Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2530 results(70 / 102)
Número ordinario (julio-diciembre)
2017Tec. Jesús Gioser Medina Varens · Revista Científica Agroecosistemas · Ecuador (Machala)
This issue of Revista Científica Agroecosistemas contains multiple articles on various agricultural and environmental topics. One article discusses the potential of urban agriculture for small entrepreneurs in Machala canton, Ecuador, as part of sustainable food systems. Another article explores the cultural contribution of urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainability's incomplete circles: towards a just food politics in Austin, Texas and Havana, Cuba.
2017Jonathan Lowell, Sara Law · CABI eBooks · United States (Texas), Cuba
A comparative study of urban agriculture projects in Austin, Texas, and Havana, Cuba, revealed that sustainability discourses primarily focus on food production methods, with little attention paid to persistent food insecurity issues that urban agriculture has yet to address, or to the cultural politics of food, where race, class, and gender shape access to food choices. While agricultural practices and their perceived value were similar in both cities, the study found comparable outcomes in how food exposed spatial and social divisions.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyWelfareCommunityUrban agriculture for sustainable livelihood : a case study of migrants' women in Johannesburg
2017Njenyuei Gideon Agho · Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences · South Africa (Johannesburg)
This research investigated how urban agriculture contributes to the sustainable livelihood of Cameroonian migrant women living in the inner city of Johannesburg. Findings revealed that urban agriculture is used as a strategy for sustainable livelihood by many Cameroonian migrant women, enabling them to raise substantial income to support their families in both South Africa and Cameroon. The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining purposeful sampling, a transect walk, in-depth face-to-face interviews, and written sources.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePaisaje rururbano en el borde sur de Bogotá, Usme, veredas la Requilina y el Uval : lineamientos de ocupación para la consolidación de un paisaje agroecológico sostenible
2017Daniel Balcero Benitez · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study proposes a rururban landscape (urban-agricultural) for the Usme district in southern Bogotá. It is based on a model for ordering rururban fringes and sustainable occupation typologies for these territories, responding to expansive pressures from high environmental impact uses (mining, landfill) and urban growth on peasant territories. The proposal starts from the preservation and strengthening of the environment and current peasant ways of life.
Peri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEFFECT OF DIFFERENT VERMICOMPOST RATES AND POT VOLUME ON PRODUCING CELERY AND RED CABBAGE UNDER URBAN HORTICULTURE CONDITIONS
2017S. H. Ahmed, M. Emam, M. Abul-Soud · Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research · Egypt (Cairo)
This study investigated the effect of different vermicompost rates (10%, 20%, 30%) and pot volumes (4, 6, 8 L) on celery and red cabbage grown under green roof conditions in Cairo, Egypt, during 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. Increasing pot volume from 4 to 8 L increased vegetative growth and yield but decreased economic efficiency. A 20% vermicompost rate increased vegetative and yield characteristics, while 30% had a negative impact. Increasing vermicompost from 10% to 30% increased N, P, and K contents, but increasing pot volume from 4 to 8 L/plant decreased N, P, and K contents.
CompostOrganic cycleClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceOs dilemas da agricultura urbana: a experiência da maior e mais antiga horta orgânica do Vale do São Francisco
2017Denes Dantas Vieira, Reimilde Gomes da Silva Amorim · EXTRAMUROS - Revista de Extensão da Univasf · Brazil (Juazeiro)
This study aimed to investigate the dilemmas of the social trajectory of the Povo Unido community garden in Juazeiro/BA, Brazil, located on the banks of the São Francisco River. This garden is known for its organic vegetable production and as one of the first groups focused on overcoming poverty and combating hunger in Brazil's semi-arid northeast. The research contributes to reflection based on social organization and organic food production.
Economic viabilityWelfareCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFloods and Food in the City: Lessons from Collaborative Governance Within the Policy Network on Urban Agriculture in Bangkok, Thailand
2017Piyapong Boossabong · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · Thailand (Bangkok)
This chapter examines how the policy network on urban agriculture in Bangkok, Thailand, developed collaborative governance mechanisms to cope with food distribution disruption caused by floods. It argues that deliberation between policy network members and flood victims determines meaningful collective actions that enhanced victims' resilience and promoted fair distribution, political and cultural recognition, and parity of participation.
PolicyCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceNeoliberalism and alternative food movements: markets, the state, and knowledge production in Southern California
2017Rebecca Gresh · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · United States (California)
This qualitative study investigated two alternative food projects in San Diego, California, to reveal how food justice is envisioned and practiced. "Project New Village (PNV)" in a low-income area resists institutional racism and class inequality through a community garden and farmers market. In contrast, the affluent "San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project (SDRS)" resists suburban sprawl and environmental destruction through sustainable food production. PNV faces obstacles like law enforcement patrols interrupting community rebuilding, indicating that alternative food movements may reproduce structures of oppression.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyGrace Lee Boggs
2017· Policy Press eBooks · United States (Detroit)
This interview chapter features Grace Lee Boggs discussing revolution, evolution, and change in Detroit. Boggs posits that revolutions stem from communities claiming spaces to realize their desired world, viewing urban agriculture and grassroots movements as acts of revolution that "grow our souls." She highlights Detroit as a pioneer in this new form of revolution, advocating for revolution as a way of life rather than a power grab.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyAssessing the edible city: Environmental implications of urban agriculture in the Northeast United States
2017Benjamin Goldstein · · United States
This project aims to address uncertainties regarding the environmental performance of urban agriculture, using the Northeast United States as a case study. Existing literature lacks environmental appraisals comparing urban and rural food production, leaving questions about whether the benefits of reduced farm-to-fork distance are outweighed by energy demands of year-round growing systems, and if farm-scale resource efficiencies translate to meaningful shifts in a city's environmental footprint. This report comprises six chapters that explore and contribute to the understanding of urban food systems.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe role of urban agriculture in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Ghanaian cities
2017David Anaafo, G. A. Akolgo · · Ghana
A study on urban agriculture in Ghanaian cities found that it faces challenges including difficult access to land and water resources, and a lack of extension services and credit support. Despite these issues, urban agriculture may help reduce flooding impacts, improve water infiltration, and enhance environmental sanitation. The study recommends policy measures to address these challenges.
Governance failureClimate changePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFACTORS AFFECTING URBAN DWELLERS TO PRACTICE URBAN AGRICULTURE.
2017IdaNaziera Ngahdiman, Rika Terano, Zainalabidin Mohamed, Juwaidah Sharifuddin · International Journal of Advanced Research · Global
Urban farming is becoming an important activity among urban dwellers in most developing countries. This is to ensure full utilization of available space for agriculture and for sustaining.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceA Aldeia Vertical e a Horta no Morro
2017Camila Bevilaqua · Ponto Urbe · Brazil (São Paulo)
Fieldwork in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, accompanied three indigenous people from "Aldeia Vertical." Since 2016, these individuals have been developing a community garden in the Complexo de Favelas do São Carlos. The garden is constructed as a space for "dissemination of indigenous culture" through relationships involving bodies, food, and techniques. The study focused on the relationships between "culture" and "learning" as established by these individuals, dialoguing with Amerindian ethnology and Afro-indigenous approaches.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationCollaborative planning via urban agriculture: The case of Tegucigalpa, Honduras
2017Andrea Oyuela, Arnold van der Valk · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Honduras (Tegucigalpa)
This study questions the adequacy of Tegucigalpa's top-down planning system in Honduras and explores urban agriculture (UA) as a potential building block for a bottom-up strategy. While UA is organized in Tegucigalpa due to residents' need to overcome food insecurity and hardship, the concept of active citizenship and bottom-up development is not yet consolidated. Furthermore, challenges exist regarding the resources needed for practicing UA and the diffusion of knowledge to the population.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceEntre lugares e espaços: uma caminhada no grupo de CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) de Barão Geraldo
2017Maria Luiza de Andrade Benini · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Campinas)
This study examined how place and space influence the consolidation and configuration of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group, using the example of a group in Barão Geraldo, Campinas, Brazil. CSA is a consumer group where consumers finance agricultural production and share benefits like food health, as well as risks like production losses. Field research, using observation and open interviews, showed that the configuration and appropriation of a space are essential for strengthening the CSA group.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageActivist (1915–2015)
2017· Policy Press eBooks · United States (Detroit)
In this interview chapter, Grace Lee Boggs discusses revolution, evolution, and change in Detroit, reflecting on her life's work. Boggs states that revolutions stem from communities claiming spaces to realize their desired world, rather than from seizing power. She views urban agriculture and other grassroots movements as acts of revolution that help "grow our souls," highlighting Detroit's pioneering role in this new approach.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceAlimentando la ciudad: ¿Podría la agricultura urbana contribuir a la seguridad alimentaria en Kathmandu y actuar además como catalizador para la participación ciudadana?
