Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
222 results(7 / 9)
MANIFESTAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE AGRÍCOLA NO ESPAÇO URBANO: CASO DO BAIRRO SAGRADA FAMÍLIA EM PIRAPORA-MG
2015Silene Maciel dos Santos, Samuel Ferreira da Fonseca, Luiz Andrei Gonçalves Pereira · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Brazil (Pirapora-MG)
This study analyzed the spatial distribution of urban agricultural activities in the Sagrada Família neighborhood, Pirapora-MG, Brazil, through a literature review. It examined urban agriculture practices, their socio-economic role, and the problems and challenges faced by urban agriculture actors in the neighborhood. The study concluded that the identified issues suggest urban agriculture as an emancipatory process.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityUsing a Choice Experiment to Assess the Multiple Values of Land in Agricultural Uses in a Peri-urban Area: An Application to Edmonton, Canada
2015Haoluan Wang, Brent Swallow · 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California · Canada (Edmonton)
This research aims to assess the multiple values of agricultural land in the Alberta Capital Region, Canada, where significant agricultural land conversion has occurred. The study's objectives are to estimate residents' values for conserving land in different agricultural uses, explore links between these values and residents' affinity for ecosystem goods and services, and identify public interest areas for agricultural conservation. The methodology began with focus group discussions.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageChapter^>10: Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, and Urban Agriculture in the United States
2015V. Ernesto Mendez, Christopher M. Bacon, Roseann Cohen, Stephen R. Gliessman · Agroecology · United States
This chapter discusses the rise of movements for just and sustainable food systems in the United States over the last 15 years, encompassing areas like urban agriculture and food sovereignty. It notes that while most practitioners in US alternative agrifood movements do not use the term "agroecology," they share similar principles. The chapter also describes the evolution of agroecology from a farm-scale focus to a systems-based, transdisciplinary approach for sustainable food systems.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageInnovation in urban agricultural practices: Responding to diverse production environments
2014Anne Pfeiffer, Erin Silva, Jed B. Colquhoun · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States
A project centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered data through site visits and interviews with urban agricultural organizations in seven US cities. It examined how structural and strategic food system factors shape urban agricultural efforts, considering diverse business and production models. The study discusses unique innovations in space-intensive agricultural production and assesses significant challenges facing urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageRosemount Urban Agriculture: Wholesale Markets Report
2014Amanda Nichols Hess, Annie Larson, D. D. Gilbertson, Elizabeth Cerny · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Rosemount)
This report and presentation were completed by students enrolled in SUST 4004: Sustainable Communities, taught by Samantha Grover and Amir Nadav in fall 2014.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageSuburban dirt
2014de Vries, Arianna · · United States (New Jersey)
This study investigated three large-format suburban community gardens, each with over one hundred plots, in Central New Jersey, United States. Using geospatial mapping, on-site observation, and interviews with coordinators and gardeners, the research explored participation reasons and the suburban conditions fostering these gardens. It found that suburban gardeners participate for reasons similar to their urban counterparts, but the suburban context significantly shapes how these motivations are defined and described.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageCommunity Voices: The Postville Oral History Project Recording with Judy Egeland
2014Judy Egeland · UNI ScholarWorks (University of Northern Iowa) · United States (Postville)
This oral history project recording features Judy Egeland, a master gardener and Vice President of the Diversity Council in Postville, United States. Egeland, who moved to Postville in 1970, was instrumental in establishing a community garden and a school garden in the rural town. The community garden is noted for bringing together people from diverse backgrounds.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageUrban farming theme restaurant
2014Freeman Wu · · United States (Chicago)
This graduation project proposes an urban farming theme restaurant located in an abandoned industrial area in South Chicago. The design strategy focuses on using urban farming to activate the vacant site. The proposed building is an urban farming themed restaurant.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageImpact of marketing channels on perceptions of quality of life and profitability for Wisconsin's organic vegetable farmers
2014Erin Silva, Fengxia Dong, Paul D. Mitchell, John Hendrickson · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Wisconsin)
A survey of Wisconsin-certified organic vegetable farmers investigated the relationships between farm characteristics, marketing strategies, and farmers' perceptions of profitability and quality of life. The data indicated that farmers selling into farmers' markets and through community-supported agriculture (CSA) were more likely to be dissatisfied with their profitability. Conversely, farmers selling into wholesale markets and restaurants/institutions were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their quality of life.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiUrban–rural linkageThe Civic Life of Food Production
