Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3241 results(78 / 130)
Economie solidali creatrici di comunità ecologiche
2018P Cacciari · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Italy
This article argues that diverse economic forms exist beyond the market economy, including natural, gift, domestic, informal, and solidarity economies. Solidarity economy, based on ethical principles like sustainability, mutuality, cooperation, and democracy, is presented as a transformative, post-capitalist alternative applicable to all sectors of production, distribution, and exchange. Case studies include buildings as common goods in Naples and Arvaia, a community-supported agriculture initiative in Bologna.
EconomicsCommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceSocio-economic and ecological transition in community supported agriculture: from the 'transitional' to the 'ideal' CSA
2018Erin Whittingham, Nhu Tuyên Lê, Claudio Vitari, Roxana Bobulescu · International Journal of Agricultural Resources Governance and Ecology · Global
This paper focuses on the transitional features of community supported agriculture (CSA) and its transformational potential for agricultural system change. The research developed a framework that highlights the 'transitional' CSA model and compares it with conventional and 'ideal' CSA models. This framework helps understand how CSAs adapt to their context and demonstrates their transformational potential for agricultural system change, drawing on numerous narratives from the broad literature on CSAs.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justice食都神戸とは（Gastropolis Kobe コンセプト解説）
2017食都神戸推進チーム（神戸市） · 食都神戸・Gastropolis Kobe（公式サイト） · Japan
An official document explaining the basic concept of the Gastropolis Kobe 2020 vision that Kobe City announced in 2015. It frames how Kobe—a city of 1.5 million with farmland in its Kita and Nishi wards and fishing grounds along its coast—rebuilds its urban brand around food, advancing local consumption, urban agriculture and rural exchange.
PolicyCommunityEconomics生産緑地制度・特定生産緑地制度（2022年問題対応）
2017· 国土交通省都市局 · Japan
National materials on the Special Productive Greenland system created by the 2017 Productive Greenland Law amendment to address the '2022 problem,' extending buy-out timing and tax benefits by ten-year renewable periods; about 89% (8,282 ha) had been designated as of end-2022.
PolicyEconomicsBiodiversity都市農地の保全と有効利用―都市農地の貸借に関する制度と課題―
2017· 参議院常任委員会調査室『立法と調査』No.394 · Japan
Legislative analysis by the House of Councillors research office, organizing the regulatory framework for urban farmland (productive greenland, taxation, leasing) and examining the rationale and issues behind the 2018 lease law in light of the 2022 problem.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityEdible green infrastructure: An approach and review of provisioning ecosystem services and disservices in urban environments
2017Alessio Russo, Francisco J. Escobedo, Giuseppe T. Cirella, Stefan Zerbe · Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 242, 53-66 · Global
A foundational paper proposing and reviewing the concept of Edible Green Infrastructure (EGI), addressing the neglect of provisioning (food) ecosystem services in green infrastructure planning that has emphasized regulating and cultural services. It frames allotment gardens, rooftop gardens, edible landscapes and urban forests as a multifunctional green network that, with best management practices to minimize disservices, can enhance food security and urban resilience.
BiodiversityEconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleUrban Agriculture as a Productive Green Infrastructure for Environmental and Social Well-Being
2017Brenda B. Lin, Stacy M. Philpott, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere · Greening Cities (Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements), Springer, 155-179 · Global
A book chapter framing urban agriculture—community farms, rooftop gardens, edible landscaping and urban orchards—as 'productive green infrastructure' supplying high biodiversity and diverse ecosystem services. It synthesizes both ecosystem services (pollination, biological pest control) and social benefits (food and nutrition, cultural and recreational value) that this green infrastructure delivers to cities.
BiodiversityCommunityHealthEconomicsTradition and Japanese vegetables: history, locality, geography, and discursive ambiguity
2017Uchiyama Y., Fujihira Y., Matsuoka H., Kohsaka R. · Journal of Ethnic Foods · Japan
Analyzes definitions, history, and regional ties of traditional Japanese vegetables (e.g., Kyo, Kaga), using Kaga and Noto cases to show how ambiguous quality standards shape branding and brand management.
Heirloom & landraceEconomicsFood educationPolicyPublic recognition of traditional vegetables at the municipal level: Implications for transgenerational knowledge transmission
2017Uchiyama Y., Matsuoka H., Kohsaka R. · Journal of Ethnic Foods · Japan
Questionnaire survey in Komatsu City, Ishikawa, on public recognition of Kaga and Noto traditional vegetables, showing gender/age differences in awareness and information sources, with implications for transgenerational transmission and branding.
Heirloom & landraceCommunityFood educationEconomicsWill Consumers Find Vertically Farmed Produce 'Out of Reach'?
2017Coyle B. D., Ellison B. · Choices 32(1):1-8 · United States
Analyzes US consumer demand and willingness to pay for vertically farmed produce, finding consumers are price-sensitive and largely unwilling to pay a premium simply for indoor-grown greens, posing a market challenge for scaling beyond niches.
EconomicsEconomic analysis of aquaponics and hydroponics production in the U.S. Midwest
2017Flores R. M. V., Quagrainie K. K., Kim H.-J., McClain V. · Journal of Applied Aquaculture 30(1):1-14 · United States
Conducts an economic analysis of aquaponic and hydroponic production in the US Midwest, comparing the cost structures and profitability of the two systems to assess the commercial feasibility of controlled-environment horticultural production.
EconomicsBusiness models in urban farming: A comparative analysis of case studies from Spain, Italy and Germany
2017Pölling B., Prados M.-J., Torquati B. M., Giacchè G., Recasens X., Paffarini C., Alfranca O., Lorleberg W. · Moravian Geographical Reports 25(3):166-180 · Europe
Comparative analysis of urban farming enterprises in Spain, Italy and Germany, concluding that differentiation, diversification, and low-cost specialization are essential business strategies for long-term profitability in cities.
EconomicsCommunityThe role of urban-based agriculture on food security: Kenyan case studies
2017Omondi S. O., Oluoch-Kosura W., Jirström M. · Geographical Research 55(2):231-241 · Kenya
Through Kenyan case studies, this paper examines how urban-based agriculture strengthens the livelihood strategies and food security of urban households, particularly the poor, highlighting its role within the urban food system.
WelfareEconomicsBeyond food security: women's experiences of urban agriculture in Cape Town
2017Olivier D. W., Heinecken L. · Agriculture and Human Values 34(3):743-755 · South Africa
Examining NGO-run urban agriculture in Cape Town, this study finds projects aid food security while helping low-income women build supportive networks that unlock personal, social, and economic benefits beyond food provision.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsH28年度 都市と農・緑が共生するまちづくりに関する調査 都市部未利用地のコミュニティ農園的活用方策検討調査 報告書
2017特定非営利活動法人 Co.to.hana, 金田 康孝, 西川 亮 · 国土交通省 都市と農・緑が共生するまちづくりに関する調査（平成28年度） · Japan (Osaka)
First-year MLIT-commissioned study by Co.to.hana validating usefulness and replicability of community farms on urban unused land, using Kitakagaya Minna-no-uen as the model — surveys, environmental monitoring, stakeholder interviews and an expert panel producing a start guide and dissemination roadmap.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsDIYFood education平成28年度 都市と農・緑が共生するまちづくりに関する調査（都市部未利用地のコミュニティ農園的活用方策検討調査）報告書
2017国土交通省都市局 · 国土交通省都市局 · Japan
A MLIT survey report on using vacant urban land as community gardens, taking Kitakagaya's 'Minna no Uen' in Osaka as a key case and analyzing its operation and effects through user surveys, stakeholder interviews and neighborhood research.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Allotment Gardens During Precarious Times: From Motives to Lived Experiences
2017Partalidou M., Anthopoulou T. · Sociologia Ruralis, 57(2), 211–228 · Greece (Thermi, Northern Greece)
Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs and fieldwork in a municipal allotment garden in northern Greece, the study constructs a typology of gardeners and finds that participation evolves from satisfying basic subsistence needs during economic crisis toward self-actualization and placemaking.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsPolicyThe Emergence of Municipal Allotment Gardens in Greece in Times of Crisis: Governance Challenges for New Urban Gardening Practices
2017Anthopoulou T., Nikolaidou S., Partalidou M., Petrou M. · In: Soulard CT., Perrin C., Valette E. (eds) Toward Sustainable Relations Between Agriculture and the City. Springer, Cham, pp. 181–199 · Greece
Drawing on fieldwork at three municipal allotment gardens in Greece, the chapter examines the institutional and political context of their rapid proliferation during the economic crisis and identifies governance challenges facing local authorities and urban gardening communities.
CommunityWelfarePolicyEconomicsEffects of urban expansion on suburban farmers' livelihood in Vietnam: A comparative analysis of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi
2017Vu M.H., Kawashima H. · Habitat International · Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City)
A comparative study of suburban districts in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City finds mixed livelihood outcomes following agricultural land acquisition for urbanization, with early non-farm diversification aiding adaptation in Hanoi but elderly and low-education farmers facing unemployment and insecurity.
EconomicsPolicyUrban Agriculture in the Philippines: Initiatives, Practices, Significance, and Threats
2017Guzman C. · Sustainable Landscape Planning in Selected Urban Regions (Springer, Tokyo) · Philippines (Metro Manila)
This book chapter reviews urban agriculture initiatives, practices, and impacts in the Philippines, using Metro Manila vegetable production and peri-urban jasmine cultivation as case studies. It highlights employment and income benefits while identifying land-use competition and lack of clear policy as major threats to continued urban farming.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityWater footprint of Jing-Jin-Ji urban agglomeration in China
2017· Journal of Cleaner Production · China (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei)
A study assessing the water footprint of the Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) urban agglomeration in China, highlighting pressure on water resources from agricultural and industrial production.
PolicyEconomicsContributions of Local Farming to Urban Sustainability in the Northeast United States
2017Goldstein B. · Environmental Science & Technology · Northeast United States
An analysis for the northeastern US concluded that local and urban farming provides only small environmental benefits to urban sustainability (carbon, land, water), partly because it cannot displace livestock, which dominate agricultural emissions and land use.
PolicyEconomicsIs Urban Agriculture Financially Sustainable? An Exploratory Study of Small-Scale Market Farming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2017Hunold C., Sorunmu Y., Lindy R., Spatari S., Gurian P. L. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · Philadelphia, USA
An exploratory study of small-scale urban market farms in Philadelphia finds they cannot cover costs from sales alone and depend on grants, donations, and unpaid volunteer labor, concluding that financial self-sufficiency for urban agriculture is currently very difficult.
EconomicsSmall can be beautiful for organic market gardens: an exploration of the economic viability of French microfarms using MERLIN
2017· Agricultural Systems · France
Simulating 18 French organic microfarm scenarios with the stochastic model MERLIN, the study concludes that while microfarms can be economically viable in some cases, the risk of failing to reach viability is not negligible.
EconomicsGreen Shoots in Vacant Plots? Urban Agriculture and Austerity in Post-Crash Ireland
2017Mary P. Corcoran, Patricia C. Kettle, Cian O'Callaghan · ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies · Ireland (Dublin)
Shows how post-crash austerity governance in Dublin treated urban agriculture on vacant lots as a cheap 'stop-gap' between development booms, entrenching precarity: gardens exist only until land is reactivated for building, exposing the instrumentalization of UA under austerity.
PolicyEconomicsCommunity