Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
3402 results(71 / 137)
Carolina Campus Community Garden: Institutionalizing the Campus Community Garden as a Model for Sustainable Food and Gardening Education in the UNC Community
2019Anne Cabell, Veronica Conti, Trent E. Johnson, Shelly Yu, Chris Akiba · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States
The Carolina Campus Community Garden (CCCG) aims to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for UNC's lowest-paid employees and serve as a learning community for gardening education. Currently, CCCG lacks a permanent land plot and sufficient ongoing funding, necessitating institutionalization within UNC to secure a permanent location, sustained funding, and increased utilization. A Capstone student team conducted formative research, including a literature review, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups with housekeepers, and surveys with students and administrators, to understand community needs and beliefs.
CommunityFood educationWelfarePolicyAgricultura Urbana y Periurbana. Reconfiguraciones territoriales y potencialidades en torno a los sistemas alimentarios urbanos
2019Héctor Ávila Sánchez · Investigaciones Geográficas Boletín del Instituto de Geografía · Global
This study analyzed the impact and potential of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) on urban food systems, focusing on cities in Western Europe, North America, and Latin America. It concluded that while UPA practices have increased, their presence in urban food systems remains limited, and their consideration in territorial public policies is still marginal. In developed countries, its impact has been primarily therapeutic, landscape-related, and for heritage preservation, while in poorer countries, it has contributed to self-sufficiency for low-income urban populations, public space recovery, social fabric strengthening, and community development.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsPeri-urban agriculture: lessons learnt from Jakarta and Addis Ababa
2019Stephan Pauleit, Didit Okta Pribadi, Hany Abo El Wafa · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Jakarta)
The continued existence of agriculture in and near urban areas, such as in Jakarta and Addis Ababa, is an important means to strengthen city resilience. However, its importance is still poorly, or at best intermittently, acknowledged by politicians and urban planners, who are inspired by visions of "modern" cities where agriculture is considered a negligible activity.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsClimate changeAn Assesment of the Preferences of Urban Residents for Green Space
2019Isaiah O. Aridou, Nicholas Robert Alescio, Rachael E. Mair · Digital WPI · United States
This project assessed urban residents' preferences for green space in their communities to inform the Massachusetts Statewide Land Conservation Plan. Through eight case studies and surveys and interviews with urban residents, the study identified parks, community gardens, and walking paths as the top preferences. Recommendations included considering parking availability, utilizing NGO connections, and conducting more data collection for green space development.
CommunityPolicyHealthGrowing Food in the City: Urban Agriculture in Quito, Ecuador, through a Feminist Lens
2019Laine Young · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Ecuador (Quito)
This preliminary research brief explores the potential of using intersectional experiences and feminist political ecology to assess urban agriculture (UA) programming in Quito, Ecuador. It suggests this approach can influence increased access to nutritious food for marginalized people, promote equality and inclusion, and improve urban environments.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLandscape discourses and community garden design: creating community gardens in one mid-sized southern US city
2019Amanda Rees, Bertram Melix · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · United States
The abstract mentions the establishment of the White House Kitchen Garden by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009, referencing Roosevelt's Victory Garden. It briefly notes the garden's extent compared to a previous First Lady's initiative.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageVisceral Encounters: A Political Ecology of Urban Land, Food, and Housing in Dubuque, Iowa
2019Carrie Chennault, Laura Klavitter, Lynn Sutton · Social Sciences · United States (Dubuque, Iowa)
This article, co-authored by a university scholar and community gardeners in Dubuque, Iowa, USA, analyzes food, land, and housing issues in marginalized communities using extended conversations and interviews. The study applies a Political Ecology of the Body framework to understand how bodily, emotional, and social lives impact relations with food and gardening. Findings indicate that community gardening transforms the Washington and North End neighborhoods, though changes may seem small, and highlight ongoing anti-oppression and anti-racism work.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCartoforum – A Map-Based Discussion Forum with Applications in the Planning of Cycle Lanes, Community Food Gardens and Campus Sustainability
2019Justin Pierre, Victoria Fast, Jyothi Kumari, Claus Rinner · GI_Forum · Canada (Toronto)
Cartoforum is a map-based discussion forum developed using the Boundless geostack for crowdsourcing public planning ideas. This paper presents its software architecture and functionality through three pilot studies: cycle lane planning in Toronto, Canada, community garden site-selection in the Toronto region, and campus sustainability at the University of Kerala, India. These studies demonstrate Cartoforum's utility in argumentation mapping and its potential for citizen participation.
CommunityPolicyDigital agricultureStrengthening social ties in vulnerable cities
2019Jean-Christophe Levassor · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · France
This study addresses social divisions in Le Pile, east Roubaix, France, where over 40% of residents live below the poverty line. It states that without proactive policies, social divisions will worsen, and initiatives like urban farming and zero waste will only have a limited effect beyond a small circle of insiders. La Condition Publique aims to recreate ties among various actors to support urban renovation and foster resilience in this deprived neighborhood.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyWelfarePartisipasi Masyarakat dalam Program Pertanian Perkotaan pada Penghuni Rumah Susun Marunda, Jakarta Utara
2019Riska Rahma Arriani, Mardwi Rahdriawan · Teknik PWK (Perencanaan Wilayah Kota) · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A qualitative study using purposive sampling investigated the reasons for decreasing community participation in the government-initiated Urban Farming Program at Rusun Marunda, Jakarta, Indonesia. The program, which started with 50 farmers in 2014, saw participation drop to only 5 farmers by 2019. The study found that obstacles in farming demotivated farmers, leading to a decline in participation, particularly among those with economic-egoism motivations.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban Agriculture, Revalorization, and Green Gentrification in Denver, Colorado
2019Joshua Sbicca · · United States (Colorado)
This study investigated the potential for urban agriculture to drive green gentrification, using Denver, Colorado, as a case study. Urban agriculture was shown to drive gentrification and act as a force for displacement, even when advocates are aware of its exclusionary potential for urban farmers and residents. The research argues that political economy and cultural forces create neighborhood disinvestment and economic marginalization, and urban agriculture contributes to green gentrification through a process of revalorization that exploits rent gaps.
Equity & displacementEconomicsPolicyCommunityHealthDireito à alimentação e os direitos da personalidade: da previsão à concretização desse direito sob a perspectiva do acesso à justiça
2019Dirceu Pereira Siqueira, Mariana Peixoto Espósito, Bruna Caroline Lima de Souza · Revista de Constitucionalização do Direito Brasileiro · Brazil (Maringá)
This article aimed to analyze the right to food and related public policies in Brazil, with an emphasis on the Urban and Periurban Agriculture Program and the Community Garden Program of the City of Maringá / PR, examining their effectiveness as public policies for realizing the right to food. The methodology involved a bibliographic review and interview-based field research. It was concluded that the Community Gardens Program is effective as a public policy in realizing the right to food.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfarePolitics and the contested terrain of urban gardening in the neoliberal city
2019Chiara Certomà, Chiara Tornaghi · Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) · Global
This book is a collection of chapters unpacking the forms, functioning, and meanings of urban gardening in the context of the neoliberal transformation of cities. It offers an overview of diverse claims in the micro-politics of garden activism and discusses how these projects are fraught with social solidarities and divisions, empowerment and learning processes, conflicts and negotiations. The collection aims to contribute to a critical discussion of the “politics of urban space” and enrich the emerging debate on radical, critical, and political gardening.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDIYPaisaje de huertas periurbanas y ciudad: algunos ejemplos de Castilla y León
2019Juan Ignacio Plaza Gutiérrez, Daniel Herrero Luque, Marta Martínez Arnáiz, Eugenio Baraja Rodríguez · Cuadernos Geográficos · Spain
This article explores the singularity and diversity of peri-urban garden landscapes characterizing the surroundings of several cities in Castilla y León, Spain. The study analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution, landscape dimension, functional relationship with urban space, and the consideration of their protection, management, and maintenance in planning instruments. Results reveal the unequal persistence of traditional garden belts, their diverse types, and their uneven treatment in urban planning in the studied cases.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkagePara comprender la práctica de la agricultura urbana
2019Edgar Alfredo Portilla-Flores · DU & P: revista de diseño urbano y paisaje · Global
This article discusses urban agriculture as a contemporary practice that requires understanding across multiple dimensions. It states that urban and peri-urban food production encompasses not only agronomic aspects but also relates to food security, public policies, urban planning, entrepreneurship, recycling culture, environmental education, and recreational and therapeutic activities.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyFood educationCommunityEffectiveness of Agricultural Innovation in Urban Policy : Consideration on Case Studies in Kawasaki City
2019賢二 徳田, 春霞 李 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Kawasaki City)
This study examined the current state of urban agriculture in Kawasaki City and the effectiveness of its multifaceted agricultural innovation policies. In Kawasaki City, while urban farmland is decreasing due to population growth and urbanization, there is a movement towards high-value-added agriculture utilizing ICT, as well as promoting local production for local consumption through new variety development, improved distribution channels, market mechanisms, and collaboration with local retailers. The city aims to improve agricultural management and enhance value creation as an industrial policy, and to ensure appropriate use and conservation of urban farmland as a social policy, thereby building a high-value-added supply chain.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageDigital agricultureFactors That Affect African-American Enrollment in Urban Agricultural Degree Programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia
2019Thomas Earl Tracy · ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University) · United States (Virginia)
This study investigated reasons for the low enrollment of African Americans in urban agriculture degree programs in Virginia, which contributes to few African Americans in leadership positions in the urban agriculture industry. Data were collected through surveys and interviews with agriculture students, non-agriculture students, and department chairpersons at Virginia State University and other colleges. The findings indicate a dearth of African Americans enrolled in these programs.