2017Amara Roca Iglesias · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Asia
This research explores the possibility of introducing urban gardens into the former floodplains of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, integrating them into a planned river park. It investigates how urban agriculture could reduce the Kathmandu Valley's dependence on neighboring countries for food and enhance self-sufficiency. The study suggests changing current government policy to promote urban agriculture, shorten food supply chains, and foster social and citizen participation.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyClimate changeA Preliminary Overview of Community Orcharding in the United States
2017Megan Betz, Jacob Mills, James Farmer · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study conducted a qualitative, inductive survey of community orchard organizations in the U.S. (42.64% response rate) to establish a baseline understanding. Participants were identified via internet presence, meaning little is known about orchards without an online presence. Findings showed that community orchards are primarily established on public land, with primary motivations including environmental concern, education, and a sense of community. Organizers reported that fruit and nuts produced feed residents in the immediate surrounding area.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyA political ecology of community gardens in Australia: form local issues to global lessons
2017Jason Byrne, CM Pickering, DA Guitart, R Sims-Castley · eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) · Australia
This chapter addresses the implications of urban cultivation initiatives for land-use planning and policy, against a backdrop of renewed interest in urban agriculture due to global urbanization impacts such as dwindling green spaces, food insecurity, land shortages, and loss of biodiversity. These initiatives are often framed around the social benefits of local food growing and sustainability, with residents clamoring for better access to places to grow safe and healthy food, spaces that foster social inclusion, and improved environmental quality.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceSearching for Haknip Achukma (Good Health): Challenges to Food Sovereignty Initiatives in Oklahoma
2017Devon A. Mihesuah · American Indian Culture and Research Journal · United States
In Oklahoma, tribes have initiated numerous food projects over the past three decades aimed at achieving food sovereignty. However, Oklahoma's complex history, environmental issues, and current politics present challenges such as uneven food quality, poor indigenous health, intratribal factionalism, racism, and a stark dichotomy of affluence and extreme poverty. These factors complicate the creation of self-sufficient food systems and the reconnection of tribal members with traditional foodways.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationHealthUC pursues rooted research with a nonprofit, links the many benefits of community gardens
2017Mirle Rabinowitz Bussell, James Bliesner, Keith Pezzoli · California Agriculture · United States
This study collaborated with the San Diego Community Garden Network to analyze the production, distribution, and consumption of produce from eight community gardens in San Diego County. UC San Diego researchers and students worked with county residents and community-based organizations to develop a survey. Interviews with gardeners and survey data documented how community gardens contribute to individual and household health, well-being, and community development. The findings suggest that community gardens have the potential to contribute meaningfully to community development, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.
CommunityHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePelatihan Teknologi Pertanian Perkotaan
2017Suryani Suryani, Reni Nurjasmi, Siti M. Sholihah, Ayu Vandira Candra Kusuma · Jurnal Pelayanan dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (Pamas) · Indonesia
A community service program in Ceger Village, Indonesia, provided training and outreach on urban agricultural technology to 39 members of farmer groups and community representatives. The program aimed to raise awareness of urban farming's importance, optimize narrow urban land use, and facilitate knowledge of cultivation techniques. Participants responded positively, and the program offered solutions for leisure time and family food security.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomics都市農業の振興と都市農地の保全
2017Masahiro Nakajima · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
This paper reviews trends in urban agriculture development and conservation in Japan, noting that urban agricultural land has been encroached upon by residential buildings due to population growth, creating mixed-use areas. While measures to promote urban agriculture are being adopted following the 2015 Basic Act, the paper emphasizes the need to highlight its food supply function. It also suggests classifying urban agriculture by different actors: urban farmers, collaborations between farmers and citizens, and citizens using urban agricultural land.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban agriculture is a step towards organic production and sustainable development
2017Shirin Yajam, Mohammad Taghi Alebrahim, Roghaye Majd, Mehrdad Sabouhi · · Global
A study examining the role and benefits of urban agriculture was conducted based on library resources, documents, and evidence of successful examples in other countries. It was shown that urban agriculture can play an important role in increasing food security, improving nutrition, reducing poverty, developing local economies, creating jobs, and recycling municipal waste. The study concluded that urban agriculture can be considered an appropriate solution for sustainable urban development in environmental issues and for improving food security and safety.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareOrganic cycleLa producción agrícola urbana como alternativa de alimentación comunitaria y excedentes comercializables generadores de ingresos familiares en la población vulnerable de Altos de Cazuca.
2017José Elvis Sierra Borras, Nubia Esperanza Suárez Suárez, Diana Bocanegra, Blanca Restrepo de Peña · · Colombia (Soacha)
In the Loma Linda neighborhood of Altos de Cazuca, Soacha, Colombia, participatory action research was conducted with 62 randomly selected families living in extreme poverty. The study found that 49.9% of the population was 60 years or older, 50.1% was between 40 and 60 years old, with an absence of young people. The horticultural component of the basic family basket was 50% supplied by artisanal or rudimentary activities, but production volumes could not be quantified, preventing the measurement of production capacity for marketable surpluses.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity