Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2531 results(64 / 102)
Urban agriculture and stokvels
2018Yolisa Wendy Sonti · · South Africa
A study of 152 stokvel members in South Africa's Nelson Mandela Bay Area investigated the possibility of using stokvels in urban agriculture. Findings revealed that stokvel members are aware of agricultural activities but do not use their stokvel funds for urban agriculture. However, there is interest among stokvel members in utilizing their funds for urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfarePemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Program Urban Farming Organik di Kabupaten Bekasi Sebagai Program CSR PT. Pertamina EP Tambun Field
2018Adi Firmansyah · · Indonesia (Bekasi)
A qualitative descriptive study in Bekasi Regency, Indonesia, investigated the impact of an organic urban farming program initiated by PT. Pertamina EP Tambun Field on agricultural behavior and institutionalization. The program led to changes in farming techniques from conventional to organic, and shifts in actor interactions, rules, values, norms, and resource management. These changes fostered institutionalization, strengthening the social, economic, and ecological benefits of organic farming.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyTHE DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SECURITY STATUS AMONG PERI-URBAN FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
2018ADERINSOLA M. AREGBESOLA · · Nigeria (Ondo State)
A study in Ondo State, Nigeria, examined food security among peri-urban farming households using descriptive statistics, a food security index, logistic regression, and the coping strategy use index. It found that 54.4% of households were food insecure, with a 62% calorie deficit for these households, while 45.6% were food secure, exceeding calorie requirements by 48%. Household income positively affected food security, while household size had a negative effect.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareImpacts on the Urban Environment: Land Cover Change Trajectories and Landscape Fragmentation in Post-War Western Area, Sierra Leone
2018Solomon Gbanie, Amy Griffin, Alec Thornton · Remote Sensing · Sierra Leone
This research analyzed land cover change (LCC) dynamics in Sierra Leone's Western Area from 1976 to 2011 using satellite imagery, covering pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict periods. The study found a rapid increase in built-up land and urban/peri-urban agriculture over 35 years. During the war (1976-2000), urban agriculture became a key livelihood for displaced persons, while post-war housing demands further drove land use changes. A significant finding was that landscape fragmentation increased alongside declining forest cover, with built-up areas aggregating.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsProvidence productivity framework : ideas for a network of sites rethinking productivity in Providence
2018Patricia Noto · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · United States (Providence)
This thesis investigated the role of designers in creating or enhancing productive systems in cities, focusing on Providence, Rhode Island. It proposed rethinking the function of public and quasi-public spaces and expanding the definition of urban productivity beyond community gardens to include a network of agroforestry sites and remediated lands. The study examined a series of diverse sites along the Woonasquatucket River, noting their suitability due to the river's industrial history, varied conditions, and existing community organization connections.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageMaking Local Food Work: The Challenges and Opportunities of Today’s Small Farmers by Brandi Janssen
2018Timothy J. Kidd · Great Plains research · United States (Iowa)
Based on qualitative research conducted from 2008 to 2012 in Iowa, this book illustrates the complexities and challenges faced by small farms producing local foods in a commodity-driven state. It provides case studies on the difficulties in balancing small farm profitability and social impacts for those involved in community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets, and farm-to-school produce. The research also reveals that popular assumptions about local food, including consumers becoming informed advocates for sustainable agriculture, are oversimplifications.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDiseño de una herramienta virtual de aprendizaje sobre agricultura urbana: una propuesta de educación ambiental vinculada al programa de Servicio Social Ambiental (SSA) del Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis
2018Galvis Rivera, Andrea Natalia · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This paper proposes the development of a virtual educational tool to promote urban agriculture practices among students participating in the Environmental Social Service (SSA) program at the Bogotá Botanical Garden. The proposal follows a diagnostic instrument to characterize students' prior knowledge of urban agriculture, which has been a focus of Bogotá's development plans since 2004 to ensure food security and promote sustainable agriculture. The Botanical Garden leads environmental education processes with community actors and social service students.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDiagnóstico de las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria de la población vulnerable del barrio Loma Linda (Altos de Cazucá) y sus estrategias de sostenibilidad
2018Palomino Forero, Pedro António · · Colombia (Soacha)
This project, led by students from Universidad Santo Tomas, focused on urban agriculture development in the Loma Linda neighborhood of Soacha, Colombia, to address food insecurity and malnutrition among displaced populations. It aimed to improve food security conditions through a diagnostic approach and by promoting community participation in urban agriculture. The project demonstrated that households could achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables, foster social networks, and reduce daily expenses, providing a first step towards resolving malnutrition and food insecurity in the community.
WelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWho Cares? The Importance of Emotional Connections with Nature to Ensure Food Security and Wellbeing in Cities
2018Kora Uhlmann, Brenda B. Lin, Helen Ross · Sustainability · Global
This paper reviews existing literature on foodscape and biophilia to highlight the need for inter-disciplinary research combining urban agriculture and food literacy. The review suggests that emotional connection with nature benefits human wellbeing and predicts pro-environmental behaviors, and that urban agriculture can improve wellbeing and food security if the next generation has this connection and necessary life skills.
HealthFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture in Bogotá’s informal settlements
2018Jaime Hernández García, Sandra Caquimbo-Salazar · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Bogotá, Colombia, over 50% of the city has developed through informal practices, with approximately four million people residing in areas of urban or housing informality. This chapter explores the transformation and appropriation of urban spaces in the barrios through urban agriculture initiatives, using examples of food growing spaces in Bogotá. It discusses agricultural practices in the city's informal settlements, highlighting social characteristics and spatial particulars, and advocates for open spaces as potential productive landscapes where spatial transformations can contribute to social, cultural, and nutritional practices.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban–rural linkageHealth4. Collaborative Urban Farming Networks in Bangkok. Promoting Collective Gardens and Alternative Markets as Theatres of Social Action
2018Piyapong Boossabong · Amsterdam University Press eBooks · Thailand (Bangkok)
In Bangkok, most vegetables consumed in the city are transported from remote rural areas and contaminated with chemicals. Governmental policies have failed to control chemical use, while monopolistic food corporations constrain the sustainability of local food systems. This chapter highlights the collaboration of urban farming networks in Bangkok that aim to produce alternative food sources and create alternative markets, arguing that these networks can construct alternative urban spaces for social action.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAgriculture urbaine à Ziguinchor (Sénégal) : des pratiques d’autoconsommation favorables à l’essor de filières d’approvisionnement urbaines durables
2018Sécou Omar Diédhiou, Oumar Sy, Christine Margétic · Espace populations sociétés · Senegal (Ziguinchor)
A study in Ziguinchor, Senegal, surveyed 248 farmers and 130 vegetable vendors in 2016 and 2017 to examine the role of urban agriculture. Urban expansion has led to shrinking agricultural land and land-use conflicts, while increasing food demand. Women play a central role from production to commercialization, farming in multiple locations for self-consumption and income, but the sustainability of these practices requires integration into proactive urban development policies.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicySolidarity: 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 & justiceA Primer on Local Food Systems
2018Amber Heckelman · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This book consolidates decades of research on the local food movement in the U.S. Midwest and Appalachia regions. It analyzes the diverse capacities and limitations of enterprises such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), and food hubs, and offers a framework for assessing local food initiatives. The book aims to support the cultivation and expansion of local food systems by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and leverage points.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceRedes alimentares alternativas e potencialidade ao desenvolvimento do capital social
2018Ronaldo Tavares de Souza, Eduardo de Lima Caldas · Estudos Sociedade e Agricultura · Global
Based on a systematic review of 45 articles, this study examined how alternative food networks can foster social capital development. The review identified five types of networks: own production, basket schemes, direct sales, community supported agriculture, and solidarity purchase groups. Reflection on observed examples indicated that groups formed by consumers showed the greatest potential for social capital development, followed by producer-started groups, basket schemes, and finally, production for self-consumption.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsSustainability at SIT: a Look at the Past, a Plan for the Future
2018Taliesin Haugh · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Global
This paper outlines a 5-year plan for the School for International Training (SIT) to enhance sustainability praxis, building on its 2018 student-led community garden project. The plan aims for SIT to become an experiential ecology center, collaborating with local NGOs and hosting permaculture programs, to address climate change and contribute to sustainable development.
CommunityFood educationClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceKAJIAN POTENSI PENGEMBANGAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN DI KOTA SEMARANG
2018Wiwandari Handayani, Prihadi Nugroho, Dini Oktaviani Hapsari · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Semarang)
This study used descriptive and spatial analyses with secondary and primary data to assess the potential and co-benefits of urban farming in Semarang City, Indonesia. It identified two types of urban farming: conventional approaches in the city outskirts and hydroponic or limited-space methods in the city center. The study found various potentials, including vegetables, cassava, sugarcane, durian, and mushrooms, and noted co-benefits across environmental, economic, social, health, education, and tourism aspects.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureAgricultura Urbana como atividade promotora da Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional
2018Juliana Silva Barbosa, Robson Patrocinio de Souza, Anelise Dias · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This report details the implementation and monitoring of a productive yard in the Juliano Moreira Colony, Jacarepagua, Rio de Janeiro, an initiative by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The project aimed to promote health through improved food and nutritional security, with a farmer selected based on her interest in agroecology. The backyard contributed to food security, increased family income through surplus sales, and propagated agroecology principles in the community.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsPreserving Community Agriculture in a Global Economy
2018T.A. Lyson C.C. Geisler, Charles A. Schlough · · United States (New York City)
In New York, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) expanded from non-existent 10 years prior to 64 farms by 1996. These efforts have the potential to foster local economic development and maintain product diversity and quality. Increasing local food and agricultural product production and marketing can preserve farmland that might otherwise be unprofitable for the global marketplace, integrating it into the local community. This shifts decisions about local farmland from global market forces to local farmers and consumers.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageResponding to neoliberal diets: School meal programmes in Brazil and Canada
2018Estevan Leopoldo de Freitas Coca, Ricardo Barbosa · Policy Press eBooks · Brazil, Canada
This chapter analyzes school meal programs in Brazil (PNAE) and Canada (F2S BC) as sustainable alternatives to corporate dominance in the global food system. PNAE creates an institutional market for family farmers and provides local food to students, while F2S BC involves school gardens, food education, and local food incentives. The study found that PNAE has wider reach but focuses on consumption, whereas F2S BC highlights schools as growing spaces and food as a pedagogical resource.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban food security and multi-spatial livelihoods in Ghana’s medium sized cities: does food transfer matter?
2018Hayford Mensah Ayerakwa · International Development Planning Review · Ghana
A study using data from two medium-sized cities in Ghana analyzed the importance and determinants of food transfers received from urban or rural households. It examined whether participation in agriculture reduces a household's likelihood of receiving food transfers, showing that households participating in urban agriculture had a lower chance of receiving food transfers from other urban dwellers. Female-headed households and aging household heads had an increased likelihood of receiving food transfers, with grains and tubers being the most commonly received food groups, typically from rural and urban relatives.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareUrban–rural linkagePerception of Community Residents on Supporting Urban Agriculture in Malaysian City: Case Study at Bukit Mertajam
2018Pushpawani Ramaloo, Choong-Yeun Liong, Chamhuri Siwar, Anizan Isahak · · Malaysia
In the Taman Desa Damai community of Bukit Mertajam City, Penang State, Malaysia, in-depth interviews and observations were conducted with 15 community residents to investigate the influences of urban agriculture on social, economic, and environmental benefits. The study found that while community farming is significant in realizing the potential of the residential community, it faces obstacles to long-term sustainability.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood 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 & justicePKM PEMBERDAYAAN KELOMPOK PKK DENGAN MODEL URBAN FARMING DI DESA DAWUHAN LOR, SUKODONO, LUMAJANG
2018Nanik Furoidah, Muhammad Juhan · Prosiding Semnas PPM 2018 · Indonesia
This PKM activity aimed to empower PKK groups in RT 45 and RT 46, Dawuhan Lor Village, Sukodono, Lumajang, through urban farming to achieve economic productivity and family food security. The program provided soft skill training in urban farming, hydroponics, and portable cultivation, resulting in an approximately 80% increase in partners' urban farming knowledge, an approximately 80% increase in portable agriculture and composting skills, and a 40% increase in hydroponic skills. Consequently, about 15% of family fresh food needs could be met through self-cultivation, and family food security cadres capable of initiating sustainable urban farming activities were formed.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceDIYGardens, cities and people - How to assess urban gardening
2018J Dostalík, Radoslava Krylová, Vojtěch Pelikán, Lucie Sovová, Zbyněk Ulčák · · Global
This paper presents a methodological tool designed to standardize the assessment of gardening sites and offer a user-friendly approach for evaluating diverse urban gardening areas. This multidisciplinary methodology assesses territory from three perspectives: urban gardening in urban planning, the social benefits of gardening communities and economic aspects including food security contributions, and the environmental aspects of gardening sites, such as their support for biodiversity.
CommunityEconomicsBiodiversityPolicyFood sovereignty & justice