Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2531 results(65 / 102)
Food 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 & justiceCommunityFrom Urban Agriculture to Urban Food
2018Heidrun Moschitz, Jan Landert, Christian Schader, Rebekka Frick · Nature and Culture · Switzerland (Basel)
A study in Basel, Switzerland, comprehensively analyzed the city's food system to understand the full potential of urban agriculture within it. The analysis involved diverse actors from civil society, policy, and the market, encompassing policy and actor analysis, perceptions on urban agriculture, food flow analysis, and a sustainability assessment. The research project contributed to developing new ideas and activities and created a space for future debates within the city's food system.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceModelos de agricultura urbana para a segurança alimentar: um estudo comparativo entre Singapura e Brasil
2018Leandro Pessoa Lucena, Cláudio Eurico Seibert Fernandes da Silva · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Singapore; Brazil (Cuiabá)
This descriptive and exploratory study compared urban agriculture models for food security in Singapore and Brazil (represented by Cuiabá/MT), using photographic records and testimonies. Preliminary results showed significant differences: Brazilian urban agriculture was incipient, small-scale, and lacked quality and technological capacity, targeting areas of extreme poverty. In contrast, Singapore's urban agriculture was consolidated in various highly productive, technologically advanced formats, including vertical and rooftop farms, demonstrating environmental and social welfare concerns.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsReclaiming the city: Guerrilla Gardening in Nairobi
2018Syeda R. Hussain · · Kenya (Nairobi)
This paper focuses on guerrilla gardening in Nairobi, Kenya, examining the use of the environment as both an aesthetic and a practical method to resist the politics of poverty in the city. It explores how this movement shapes the city's identity and analyzes the nexus between poverty and political ecology, with emphasis on the garden city movement and its influence on Nairobi’s 1948 Master Plan and Nairobi Vision 2030.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyInfluence of Social Inequality on Urban Agriculture
2018Kwaku Obosu-Mensah · · Ghana (Accra)
This study examines the influence of social inequality on urban agriculture in Accra, Ghana, focusing on land ownership and cultivation practices. It found that urban residents born or raised in other regions of Ghana are more likely to be middle/upper class, own urban land, and engage in enclosed cultivation. A disadvantage of enclosed cultivation is associated with water supply.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAgriculturas urbanas: agroecologia para a cidade, na cidade e da cidade!
2018Daniela Adil Oliveira de Almeida, André Ruoppolo Biazoti · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This paper systematizes recent thoughts on agroecology and urban agriculture from important events in Brazil's agroecological field. It presents three approaches: "agroecology for the city," "agroecology in the city," and "agroecology of the city." These approaches connect the themes to different conceptions of the urban-rural relationship and suggest various research paths linked to transformative political action.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyFood System Transformation in Mozambique: An Assessment of Changing Diet Quality in the context of a Rising Middle Class
2018Jenny Smart, David Tschirley, Francis Smart, Smart, Jenny Cairns, Tschirley, David, Smart, Francis · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Mozambique
Food system transformation and changes in diet quality were assessed in Mozambique amidst rapid urbanization and income growth. Rising incomes and processed food consumption were found to be associated with a worsening of negative dietary factors. Furthermore, urbanization, controlling for income, was more strongly associated with a worsening of negative factors than an improvement in positive dietary factors. However, owning one's own farm had a positive and significant effect on nutrition for urban households, primarily driven by reduced purchases of unhealthy foods.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkageA agricultura urbana e periurbana no município de Presidente Prudente -SP
2018Lucas Araújo Miranda, Rosângela Aparecida de Medeiros Hespanhol · Geografia em Atos (Online) · Brazil (Presidente Prudente)
This research investigates the characteristics and dimensions of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Presidente Prudente, Brazil, and how it can contribute to food and nutritional security through short commercialization circuits. The study involved a literature review, field research in local markets and supermarkets using structured scripts, and interviews with four urban and peri-urban farmers.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureWelfare‘The garden has improved my life’
2018Joyce-Ann Syhre, Meike Brückner · · Kenya (Nairobi)
This chapter illustrates agricultural alternatives in Nairobi, Kenya, emerging through practiced urban agriculture. These alternatives enable socio-ecological spaces of food sovereignty, biodiversity, and agency. The chapter discusses the socio-cultural values of farming and food, the role of gender in Nairobi's urban agricultural landscape, and the diverse perceptions of human-nature relations among female farmers.
Food sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityCommunityUrban–rural linkageEntre movimentos sociais e políticas de agroecologia urbana e na cidade de São Paulo
2018Lya Porto, Giulia Giacchè, Gustavo Nagib · · Brazil (São Paulo)
This article analyzes the interrelations between social movements and agro-ecological urban agriculture policies in São Paulo, Brazil. It examines three types of movements: the activities of urban farmers, the network formed by the São Paulo Urban Movement on Agro-ecology, and the actions of groups involved in political pressure and advocacy.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceProjeto CASA UFRJ – Comunidade Acadêmica que dá Suporte à Agricultura: uma experiência de aproximação entre produtores e consumidores na Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
2018Paula Fernandes de Brito, William John Hester, Tomé de Almeida e Lima, Lorena Monteiro dos Santos, Luísa Pinheiro, Jonathan Henrique da Silveira de Barros · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This paper reports on a 2016 pilot project at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) to structure a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative. The project involved farmers and the academic community, aiming to foster agroecological knowledge through weekly food basket deliveries. A key finding was the limitations in attracting diverse groups from the academic community, despite the interest shown by participating farmers, staff, and "prosumers."
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAVALIAÇÃO DAS POTENCIALIDADES PARA A AGRICULTURA URBANA NO ENTORNO DA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL RURAL DA AMAZÔNIA (UFRA), MUNICÍPIO DE BELÉM (PA)
2018Laila Pacheco, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Marcos Antônio Souza dos Santos, Paulo Fróes Júnior, Silvana Venâncio da Silva · Agrarian Academy · Brazil (Belém)
An analysis of urban agriculture potential was conducted in the Montese neighborhood of Belém, Brazil, through interviews with 40 residents from April to August 2018. The study found that 42.5% of respondents practiced urban agriculture, but the main limitation for its development was a lack of technical guidance and incentives. Broad partnerships involving community leaders, city hall, and universities are needed to overcome these technical, logistical, and infrastructure demands.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsUrban agriculture and its role in the sustainable city - mini review.
2018Antoinette WinklerPrins · CABI Reviews · Global
This mini-review argues that urban agriculture is an essential component of sustainable cities. It states that urban cultivation addresses the core elements of sustainability: economics, environmental issues, and social justice. Therefore, urban agriculture should be considered fundamental infrastructure in the design of future sustainable cities.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDistribuição e dinâmica de ocupação socioespacial de iniciativas em agricultura urbana e periurbana do município de petrolina-pe, semiárido brasileiro
2018Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Ícaro Cardoso Maia, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio, José de Alencar Peixoto Filho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Petrolina)
This study mapped urban community vegetable gardens in Petrolina, Brazil, using GPS and ArcGis software to understand their distribution and socio-spatial occupation. Results showed fewer gardens in the city center, with the majority located in peripheral areas, predominantly on public land, especially in schools. More recent urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives have been established on private land.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureFood educationNon-traditional grains for a balanced diet
2018Aneta Popova, Dasha Mihaylova · Bulgarian Portal for Open Science · Europe
This article discusses the role of grains in a balanced diet, noting that non-traditional grains are increasingly available commercially and reflect a broad interest in diverse food genres. These grains are frequently cultivated in home, allotment, and community gardens, often connected to the ethnic ancestry of the growers.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceSession J: Debating the inclusion of animals in the Urban Farming Movement in Detroit
2018Michelle Marie Proctor · · United States (Detroit)
Urban agriculture programs in Detroit have seen many urban farms begin to include animals, sparking policy and ethical debates. Supporters claim animals accelerate land remediation, fertilize and aerate soil, and improve petroleum-polluted soils. However, opponents point to problems such as botched slaughters and lack of animal welfare oversight, arguing that backyard animal husbandry should be regulated in the best interests of the community and animal welfare.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsGardener Well-Being along Social and Biophysical Landscape Gradients
2018Monika Egerer, Stacy M. Philpott, Peter Bichier, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Brenda B. Lin · Sustainability · United States (California)
This study investigated the role of community gardens in providing human well-being benefits across three counties in the California Central Coast. Multiple aspects of self-reported gardener well-being were measured in relation to the social opportunities of surrounding neighborhoods and the biophysical features of the landscapes where gardens were embedded. The results documented improvements in gardener well-being through gardening across social and biophysical gradients. Gardeners were motivated by diverse reasons, including connecting to nature, improving food access, or enhancing time spent with family.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceProhibitive property practices: The impact of restrictive covenants on the built food environment
2018Sugandhi del Canto, Rachel Engler‐Stringer · Policy Press eBooks · Global
Restrictive covenants, a corporate real estate practice, are identified as a significant barrier to establishing new food stores in older neighborhoods globally. These covenants place conditions on land use, such as prohibiting food sales or grocery store development, making it harder to address existing nutrition deserts. Government support is needed to limit these covenants and develop alternative food channels, including urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealth“We’re Being Left to Blight”: Green Urban Development and Racialized Space in Kansas City
2018Chhaya Kolavalli · UKnowledge (University of Kentucky) · United States (Kansas City)
This dissertation, based on 26 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Kansas City, examines green urban development and urban agriculture projects from the perspective of residents in an African American majority neighborhood. It argues that dominant narratives of urban sustainability and agriculture, shaped by upper-middle-class white voices, support green development projects that marginalize and displace people of color and the poor. The study documents the lived consequences of these narratives and highlights resistance efforts by minority-led agricultural projects and neighborhood councils.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEthics of agricultural landscapes and food production
2018Isis Brook · · Global
This chapter examines the interface between landscape and food in agriculture, which is undergoing massive change from both technological innovation and socio-political critique. It discusses how responses such as agroecology, biodynamics, organics, permaculture, and urban agriculture contribute to the creation of meaningful landscapes that respect cultural diversity and biodiversity. The chapter also looks at traditional ethical approaches and four new developments in ethical thinking—animal ethics, permaculture ethics, ecofeminism, and the theory of responsive cohesion—as ethical articulations of the caring and embodied flourishing that land and animal husbandry at its best represents.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityOrganic cycleAgricultura urbana: seu atual uso
2018Ana Cristina Manjabosco · · Global
This work explores urban agriculture, its concepts, and importance in achieving urban sustainability and responding to environmental imbalances. It provides examples of current urban agriculture uses, including the Dragonfly project in New York, Paris's incentives, and a vertical farm design contest in Sao Paulo. The study also offers guidelines for successful urban agriculture project implementation, covering location choice, cultivation systems, consumption incentives, and secondary benefits, framed as political and social guidelines.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePossibilidades de relacoes socioambientalmente mais justas no contexto urbano de uma metropole
2018Luísa Melgaço, Marina R. Ribeiro, Heloísa Soares de Moura Costa · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Global
This essay reflects on the complex reality of urban agriculture, discussing the different paradigms of the Green Revolution and Agroecology within the urbanization process. It aims to evidence the permanent and conflicting dispute between the industrial capitalist model and the non-hegemonic rationality of Agroecology. The essay is intended to advance the construction of bridges between the agroecological field and urbanization processes.
Food sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityPolicyProduction for consumption: Prosumer, citizen‐consumer, and ethical consumption in a postgrowth context
2018Elisabeth Kosnik · Economic Anthropology · Europe
This article investigates self-provisioning practices and diverse economies, drawing on ethnographic research of lifestyle subsistence farmers in central Europe and New Zealand. It uses Alvin Toffler's "prosumer" concept to explore the meaning of production for consumption in relation to discourses on ethical consumption, social distinction, and the "citizen-consumer" within a postgrowth society.
DIYCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAgroecología urbana: diseño de granjas urbanas ricas en biodiversidad, productivas y resilientes
2018Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · Agro Sur · Global
Although urban agriculture (UA) is estimated to provide 15-20% of global food, its significant contribution to city food self-sufficiency is questionable due to low yields in most existing urban farms. Agroecology can enhance UA's productive potential by offering key principles for designing diversified, productive, and resilient urban farms. This paper describes principles and practices for increasing soil quality and enhancing plant health.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityOrganic cycleClimate changeProjeto EcoViamão: Canoas e as hortas comunitárias na metrópole
2018Marcos Daniel Schmidt de Aguiar, Cláudio Fioreze, Danielle Grassi · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
This research, part of the EcoViamão project in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Brazil, identified community gardens in the municipality of Canoas. Through data collection from public and private entities, bibliographic review, field visits, and extension action reports, an alternative form of urban agriculture was revealed, practiced collectively in socially vulnerable areas with a strong agroecological and food security bias. The study also analyzes possibilities for strengthening actions with the community and the mission of IFRS and the EcoViamão project for more sustainable regional development.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceFood education