Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1033 results(41 / 42)
Land-Cover Dynamics in an Urban Area of Ghana
2004Ademola K. Braimoh, Paul L. G. Vlek · Earth Interactions · Ghana
This study quantified land-cover changes in a 2400-ha area of northern Ghana using Landsat images from 1984, 1992, and 1999, and projected future distribution. Remote sensing showed built-up area expansion at 26 ha/year (1984-92) and 35 ha/year (1992-99), alongside peri-urban agriculture development at 24 ha/year (1992-99). Projections indicated built-up areas would cover 39% of the landscape by 2006, at the expense of cropland and natural vegetation.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceRecent Work in Cuban Studies 2003
2004Marian Goslinga · Cuban studies · Cuba
This entry from "Recent Work in Cuban Studies 2003" lists several publications related to Cuban agriculture and urban agriculture from 2003. It includes books such as "Agriculture in the City: A Key to Sustainability in Havana, Cuba" and master's theses on user benefits of urban agriculture in Havana and sustainable livelihoods in Cienfuegos. The entry also references articles discussing land-use planning, economic reform, and agricultural policy in Cuba.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsEat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket
2004Brian Halweil · · Global
This book points out that the long-distance food system consumes staggering amounts of fuel, generates greenhouse gases, and compromises food security. Since 1961, the tonnage of food shipped between nations has grown fourfold, with food in the United States typically traveling 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to plate. While this system often runs roughshod over local cuisines, varieties, and agriculture, a local-foods movement is beginning to emerge globally.
Environmental trade-offsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageHealth Benefits of Urban Agriculture
2003Jac Smit, Anne C. Bellows, Katherine Brown · · Global
This handout, prepared by Anne C. Bellows, Katherine Brown, and Jac Smit, summarizes a fully cited article on the health benefits of urban agriculture. The original article is available for free from the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC).
HealthFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityA novel living agricultural concept in urban communities: Family Business Garden
2003Thilak T. Ranasinghe · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Sri Lanka
Through experience in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, the "Family Business Garden" concept justifies the necessity of urban agriculture amidst limited urban infrastructure, environmental conditions, and socio-economic situations. This concept, by properly mixing environmental and commercial agricultural concerns, not only addresses family food requirements but also opens the way to produce for markets under liberalized economies by promoting agro-entrepreneurship and social capital development in urban communities.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareIdentification of banana production systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Yaoundé
2003Sylvaine Lemeilleur, Ludovic Temple, Moïse Kwa · Agritrop (Cirad) · Cameroon (Yaoundé)
This study states that urban development, a key feature of socioeconomic change in developing countries, presents the challenge of increasing food supply to meet urban consumer demands. While peri-urban agriculture offers favorable conditions for intensifying production systems, there is limited research specifically on bananas. Therefore, this work aims to identify banana production systems in the peri-urban agriculture of Yaoundé, Cameroon's capital (1.4 million inhabitants).
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsA systematic overview of urban agriculture in developing countries from an environmental point of view
2003Hasan Belevi, Bettina Baumgartner · International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management · Global
This paper provides a systematic overview of urban agriculture in low and middle-income countries, identifying research needs. It highlights the importance of cross-cutting issues between urban agriculture and environmental sanitation, including excreta, wastewater, and solid waste management. Further research is needed to quantify the benefits, risks, opportunities, and constraints of urban agriculture, as well as its impact on food quality and the environment when reusing waste.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareOrganic cycleHealthLearning our way towards a sustainable agri-food system Three cases from Sweden: Stockholm Farmers market, Ramsjö Community Supported Agriculture and Järna Initiative for Local Production
2003Steffen Adler, Stephanie Fung, G. Huber, Lee Hoon Young · Organic Eprints (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) · Sweden
Case studies were conducted on three alternative producer-consumer links in Sweden: Stockholm Farmers Market, Ramsjö Community Supported Agriculture, and Järna Initiative for Local Production. An adapted SWOT analysis identified key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and constraints from multiple perspectives including producers, consumers, the organization, environment, and society. The research assessed how these links might affect surrounding ecosystems and social aspects of the agri-food system, and identified six components contributing to agri-food system development.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable Urban Agriculture in Kampala's Informal Settlements: Market Penetration Strategies and Economic Outcomes
