Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
165 results(4 / 7)
Urban agriculture in times of crisis: the role of home food growing in perceived food insecurity and well-being during the early COVID-19 lockdown
2021Bethan R. Mead, Jessica Davies, Natalia Falagán, Sofia Kourmpetli, Lingxuan Liu, Charlotte A. Hardman · Emerald Open Research · United Kingdom
A cross-sectional online survey of 477 UK adults (March-April 2020) investigated the role of home food growing during the early COVID-19 lockdown. Participants engaged in home food growing reported lower perceived food insecurity and higher well-being than non-growers. There were no differences in opinions of urban agriculture compared to pre-pandemic data from a separate sample (N=583).
DIYHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceNature-based solutions as discursive tools and contested practices in urban nature’s neoliberalisation processes
2020Panagiota Kotsila, Isabelle Anguelovski, Francesc Baró, Johannes Langemeyer, Filka Sekulova, James J. Connolly · Environment and Planning E Nature and Space · Spain (Barcelona)
This paper analyzes nature-based solutions (NBS) as discursive tools that create an inviting space for nature's neoliberalization processes, examining two city-initiated projects in Barcelona, Spain: the Passeig de Sant Joan green corridor and the Espai Germanetes community garden. The study found that urban nature can serve elite economic players at the expense of widespread socio-ecological benefits. It also noted that outcomes regarding neoliberalism and its contestation were very distinct between the two projects due to different forms of governance.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe contribution of small-scale food production in urban areas to the sustainable development goals: a review and case study
2020Elizabeth Nicholls, Adrian Ely, Linda Birkin, Parthiba Basu, Dave Goulson · Sustainability Science · United Kingdom (Brighton and Hove)
A review and case study in Brighton and Hove, UK, examined the contribution of small-scale urban and peri-urban agriculture to sustainable food production. Findings showed these small, labor-intensive systems with high crop diversity can be highly productive, offering environmental and social advantages over industrial agriculture through minimal synthetic inputs and local consumption. However, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding productivity, economic impacts, pesticide use, and biodiversity implications.
BiodiversityPollinatorsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceContext-specific notions and practices of ‘solidarity’ in food procurement networks in Lombardy (Italy) and Massachusetts (USA)
2020Cristina Grasseni · · Italy, United States (Massachusetts)
This chapter compares and contrasts context-specific notions and practices of 'solidarity' within collaborative networks organizing alternative food procurement in Lombardy, Italy, and Massachusetts, USA, based on unpublished ethnography from 2011-2014. It juxtaposes Italian Solidarity Purchase Groups with the US solidarity economy network in the context of the Boston local food movement and Massachusetts community-supported agriculture. The chapter demonstrates how the meaning of solidarity in collective food procurement is context-bound.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommoning land access
2020Sarah Kumnig, Marit Rosol · · Europe
This chapter discusses two strategies for commoning land access in Europe, challenging private property and profit maximization amidst rising land prices since 2008. It presents two case studies: German cooperatives purchasing agricultural land for organic farmers, and the urban agriculture collective SoliLa squatting land in Vienna, Austria. Both cases aim to organize agriculture and food production collectively, differing in their engagement with formal markets and state but sharing the goal of enabling and preserving land access.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceProyecto de huertos urbanos sociales, de 3,8 hectáreas,en la Casería de los Cipreses, Granada
2020Rogelio Nogales Romero · · Spain (Granada)
This master's thesis outlines the process for creating and implementing a 3.8-hectare urban garden project in Casería de los Cipreses, Granada, Spain. The project aims to transform an abandoned historical site into sustainable, self-managed urban gardens for community building and agro-environmental education. It details the design, social and technical aspects, and the creation of an association to manage the initiative, adhering to municipal legislation and sustainability requirements.
CommunityDIYFood sovereignty & justice‘Workable utopias’ for social change through inclusion and empowerment? Community supported agriculture (CSA) in Wales as social innovation
2020Tezcan Mert-Cakal, Mara Miele · Agriculture and Human Values · United Kingdom (Wales)
This article examines Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects in Wales as social innovation, exploring their emergence, innovative role, and transformative potential. Based on qualitative data from four different CSA case studies in Wales, the research showed that Welsh CSA cases play distinctive roles in the social economy, satisfying needs for ecologically sound and ethically produced food and empowering individuals at a micro level. However, the paper argues that for CSA initiatives to become 'workable utopias', they need to overcome barriers preventing replication, participation in macro-level policies, and scaling up, particularly concerning economic sustainability and resilience on a small scale.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsTransformative communities in Germany
2020Irene Antoni-Komar, Christine Lenz · · Germany
This chapter discusses community building in sustainable food initiatives in Germany. Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and action research with 27 practitioners from local food enterprises and initiatives, while quantitative data was gathered from surveys of members and customers. Findings indicate how participation in transformative enterprises is based on new forms of creative doing and collaboration, along with associated barriers and opportunities.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClosed-Loop Crop Cascade to Optimize Nutrient Flows and Grow Low-Impact Vegetables in Cities
2020Martí Rufí-Salís, Felipe Parada, Verónica Arcas‐Pilz, Anna Petit‐Boix, Gara Villalba, Xavier Gabarrell · Frontiers in Plant Science · Spain (Barcelona)
This study investigated a closed-loop crop cascade system in a Barcelona rooftop greenhouse, using tomato leachates to irrigate five successive lettuce cycles. The results showed that low yields (below 130 g per lettuce plant) were obtained when the cascade system was used during the early stage of the donor crop, as the nutrient amount, especially nitrogen, was insufficient for the receiving lettuce crop. Additionally, electrical conductivity values became too high (near 3 dS/m) at the end of the donor crop cycle, indicating limitations in maintaining optimal conditions throughout.