Equity & displacementPolicyFood educationGlobal urbanization and food production in direct competition for land: Leverage places to mitigate impacts on SDG2 and on the Earth System
2019Stephan Barthel, Christian Isendahl, Benjamin N. Vis, Axel Drescher, Daniel Evans, Arjan van Timmeren · The Anthropocene Review · Global
Global urbanization and food production are in direct competition for land. Displacing crop production from urban and peri-urban land due to soil quality issues will demand a substantially larger proportion of the Earth’s terrestrial land surface than the area lost to urban encroachment. This risks triggering distancing effects, unfair social-ecological teleconnections, and amplifying effects within the Earth System, potentially leading to food riots in cities of the Global South. The paper identifies multi-level leverage points, specifically an advisory global policy aligned with regional policies enabling robust common property rights for bottom-up actors in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), to navigate urban expansion away from fertile croplands.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceLimited Access to Healthy Foods: How Zoning Helps to Close the Gap
2019Tara Hubbard · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States (Spokane)
In Spokane, United States, city planners are exploring the potential of zoning ordinances to create healthier food environments in response to rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases. Some low- or mixed-income neighborhoods have limited access to healthy foods, and this brief provides specific guidance on utilizing zoning to increase access to farmers' markets, urban agriculture, and healthy food retail, while also limiting fast foods.
PolicyHealthCommunityUrban agriculture in the Global North & South: a perspective from FAO
2019Makiko Taguchi, Guido Santini · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
The FAO supports urban agriculture globally, providing technical expertise and advice to governments and working with the private sector. Its approach strengthens linkages between urban, peri-urban, and rural agriculture to enhance food security and resilience, adapting programs to local needs. Increased attention to food systems, driven by societal demands against food waste and climate change, has fostered interest in FAO's activities.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeBringing urban food supply closer to food consumption: opportunities for five European metropolitan regions
2019Guido Sali, Federica Monaco, Stefano Corsi, Chiara Mazzocchi · Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano) · Europe
This paper adopts a territorial approach to analyze agro-food systems in five European metropolitan regions. The methodology aims to assess the capacities of urban and peri-urban agriculture to meet urban food demand and its economic role. Preliminary results are provided to inform regulations in the agro-food sector.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEstudos sobre agricultura urbana no Brasil no período de 2008 a 2017
2019Paula Fernanda Nóvoa Souza Lara, Maria Mirtes Cortinhas dos Santos, Izaura Cristina Nunes Pereira Costa, Thiago Almeida Vieira · Amazonia Investiga · Brazil
This study analyzed scientific production on urban agriculture in Brazil from 2008 to 2017, using data from the CAPES Periodicals Portal. It observed that articles on urban agriculture remain scarce, despite the topic's social, environmental, and economic potential and relevance. The study suggests that state support for agricultural production in urban spaces could encourage the adoption of urban agriculture practices and related studies.
CommunityPolicyEconomics지역단위 푸드플랜 추진과 농촌지도기관의 역할에 대한 고찰
2019김종안, 최문식, 이준우, 위태석 · 식품유통연구 · South Korea
This study examined the role of agricultural extension agencies in promoting regional food plans in South Korea, where 46 plans have rapidly spread and 100 are projected by 2022. Analyzing 8 local governments' food policies using monitoring indicators derived from Milan policy agreements, the study found that agricultural technology centers' functions were less emphasized in rural and urban food plans compared to agricultural administration and foundations. Key tasks for agricultural technology centers include farmer education, community kitchens, urban-rural linked farming, and strengthening planned production systems, with a recommendation to shift focus from specialized farmers to a sustainable food system for the entire nation.
PolicyCommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageDiscursos de agricultura urbana em São Paulo: formação, profusão e captura
2019Martin Jayo, Eduardo de Lima Caldas · kult-ur revista interdisciplinària sobre la cultura de la ciutat · Brazil (São Paulo)
A study in São Paulo, Brazil, examined recent forms of appropriation of the urban agriculture agenda, using a historical analysis of urban agriculture practices by Caldas and Jayo (2019). It was observed that traditional urban agriculture discourses have been captured by new actors, including parts of the public sector opportunistically appropriating the theme and the real estate market promoting an imitation of urban agriculture as a marketing tool.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityThe Role of Urban Agriculture in Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability in Africa
2019Lemi Gonfa · · Africa
This paper reviewed the role of urban agriculture in socio-economic and environmental sustainability in Africa, drawing on theoretical and empirical literature. While urban agriculture is recognized for job creation, improved diet, and environmental benefits like urban greenery and biodiversity, challenges such as difficult land access, lack of experience, financial support, training, and credit facilities, as well as low land productivity, animal grazing, and theft, were identified. These factors present potential negative externalities and hinder the development of urban agriculture.
Economic viabilityEconomicsHealthCommunityPolicy