Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3241 results(76 / 130)
Projeto 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 & justiceEconomicsUnderstanding Urban Farm households Vulnerability to Economic shocks in South-South Nigeria
2018Ubokudom E. Okon, Kesit Nkeme, Ubon Asuquo Essien, Chukwuemeka Chiebonam Onyia · American Journal of Business and Management · Nigeria
This study assessed the economic vulnerability of 289 urban farm households in three states of South-south Nigeria using vulnerability index analysis. The results indicated a high level of economic vulnerability among urban farmers, primarily caused by lack of access to formal credit, lack of land, low asset value, and low farm income. Households entirely dependent on farm income were 66% more likely to be vulnerable to economic shocks.
Economic viabilityEconomicsWelfareClimate change都市農業地域の6次産業化におけるソーシャル・キャピタルの重要性 : 愛知県長久手町（現長久手市）の取り組みを事例として
2018Ryo Kawabe, Hiroshi Sakazume · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Nagakute City)
This paper analyzes the importance of social capital in the sixth industrialization of urban agricultural areas, using a case study from Nagakute-cho (now Nagakute City), Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The study found that the sixth industry is an efficient strategy for managing and demonstrating the multiple functions of urban agriculture, farm villages, and agriculture itself, with social capital being a crucial driving force. Nagakute City's initiatives, based on the "Countryside Valley Initiative," were successful, leading to the emergence of an integrated form of social capital combining government-led bonding with bridging among various local residents.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageTemporal Dynamics and Motivations for Urban Community Food Gardens in Medium-Sized Towns of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
2018Sky Roberts, Charlie M. Shackleton · Land · South Africa
This study investigated urban community food gardens in four towns in South Africa, using surveys and GIS analysis over three decades. It found that common motivations included cash poverty (37%) and the need to grow food (34%), with reported benefits such as a healthy lifestyle (58%) and food consumption (54%). A significant challenge was theft of garden infrastructure or produce, and there were declines in the number and area of urban community gardens, with only 16% of gardens from the 1980s still operating in the 2000s.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyAVALIAÇÃO 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 educationFarm Fresh Foods: What to Know About Growing and Selling Produce in Buffalo
2018Colleen Roberts · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)
This document details local regulations for market and community gardens in Buffalo, including rules for selling produce. It provides tips for locating suitable sites for food gardens and outlines educational opportunities for growing and selling. Topics such as plant selection and soil safety are also addressed.
PolicyFood educationCommunityEconomicsSession 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 & justiceEconomicsThe Role of Urban Agriculture on Livelihood in Bariadi Township Simuyu Region Tanzania
2018Magreth Bushesha · Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania · Tanzania
This descriptive study examined the role of urban agriculture as a livelihood option in Bariadi township, Simiyu region, Tanzania. Findings showed that horticultural produce was most common, followed by livestock products. Urban agriculture contributed up to 25% of households' income in the township. Major challenges included poor markets, water shortage, land shortage, seed unavailability, lack of capital, and lack of government support.
EconomicsCommunityProhibitive 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 & justiceHealthAgricultura 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 & justiceProduction 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 & justiceEconomicsUrban Farming – The Ecological, Spatial and Social Factors of Urban Landscape Transformation
2018Paweł Szumigała, Karolina Szumigała · Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne · Europe
This study analyzed the influence of urban farming and urban gardens in selected cities in North America and Europe on urban landscapes through a case study. Urban farming is gaining popularity, with dozens of diverse urban gardens existing in Poland. It was shown that these gardens satisfy the aesthetic, scenic, ecological, social, and economic needs of small communities, enriching the urban landscape with new, seasonally changeable enclaves of utility and aesthetic greenery.
CommunityBiodiversityEconomicsPolicyOpportunities and Challenges of Urban Agriculture for Sustainable City Development
2018Erwin van Tuijl, Gert-Jan Hospers, Leo van den Berg · European Spatial Research and Policy · Global
This paper explores the concept of Urban Agriculture (UA) and discusses its locational and strategic dimensions. Using case examples from cities worldwide, it shows that UA can contribute to the social, environmental, and economic pillars of sustainable city development; however, there are limitations that cities investing in urban agriculture should consider.
Limited or null effectPolicyEconomicsClimate changeCommunityWie weit reicht die transformative Kraft der urbanen Ernährungsbewegung?
2018Cordula Kropp, Sven Stinner · Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster · Germany
The urban food movement aims to bring food production back to cities through initiatives like urban gardening and CSA, creating new economic relationships and sustainable food supply locations. This study explored the motives of founders and participants, examining how projects develop and disseminate innovative practices, participatory organization, and sustainability-oriented models. It found that while the movement generates productive internal tensions for socially just development and innovation-promoting external frictions to existing supply understandings, its penetration of the food system remains limited compared to conventional food trade.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyAppraising the viability of quail (Chikuta) farming. Prospects and challenges. A case of Bindura urban farmers in Zimbabwe
2018Cuthbert Majoni, Deliwe Tembachako, Anyway Katanha · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Zimbabwe
This study was conducted in Bindura urban area, Zimbabwe, to evaluate the viability of urban quail farming, interviewing 40 urban quail farmers selected via snowball sampling and 10 key informants using semi-structured guides. Key challenges highlighted included inadequate housing facilities, insufficient space, theft, predation, inadequate knowledge, market price fluctuations, inability to access credit, and misconceptions in urban agriculture policies. Despite these challenges, urban quail farming showed potential to boost family income and reduce poverty to some extent.
Economic viabilityEconomicsWelfarePolicyGemeinschaftsorientierte Ernährungsinitiativen – Neue Chancen für eine nachhaltige Ernährungswirtschaft?
2018Irene Antoni-Komar · HiBiFo – Haushalt in Bildung & Forschung · Global
Civil society food initiatives and transformative enterprises like urban gardening projects, CSA, and food co-ops are considered pioneers for a sustainable food supply. These initiatives test community-oriented economics in the form of empowerment, solidarity, and prosumerism for a socio-ecological food transition.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsRevisiting the Sustainability Concept of Urban Food Production from a Stakeholders’ Perspective
2018Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Italy (Bologna)
This paper evaluates the concept of Urban Food Production (UFP) sustainability from stakeholders' perspectives in Bologna, Italy, through two workshops using mind-mapping. The bottom-up approach revealed a comprehensive vision of sustainable UFP, identifying relevant elements and key aspects for its development and policy-making. The study also highlighted priorities, synergies, and trade-offs among sustainability dimensions, suggesting UFP can serve as a local tool for democracy and equity.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeSocial Change for Sustainable Localised Food Sovereignty: Convergence between Prosumers and Ethical Entrepreneurs
2018Rachel Reckinger · SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO · Luxembourg
This study examines four community-driven alternative food network initiatives in Luxembourg, where low organic agricultural rates contrast with high consumer demands. Using qualitative interviews and participant observation, the research describes these initiatives, which combine agroecology and circular economy practices. These initiatives, ranging from an established one with 200 employees to more recent, smaller cooperatives, focus on regenerative land use and foster consumer integration, representing a cultural shift towards a more resilient food system.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsOrganic cycleReview of the Literature
2018Kwaku Obosu-Mensah · · Global
This chapter reviews literature to identify the types of people likely to engage in urban agriculture. It explains that the labor-surplus, dependency, and cultural lag models are complementary in explaining urban residents' involvement in agriculture. Low salaries compel workers to supplement income through urban agriculture, and the sector is expected to grow with population increases, notably with the increasing entry of highly educated and skilled personnel.
EconomicsWelfareUrban–rural linkageEMPREENDEDORISMO FEMININO SOLIDÁRIO: estudo de caso em uma horta comunitária
2018Anderson Luiz Duarte, Bezamat de Souza Neto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São João del-Rei)
This research examines a type of solidarity female entrepreneurship carried out by a group of women participating in a community garden in São João del-Rei, Brazil. The objective is to demonstrate how knowledge exchange and management practices are established within this endeavor. The community garden is presented as an educommunicative ecosystem that creatively transforms urban space through micropolitics, aiming to address social inequalities and mitigate economic vulnerability. It also highlights female empowerment, promoting self-esteem and a sense of community belonging among participants.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable Cities And Urban Agriculture
2018Katinka Mihova · · Global
This paper discusses urban agriculture as a sustainable future, particularly for the urban poor in developing countries. Defined as an industry within or on the fringe of urban areas that produces and distributes diverse food and non-food products, urban agriculture functions as an informal food supply system. The paper notes increasing global attention to urban agriculture and the emergence of analyses attempting to systematize its benefits and drawbacks.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate change“A Worth-While Living from the Soil”: The Farmlet in Southern California from the Late Nineteenth Century to World War II
2018Eileen V. Wallis · Western Historical Quarterly · United States (California)
This article explores the significance of urban agriculture in Southern California from the late nineteenth century to World War II. It examines how informal, small-scale, part-time urban and suburban agricultural production contributed to the region's economic development and cultural identity.
EconomicsDIYUrban–rural linkageThe Effectiveness of Monarch Café and Hub City Farmers’ Market in Feeding the Northside: Perspectives from Two Communities
2018A. Laitif Qureshi · Digital Commons - Wofford College (Wofford College) · United States
This research investigated how residents in Victoria Gardens and Cleveland Heights, located in the Northside area of the United States, perceive the Hub City Farmers’ Market and Monarch Café. The Northside, previously considered a food desert, is no longer classified as such due to the establishment of Harvest Park, which includes these facilities. The study aimed to gain insight into how Harvest Park benefits the Northside community and to explore suggestions for future improvements to attract more residents.
CommunityWelfareHealthEconomics