Limited or null effectOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeNourishing self-planned socioecological transformations
2020Silvio Cristiano, Marco Auriemma, P Cacciari, Manola Cervesato, Domenico Maffeo, Paola Malgaretto, Francesco Nordio · · Italy
This case study describes an ongoing community-supported agriculture (CSA) project in the urban-rural sprawl between Venice and Treviso, Italy. Farmers and consumers co-design and co-manage food provisioning and crop planning, sharing risks, avoiding food waste, and addressing financial barriers. The project aims to meet community food requirements while addressing economic, environmental, and social aspects, presenting feasible paths for sustainable transition.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleWorking Co-operatively for Sustainable and Just Food System Transformation
2020Poppy Nicol, Alice Taherzadeh · Sustainability · United Kingdom (Wales)
This article explores the potential of cooperative working methods to scale out sustainable and just food systems in Wales. Based on interviews with stakeholders in Wales and international case studies, it identifies opportunities and challenges. Findings suggest that cooperative and community-based approaches, including CSA and food hubs, have the potential for sustainable food production and distribution, emphasizing the importance of capacity building and community participation.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsNet Yield Efficiency: Comparing Salad and Vegetable Waste between Community Supported Agriculture and Supermarkets in the UK
2019N. R. Baker, Simon Popay, James Bennett, Moya Kneafsey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United Kingdom
This paper introduced "net yield efficiency" (NYE) to compare food system performance by accounting for yields, loss, and waste. A UK case study compared fresh vegetable and salad waste between a community supported agriculture (CSA) scheme and the supermarket system. The study found that the CSA system wasted only 6.71% by weight across all stages, dramatically outperforming the supermarket system which wasted 40.7–47.7%. These findings highlight significant differences between the systems and suggest NYE offers a more accurate measure of food system performance.
CSA & TeikeiFood lossEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban gardening and the quest for just uses of space in Europe
2019Chiara Certomà, Martin Sondermann, Susan Noori · Manchester University Press eBooks · Europe
This chapter critically analyzes the relationship between urban gardening and socio-spatial justice, exploring whether and how urban gardening practices can tackle social and spatial injustices. Urban gardening points out less visible sides of urban governance and planning, unveiling different forms of power, dominance, and resistance to the unequal distribution of benefits and burdens in space. The analysis questions the contradictions in the constitution of urban spaces and their capability to mitigate material, political, and social exclusions, unfairness, and inequalities.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceThe ‘fluid governance’ of urban public spaces. Insights from informal planning practices in Rome
2019Chiara Certomà, Lorenzo Chelleri, Bruno Notteboom · Urban Studies · Italy (Rome)
This paper investigates informal planning practices and "fluid governance" in urban public spaces, using the case of Parco delle Energie in Rome, Italy, and a comparative analysis of international cases. It found that politically progressive urban gardening challenges traditional governance networks and redefines public space functioning by transforming green spaces into food production and collaboratively managed areas through informal planning. This demonstrates that urban gardening worldwide challenges traditional planning perspectives and governance, turning citizens' dissensus into a productive force.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceMultitemporal Geospatial Evaluation of Urban Agriculture and (Non)-Sustainable Food Self-Provisioning in Milan, Italy
2019Giuseppe Pulighe, Flavio Lupia · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
A spatiotemporal quantification of urban agriculture in Milan, Italy, assessed its food self-provisioning potential using Google Earth images from 2007 and 2014. The study found that even in the best-case scenario, the current urban agriculture production (98 ha of vegetable gardens, 2539 ha of arable land) is insufficient to meet the vegetable and cereal consumption needs of over 1.3 million city residents. It could only satisfy approximately 63,700 vegetable consumers and 321,000 cereal consumers.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsIs urban gardening a source of wellbeing and just freedom? A Capability Approach based analysis from the UK and Ireland
2019Alma Clavin · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom
A study using qualitative, visual methods and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland examined their potential for human agency and ecological sustainability. While positive agency and wellbeing benefits were observed, the gardens were found to be limited in their ability to truly enhance political freedoms and overcome asymmetric power relations. The research indicates that these initiatives may perpetuate neoliberal forms of unsustainable and uneven development, alongside ongoing issues of tenure insecurity.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeFood for all?
2019Michael Hardman, Mags Adams, Melissa Barker, Luke Beesley · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom (Todmorden)
The Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET) movement in Todmorden, UK, was investigated using a qualitative approach. The scheme was found to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the town, providing social, environmental, and economic benefits and contributing to a more just food movement through its "free for all" philosophy. However, negative aspects were also highlighted, including maintenance issues and a lack of perceived inclusivity in some parts.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceBringing urban food supply closer to food consumption: opportunities for five European metropolitan regions
2019Guido Sali, Federica Monaco, Stefano Corsi, Chiara Mazzocchi · Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano) · Europe
This paper adopts a territorial approach to analyze agro-food systems in five European metropolitan regions. The methodology aims to assess the capacities of urban and peri-urban agriculture to meet urban food demand and its economic role. Preliminary results are provided to inform regulations in the agro-food sector.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceIntegrating social preferences analysis for multifunctional peri-urban farming in planning. An application by multi-criteria analysis techniques and stakeholders
2018Inmaculada Marques-Pérez, Baldomero Segura García del Río · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Spain (Valencia)
This study focuses on "Huerta de Valencia," a peri-urban agricultural system around Valencia, Spain, analyzing the debate between urban growth strategies and farmland preservation. It uses multifunctionality approaches and multi-criteria analysis techniques to examine territorial planning processes by stakeholders. Differences in perceptions among stakeholder groups result in varying future visions for this agricultural system, impacting the design of rural development and agro-environmental measures.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageA PROBLEM-BASED APPROACH OF COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE WITHIN SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS BASED ON A WESTERN TRANSDANUBIAN SURVEY
2018Károly Kacz, Ádám Varga · Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists · Europe
A survey in the Western Transdanubia region investigated major problems in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) within short food supply chains, involving farmer organizations and consumers. The analysis identified the insufficient market power of CSA organizations as the most influential factor. This finding suggests a significant constraint on the effectiveness of CSA models in the region.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEncourager le développement de agriculture urbaine à Toulouse.Diagnostic des sols par la pédologie et les plantes bio-indicatrices.
2018Calvin Siméon · · France
This report describes the creation of a didactic booklet for beginners and curious individuals interested in urban agriculture around Toulouse, France. The booklet provides tools to diagnose a plot of land using pedology and bio-indicator plants. Based on observed data, agronomic advice is offered to select the most suitable plant production for the soil.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyOrganising food differently: Towards a more-than-human ethics of care for the Anthropocene
2018Jonathan Beacham · Organization · United Kingdom
This ethnographic study explored three community supported agriculture schemes in the north-west of England to understand how Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) can foster a more-than-human ethic of care for the Anthropocene. Drawing on the diverse economies framework and feminist ethics of care literature, the study argues that AFNs offer open-ended organizational forms that can play a central role in this endeavor.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceSolidarity: a Key Element in Alternative Food Networks
2018Laura Carlsona, Vera Bitsch, Carlsona, Laura, Bitsch, Vera · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Germany
This study used a grounded theory approach to examine the importance of solidarity in four alternative food network (AFN) projects in former East Germany, including two community supported agriculture projects, one cooperative grocery, and one urban agriculture project. Data were collected through document analysis and participant observation. Results indicate that although solidarity is explicitly mentioned by actors and in official documents, its conception and implementation vary across initiatives, influenced by individuals, local conditions, and external institutions.
CommunityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture: evaluating informal and formal practices
2018St Clair, Rebecca, Hardman, Michael, Adams, David, Armitage, Richard, Barry, Veronica, Larkham, Peter, Sherriff, Graeme · Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) · United Kingdom
This paper reviews the diversity of urban agriculture (UA) activities in England, from small-scale guerrilla gardening to large community projects. It suggests that UA is under-theorized, with previous research focusing on practicalities and activism. The paper highlights UA's problematic contribution to food production and warns of the 'local trap'.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFood localization and agency
2018Lena Partzsch · · Germany (Freiburg)
This chapter examines agency and accountability in food localization projects in Freiburg, Germany, using two case studies: Regionalwert AG and Luzernenhof. Regionalwert AG defines agency through the market, while Luzernenhof, a CSA, relies on trust and charity. It was shown that while food localization is often portrayed as "best practice," it also implies decisions about alternatives, raising questions of agency and accountability.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity