Research & reports

Daniel Augusto Hernández Penagos, María Camila Mateus Jaime, Nilton Arley Parra Peña · · Colombia (Bogotá)

A report on the "Agroecology and Conscious Consumption" project at the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Bogotá campus, aimed at engaging the university community in reflection on Colombia's agrarian issues alongside consumption awareness and food security, through the practice of urban agriculture with an agroecological approach. Using a Participatory Action Research methodology, the project raised awareness of the concepts and built knowledge through talks and fieldwork, and ultimately evaluated the intervention process through a statistical survey and management indicators.

Municipality of Milan · Milan Urban Food Policy Pact · Global

The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), launched by the Municipality of Milan in 2015, is an international agreement among cities to develop sustainable, inclusive, resilient and diverse food systems. According to the official site, 330 cities have signed the pact, covering an estimated 550 million residents.

Corporación de Promoción Económica CONQUITO · CONQUITO · Ecuador

The bylaws of CONQUITO, Quito's economic promotion corporation. Article 1 establishes it as a private-law nonprofit legal entity; Article 28 sets the Board (Directorio) at seven members, including two permanent seats held by the Metropolitan Mayor (or delegate) and the president of the Chamber of Small Industry; Article 35 assigns the presidency of the Board and General Assembly to the Metropolitan Mayor of Quito or a permanent delegate. Approved at the Ordinary General Assembly on March 13, 2015.

Kloppenburg J. · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Global

Argues that food sovereignty requires seed sovereignty, examining the Open Source Seed Initiative's attempt to apply open-source legal tools against corporate enclosure and intellectual property rights over plant genetic resources.

Specht K., Siebert R., Hartmann I., Freisinger U. B., Sawicka M., Werner A., Thomaier S., Henckel D., Walk H., Dierich A. · Agriculture and Human Values 31(1):33-51 · Global

Reviews sustainability of building-integrated farming (ZFarming) such as rooftop greenhouses and indoor farms, assessing economic, environmental, and social benefits and limits of its commercial development.

Kettle P. · Irish Journal of Sociology · Ireland (Dublin)

This sociological study examines why Dublin residents invest in allotment gardening, finding a significant demographic shift away from traditional older male participants toward younger, middle-class, and female growers. It contextualises Dublin's growing allotment movement within broader urban agriculture trends.

Lattuca A.L., Terrile R.H., Sadagorsky C. · Hábitat y Sociedad · Argentina (Rosario)

Documents Rosario's municipal Urban Agriculture Programme (PAU), launched in 2002, which grew to over 800 community farming projects on vacant land to address food insecurity and generate income for marginalized residents, with 65% of participants being women.

Padgham J., Jabbour J. · United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) · Senegal (Dakar)

This UNEP report presents findings from a 2012 knowledge assessment of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Dakar, identifying key sustainability threats including urban encroachment, degraded water and soil quality, fragmented policy, and farmers' limited credit access.

· Resources · Global

Reviews community seedbanks worldwide and classifies their multiple functions and services, including conservation, exchange, and sharing of seeds.

Kubi Ackerman, Michael Conard, Patricia J. Culligan · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Global

This multi-year study by the Urban Design Laboratory at the Earth Institute assessed urban agriculture in New York City (NYC). It presented metrics on potential growing capacity, surveyed NYC urban farmers on production challenges, and monitored a commercial rooftop farm in Brooklyn. The study aimed to provide insight into urban agriculture's role in creating sustainable food systems for NYC and other cities.

Chiara Tornaghi · Progress in Human Geography · Global

This paper defines the scope and an initial agenda for a critical geography of urban agriculture, noting that despite growing interest across disciplines, it remains a marginal field in human geography. Beyond rhetoric, urban agriculture raises questions for critical geographers, particularly regarding its role in reshaping urban landscapes and experimenting with alternatives to capitalist urban organization. The paper highlights that urban agriculture is sometimes establishing embryonic forms of recreating the Commons.

Jürgen H. Breuste, Martina Artmann · Journal of Urban Planning and Development · Austria (Salzburg)

This study investigated how urban allotment gardens contribute to ecosystem services in Salzburg, Austria. A survey was conducted with 156 allotment gardeners across four allotment associations, focusing on the role of allotment gardens in recreation, food production, nature experience, ecological gardening, and environmental behavior. The results indicated the importance of allotment gardens for recreation and nature experience, alongside a declining importance of traditional food production. An increasing interest in ecological gardening and general environmental awareness among allotment gardeners was also observed.

Carey Clouse · · Cuba (Havana)

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Cuba developed a significant urban agriculture initiative. By 1998, Havana alone had over 8,000 urban farms, producing nearly half of the country's vegetables. This grassroots effort evolved into the largest sustainable agriculture program, establishing Cuba as a world leader in urban farming.

Art McCabe · International journal of child health and human development · Global

This paper discusses how reclaiming abandoned properties and vacant lots in inner-city areas and converting them into community gardens or pocket parks can address urban health challenges and youth crime. It suggests that these conversions can reduce health disparities, eliminate blight, stabilize neighborhoods, and foster community engagement. The paper highlights that community gardens can serve as a cost-effective, multi-purpose urban asset, meeting the demand for such spaces, especially among immigrant populations.

David Adams, Michael Hardman, Peter J. Larkham · Local Environment · Global

This paper explores those affected by guerrilla gardening, noting that it often colonizes land without permission and transforms areas without consulting local communities. Grounding its argument in evidence from three guerrilla groups, the study investigates the public's views on several informal gardening projects. Responses were very mixed, ranging from positive comments about improving aesthetics to negative remarks surrounding the practices of some groups. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that although often promoted as constructive, guerrilla gardening can result in adverse impacts on those who surround colonized sites.

Sarah Schindler · Faculty publications · Global

This article explores unauthorized actions in urban and suburban communities that further local food goals, despite violating existing laws and norms. Examples include keeping chickens, planting gardens on foreclosed lots, and operating underground restaurants. The study examines the overlap between food policy and land use law concerning these transgressive activities.

Long Cheng-zh · Guangdong nongye kexue · Global

This article, based on comprehensive literature research, proposes a framework for an urban agriculture strategic development plan. The framework is rooted in customer value theory, focusing on modern industry competition and strategic theory. It suggests that the strategic approach for urban agriculture should fully activate the entrepreneurial spirit of market participants while maintaining its quasi-public product attributes.

Olga Orlić · Etnološka tribina · Croatia

This paper presents research results on solidarity exchange groups in Zagreb County, Croatia. These groups are described as an alternative form of direct food procurement, primarily organic, from producers. They promote ecological food production, foster equal partnerships between buyers and producers, and build solidarity and trust among people.

Neda Tiraieyari, Azimi Hamzah · Modern Applied Science · Malaysia

University Putra Malaysia (UPM) introduces urban agriculture programs for urban residents and trains student volunteers to support program implementation. This paper reviews existing literature on factors predicting voluntary participation among young students and proposes a conceptual model for program developers to promote youth voluntary participation. Research is recommended to predict factors influencing UPM students' voluntary participation in the urban agriculture program, and further research is also recommended to explore how program planners can overcome potential barriers to student participation.

Bethaney Turner · M/C Journal · Global

This paper examines the role of taste in relation to food produced in backyard or community gardens. As outlined by Bourdieu, taste is constructed by factors primarily driven by economic position and cultural influences, with the rise of international agribusiness significantly impacting the social shaping of tastes. Food is primarily conceptualized as an economic and symbolic good controlled by humans, and literature on food provisioning choices in food sociology and human geography tends to focus on understanding food purchasing decisions and eating habits.

Aoife McCormack · eSource (Dublin Business School) · Ireland (Dublin)

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews with professionals to identify key success factors and potential obstacles for organic gardening projects in primary schools. Findings highlighted the benefits of school gardens, including their observable impact on children's social, food, and environmental development, and their integration with the curriculum. The study also indicated that funding and resource limitations are areas requiring further research to improve the efficacy of such initiatives.

Wisdom Kurangwa, Retseleng Karonga, Kwayedza Muranda Kaseke, Liliosa Pahwaringira · International journal of research in social sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)

A case study on roadside urban agriculture in Mufakose high density suburb, Harare, Zimbabwe, showed that the majority of respondents were unemployed, aged 41-60, had a high number of dependents, and earned less than $200 per month. This high level of poverty, combined with inadequate home garden space, forced them to practice roadside agriculture to supplement their diet and income.

Melissa Nursey‐Bray, ELEANOR PARNELL, Rachel A. Ankeny, Heather Bray, Dianne Rudd · South Australian Geographical Journal · Australia (Adelaide)

This paper discusses the role of community gardens in enhancing community resilience, using a case study in Adelaide, South Australia. The study concludes that community gardens offer the possibility of building community resilience and social cohesion, in addition to providing urban green space, amidst increasing challenges from urbanization, pollution, and climate change.

Joel McKim · The MIT Press eBooks · Global

This book examines the usefulness and limits of "DIY citizenship" and "critical making" in recent years. It explores diverse forms of political participation, ranging from activist blogging and video production to knitting and the creation of community gardens. The collection describes DIY citizens as active interventionists, makers, hackers, modders, and tinkerers, pursuing new forms of engaged and participatory democracy.

Ezra Pedzisai, Pedzisai Kowe, C. H. Matarira, Anyway Katanha, Ronald Rutsvara · Journal of food security · Zimbabwe

The contributions of urban agriculture to household food security and income were assessed in Cold Stream, a low-income residential area of Chinhoyi town in Zimbabwe. Twenty questionnaires were administered to urban farmers, five key informants were interviewed, and three fieldworks were carried out. Results showed that urban agriculture is a prominent livelihood for the poor unemployed majority (53%), and while local non-governmental organizations provide inputs and technical advice, there is no government support. Questionnaire results confirmed that farmers are poor, using yields and income primarily for basic necessities. All urban farmers (100%) consume their produce, enhancing food security. A majority (80%) agreed that urban farming makes food cheaper, improving accessibility. About half (48%) also agreed that urban agriculture reduces food insecurity in their rural homes. Challenges include a lack of credit lines for inputs and unfavorable policy arrangements that classify urban agriculture as an illegal activity.