2003Kizza Ssentongo, Kalisa Muhangizwe, Namukasa Kinya · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda (Kampala)
This study investigates market penetration strategies and economic outcomes of sustainable urban agriculture in Kampala's informal settlements, Uganda. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, it found that producers face challenges like limited market access and high input costs. Despite this, some have successfully integrated products into urban supermarkets and cooperatives, highlighting the importance of tailored market strategies for economic resilience.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyAgriculture in the City: A Key to Sustainability in Havana, Cuba
2003María Caridad Cruz, Roberto Sánchez Medina · · Cuba (Havana)
This book details a three-year research project by a multidisciplinary team of 15 professionals on the history and current state of urban agriculture in Havana, Cuba. The project assessed the long-term potential of integrating urban agriculture into Havana's social economies and city-wide environmental management programs. The findings are relevant for authorities considering how to transition emergency food production into sustained support for urban agriculture, aiming for food self-reliance and environmental improvement.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityGreywater Reuse in Urban Agriculture for Poverty Alleviation
2002Naser I. Faruqui, Odeh Al-Jayyousi · Water International · Jordan
This paper describes a pilot project in Tufileh, Jordan, that allowed poor residents to reuse untreated household greywater in home gardens. Women in the community used small revolving loans to implement simple greywater recovery systems and set up gardens. The project enabled the community to offset food purchases and generate income by selling surplus production, saving or earning an average of 10% of its income. An environmental impact assessment demonstrated that the quality of the untreated greywater was adequate, and the negative impacts on soil and crops were negligible.
DIYWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanizzazione e sicurezza alimentare a Niamey Niger
2002Maurizio Tiepolo · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Niger
This paper investigates whether urbanization in Niamey, Niger, generates or aggravates urban food insecurity by examining agro-pastoral production, food demand, and buying power. It found that Niamey's high rate of urban growth has increased food insecurity for its inhabitants. This insecurity is attributed to low productivity of peri-urban agriculture, insufficient food influxes, rising prices, extreme poverty, and a nutrient-poor diet, with current measures failing to address root causes like land tenure uncertainty.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPhilosophical, ecological and technical challenges for expanding ecological sanitation into urban areas
2002Steven A. Esray · Water Science & Technology · Global
This paper argues that ecological sanitation should be understood as a closed-loop approach to human excreta management, rather than merely an alternative toilet. With urban populations in Africa and Asia expected to double in the next 25 years, ecological sanitation can facilitate urban agriculture and avoid adverse environmental impacts of conventional treatment. This approach can significantly contribute to food security and public health in a sustainable future.
Organic cycleHealthFood sovereignty & justiceAssessing food security in the Monteverde Zone: a multi-method approach
2002Jennifer Andia, Emilie Davis, Rebecca Klein, Elisabeth Wirsing · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · Costa Rica
A multi-method study assessed food security and perceptions of nutrition in the Monteverde Zone, Costa Rica, using anthropometric assessment, semi-structured interviews with mothers, 67 Radimer/Cornell Scales, and a focus group. Food insecurity, particularly Adult Food Insecurity, was prevalent across all communities. Despite high nutritional knowledge, a lack of quality nutrition was observed due to economic limitations. The focus group positively received the idea of a community garden as a solution for better quality and more affordable produce.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban harvest: cities, food, activism and the third sector
2001Robyn Lynn · ResearchOnline at James Cook University (James Cook University) · Global
This paper highlights the significance of urban food production, which has been historically neglected despite its potential to address issues of globalization, urbanization, and environmental degradation. It explores the relationship between cities, food production, and activism, noting a growing local food movement that resists global food discourses. The paper aims to identify issues within urban food production activism and its organizational aspects.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changePolicyCommunity-Supported Agriculture: A Sustainable Alternative to Industrial Agriculture?
2000Cynthia A. Cone, Andrea Myhre · Human Organization · Global
A five-year study of eight Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms examined farm members' perceptions and behavior, including motivations for membership and women's roles. The study raises questions about the long-term sustainability of CSA, citing tension between farmers' lifestyles and needs, and shareholders' constraints and competing values.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityUrban agriculture and sustainable cities.