2014Jeanne Simonelli, Stephanie Paladino · Culture Agriculture Food and Environment · United States
This issue focuses on the movement to reintegrate food production into the civic, moral, and economic life of communities. Specifically, it highlights a qualitative study on the perceived benefits of community gardening in Baltimore, Maryland. The study explores the benefits to individuals, neighborhoods, and the city, suggesting these can be used as urban planning tools for developing healthy urban environments.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCSA & TeikeiUrban–rural linkageThe Potential of Urban Agriculture in Montréal: A Quantitative Assessment
2014Daniel Haberman, Laura A. Gillies, Aryeh Canter, Valentine Rinner, Laetitia Pancrazi, Federico Martellozzo · ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information · Canada
This study used multiple land use scenarios to assess different spaces in Montréal, including residential gardens, industrial rooftops, and vacant land, that could be allocated to vegetable production. Results indicated that implementing hydroponics on industrial rooftops could easily satisfy Montréal's vegetable demand, though these operations are generally costly. Utilizing only vacant space also has the potential to meet the city's demand with lower operating costs.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageAmerindian Agriculture in an Urbanising Amazonia (Rio Negro, Brazil)
2014Laure Emperaire, Ludivine Eloy · Bulletin of Latin American Research · Brazil (Rio Negro)
Indigenous agricultural systems in the periurban Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil, have transposed from forest contexts to periurban areas, maintaining multi-plot cultivation and traditional knowledge. However, this agriculture faces challenges from modern urban agriculture values. Its ecological and cultural relevance relies on new market integration and partnerships.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCritical Food Forest Scan & Ideas for a Food Forest in Peterborough: Includes Final Report
2014Melissa Johnston, Andre Knight-Lira, Zoë Mager, Nadine Mulrooney, Matthew Poppleton, Samantha Shaw, Matthew Wilkinson · · Canada (Peterborough)
This document compiles research reports written by students in the Environmental Resource Studies/Science (ERTS) 3160H class at Trent University in the winter of 2014. The students critically examined urban food forests around the world and made suggestions for designing a food forest in Peterborough. Urban food forests have the potential to provide the same services as current urban forests, but also produce food and perhaps increase biodiversity in the process.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe Value of Urban Vacant Land to Support Arthropod Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
2013Mary M. Gardiner, Caitlin E. Burkman, Scott P. Prajzner · Environmental Entomology · United States
This article discusses the ecological value of urban vacant land in the United States, particularly its role in supporting arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem services. It notes that vacant lands can offer opportunities to preserve declining species and restore ecosystem functions. The article emphasizes the need for quantifying the current ecological value of vacant land and assessing how changes in its ecosystem management affect biodiversity and ecosystem processes, with a specific focus on arthropods.
BiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageUrban Farming Program Demonstrates Sustainable Practices for Increasing Local Food Production
2013Richard V. Tyson · Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society · United States
Orange County, FL, with a population of 1.2 million, is rapidly urbanizing. In 1998, 20,000 acres of local vegetable production ceased due to concerns about phosphorus-laden water discharges into Lake Apopka, shifting the county from a net exporter to an importer of vegetables. The Urban Farming Extension Education Program aims to identify, demonstrate, and encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural production methods usable in and around urban centers to leverage local markets.
Food educationCommunityUrban–rural linkageA Gradual Reawakening: Broadacre City and a New American Agrarianism
2013Ella Wise · Berkeley Planning Journal · United States
Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City proposed a decentralized, agrarian landscape, which was reflected in post-WWII American suburbanization. However, the agrarian ethos of Broadacre City is absent from both suburbia and its alternatives. The rising interest in urban agriculture is argued to represent a demand to reconnect with the land, suggesting that planners should incorporate agrarian design into urban growth models.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityConsumer Choices for Organic and Local Food Products in North Carolina
2013Kenrett Y. Jefferson-Moore, Richard Robbins, Daniel L. Johnson, Jefferson-Moore, Kenrett Y., Robbins, Richard D., Johnson, Daniel · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States (North Carolina)
This study evaluated consumer perceptions of organic and locally grown produce at farmers' markets in North Carolina, focusing on the Piedmont Triad region. Using qualitative methods with focus groups from five locations, preliminary findings showed consumers distinguish local and organic foods only by labeling. Participants had limited knowledge of organic certification, and while most purchased more local foods, they were willing to pay up to 100% more for organic food.
EconomicsFood miles & supply chainUrban–rural linkageRegulatory and Other Barriers to Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture:A Case Study of Urban Planners and Urban Farmers from the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area
2013Sheila Castillo, Curtis R. Winkle, Stephen Krauss, Amalia Turkewitz, Cristina L.M. Silva, Edie Heinemann · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Chicago)
This study identifies seven perceived barriers to urban and peri-urban agriculture in the greater Chicago metropolitan area through interviews with urban planners and farmers. All seven barriers involve unclear or agriculture-unfriendly regulations. Results suggest that urban and peri-urban farmers are commonly forced to operate within a legal limbo or petition for exceptions to current regulations.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageGuerrilla Gardening in California's East Bay
2013Charlotte Lai-Sam Hryse · · United States (California)
This study examined the practices, outcomes, and motivations of guerrilla gardeners in California's East Bay through nine interviews. Projects occurred on different scales involving individuals, neighborhoods, community-based organizations, and 'Occupy the Farm,' demonstrating outcomes such as youth empowerment, community building, and civic engagement. Guerrilla gardening was shown to facilitate inclusive community organization, expand social capital, and build local resiliency and assets.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageWorking the Waters: Political Ecology of Scale and Georgia's "100-year" Drought, 2007-2009
2013Ellen Kohl · Southeastern geographer · United States (Georgia)
This case study analyzed water management during the 2007-2009 drought in Athens, Georgia, examining how urban agriculture sector members recognized multi-scalar water management and used these interactions for political benefit. The study found that interactions between state, regional, and local drought management, drought perceptions, and interpretations of power to manage water during the drought led to the approval of Georgia House Bill 1281, which changed how water is managed during drought. This paper argues that it is necessary to consider the perception of drought and drought management, as well as the drought itself, because they influence how stakeholders participate in political processes and change how water is used during drought.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeST6 - 827 AGRICULTURA URBANA EM SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, SP: APROPRIAÇÃO DO ESPAÇO URBANO, MODOS DE VIDA E CONFLITOS
2013Samuel Henrique Damas Marinelo, Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Leonardo Freire de Mello · Anais ENANPUR · Brazil (São Paulo)
In São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, residents of the Altos de Santana neighborhood maintain traditional peasant characteristics by cultivating urban gardens within a Permanent Protection Area of the Paraíba do Sul River. However, the current municipal administration plans to implement an urban park in this area, which will remove the gardens cultivated by these resident farmers. This intervention is expected to alter proposals for improving the quality of life for nearby residents concerning urban agriculture, potentially generating conflicts between stakeholders regarding land use.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceOpportunities and Challenges in Horticultural Science and Their Impact on the American Society for Horticultural Science
2013Charles E. Hess · HortScience · United States
Reflecting on horticultural science over the past 60 years, it is evident that it is in a period of great opportunity. Recognition of the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet has led to food for health initiatives that encourage diets rich in horticultural crops. The 'locavore movement' fosters the popularity of purchasing locally, spurring increased interest in farmers' markets and urban gardening. Internationally, the idea of peri-urban gardening recognizes the value of horticultural crops in improving nutrition and income on relatively small areas of land in developing nations.
HealthFood educationUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePre-Service Practicality in Urban Agricultural Education
2013Kassey Steele · The Agricultural education magazine · United States
This paper discusses the increasing relevance of urban agriculture in the United States, where the urban population was almost 80% in 2010 and continues to grow. It argues that as urban dwellers increasingly influence food consumption decisions, understanding agriculture becomes crucial. The paper suggests that university agricultural education programs should prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs of a predominantly urban population, making urban agriculture a less contradictory concept.
Food educationUrban–rural linkageFresh Squeezed: The Dilemma of Local Food Production Along Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor
2013Amanda Jessie Weaver · Digital Commons - DU (University of Denver) · United States (Colorado)
This project combined U.S. Agricultural Census data with a survey of local producers in Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor to examine the competition between urban development and food production. The study found that urban development is increasingly encroaching on rich agricultural lands, which are also desirable for housing. Consequently, Colorado faces increasing competition for land, potentially driving local food prices up and displacing producers to peripheral areas or out of food production entirely.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyClimate changeReinvigorating Waikiki: Multi-Sensory Architecture for Urban Agriculture
2013Yukihiro Yamaguchi · ScholarSpace (University of Hawaii at Manoa) · United States
This research aimed to enhance Waikīkī's image with sustainable planning and design, focusing on visitors' perceptions. While visitors' images of Waikīkī were primarily positive, the region faces environmental problems including inadequate recycling, transportation, and agriculture/aquaculture issues. The project proposes a new sustainable solution incorporating urban agriculture with an international event, Expo Hawai‘i 2020, to address these environmental challenges.
Urban–rural linkageClimate change