ecology · Zimbabwe
This study qualitatively examined the role and contribution of urban agriculture to household food security, employment creation, and income generation among low-income working-class and urban poor households in Bulawayo townships, Zimbabwe. It was found that urban food production significantly contributes to household food access and security, improving dietary diversity and nutritional intake. However, the potential of urban agriculture is constrained by factors including land tenure insecurity, erratic water access, small plot sizes, inadequate capital for optimizing plot productivity, and ambivalent application of urban land-use laws.
Economic viabilityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyGuarantee loans for urban agriculture in Gampaha, Sri Lanka
2013Priyanie Amerasinghe, Vajira Hettige, K. V. A. H. P. Wijenayake · Documents & Reports (World Bank) · Sri Lanka
Agricultural development for food, nutrition, and livelihood security is a high political priority in Sri Lanka. National priorities include developing food-secure and resilient cities, with the Western Province initiating its urban agriculture campaign in 2000.
EconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture Production Mode 3: Intensive Production of Vegetables
2013Danfeng Huang · Journal of Changjiang Vegetables · Global
This paper discussed the importance of intensive vegetable production in urban agriculture, highlighting its role in guaranteeing the supply, quality, and safety of fresh vegetables. It summarized key aspects of intensive production, including industrialized seedling production, facility production, efficient cultivation, postharvest processing, and commercial management, but also presented environmental problems and restricting factors in the development of intensive vegetable production.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceChallenges in Vertical Farming and Controlled Environments Agriculture
2013Michael R. Hoadley · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · Global
A talk by Michael Hoadley, founder of Chicago firm Fewzion, discussed challenges in vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture. The presentation emphasized the importance of framing discussions within the context of economically self-sustainable models, free of dependence on policy subsidy and philanthropy. This highlights concerns about policymakers' over-zealous view of urban agriculture as a panacea for social ills.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyClimate changeMapping and Theorising the Spatiality, Scale and Functionality of Urban Agriculture in Ghana
2013Heather Mackay Niittylä · · Ghana
This thesis mapped and investigated the form and function of urban agriculture in two intermediate-sized cities in Ghana. It examined the contribution to farming households' food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban agriculture : guerrilla gardening : future trends
2013Carol Posthumus · SABI Magazine - Tydskrif · Global
Discussions about providing nutritious food for a growing population often include agricultural growth, focusing on both the quantity and quality of food produced. An emphasis is also placed on the growth of smallholder farmers, particularly women farmers, as a solution for future food provision.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsThe role of community supported agriculture in the development of organic agriculture in Croatia
2013Ivan Sarjanović · Geoadria · Croatia
An online questionnaire was administered to 46 group members and 5 farmers to investigate the functioning of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups in Croatia and the socio-economic characteristics of their members and collaborating farmers. The survey confirmed that CSA group members are younger, highly educated individuals living in large cities or urbanized regions (Zagreb, Kvarner, Istria), driven by eco-social motives such as ecological consciousness, healthy food, and cooperation. Farmers collaborating with CSA groups practice ecological agriculture on farms smaller than the Croatian average, and they cooperate due to easier product sales and the positive effect on their income and local community involvement.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsOrganic cycleSchool Gardens and pupils in Croatia's economy in the second half of the 19th century, with special emphasis on the school in Sibinj
2013Krešimir Škuljević · · Croatia
This study addresses the topic of student economy and school gardens in Croatia between 1848 and 1880. With a special focus on the school in Sibinj, the effects of legal changes and problems in their implementation were examined. It is noted that existing literature rarely elaborates on related concepts such as teachers' obligations and rights, characteristics of school gardens, the role of local political administration, and the purpose of gardens.
Food educationEconomicsPolicyGardening as Ethnographic Research: Volunteering as a Means for Community Access
2013Andrew Flachs · Journal of Ecological Anthropology · Global
This paper demonstrates that ethnographers can gain a more effective qualitative understanding of community gardens by volunteering as gardeners. Volunteering helps researchers access various aspects of the garden community. It also offers an anthropological perspective on the common idea that many individuals join community gardens solely for economic benefits.
CommunityEconomicsUrban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Challenges and Opportunities
2013Simon Underhill, Underhill, Simon · Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development · Cambodia
This paper reported on trends in urban agriculture (rice, vegetables, cattle, swine, and poultry) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, since 1993. Approximately 20% (125 square kilometers) of the municipal area of Phnom Penh is used for agriculture, supporting nearly 300,000 livestock. Between 1993 and 2011, livestock populations declined but increased in 2011, while vegetable production and cultivated area decreased, and rice production increased.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyEvaluating the Benefits of Peri-Urban Agriculture
2012Catherine Brinkley · Journal of Planning Literature · Global
This article reviewed literature from various fields to evaluate services provided by farms to urban areas. It analyzed mission statements of 130 land trusts, finding a preference for parcels offering ecosystem services, wildlife habitat, and agricultural productivity. A literature review revealed that the market value of farmland services varies from -$37,541 to $124,000 per acre, depending on analysis method and farm location.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsBiodiversityPolicyMechanism of Raising Urban Agricultural Effective Investment by Industrial Value Chain
2012Yun Xiao-lan · Anhui nongye kexue · Global
This paper introduced the concept and application status of value chain management, and the implications of using an industrial value chain to increase effective urban agricultural investment. Based on value chain management principles, the study explored the mechanism for increasing effective urban agricultural investment through the value chain of urban agriculture and other industries.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkagePlace Values of Urban Agriculture through applying the Concept of Creative Industry Convergence
2012Seokhwan Lee · Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society · Global
This research aims to provide a theoretical basis for sustainable urban regeneration by studying the place value improvement through urban agriculture, applying the concept of creative industry convergence. It identifies problems with existing urban development methods and highlights the strengths of urban agriculture with creative industry convergence in enhancing place value. The study proposes a new paradigm for urban regeneration.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyNo. 13: The State of Food Insecurity in Harare, Zimbabwe
2012Godfrey Tawodzera, Lazarus Zanamwe, Jonathan Crush · Scholars Commons (Wilfrid Laurier University) · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study conducted an AFSUN baseline food security survey in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2008 to investigate the city's food insecurity situation. The survey revealed results sharply at odds with official surveys from 2003-2009, which had indicated food insecurity was not a serious problem. Findings showed that by 2008, Harare had become the most food-insecure city in the SADC region, with extraordinarily high levels of food insecurity as poor households struggled to find income for food. Participation in the informal food economy and urban agriculture for home consumption were major crisis responses.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareGender analysis of land use for urban agriculture and sustainability of livelihoods in Freetown, Sierra Leone
2012Oladele Oladimeji Idowu · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Sierra Leone (Freetown)
This study conducted a gender analysis of urban agriculture (UA) land use and livelihood sustainability in Freetown, Sierra Leone, interviewing 91 producers (30 male, 61 female). The majority of producers were female, and female-managed farms showed higher gross margins (23,895 Leones) and returns than male-managed farms (15,130 Leones). Key determinants of UA income contribution included household size, access to credit, farmer association membership, gender, age, and farm size, with UA income decreasing as household size and the number of male producers increased.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEvaluation of Different Soil Media and Soil Ameliorants in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller), Green Onion (Allium sativum) and Pechay (Brassica rapa L.)
2012Jenny Calabio, Ma. Luisa Albacete · WVSU Research Journal · Philippines (Iloilo City)
This study, conducted from July 2007 to July 2008 at the Urban Agriculture Demonstration Site in La Paz, Iloilo City, evaluated soil media and ameliorants for container-grown green onion, pechay, and tomato. Pure compost was found to be the best medium for increasing yields. However, the use of IMO and rice hull as soil ameliorants did not increase yields for the three tested vegetables, and rice hull generally reduced pechay yields.
Limited or null effectCompostDIYWelfareHealthEconomics