Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3402 results(51 / 137)
Public action and policy implementation: a comparative analysis of Urban Agriculture in three regions of São Paulo
2021Alves Mário Aquino, de Oliveira Lya Cynthia Porto · Local Environment · Brazil (São Paulo)
Compares municipal urban-agriculture policy implementation across three São Paulo regions. Despite policy on the books, implementation is carried out 'timidly'—strong in the south, weak in the east, and almost nonexistent in the north—driven by uneven land access and NGO presence.
PolicyGovernance of urban agriculture in African cities: Gaps and opportunities for innovation in Accra, Ghana
2021Puppim de Oliveira José A., Ahmed Abubakari · Journal of Cleaner Production · Ghana (Accra)
Empirical study of urban-agriculture governance in Accra. Finds UA marginalised by a lack of policy directives, fragmented institutions, and unfair land-use and tenure decisions, so government neglect leaves urban farming informal and unable to realise its potential benefits.
PolicyAdvancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government
2021Berglund E., Hassanein N., Lachapelle P., Stephens C. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · USA
Interviews 11 municipal and county food-policy staff to assess dedicated government food-policy positions. Finds their impact is constrained by limited authority, resources, and institutional standing, documenting the practical limits of embedding food policy in local government.
PolicyReviewing financing barriers and strategies for urban nature-based solutions
2021Helen Toxopeus, Friedemann Polzin · Journal of Environmental Management · Global
A systematic review of academic literature identified key barriers and strategies for financing urban nature-based solutions (NBS), including urban agriculture. Two overarching barriers were found: a lack of coordination between private and public financiers, and difficulties in integrating NBS benefits into valuation and accounting methods. The review concluded that an integrated accounting and valuation framework for NBS is currently lacking, and strategies often focus on encouraging co-financing from private beneficiaries.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyCommunityCan Allotment Gardens (AGs) Be Considered an Example of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Based on the Use of Historical Green Infrastructure?
2021Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz, Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek, Alicja Bieske-Matejak · Sustainability · Poland
This study analyzed the potential of allotment gardens (AGs) in Poland to be considered nature-based solutions (NBS), examining their use of green/blue infrastructure, problem-solving capabilities, benefits, and economic efficiency. The study identified institutional barriers, irregular distribution of benefits, and deficiencies in economic efficiency as significant obstacles. It concluded that AGs, while a type of unsophisticated NBS, have limited effectiveness.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsGardens’ contribution to people and urban green space
2021Helena I. Hanson, Emma Eckberg, Malin Widenberg, Johanna Alkan Olsson · Urban forestry & urban greening · Sweden (Lund)
This study explored private gardens' contribution to urban biodiversity and garden owners' wellbeing (in terms of cultural ecosystem services) in Lund, Sweden, through a garden land-use inventory and interviews with 35 garden owners. Results showed that urban development influences gardens' biodiversity potential by limiting available space or garden vegetation, with new properties having small gardens containing few biodiversity features and large trees. Important cultural ecosystem services included social bonds, recreation, nature experiences, and relaxation, which were influenced by age and gender.
BiodiversityHealthUrban–rural linkagePolicySignificance of Allotment Gardens in Urban Green Space Systems and Their Classification for Spatial Planning Purposes: A Case Study of Poznań, Poland
2021Dominika Dymek, Agnieszka Wilkaniec, Leszek Bednorz, Magdalena Szczepańska · Sustainability · Poland
This study in Poznań, Poland, examined the significance of allotment gardens in the urban green space system and developed a classification method for urban planning. While over 30% of allotment gardens were found to be of high significance, urban planning documentation indicates plans to reduce their area. Even highly significant gardens are slated for liquidation, highlighting a conflict between their ecological value and current urban development plans.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePublic versus private: Juxtaposing urban allotment gardens as multifunctional Nature-based Solutions. Insights from Seville
2021Barbara Maćkiewicz, Raúl Puente Asuero · Urban forestry & urban greening · Spain (Seville)
This paper compares public and private urban allotment gardens (AGs) in Seville, Spain, as nature-based solutions (NBS). Both types of AGs are found to have positive impacts on user health and well-being and complement each other. The choice between public and private AGs is primarily linked to freedom of cultivation and access, rather than economic factors. The study concludes that both public and private AGs require integrated territorial, legal, and institutional frameworks within urban policies.
CommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsIntegrating Urban Agriculture and Stormwater Management in a Circular Economy to Enhance Ecosystem Services: Connecting the Dots
2021Tolessa Deksissa, Harris B. Trobman, Kamran Zendehdel, Hossain Azam · Sustainability · Global
This study reviews literature on integrating urban agriculture (UA) and stormwater green infrastructures (GIs) within a circular economy framework. It explores how cities can combine these developments to overcome barriers and enhance ecosystem services. The findings indicate that integrating UA with GIs can improve urban food production while simultaneously protecting urban water quality.
Climate changeOrganic cyclePolicyInstitutional challenges and stakeholder perception towards planned water reuse in peri-urban agriculture of the Bengal delta
2021Kamonashish Haldar, Katarzyna Kujawa-Roeleveld, Marco Schoenmakers, Dilip Kumar Datta, H.H.M. Rijnaarts, Jeroen Vos · Journal of Environmental Management · Bangladesh (Khulna)
This study assessed stakeholder awareness, perception, and willingness towards urban water reuse in Khulna City, Bangladesh, using a questionnaire with 385 urban respondents, 32 farmer interviews, one farmer focus group, and ten key informant interviews. It found an overall positive attitude among major stakeholder groups toward planned water reuse for peri-urban agriculture, with 53% of citizens willing to pay for wastewater treatment and 66% of farmers willing to pay for better-quality irrigation water. However, the public sector requires adjustments in rules and regulations, addressing issues like lack of transparency, coordination, and resources, to implement planned water reuse.
Peri-urban agricultureHealthPolicyAssessing Agri-Food Start-Ups Sustainability in Peri-Urban Agriculture Context
2021Ambrogio Zanzi, Valentina Vaglia, Roberto Spigarolo, Stefano Bocchi · Land · Italy (Milan)
This study assessed the sustainability of eight agri-food start-ups in a peri-urban area of Milan, Italy, using the FAO's Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems (SAFA) framework. The application of SAFA indicators revealed positive aspects but also some limitations typical of unstructured enterprises.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityClimate changePromoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review
2021Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona, Geetha Mohan, Kensuke Fukushi · Sustainability · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 54 articles on urban agriculture, examining socio-economic context, agriculture models, opportunities, and challenges. The review found that academic literature favors community gardens in developed countries and gives comparatively less attention to identifying challenges, benefit groups, and government support for urban agriculture.
Governance failureCommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyMonitoring the contribution of urban agriculture to urban sustainability: an indicator-based framework
2021Carlos Tapia, Linda Randall, Shinan Wang, Luciane Aguiar Borges · Sustainable Cities and Society · Denmark (Aarhus)
This study presents a novel indicator-based evaluation framework for urban agriculture, tested in Fællesgartneriet Brabrand, a community garden in Aarhus, Denmark. The framework aims to capture the contribution of gardening practices to urban sustainability, acknowledging that urban agriculture may also have social and environmental externalities depending on prevalent farming practices.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthPolicyClimate change“We Have Been Part of the Response”: The Effects of COVID-19 on Community and Allotment Gardens in the Global North
2021Victoria Schoen, Chris Blythe, Silvio Caputo, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Kathrin Specht, Agnès Fargue‐Lelièvre, Nevin Cohen, Lidia Poniży, Konstancja Fedeńczak · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global North
This 2021 paper, based on data collected in summer 2020 from five Global North countries (France, Germany, Poland, UK, USA), examined the effects of COVID-19 on urban farms and gardens. The pandemic presented multiple challenges, including loss of support services, lost income, and reduced output due to labor supply issues. It also created opportunities like new local markets and increased community cohesion, demonstrating how gardens adapted to become more resilient.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justice258. Contexto general de la Agricultura Urbana en México durante la pandemia: uso de aplicaciones de Google para el análisis social
2021Miranda Gómez, Omar, Aguilar-Gómez, Carlos Rubén · Revistes Científiques de la University of Barcelona (University of Barcelona) · Mexico
This article proposes a methodological route for data analysis using Google applications to study urban agriculture (AU) in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information was collected from Facebook groups dedicated to AU in various Mexican states. Findings indicate that AU in Mexico offers social benefits, while the use of these technological tools for social research presents both advantages and disadvantages.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Oasis
2021Christina Ergas · · Cuba
This chapter examines Cuba's urban agricultural food production, which developed through top-down government initiatives that later decentralized and subsidized local efforts in response to resource scarcity. While Cuban urban farmworkers' cooperatives enable local residents to sell produce at low costs, the program still faces social environmental stumbling blocks despite its successes in achieving high human development with a small ecological footprint.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEconomicsServiços e Desserviços Ambientais Associados à Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana no Município de São Paulo
2021Bruno do Nascimento Macedo, Fernanda Nogueira Comas, Amarílis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo Gallardo · Journal of Urban Technology and Sustainability · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study discussed the main environmental services and disservices associated with urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in São Paulo, Brazil, using a systematic literature review and spatial analysis. It identified 12 environmental services and 5 disservices, mapping 197 UPA initiatives. The research concluded that UPA has the potential to offer environmental benefits, but can also exert negative pressures on the environment, including in areas that should be protected.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyAGRICULTURA URBANA JARDINERÍA COMUNITARIA: EL EJEMPLO DE BERLÍN
2021ELISABETH MEYER-RENSCHHAUSEN · Materia Arquitectura · Germany (Berlin)
This paper discusses the historical presence of gardens and urban agriculture in cities, from ancient civilizations to modern times. It notes that after disappearing in the late 19th century, family gardens were replaced by garden city movements, and after WWII, land was offered for cultivation. The paper suggests that the growing demand for garden plots in the 20th and 21st centuries and the global community gardening movement represent a new type of urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyHeirloom & landraceThe Sprouting Farms: You Are What You Grow
2021Jamie Wang · Humanities · Singapore
This article explores the rise of urban farming in Singapore, following small- to medium-scale urban farms, including rooftop gardens, community farms, and organic farms, through the politics of localism and the notion of care. It investigates how localism, in some contexts, has been reduced to a narrow sense of geographic location. The study also examines what is being cared for in urban farming and how it might transform bio-cultural and social-technological relations.
Equity & displacementPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureAssessing motivations and perceptions of stakeholders in urban agriculture: a review and analytical framework
2021Gianluca Di Fiore, Kathrin Specht, Cesare Zanasi · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Global
This study conducted a literature review on different approaches to analyzing stakeholders' and farmers' perceptions of urban agriculture (UA). The review identified main approaches for assessing these aspects and designed an integrated framework to support the development of context-tailored analytical approaches for UA drivers and stakeholder perceptions. The research aims to address potential conflicts between UA practitioners and urban stakeholders and adapt UA implementation to contextual factors.
CommunityPolicyPenerapan pertanian perkotaan untuk penguatan ketersediaan ruang terbuka hijau privat pada kota produksi penghasil minyak bumi di Duri Indonesia
2021Gendraya Rohaini, Sukendi Sukendi, Sofyan Husein Siregar, Dessy Yoswati · Jurnal Zona · Asia
This research aimed to plan an integration strategy between green open space (GOS) and an urban agriculture program in Duri City, Indonesia, a petroleum-producing city. Using a GIS-AHP approach, the study found that strategic integration of private GOS with urban agriculture contributes 14.134% to private GOS availability in Duri City, exceeding the 10% requirement mandated by the Spatial Arrangement Act.
PolicyClimate changeCommunityUrban agrarian alliance building in peri-urban Rome
2021Luca Colombo, Stefano Grando, Giacomo Lepri · · Italy (Rome)
A desk-based analysis on urban agriculture in peri-urban Rome scrutinized policy documents, mass media articles, online news, and internal organizational documents pertinent to land access and urban agriculture. This study was conducted against the backdrop of competition over farmland use, control, and function in Europe, and how land value trends in Italy are conditioned by the land's potential.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsExperiencia educativa: Práctica de huertos familiares y escolares en la zona rural Capachalito, Municipio Tovar, Estado Aragua
2021María Moreno Jaimes · Revista EDUCARE - UPEL-IPB - Segunda Nueva Etapa 2 0 · Venezuela
This qualitative action research study in Capachalito, Tovar Municipality, Aragua State, Venezuela, developed an action plan to improve residents' quality of life by encouraging parents, students, and teachers to resume school garden practices within the School Feeding Program. The study, based on a Socio-Critical Paradigm and Participatory Action Research, aimed to support food sovereignty and security. It highlighted the importance of endogenous development and sustainable community agriculture for reviving traditional knowledge related to family and school gardens.
Food educationPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityO DESENVOLVIMENTO SÓCIO-ESPACIAL DA AGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA (AUP) NA CIDADE DE FORTALEZA, CEARÁ
2021Gabriela de Azevedo Marques, Iara Rafaela Gomes · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Brazil
This empirical study analyzed the socio-spatial development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, examining both spontaneous agricultural activities and municipal institutional actions. While AUP holds significant relevance in the city, particularly in peripheral areas, governmental initiatives were found to be sporadic and discontinuous, lacking a broader institutional agenda. The study concluded that despite recent municipal efforts, legal and institutional support for AUP remains weak, leading to the rapid disappearance of productive spaces and indicating that institutional actions have not effectively fostered the socio-spatial development of spontaneous initiatives.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkagePop‐up publics: Temporary publicness at the Auckland Night Markets
2021Mitchell Klein, Bethany Cox, Kelsie Tuck, Tom Baker, Ryan Jones, Salene Schloffel‐Armstrong · New Zealand Geographer · New Zealand (Auckland)
This study examines how temporary urbanism contributes to the production of publicness, focusing on the Auckland Night Markets in New Zealand. It discusses how these events generate publicness through the attendees' experiences, control practices, and spatial configuration. The findings support the view of public space and publicness as pluralistic and dynamic.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkage