Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2531 results(54 / 102)
Transformative 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 & justiceEconomicsEmerging Global Trends in Urban Agriculture Research: A Scientometric Analysis of Peer-reviewed Journals
2020Anita Pinheiro, Madhav Govind · Journal of Scientometric Research · Global
This scientometric analysis explored global research trends in urban agriculture from 2004-2018 using articles from the SCOPUS database. Research attention significantly increased from 2013, predominantly in the Global North, focusing on food security, sustainability, and community gardening within Social Sciences. The study found very little research in urban agriculture policy and governance.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityPolicyDiffering Visions of Agriculture: Industrial‐Chemical vs. Small Farm and Urban Organic Production
2020Heather Gray, K. Rashid Nuri · American Journal of Economics and Sociology · United States
This paper argues that industrial-chemical agriculture has abandoned the foundations of healthy agriculture, such as seed diversity and soil preservation, replacing them with genetically uniform crops. In contrast, it states that in the United States, small farms and urban agriculture are providing healthy food and reconnecting city dwellers with the life of the soil.
Food sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityHuerto escolar como componente auto sostenible de merienda escolar en la Seguridad Alimentaria Nutricional y su uso como herramienta pedagógica
2020Jefry Joel López Acevedo · REICE Revista Electrónica de Investigación en Ciencias Económicas · Nicaragua
A 2019 case study at the Rubén Darío educational center in Nicaragua investigated the operation of a school garden, its production, connection to food and nutritional security, and its use as a pedagogical tool in primary education. The garden facilitated food availability, access, and consumption, with harvests complementing school snacks. Furthermore, 100% of primary school teachers utilized the school garden as a pedagogical tool, allowing students to apply theory to practice.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood Supply and Urban Gardening in the Time of Covid-19
2020Silvana Nicola, A. Ferrante, Giacomo Cocetta, Roberta Bulgari, Carlo Nicoletto, Paolo Sambo, Andrea Ertani · Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Horticulture · Global
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of the agrifood system, with lockdowns disrupting long-distance fresh vegetable supply chains and causing dramatic declines in local market sales. While purchases concentrated in supermarkets, increasing crowding risks, gardening can increase opportunities for local and fresh food availability. Scaling up local food production is important to enhance community resilience.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthClimate changeCSA Partnerships for Health: outcome evaluation results from a subsidized community-supported agriculture program to connect safety-net clinic patients with farms to improve dietary behaviors, food security, and overall health.
2020Betty T Izumi, Allea Martin, Teresa Garvin, Cesar Higgins Tejera, Sylvia Ness, Katy Pranian, Lauren Lubowicki · PubMed · Global
This study evaluated the preliminary effectiveness of "CSA Partnerships for Health," a 23-week grant-subsidized Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in improving dietary behaviors, self-efficacy to eat vegetables, food security, and overall health among 48 safety-net clinic patients. This single-group pretest-posttest study utilized interviewer-administered surveys. Statistically significant differences between post-intervention and pre-intervention values were observed for several outcomes, including vegetable intake, orange vegetable intake, eating habits, food security, ability to afford healthy meals, and general health status.
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceFostering Equitable Food Access and Healthy Eating through Social Innovation: A Description of the New Orleans Experience
2020Jacqueline Futch, Brittany Kovacs, Anjali Prasertong, K. O’Malley, Diego Rose · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States (New Orleans)
This 2020 study cataloged innovative food system organizations in New Orleans, USA, through an online survey of 65 directors in fall 2017. The survey found that 82% of organizations were founded after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with 77% targeting low-income populations. While 69% belonged to coalitions, only 23% reported receiving federal grants, indicating an active NGO sector addressing food and nutrition issues largely without federal support.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceIs Urban Agriculture a Game Changer or Window Dressing? A Critical Analysis of Its Potential to Disrupt Conventional Agri-food Systems
2020Debra J. Davidson · International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food · Global
This study assessed the multiple emergent effects of urban agriculture activities through an extensive, interdisciplinary literature review to discuss its disruptive potential. It suggests that producing food in cities is not inherently transformative in itself, but the potential and observed new forms of social engagement emerging in many contexts can create institutional conditions that may disrupt conventional agri-food systems by building social capital as much as physical capital.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEconomics(Community) garden in the city: Conspicuous labor and gentrification
2020Fatmir Haskaj · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · United States (New York City)
This article explores the historical context of community gardens in New York and Oakland, California, to understand and contest hegemonic forces in the urban environment. It posits that the work of gardeners is co-opted into a value regime through a process called "conspicuous labor." This process reconfigures the urban poor as productive, passive, and pastoral, contributing to gentrification.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceA systematic, mixed studies review of the outcomes of community garden participation related to food justice
2020Kate Gardner Burt, Gail Mayer, Rachel Paul · Local Environment · Global
A systematic review analyzed 277 community gardening articles to assess outcomes of community garden participation related to food justice, synthesizing 31 studies. Many positive impacts were indicated across seven social and dietary outcomes. Community garden participation was positively correlated with community connectedness, but evidence demonstrating diet improvement was neutral. Methodological rigor in study design and lack of participant racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity were common issues, leaving the effectiveness of community gardening as a strategy for a more equitable food system unclear.
Methodological critiqueCommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsElevage Urbain : Pratiques Quotidiennes dans les Villes Moyennes de L’ouest-Cameroun
2020Djeugap Guedia Amélie Mermoze, Aristide Yemmafouo · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Cameroon
From April to August 2019, surveys (100 questionnaires per city) and interviews (25 per city) were conducted in Dschang, Mbouda, and Foumbot, three medium-sized cities in West Cameroon, to examine the daily practices of urban livestock farming. Findings showed that an average of 60% of city dwellers in these cities engage in livestock farming for commercial reasons, primarily encouraged by their urban conditions. While livestock farming is mostly a secondary activity (87%), professionals make significant investments, and space availability remains a major limiting factor for market growth.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSurvey on people’s attitudes and constraints of rooftop gardening in Dhulikhel
2020Sandesh Thapa, Rakshya Bhandari, Anjal Nainabasti · Ecofeminism and Climate Change · Nepal
A random sampling survey in Dhulikhel, Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal, found that while all respondents perceived rooftop farming as beneficial, many could not practice it due to constraints like fear of roof damage. Practicing farmers also faced difficulties managing rooftop gardens due to a lack of proper knowledge and reliance on non-recyclable planting materials.
Economic viabilityDIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClosed-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 changeUrban agriculture in the making or gardening as epistemology
2020Michael Granzow, Kevin Jones · Local Environment · Canada (Edmonton)
This paper explores the production of Prairie Urban Farm, an urban agricultural initiative in Edmonton, Canada. Drawing on interviews with regular volunteers and personal reflections, the analysis emphasizes everyday urban agriculture practices, understandings, and motivations, rather than limiting the understanding to official representations. The study pursues tensions between Prairie Urban Farm as a sustainability and food security initiative and more ambivalent understandings.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationPolicy10. “You Can’t Evict Community Power”: Food Justice and Eviction Defense in Oakland
2020Alison Hope Alkon, Yahya Josh Cadji, Frances C. Moore · New York University Press eBooks · United States (California)
In North Oakland, California, USA, collaborations between food justice organizations and residents, spurred by gentrification, were explored. The partnership and merger of Phat Beets Produce and the Self-Help Hunger Program were analyzed, initiated after a community garden was used in a gentrification advertisement in 2014. While this collaboration created a strong alliance, it was found to be insufficient to resist the structural forces driving gentrification.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsHow to bring innovation in City/Region Food Systems?
2020Giuseppina Pennisi · AMS Acta (University of Bologna) · Global
This paper describes an international workshop held in Turku, Finland, and online from September 2-4, 2020, as part of the EU-H2020 project FoodE. The workshop gathered 15 contributions, including two plenary lectures and 13 short presentations from PhD candidates from nine countries, to discuss innovation and sustainability in City/Region Food Systems (CRFS). Topics covered innovative plant production systems, sustainability assessment, short food chains, food waste management, urban agriculture, business models, and the water-food-energy nexus within cities.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEconomicsFarming While Black: Soul Fire Farms Practical Guide To Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman and Karen Washington
2020C. K. Cartagena · Southeastern geographer · United States
This paper reviews "Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farms Practical Guide To Liberation on the Land" by Leah Penniman and Karen Washington. The book serves as a step-by-step guide for Black farmers, detailing historical struggles and solutions against oppression and racial discrimination in the farming sector, including cases like Pigford v. Glickman and the over-policing of Ron Finley's property. It offers instruction on obtaining land and resources, farm business plans, land restoration, crop planning, preserving harvests, raising animals, urban farming, and movement building. The book acknowledges obstacles faced by Black farmers and aims to provide a reference for sustaining productive farmland and activism to achieve land autonomy.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyCommunityNourishing 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 cycleUrban Agriculture: Determinants and Its Implication on Poverty Reduction: A Case of Bishan Guracha Town, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
2020Hadji Wabe Nure, Abdulkadir Hussein Gemada, Gamachu Gishe Badasa, Bezabih Wondimu, Burash Elemo Gaduda · OALib · Ethiopia
A study in Bishan Guracha Town, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, analyzed the determinants of urban agriculture and its implication for poverty reduction. A convergent parallel mixed design was utilized, involving 228 households from fishery, milk, and animal fattening micro and small enterprises. The findings indicated that about 40% of urban agricultural practitioners fell below the poverty line, and there were statistically significant differences among the income generated from the three types of urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceGREEN DEAL Greenhouse devices in the urban voids of historical fabrics. The case of Cuenca-Ecuador
2020Pozo Palacios, María Gabriela · · Ecuador (Cuenca)
This paper describes the context of urban agriculture in the historic center of Cuenca, Ecuador, highlighting challenges posed by urbanization and gentrification. It mentions the increase in urbanization rates in Latin America since 1950 and its impact on the food production sector. The paper also touches upon the tradition of private patios devoted to family farming in Cuenca's republican architectural typologies and the diminution of farming areas due to rising land prices, but it does not present specific research methods, findings, or conclusions.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageAgricultura Urbana e Plantas Silvestres espontâneas: Cultivo e consumo para além do prato.
2020Mariella Camardelli Uzêda · Anais da Semana Científica Johanna Döbereiner · Brazil
This work aims to understand the origins of urban farmers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and their traditions of cultivating and consuming spontaneous wild plants. It investigates how this knowledge of biodiversity has been preserved over time and influences current cultivation practices in areas like Colonia Juliano Moreira and Guaratiba. The study also explores opportunities to diversify agro-food systems with these wild plants to intensify ecosystem services such as pollination and biological pest control.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleFeeding peoples in future: Urban farming and vertical farming
2020HD Vashi, PK Dubey · International Journal of Chemical Studies · Global
This paper discusses urban farming and vertical farming as solutions for future urban food security and sustainability, addressing environmental changes and resource shortages. It highlights how urban farming, including green rooftops, can contribute to environmental, social, and economic sustainability by improving urban greenery and food systems. Vertical farming is presented as a method to produce large quantities of fresh food in densely populated areas with limited land.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDigging up the past: urban agriculture narratives in Melbourne and São Paulo
2020Adrián H. Hearn, Thaís Mauad, Chris Williams, Luís Fernando Amato‐Lourenço, Guilherme Reis Ranieri · Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability · Australia (Melbourne)
This article analyzed the phenomenon of urban agriculture promotion by real estate developers and community associations in Melbourne and São Paulo. Developers of upmarket condominiums advertise urban agriculture as a purchasable commodity, but the gentrifying effects of these developments deepen rather than alleviate social and environmental ills. In contrast, community projects in four case studies emphasized urban agriculture's ability to confront the long-term neglect of land, employment, and environment.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice[PDF] [DOWNLOAD] Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights) [Full]
2020[PDF] [DOWNLOAD] Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights) [Full] · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This abstract provides information regarding the download and reading of the book "Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights)" by Christina D. Rosan.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEffectiveness of Urban Farming Program in Providing Multiple Benefits to the Urban Community in Malaysia
2020Nazanin Nafisi, Osman Mohd Tahir, Sara Nafisi, Nazri Ishak · Journal of Architectural Environment & Structural Engineering Research · Malaysia
To investigate the effectiveness of urban farming programs in Malaysia, this study focused on small-scale agriculture projects like community gardens and community-level programs such as community supported agriculture and farmers markets. The study found that urban agriculture enhances community resilience and wellbeing. It highlighted the necessity for Malaysian urban authorities to provide appropriate identification and support to city dwellers and promote urban farming practices.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealth