Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
639 results(4 / 26)
Garden access and barriers for low-income community members
2024Cherish Duerst, Robert Williams, Jose Lopez, Douglas LaVergne · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States (Minnesota)
This study surveyed food-pantry customers in the Bemidji area of rural northern Minnesota about access and barriers to gardening in its many forms—residential, container, and community. Although 91% of respondents wanted to garden and 85% had gardened before, only 31% were active gardeners, and the study identifies specific barriers preventing otherwise motivated low-income individuals from gardening, along with participant-suggested solutions within reach of local policymakers.
WelfareCommunityPolicyReframing Urban Agriculture: Open Land for the Public Good
2024Melody Ng · Critical Planning · United States (California)
This essay uses historical-structural analysis to examine how the history of US municipal land-use policies and urban agriculture informed the design of California's Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones (UAIZs) and their failure to increase land access and security for community food producers. It argues that UAIZs sit at the end of a long history of lot-conversion programs used for urban crisis management, and calls for reframing urban agriculture around land equity—the right not only to occupy but to manage land in service of one's community.
PolicyCommunityCan Aquaponics Be Utilized to Reach Zero Hunger at a Local Level?
2024Flores-Aguilar P.S., Sánchez-Velázquez J., Aguirre-Becerra H., Peña-Herrejón G.A., Zamora-Castro S.A., Soto-Zarazúa G.M. · Sustainability · Mexico
The paper examines, in light of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), how aquaponics can contribute to food security through the production of high-quality protein and decentralized local production.
DIYCommunityPolicyTackling Historical Inequities in Urban Organic Waste and Composting
2024Boston University School of Public Health · Boston University School of Public Health · United States
Examines historical inequities in urban organic waste and composting access. Highlights disparities in low-income and communities of color. Advocates for equitable policy design and implementation.
CompostPolicyHealthDesafios urbanísticos e fundiários na Amazônia: relato sobre soluções jurídicas para a titulação de agricultores urbanos e periurbanos em municípios no Estado do Pará
2024Ana Luisa Santos Rocha, Luly Rodrigues da Cunha Fischer · Revista de Direito Urbanístico Cidade e Alteridade · Brazil (Pará)
This action-research article, based on documentary sources, reports on legal solutions for land and urban issues in the Amazon, specifically for institutionalizing urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives in Pará municipalities. It describes challenges for implementing the 2023 National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program in the Amazon and discusses municipal competence for territorial planning and land titling. The study concludes that agroforestry hubs and backyards can serve as land instruments for municipalities in Pará.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceA agricultura familiar na Região Metropolitana de Fortaleza (RMF), Ceará
2024Iara Rafaela Gomes · Sociedade & natureza · Brazil (Fortaleza)
This article aims to deepen the discussion about agricultural activity in metropolitan cities, focusing on the Fortaleza Metropolitan Area (FMA), Ceará, Brazil. Researchers reviewed primary and secondary data on producer profiles and agricultural and food processing establishments to understand family farming in the FMA. The study identified production strategies, challenges, and opportunities for family farmers, contributing to policy-making for the sustainability and resilience of metropolitan family farming.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceMulheres e Agroecologia no Município de São Paulo. Um estudo sobre agricultura em territórios periféricos
2024Clara Camargo · Revista Latino-americana de Geografia e Genero · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigates the socioeconomic profile and agroecological production strategies of female urban farmers in São Paulo's peripheral territories, using Feminist Economy Theory and Ecofeminism perspectives. It highlights that while these women are crucial for food security and green spaces, they remain largely invisible in economic theories and have limited access to public policies due to their non-generation of direct monetary income. The methodology included participant observation in RAPPA meetings, semi-structured interviews, and guided tours of women-led production units.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agriculturePlanning for Equitable Urban Agriculture: Opportunities and Quandaries
2024Samina Raja · Urban agriculture · United States
Urban agriculture initiatives in US cities face complications, including information asymmetry and elite capture, which limit their potential for equitable development. This chapter introduces a volume exploring the opportunities and quandaries in addressing questions of equity in the research, pedagogy, and practice of planning for urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityHealthESTUDO DE IMPLANTACAO DE AGRICULTURA URBANA EM EDIFICIOS COMERCIAIS DESOCUPADOS EM SAO PAULO
2024Carolina Ceci Moino Alves Theodoro · Arte 21 · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study evaluated São Paulo's current food supply system and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial property vacancies due to remote work. It presented national and international urban agriculture examples through bibliographic surveys. These examples can guide strategies for São Paulo to enhance food security and urban resilience, ensuring long-term supply during systemic stresses, natural disasters, and pandemics.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsPolicyCodification and Inclusivity of Landmark Urban Agriculture Initiatives in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin
2024Micaela F. Lipman, Marcia Caton Campbell · Urban agriculture · United States (Wisconsin)
This chapter examines local government food systems policy and planning in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin. Despite a history of regulatory innovation in urban agriculture, the city and county have been slow to address food injustices in local food systems planning and policy development. The study highlights local government collaboration with the nonprofit sector and how codification of goals supports or hinders urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthUrbanización e industrialización en zonas periurbanas: el caso de una asociación de Carapongo (Lurigancho, Lima)
2024Cavani Guzmán, Pierina · Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (University of Skopje) · Peru (Lima)
This article discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization processes on peri-urban agricultural production in the Nuevo Horizonte de Carapongo association in Lurigancho, Lima, Peru. The research analyzes the development of these phenomena and their relationship with the changes generated in the agricultural production of the area, contributing to the academic discussion on the deagrarianization process of peri-urban spaces.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsUneven Ground
2024Ángeles Donoso Macaya, Kendra Sullivan · · United States (New York City)
This chapter explores the experiences of co-authors in the "Archives in Common (AiC)" project, which aimed to strengthen public humanities infrastructure within and beyond CUNY’s Graduate Center. Conducted across three locations in New York City, the project highlighted institutional norms that fail to adequately support community-led research practices or acknowledge and reward diverse expertise.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCultivating Urban Agriculture Policies: Local Government Entrepreneurs’ Strategies in Three Brazilian Cities
2024Marcela Alonso Ferreira, Giselle Kristina Mendonça Abreu, Camila Nastari Fernandes, Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão, Jaqueline da Luz Ferreira, Juliana Ramos Luiz · Urban Planning · Brazil
This study examined how local government actors pursue urban agriculture (UA) policies in the Brazilian cities of Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Curitiba, using a comparative case study approach based on key informant interviews and documents. It found that certain municipal bureaucrats act as "policy entrepreneurs," playing pivotal roles in creating, maintaining, and adapting UA policies. They employ strategies such as collaborating with civil society, forging partnerships within and outside of government, and framing proposals within international policy guidelines.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban farming and food supply: A comparative review of USA and African cities
2024Adekunle Stephen Toromade, Deborah Aanuoluwa Soyombo, Eseoghene Kupa, Tochukwu Ignatius Ijomah · International Journal of Advanced Economics · United States
This comparative review examines urban farming dynamics and its impact on food supply in the United States and African cities. It explores challenges and opportunities, considering factors such as infrastructure, socio-economic conditions, and agricultural practices in both regions. The review highlights policies and technological advancements in the USA, while discussing rapid urbanization and limited resources as challenges in African contexts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityDigital agricultureCSA & TeikeiPromoting healthy food access initiatives in urban areas of the USA: Strategies to address food insecurity and improve nutritional health
2024Queen-Mary Akudo Ebugosi, Janet Aderonke Olaboye · International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences · United States
This concept paper proposes initiatives to promote healthy food access in urban areas of the USA, aiming to address food insecurity and improve nutritional health. It discusses the current state of food insecurity and its health impacts in urban areas, then examines successful strategies such as community gardens, farmers' markets, and mobile food markets. Key components like community engagement, policy advocacy, and partnerships are highlighted, along with the role of technology like online grocery delivery. The paper provides insights into effective strategies for policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to improve food access and health outcomes.
HealthWelfareCommunityPolicyMapping the Dynamics of the Vertical Farm: A Biopolitical Epistemology of Valuation
2024Hayley Birss · Social Epistemology · Canada
This study examines Infarm's vertical farming practice, a venture capital-backed solution for climate change mitigation, by mapping its actor-network. The analysis reveals that Infarm's vertical farming and its climate change mitigation logics are shaped by venture capital and its biopolitical epistemology of valuation. This framework conceptualizes life, biology, and climate in terms of political economy, indicating that economic viability is a primary driver.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicySwale
2024Mary Mattingly · arte :lugar :cidade. · United States (New York City)
"Swale" was a 5,000 square-foot floating edible landscape built on a barge that traveled to public piers in New York City, allowing visitors to harvest perennial fruits and vegetables free of charge. It circumvented public land regulations, where picking plants was illegal, by utilizing the "common law" of the water. The project questioned urban land use, food systems, and the possibility of establishing a commons, directly leading to the New York City Parks Department opening its first land-based "foodway" in the Bronx in 2017.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture Embedded in a Food Systems Approach: The Baltimore Story
2024Sarah Buzogany, Abby Cocke, Holly Freishtat, Yeeli Mui, Mariya Strauss, Sylvia Kelly · Urban agriculture · United States (Baltimore)
Baltimore, United States, has developed urban agriculture policies over the last decade, integrating them into a food systems approach to sustainability. Policy development covered zoning, permitting, land leasing, and soil regulations. However, challenges were encountered regarding staffing, funding, resident engagement, and differing city agency priorities, especially concerning land access. The experience highlights the importance of mainstreaming food policy into urban planning.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceIndicators of Cultural Ecosystem Services for Peri-Urban Agricultural and Natural Areas at an Intermediate Scale: A Case Study of Arequipa, Peru
2024Marina Torreblanca, Flavio Choquehuanca, Javier Martínez, Martinez Alfaro · Land · Peru (Arequipa)
This research developed indicators for Cultural Ecosystem Services (CESs) in peri-urban agricultural and natural areas (PANAs), using Arequipa, Peru, as a case study. A systematic review combined with a participatory workshop identified 230 indicators across 19 subclassifications, with 115 indicators across 13 subclassifications assessed for impact level. This study enables the selection of practical indicators to facilitate PANA landscape management and support decision-making for interventions.
Peri-urban agricultureBiodiversityCommunityPolicyChicago's urban food networks: Mapping the future of a thriving metropolitan foodshed
2024Gundula Proksch, George Lee · · United States
Based on data from the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project, this study used GIS mapping to investigate urban agriculture typologies and their distribution in the Chicago metropolitan area. It showed that small-scale non-profit gardens are integrated closely with communities, while commercial controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations utilize existing infrastructure and buildings in commercial and industrial corridors. Both types of urban agriculture serve different needs, providing various benefits to the urban population, from social services to fresh food production and economic development.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfareUrban–rural linkageAgricultura urbana e periurbana: análise de suas particularidades em Regente Feijó/SP e em Centre Wellington/ON – Canadá
2024Bruna Trevisan Negri, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Geography Department University of Sao Paulo · Brazil (São Paulo)
This article compares urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Regente Feijó, Brazil, and Centre Wellington, Canada, to understand their particularities and contributions to food security and local food supply. Data from interviews with farmers revealed that while production purposes differ—predominantly self-consumption in Regente Feijó and commercialization in Centre Wellington—UPA significantly improves food security and local supply in both areas. A key challenge identified is the inadequate government support for UPA in both studied regions.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityUrban gardens and activism
2024Gustavo [UNESP] Nagib · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This chapter examines the relationship between urban activism and the establishment of non-commercial community gardens in public spaces within São Paulo, Brazil, since 2010. It details the formation of the "Hortelões Urbanos" activist network in 2011 and the subsequent creation of the "União de Hortas Comunitárias de São Paulo (UHCSP)" in 2018, which unites community garden initiatives. The analysis highlights how these gardens, despite the absence of municipal public policy, promote health, healthy eating, autonomy, and urban biodiversity through low-consumption practices.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCultivando espacios socioambientales : perspectivas y transformaciones a través de la agricultura urbana y periurbana en el municipio de Foz do Iguaçu – PR.
2024Exzolvildres Queiroz Neto, Gilson Brandão de Oliveira Junior, Marcelha Silva de Andrade, Suncar Dabo, Geisiane Michelle Zanquetta de Pintor · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This article presents reflections on the practice of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) and its impact on land use and occupation in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The research raised several questions concerning rural-urban dynamics, the specificities of urban family farmers, and the complexity of land use in the municipality. Diagnostic results from a semi-structured research guide will be used as an empirical basis for further reflection, and the abstract does not state specific research findings or critical findings regarding governance.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyInvestigating the Social Relations of Community Gardens for Adult Education
2024Mitchell McLarnon · Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education · Canada
This paper described and analyzed the social relations emerging from an adult education internship and community-based garden project in Montreal, Canada. Using institutional ethnography, it uncovered how adult education internships in community gardens and gardening programming can produce disproportionate outcomes for adult learners, community workers, and community members. It elucidated that specific institutional contrivances, such as funding, policy, work processes, and discourse, structure and define who experiences access to gardens, gardening, its ostensible health and well-being benefits, and adult education.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood educationPolicy