2000Tjeerd Deelstra, Herbert Girardet, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Global
This text describes humanity's transformation into an urban species by the end of the 20th century, with large cities becoming the primary habitat. It notes that global urban populations expanded from 15% to 50% of the total population within one century, while the total population grew from 1.5 billion to nearly 6 billion. The text highlights the unprecedented size of modern cities, citing that by 1990, the 100 largest cities housed 540 million people.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceClosing the nutrient loop.
2000Thomas Nelson · PubMed · Global
This paper discusses the global pattern of nutrient transfer from rural to urban areas, which diminishes cropland vitality and creates a dilemma for feeding urban populations. Urban farming is presented as an approach to support food needs and contribute to municipal waste management. Governments in countries like the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada are recognizing local food production as a component of food security.
Organic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityACHIEVING URBAN FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
2000James Leo Garrett, Garrett, James L. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This work presents a table of contents for a publication addressing urban food and nutrition security in the developing world. It covers topics such as urbanization, rural-urban interdependence, urban livelihoods, food supply and distribution, the significance of urban agriculture, nutrition transition, urban women's work-life balance, urban health threats, and programming for urban food and nutrition security.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthPolicyUrban agriculture in the city of Havana: a popular response to a crisis.
2000Marta Novo, Catherine Murphy, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Cuba (Havana)
This abstract provides demographic and administrative details of Havana, Cuba, noting its area of 721 km² and a population of 2.2 million, representing 20% of Cuba's total population. It highlights a population density of 3,014 persons/km² and mentions the city's division into 15 municipalities and 104 people's councils. The abstract does not contain information about urban agriculture itself, only contextual data about Havana.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsAccra: urban agriculture as an asset strategy, supplementing income and diets.
2000Margaret Armar‐Klemesu, Daniel Maxwell, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Ghana (Accra)
This abstract describes the geographical and climatic characteristics of Accra, Ghana. Accra is located on the east coast, near the Greenwich meridian and 5 degrees north of the Equator. The climate is hot and humid, with mean temperatures ranging from 24°C in August to 27°C in March, and an average annual rainfall of 730 mm, mostly in June, July, and October.
EconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justiceIntégration horticulture ‑ élevage dans les systèmes agricoles urbains de la zone des Niayes (Sénégal)
2000Safiètou T. Fall, Abdou Salam Fall, Ibrahima Cissé, Badiane Aminata, Cheikh Alassane Fall, Maty Ba Diao · Bulletin de l’APAD · Senegal (Dakar)
This paper discusses the integration of horticulture and livestock in urban agricultural systems in the Niayes zone of Senegal. The underperformance of rural agriculture and food deficits have encouraged the development of urban and peri-urban agricultural activities for several decades. The contribution of this urban agriculture to city supply in Senegal is not well known.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Agriculture, Food Security and the Environment: Socio-economics, Land Use Conflicts and Cultivators’ Views
1998Godfrey D. Mudimu, Shepherd Siziba, Benjamin Hanyani‐Mlambo · OpenDocs (Institute of Development Studies) · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study in Harare, Zimbabwe, examined the socio-economics of urban crop production on municipal lands, cultivators' views, and land use conflicts. Urban agriculture, a widespread practice for subsistence maize and food security, is not supported by planners and conflicts with urban land use provisions. Findings revealed a serious lack of environmental concern among cultivators, with most ignoring stream bank regulations and lacking knowledge of environmental effects.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityPolicyThe View of "Permaculture-City" Considered from the Permaculture Theory and Practices
1997Koji ITONAGA · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Global
This paper describes alternative urban designs, including permaculture, eco-village movements, cohousing, community gardens, and city farms. Based on data gathered from international conferences and research in Australia, America, and Europe, the author proposes "Permaculture-City" as a restructured city model. This model integrates habitation with food production areas and eco-villages.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageURBAN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND WOMEN'S STRATEGIES IN SUSTAINING FAMILY LIVELIHOODS IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE
1996Godfrey D. Mudimu · Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study examines the role of women in urban agriculture and perceptions of urban space use for agriculture in Harare, Zimbabwe. Despite its utility in meeting household food needs, urban agriculture is not planned for or supported by urban planners and managers as a legitimate urban land use. The activities of women, who are the main participants in urban agriculture, directly conflict with planning provisions for urban space. The study offers empirical insight on perceptions of space use for agriculture in an urban tropical environment, where conflicts can arise from different perceptions and alternative uses.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyCommunity