Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2406 results(91 / 97)
The URBANET Trade Justice Campaign in Ghana: A Case Study of Efforts to Involve Indigenous Farmers in Advocacy
2008Masud Aziz Rauf · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Ghana (Tamale)
This research, conducted in the Tamale metropolitan area of Ghana's northern region, investigated the efforts of URBANET, a local NGO, to educate and involve indigenous farmers in advocacy as part of Ghana's broader trade justice movement. URBANET advocated for farmers facing challenges like falling prices due to imported products under unfair trade policies, providing workshops, radio programs, and mobilizing farmers. The advocacy raised awareness among indigenous farmers and contributed to policy changes, such as the Ghanaian government's 2005 statement requiring state institutions to buy Ghanaian rice.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban Agriculture and Urban Food Insecurity/Poverty in Nigeria
2008Anselm A. Enete, Anthonia Ifeyinwa Achike · Outlook on Agriculture · Nigeria (Ohafia)
A study comparing rural and urban farmers in Ohafia, southeast Nigeria, found that while urban farmers used significantly more purchased inputs than rural farmers, their output was significantly lower. This was attributed to urban farmers being poor and undercapitalized, preventing them from using adequate purchased inputs to maintain soil nutrients. The findings suggest that for urban agriculture to address urban food insecurity, the urban poor require sufficient financial empowerment.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageAprovechamiento de residuos sólidos en un sistema hidro-orgánico de agricultura urbana Use of solid residues in a hydro-organic culture systems of urban agriculture
2008Consuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia (Popayán)
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic system for vegetable production in small areas to contribute to urban food security and solid waste utilization in Popayán, Colombia. An alternative system was designed using recycled materials and evaluated with three nutritional treatments using cilantro as a biological indicator. The system achieved productions of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), and the common nutritional solution was identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceDIYMotivations for Participating in Community-Supported Agriculture and Their Relationship with Community Attachment and Social Capital
2008Joan M. Brehm, Brian W. Eisenhauer · Journal of Rural Social Sciences · United States
This research identifies perceived benefits, motivations, and effects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) activity on community social capital, using quantitative data from CSA memberships in Central Illinois and New Hampshire, United States. Findings indicate that food quality is the strongest motivator for CSA members, while community building and social capital development were not significant motivators or perceived benefits. However, community attachment significantly enhanced motivations like a desire for a stronger sense of community and support for local growers.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHeavy metal contamination of vegetables and fruits from Bangalore city
2008Seyed Esmaeil Mahdavian, R. Somashekar · ePrints@Bangalore University (Bangalore University) · India (Bangalore)
A study in Bangalore city, India, showed that urban consumers are at greater risk of purchasing fresh fruits with high levels of heavy metals beyond the legally permissible limits defined by the Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. These national norms are less strict than international food safety standards.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceFrom Industrial Garden to Food Desert: Unearthing the Root Structure of Urban Agriculture in Oakland, California - eScholarship
2008Nathan McClintock · · United States (California)
This paper uses urban political ecology to explore the rise of urban agriculture (UA) in Oakland, California, where the city aims to source 30% of its food locally, partly from UA in "food deserts." The analysis argues that 20th-century industrial capital flows and racialized urban planning concentrated capital devaluation in the flatlands, leading to the creation of food deserts. Food justice activists are mobilizing through UA to counter these uneven transformations.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityThe world food crisis: a push for urban farming
2008Pay Drechsel · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global
This paper discusses the global food crisis, which has caused skyrocketing food prices and riots in some countries. Underlying the food crisis is the deeper issue of the looming water crisis.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeThe Incredible, Edible Wall Cal Poly Students Create Affordable Fresh Produce for Congested Urban Areas
2008Public Affairs Office · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (Los Angeles)
Students and faculty at Cal Poly cultivated 4,000 fruit and vegetable plants on 180 vertical panels, which are intended for mounting on commercial building walls in Los Angeles' inner city. These vertical panels were designed to maximize growing space in congested urban locations. The project aims to provide a practical solution for accessing fresh, affordable produce.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunitySeasonality, Household Food Security, and Nutritional Status in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
2008Chris Hillbruner, Rebecca Egan · Food and Nutrition Bulletin · Bangladesh (Dinajpur)
A study in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, from 2002 to 2003, investigated the impact of seasonality on food security and nutritional status in approximately 600 low-income urban households. Data collected through surveys and child measurements revealed significantly higher rates of food insecurity, wasting, and inadequate growth during the monsoon season compared to the dry season. While dietary diversity and lost work due to weather were identified as pathways affecting food security, child illness was not found to be a significant mechanism contributing to seasonal nutritional declines.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsLocalizing Linkages for Food and Tourism: Culinary Tourism as a Community Development Strategy
2008Gary Paul Green, Michael L. Dougherty · Community Development · United States (Door County, Wisconsin)
This paper examined culinary tourism through a case study of the Kingdom So Delicious program in Door County, Wisconsin. The analysis was based on intensive interviews with owners/managers of four restaurants and surveys of 30 retailers and 40 farmers in the region. The most frequently cited concerns with producing for local establishments involved in culinary tourism were low prices and challenging logistics.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceAn analysis of the profitability and choice of metropolitan waste-use in urban agriculture of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
2008C.J. Arene, G.I.O. Mbata · Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) · Nigeria (Abuja)
This study analyzed the profitability of urban agriculture using metropolitan organic waste in Abuja, Nigeria. Results indicated that the enterprise is profitable, with output price being the most important determinant of maximum variable profit. The study also showed that farmers' education level, age, per capita farm income, and household size are important determinants for choosing urban agriculture for food security and environmental quality improvement.
EconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceDoes Urban Agriculture Enhance Dietary Diversity? Empirical Evidence from a Sample of Developing Countries
2008Alberto Zezza, Luca Tasciotti, Zezza, Alberto, Tasciotti, Luca · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This paper investigates the importance of urban agriculture (UA) for poor and food-insecure households in urban areas, using survey data from 15 developing or transition countries. It aims to fill research gaps by analyzing, from a comparative perspective, UA's potential role in addressing urban food insecurity problems. The paper defines UA as crop and livestock production within city boundaries.
HealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceFrom Industrial Garden to Food Desert: Unearthing the Root Structure of Urban Agriculture in Oakland, California
2008Nathan McClintock · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · United States (California)
This paper explores the rise of urban agriculture (UA) in Oakland, California, using an urban political ecology framework. A macro-level structural analysis of Oakland's history reveals how 20th-century industrial capital flows and racialized urban planning concentrated capital devaluation in the flatlands, ultimately giving rise to food deserts. The study suggests that food justice activists are mobilizing through UA to counter these uneven transformations, despite critiques that some urban garden programs are neoliberal, emphasizing self-betterment while filling state-left gaps.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityAprovechamiento de residuos sólidos en un sistema hidro-orgánico de agricultura urbana
2008Consuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic vegetable production system for small areas in Popayán, Colombia, utilizing recycled materials and urban solid waste. The system was evaluated using three nutritional treatments (organic leachate, supplemented organic leachate, common nutrient solution) with cilantro as a biological indicator. The urban vegetable production system achieved yields of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), with the commercial nutrient solution identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleCompostFood sovereignty & justiceDIYDeterminants Of Profitability And Willingness To Pay For Metropolitan Waste-Use In Urban Agriculture Of The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
2008CJ Arene, G.I.O. Mbata · Agro-Science · Nigeria (Abuja)
This study analyzed the profitability of urban agriculture using metropolitan organic waste in Abuja, Nigeria. The enterprise was found to be profitable, with output price being the most significant determinant of variable profit, while other price factors were not significant. Farmer's education level, age, per capita farm income, and household size were identified as important determinants for choosing urban agriculture and influencing willingness to pay for it.
EconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityInformation seeking and use among urban farmers in Kampala District, Uganda
2008Helen M. Byamugisha, Robert Ikoja-Odongo, George William Nasinyama, Shuaib Lwasa · · Uganda
In Kampala, Uganda, urban farmers lack access to adequate information on innovative agricultural technologies, inputs, and balancing productivity with environmental requirements. This information deficit results in low urban farming production despite supportive legal frameworks. This paper presents preliminary findings on information search and acquisition mechanisms among urban farmers in Kampala District, exploring their contribution to reducing or exacerbating urban food insecurity, and plans to design an information seeking and use model for them.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunity석유에너지 위기와 대안식량체계
2008김종덕 · 환경사회학연구 ECO · South Korea
This paper points out that the current global food system, which has heavily relied on low-cost oil energy, faces problems in food production, processing, and transportation due to surging crude oil prices, leading to food export controls and riots, and escalating global food conflicts and instability. The global food system is vulnerable to oil energy crises and negatively impacts food safety, security, environment, local economies, and food culture. Therefore, the paper emphasizes the need for alternative food systems like organic farming, urban agriculture, and community-supported agriculture that reduce reliance on oil energy.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsCSA & TeikeiUrban–rural linkage换个角度，再谈都市农业——都市农业的发展、特征和成效
2008何秀荣 · 蔬菜 · Global
This article discusses the rapid development of urban agriculture in China and globally, covering its origins, characteristics, and current status. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of urban agriculture, from theory to modern sightseeing vegetable cultivation techniques, with insights from agricultural economic experts and grassroots agricultural staff.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageIncreasing Recognition of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture:
2008Camillus J. Sawio · · Global
This paper, based on existing literature, discusses the increasing international, regional, and local recognition of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) over the past three decades. It highlights UPA's contributions to feeding urban populations, poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable urban management, attributing this recognition to efforts by various international organizations and resulting municipal declarations.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsUsing on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Water Science & Technology · Ghana (Kumasi)
A study in Kumasi, Ghana, assessed the use of on-farm ponds to reduce microbial contamination in wastewater-contaminated irrigation water, analyzing over 300 samples. It found that while ponds are common, their potential for pathogen removal via sedimentation is not fully optimized. Helminth eggs reduced by about 70% with careful water collection, but thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to meet WHO guidelines, indicating suboptimal performance for some pathogens.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceAssessing food security status among farming households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo state, Nigeria.
2008BF Salahu, TO Dauda · Moor Journal of Agricultural Research · Nigeria
The food security status of farming households in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria, was assessed using 89 questionnaires. The study analyzed urban farming and food security factors (energy and protein levels). Education related to urban farming practices was found to influence the food security status of the respondents.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkageUrban Farming Communities' Adoption Rates of Smart Agriculture Technologies in Lagos, Nigeria: Performance Evaluations
2008Obiakọ Obinzeiji, Nkwo Nkechi, Chinedu Chukwuma, Ejiije Edemah · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study investigated the adoption rates of smart agriculture technologies among urban farming communities in Lagos, Nigeria. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 200 urban farmers across Lagos, revealing that 78% of respondents had adopted at least one smart agriculture technology. Drip irrigation systems were the most popular, adopted by 35% of farmers. The findings indicate significant interest and initial success in adopting these technologies in Lagos.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsPerception of needs and responses in food security: divergence between households and stakeholders
2008Anne‐Marie Hamelin, Céline Mercier, Annie Bédard · Public Health Nutrition · Canada (Quebec City)
A study in Quebec City, Canada, interviewed 55 food-insecure households and 59 stakeholders to compare perceptions of food security needs and community programs. While both groups agreed on the need for better financial resources, households reported that food quality and access were neglected, and that existing programs, even combined, were insufficient to meet their needs. Stakeholders, however, largely perceived households as satisfied with programs and believed their primary need was a basic amount of food. The study concluded that community programs alone cannot bring about the social change needed to prevent food insecurity.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareBuying into Community Supported Agriculture: Strategies for Overcoming Income Barriers
2008Cristin B. Forbes, Alison H. Harmon · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This article examines strategies employed by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms to help limited-resource consumers overcome income barriers to membership. Due to the typical lump sum membership fee, CSA can be inaccessible. Identified strategies include accepting government food assistance, offering payment plans, working shares, subsidized or low-cost shares, transportation assistance, bartering, outreach, and connections to emergency food assistance.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity resilience and contemporary agri‐ecological systems: reconnecting people and food, and people with people
2008Christine King · Systems Research and Behavioral Science · Global
This paper explores how agri-ecological systems such as Organic Agriculture, Biodynamics, CSA, Permaculture, Farmers Markets, and Community Gardens contribute to agri-ecological and community resilience. These systems contribute to more sustainable and resilient communities through community development processes like relationship building, genuine participation, inclusiveness, resource mobilization, and creating space for knowledge sharing. The paper compares ecological systems models to agri-ecological systems and suggests how ecological systems theories might contribute to the future of community-based agri-ecological resilience.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justice