Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
639 results(9 / 26)
Public action and policy implementation: a comparative analysis of Urban Agriculture in three regions of São Paulo
2021Alves Mário Aquino, de Oliveira Lya Cynthia Porto · Local Environment · Brazil (São Paulo)
Compares municipal urban-agriculture policy implementation across three São Paulo regions. Despite policy on the books, implementation is carried out 'timidly'—strong in the south, weak in the east, and almost nonexistent in the north—driven by uneven land access and NGO presence.
PolicyAdvancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government
2021Berglund E., Hassanein N., Lachapelle P., Stephens C. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · USA
Interviews 11 municipal and county food-policy staff to assess dedicated government food-policy positions. Finds their impact is constrained by limited authority, resources, and institutional standing, documenting the practical limits of embedding food policy in local government.
Policy258. Contexto general de la Agricultura Urbana en México durante la pandemia: uso de aplicaciones de Google para el análisis social
2021Miranda Gómez, Omar, Aguilar-Gómez, Carlos Rubén · Revistes Científiques de la University of Barcelona (University of Barcelona) · Mexico
This article proposes a methodological route for data analysis using Google applications to study urban agriculture (AU) in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information was collected from Facebook groups dedicated to AU in various Mexican states. Findings indicate that AU in Mexico offers social benefits, while the use of these technological tools for social research presents both advantages and disadvantages.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsServiços e Desserviços Ambientais Associados à Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana no Município de São Paulo
2021Bruno do Nascimento Macedo, Fernanda Nogueira Comas, Amarílis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo Gallardo · Journal of Urban Technology and Sustainability · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study discussed the main environmental services and disservices associated with urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in São Paulo, Brazil, using a systematic literature review and spatial analysis. It identified 12 environmental services and 5 disservices, mapping 197 UPA initiatives. The research concluded that UPA has the potential to offer environmental benefits, but can also exert negative pressures on the environment, including in areas that should be protected.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyO DESENVOLVIMENTO SÓCIO-ESPACIAL DA AGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA (AUP) NA CIDADE DE FORTALEZA, CEARÁ
2021Gabriela de Azevedo Marques, Iara Rafaela Gomes · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Brazil
This empirical study analyzed the socio-spatial development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, examining both spontaneous agricultural activities and municipal institutional actions. While AUP holds significant relevance in the city, particularly in peripheral areas, governmental initiatives were found to be sporadic and discontinuous, lacking a broader institutional agenda. The study concluded that despite recent municipal efforts, legal and institutional support for AUP remains weak, leading to the rapid disappearance of productive spaces and indicating that institutional actions have not effectively fostered the socio-spatial development of spontaneous initiatives.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageCocoon: a series
2021Mia Arvizu · Ethnic studies review · United States
This paper introduces "Cocoon: a series" by independent artist Mia Arvizu. This initial series challenges white supremacy culture and assimilation, serving as a stepping stone to spark conversations that spread resistance against patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. Arvizu is currently working in a fellowship with the National Park Service (NPS) and Groundwork, USA, focusing on communications for community-based projects such as community gardens.
CommunityClimate changePolicyWelfareAgricultura urbana no município de São Paulo: considerações sobre produção e comercialização
2021André Ruoppolo Biazoti, Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão, Rafael Junqueira Buralli, Thaís Mauad · Estudos Avançados · Brazil (São Paulo)
Agricultural production and distribution in São Paulo, Brazil, were evaluated using official databases and seven semi-structured interviews with farmers conducted between 2018 and 2020. The findings indicate growth in agricultural practices and access to a wide variety of commercialization channels within the municipality. The opening of new markets, the development of public policies, and public recognition were essential for this growth.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPerspectives of integrated pest management in CDMX urban agriculture and impacts of SARS-CoV-2 health emergency
2021Jessica Cuevas-Castilleja, Armando Martínez-Luz, Marcelo Adán López-Arzate, Itzel Arlette Ramírez-García, Gustavo Mora‐Aguilera, Norma Ávila-Alistac · Revista mexicana de fitopatología(en línea)/Revista mexicana de fitopatología · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on productive activities and the level of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) application among 108 urban agriculture farmers and extensionists in six areas of Mexico City. A digital survey in 2020 revealed that the sanitary emergency reduced extension services, though they continued with digital technologies. During the peak of COVID-19, 14% of farmers declined to sow the summer-fall season, and up to 75% reported 20% losses due to the epidemic. The main pest control strategies were mechanical (67%) and chemical (52%), indicating an intuitive understanding of IPM benefits despite farmers being unaware of its principles.
Economic viabilityHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceIn Search of Maudell Sleet's Garden
2021Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore · Southern cultures · United States
This article examines urban gardening practices by women in the New South during the early 20th century, which provided self-sufficiency and profits. It chronicles how urban planners and zoning eliminated most of these urban gardening opportunities by the late 1930s. The study considers these practices through two collages by artist Romare Bearden, focusing on the gardener Maudell Sleet.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyBiophilic Design, Regenerative Design, and Equity: An Intersection
2021Anne Debertin · · United States
This research studied how equity can exist at the intersection of regenerative and biophilic design strategies within an affordable housing model. Three case studies from Minneapolis, Santa Monica, and El Paso were examined using Terrapin’s Fourteen Patterns of Biophilic Design and the Living Building Challenge design guide. The analysis revealed that equity can operate through "place" (a Living Building Challenge imperative) and "connection to natural systems" (a Terrapin pattern). The study concluded that place and connection to natural systems have the potential to act as conduits to human and planetary equity.
CommunityClimate changePolicyHealthThree Histories of Greening and Whiteness in American Cities
2021James J. Connolly, Isabelle Anguelovski · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · United States
This study used state sequence analysis to examine the historical trend of greening (including parks and community gardens) from 1975 to 2014 in nine U.S. cities, in relation to concentrations of white and non-white residents. Findings revealed that the relationship between greening and race/ethnicity varied by city-level growth trajectory. Cities with continuous high growth showed the strongest link between increased greening and whiter populations, while non-white areas in cities with contraction or punctuated growth exhibited uniformly low levels of greening, mostly in recent years.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyHealthMaking locals through local agriculture: citizenship and urban gardens in Rock Island, Illinois, 1913-2018
2021Brian James Leech, Christopher Strunk · Food Culture & Society · United States (Rock Island)
This research explores the historical evolution of urban gardening in Rock Island, Illinois, a post-industrial city, from 1913 to 2018. It finds that while urban agriculture was prominent during 20th-century crises, it has maintained a constant presence, with initiatives like Victory Gardens and community gardens sharing common goals of addressing poverty and food access. However, gardening programs have often failed to acknowledge the underlying causes of food insecurity.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyMultivariate analysis to support urban horticultural production strategies definition
2021Alline Gomes Lamenha e Silva, Miguel Aloysio Sattler · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Feliz)
This article presents a multivariate analysis to identify areas available for urban food production in Feliz/RS, Brazil. The analysis synergistically considered the served population, family income, and continuous available areas. The results can strategically contribute to identifying suitable areas for urban food production, supporting food security policies, green corridor implementation, or environmental education initiatives.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyFood educationCommunityVisions of Ecotopia
2021Meredith Gaglio · · United States
The "Ecotopia" concept, promoting ecologically and socially responsible American Appropriate Technology (AT), included innovative urban planning like rooftop gardens. However, the expansion and contraction of the intranational Ecotopian network built by former Rainmakers in the mid-to-late 1970s revealed a crisis of purpose within RAIN and signaled a crisis within the AT Movement itself.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceAnalysis of the community supported agriculture model in Brazil from the point of view of the transaction cost economic
2021Liliane Úbeda Morandi Rotoli, Andréa Rossi Scalco, Giuliana Aparecida Santini Pigatto · DRd - Desenvolvimento Regional em debate · Brazil (São Paulo)
This paper analyzed the governance structure of Community Supported Agriculture in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, from the perspective of Transaction Cost Economics. The investigation followed a qualitative-quantitative survey research method, showing limited rationality in consumer perceptions and a high level of locational, temporal, physical, brand, and technological specificity in transactions. The assessed scenario concluded that the specified governance structure is a hybrid with bilateral dependence between autonomous actors, which, although adequate, requires improvements in reducing uncertainty among agents.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsPolicyNo Place to Grow
2021Kristan Majors · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States
"No Place to Grow" is a 2019 documentary film (27 mins) that captures the story of a longstanding LatinX community garden, its farmers, neighborhood protests, and negotiations with government officials in the United States. The film depicts the challenges faced by the community garden, leaving viewers disheartened. It is recommended for libraries collecting on community gardens and urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsBarriers, Strategies, and Resources to Thriving School Gardens
2021Amy Hoover, Sarvenaz Vandyousefi, Bonnie Martin, Katie Nikah, Michele Hockett Cooper, Anne Müller, Edwin Marty, Marissa Duswalt-Epstein, Marissa Burgermaster, Lyndsey Waugh, Brie A. Linkenhoker, Jaimie N. Davis · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · United States (Greater Austin, TX)
This study surveyed 523 teachers and 174 administrators across 109 schools in Greater Austin, TX, to identify factors contributing to thriving school garden programs. Logistic regression analysis revealed that thriving gardens were significantly more likely to have adequate district and administrator support (12 times), funding and community partners (3-fold), active garden committees (4 times), available curriculum, teacher training, and at least 100 annual student users. The findings suggest that strong administrative support is fundamental for successful school gardens.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsPolicyBaltimore County Government Education/Entrepreneurship and Marketing- Community Gardens
2021Unwana I. Udoh, Aditya Deshpande, Bhavin Kothari, Cristián Ortíz, Mohit Jaju, Ridwan Ahmed, Chris Pitts, Christian Lopez, Sherry Chen, Hao Jiang, Njeri Warrington, Hunter Petrik, Stephanie Zheng · University Libraries (University of Maryland) · United States (Baltimore County)
This project, conducted in Baltimore County, was divided into two teams: education/entrepreneurship and marketing. The education/entrepreneurship team assessed residents' awareness of existing community gardens, identified reasons for low participation, and developed gardening educational resources. The marketing team focused on determining optimal locations for community gardens through site selection and marketing strategies, including social media campaigns.
CommunityFood educationPolicyA regularização fundiária urbana de Marituba – PA e suas contribuições na agricultura urbana do município
2021Ciria Cristane da Rosa · Wamon - Revista dos alunos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia Social da Universidade Federal do Amazonas · Brazil
This study aimed to understand how urban land regularization can contribute to urban agriculture in the municipality of Marituba, Pará, Brazil. It focused on two urban land regularization instruments mentioned in municipal decree n.º 300 of April 14, 2020: the concession of real right of use and the surface right. Based on bibliographic and documentary research, analyzing academic works on "quintais" (backyards) where agricultural activities occur, it found nine localities with rural characteristics mostly within Marituba's urban perimeter, with few properties possessing Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) documents. Urban land regularization could help these social subjects remain on their properties and continue their activities.
PolicyCommunityA AGRICULTURA URBANA EM ANANÁS/TO: SUBSÍDIOS PARA A SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR E GERAÇÃO DE RENDA
2021Maria Marciene Costa Da Silva, Maurício Ferreira Mendes, Luciano da Silva Guedes · Geografia em Questão · Brazil
This exploratory research diagnosed horticulture practices in the urban perimeter of Ananás/TO, Brazil, from April to June 2019, using semi-structured interviews and secondary data. It found that urban horticulture in Ananás provides a healthy food alternative for producers and consumers, distributes income, and contributes to social, food, and health development.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthPolicyAprender e apoiar a agricultura urbana: estudo de caso do coletivo re-ação agroecológica em Brasília
2021Alexandra Cavalcante Salomão Silva, Sávio Tadeu Guimarães · Programa de Iniciação Científica - PIC/UniCEUB - Relatórios de Pesquisa · Brazil (Brasília)
This study investigated the activities of the urban agriculture project "Coletivo Re-Ação Agroecológica" in idle public spaces in Brasília, using a case study and action research. The research aimed to identify factors that encourage and hinder urban agriculture projects, emphasizing it as a component of sustainable urbanism. Results indicate that urban agriculture should be encouraged by the state through practical and less bureaucratic public policies, and interpretive trails in urban farms support the dissemination of educational information, bringing people closer to nature.
CommunityFood educationPolicyBiodiversityHORTAS ESCOLARES: PARÂMETROS PEDAGÓGICOS PARA RECURSOS MATERIAIS E ESTRUTURA FÍSICA
2021ELIZABETE CRISTINA RIBEIRO SILVA JARDIM · Editora Realize eBooks · Brazil
This research analyzed Brazilian school garden experiences across three document sets, identifying procedures and resources incongruent with stated counter-hegemonic objectives. The study found structural inadequacies for the school space and omissions regarding the protection and safety of farmers and students during activities. It recommends adjustments to location, spatial organization, and material resources for school gardens to ensure the health of food producers.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealthPolicyAgricultura na aglomeração urbana de Presidente Prudente - SP
2021Claudinei da Silva Pereira · GEOUSP Espaço e Tempo (Online) · Brazil (Presidente Prudente)
This paper analyzed agricultural production in Presidente Prudente, Brazil, from two essential dimensions: urban morphology and socioeconomic conditions. A typology for urban agriculture analysis was constructed by mapping the incidence of agriculture and applying questionnaires to commercial producers. The study demonstrated the different functions that agricultural practice performs for individuals and cities.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyFacilitating Multifunctional Green Infrastructure Planning in Washington, DC through a Tableau Interface
2021John Taylor, Mamatha Hanumappa, Lara Miller, Brendan Shane, Matthew L. Richardson · Sustainability · United States (Washington, DC)
A public-access geographic information system (GIS) and Tableau dashboards were developed for comprehensive multifunctional urban green infrastructure (UGI) planning in Washington, DC. The dashboards enable stakeholders to identify existing UGI (150 ha) and potential areas for new UGI, including urban agriculture (UA). A total of 2734 ha is potentially suitable for UGI development, with 2575 ha potentially suitable for UA. Of this UA potential, 56% is located in Wards 5, 7, and 8, which are largely food deserts with primarily Black residents experiencing the greatest inequities. The tool allows users to prioritize equitable UGI development using population vulnerability indices.
PolicyCommunityClimate changeHealthAgricultura urbana e periurbana no Município do Rio de Janeiro – estudo de caso sobre as legislações pertinentes / Urban and periurban agriculture in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro - case study on the relevant legislationd
2021Luísa Lima Leal, A. P. D. Turetta, C. L. Capeche, Luiz Felipe Guanaes · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil
This study conducted a descriptive analysis of the legal framework for urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at municipal, state, and federal levels. It found that while agricultural regulation in Brazil is primarily rural-focused, AUP can be integrated into development plans, sustainable strategies, and food security initiatives, despite lacking specific dedicated legislation.
PolicyPeri-urban agriculture