While scholars and activists have analyzed the consequences of a largely white, middle-class membership in the alternative food movement, lesser consideration has been given to the relationship food has with gentrification processes. On Chicago's West Side, alternative food spaces such as gardens, restaurants and farmers markets are staking a physical and cultural claim in longstanding communities of color. Food is perhaps unique and more powerful than prior initiators of gentrification such as art due to its mundane, everyday qualities that intersect with its ability to uphold class distinctions. Using qualitative interviews, participant-observation and a literature review, I will examine how alternative food contributes to and is a form of resistance against the uprooting of longstanding Puerto Rican and Mexican communities on Chicago's West Side. Readers who have an investment in the alternative food movement must be conscientious of these tensions and consider resisting gentrification by creating inclusive, intercultural food spaces.

Common themes growing out of current research on community gardens center on issues in large urban areas including community-based responses to more healthful food options, local sustainability efforts, and combating urban crime. One area of research that is lacking is how sociocultural capital is generated in smaller metropolitan communities though community gardening. This thesis addresses this void as a means to begin understanding of how the sociocultural networks between community organizations and community gardeners form a symbiotic relationship of interconnected capital production within cities found in historically agrarian regions. This research includes a specific set of methods for investigating Fargo-Moorhead community gardens as places utilized for building sociocultural capital by providing gathering spaces, learning centers, food security, and social interactions. It sheds a new perspective on the intricate connections community gardening plays in the role of building sociocultural capital to aid in sustainability, particularly for, historically agrarian communities.

Thesis (M.U.R.P.L.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-68). Also available via the Internet.

Current food production methods in the United States contribute to environmental degradation as well as food insecurity. Food production by means of community gardens has the potential to reduce the deleterious effects of current production methods. However, many community gardens face challenges that hinder their longevity, thereby reducing the likelihood of the support they might provide for environmentally sustainable food production and decreased food insecurity for community members. A behavioral systems science approach was combined with ethnographic research methods, matrix analysis, and a literature review regarding best practices for community gardens to study the cultural practices of three established community gardens in the southwest region of the US. The results of the analyses conducted are presented in terms of recommendations to support each target community garden's sustainability. Recommendations regarding future research include environmental manipulations to identify functional relations and potential outcome measures for improving the longevity of community gardens are provided.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This research investigates the impact of urban agriculture on food security through urban food garden projects in Kayamandi. Food insecurity is a major global challenge, 795 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition and 780 million of these are from developing countries. In South Africa, poverty, unemployment, and inequality play pivotal roles in the dynamics of food security. These indicators have shown that chronic poverty and food insecurity are mostly found in urban and peri-urban areas, affecting the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly. In addition, food insecurity exists in Cape Town. In 2008, 80% of poor households in Khayelitsha, Philippi and Ocean View were either moderately or severely food insecure. Similarly, in Manenberg, a study revealed that 64% of the households were food insecure. Only 18% of poor households were food secure compared to the 74% and 94% for middle and high income households. Although there is numerous research on food insecurity in Cape Town, the contribution of urban agriculture to household food security in Kayamandi has not been addressed adequately. This study assessed the current state of food security in the Kayamandi settlement. The study also identified the impact of urban agriculture on food security in Kayamandi, as well as investigating the outcomes of an urban agriculture project in Kayamandi provided by the NGO, Love2Give. Qualitative research method was used to deeply understand the extent in which urban agriculture contributes to food security. In this process, 12 participants were purposively selected from the urban gardeners of the Love2Give organization including 2 key informant interviews. The Sustainable Livelihoods approach was applied to this study in order to understand the role Love2Give plays in building a sustainable community. As a theoretical framework, the Sustainable Livelihoods approach identified the mechanism Kayamandi gardeners use to secure their household food security. This is in alignment with the initial hypothesis, which is that Kayamandi households are food insecure. The majority of the participants in Kayamandi were either moderately (33.3%) or severely (33.3) food insecure whilst only four households were food secure (33.3). The high food insecurity in the area can be attributed to the high unemployment rate of 84% of the participants. Urban agriculture contributes to the household food security of participants. 75% of respondents engaged in urban farming for consumption purpose while the rest practice urban farming to generate income. Although participants generate little income from urban cultivating, it contributes significantly to their lives especially when they mix this with other livelihood diversification methods. Lack of water, land and enough farm equipment hinders the potential impact of urban agriculture. Therefore, there is a great need of intervention from multi-stakeholders such as NGOs, government and municipal authorities to intervene and promote urban agriculture as a means to reduce poverty and food insecurity.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Growing urban food insecurity has prompted many researchers, NGOs, international agencies and governments to advocate for urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy to improve the household food security of the urban poor. Urban agriculture is an instrument for ensuring greater food security and a livelihood strategy for urban households. In South Africa increased attention on urban agriculture is triggered by current trends of urbanization, economic instability, high unemployment rates among the urban poor, and high food prices. Unemployment and urban food insecurity are high in low-income areas. In the Cape Flats, households with no or little disposable income, are food insecure and vulnerable to food insecurity. Income and wage employment are the main determinants of food security in urban areas. However, urban agriculture projects by two NGOs assist communities to be resourceful. Abalimi Bezekhaya, an NGO assists individuals and communities to start and maintain their own community gardens while Soil for Life promotes home food gardens. Abalimi Bezekhaya and Soil for Life seek to address the urban challenge by promoting self-sustained agriculture for food security and livelihoods. There has, however, been little empirical evidence suggesting that urban agriculture projects improve the food security and livelihoods of participants. This study assessed the potential of urban agriculture to address food security, examined the ways in which agriculture is used as a livelihood strategy for household food security, determined other livelihood strategies and coping mechanisms assumed by gardeners to become food secure, and demonstrates the contribution of NGOs in promoting agriculture in poor urban areas. Furthermore, this study addressed the following research questions: do community and household gardens provide a way of improving food and nutrition security and in what way are these impacts observable within participating households. The research followed a mixed-method methodology. The literature is mapped out using international and local papers and empirical evidence collected on the subject. This study used the sustainable livelihoods approach as the theoretical lens through which to analyse the ways in which urban agriculture can be used as a viable livelihood strategy by urban gardeners. It also classified the constraints and opportunities, assets accessible, policies and institutions that exist, livelihood strategies and outcomes of the urban gardeners. The findings of the study reveal that community and home gardens contribute moderately to livelihoods and food security in Khayelitsha. The results also reveal that 85% of the gardeners were either moderately or severely food insecure. Furthermore, 76.67% of gardeners purchased their food from supermarkets and local shops. Urban agriculture therefore plays a supplementary role in addressing household food security in Khayelitsha. The potential of community and home gardens to contribute to urban household food security and livelihoods is limited access to land and government assistance. There is a need for the City of Cape Town and the Department of Agriculture to assist and strengthen the practice of community and home gardens in Khayelitsha.

Community gardens (CGs) have been well studied in several North American cities, but less is known about them in places with emerging CG movements. There are no existing studies on CGs in Miami and the total number of CGs in Miami is unknown, but in the past five years there has been rapid increase in interest on this topic from a variety of stakeholders and organizations. To add to the empirical knowledge of CGs, the author conducted case studies on the six highest profile projects. This exploratory research consisted of 12 semi-structured interviews and analysis of government records and published documents. The findings indicate CGs are very diverse in both their locations across socio-economic areas as well as the spatial strategies of their organizers. The multiple meanings of community and the multiple scales at which CGs are organized illustrate the complexities of such projects. Although CG advocates promote them as ways to achieve community self-reliance, recent critiques have argued that CGs offer some benefits but cannot redress large-scale inequalities. Perhaps these inadequacies are due in part to assumptions that localities are produced exclusively by their residents. This study draws on geographical theory to argue that a relational approach to scale may lead to a more accurate practice and help establish CGs as permanent parts of cities. It concludes that CGs are highly complex and are not simple solutions for community development, and that more care is needed in their advocacy.

City leaders and residents are increasingly considering the need to address urban food provision. Community gardens are one aspect of the urban food system that is seeing a resurgence of popularity and support. Although not intended to replace market-based food streams or the federal food safety net, these gardens can provide many benefits to their communities besides increased food security and access to fresh produce. They can encourage community development, especially in struggling areas, by serving as tools for addressing community issues. Because they are effective uses of open space, cities should consider supporting the development of community gardens. Along with a literature review to show the potential benefits of community gardens, this report uses case study research to show the adaptability of community gardens in meeting communities’ diverse needs. Cleveland, Ohio and San Francisco, California were selected to show how community garden provision is addressed in two greatly differing cities. They provide examples of how community gardens can succeed in many types of urban environments. / text

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Food security is a challenge for most developing countries (Yahaya, 2018). In South Africa, poverty continues to be a stumbling block to food security for most of the population. Due to the socio-economic challenges plaguing the country, a large proportion of the population struggles to access sufficient food which meets dietary needs. Poverty and unemployment are the key contributory factors of food insecurity in South Africa. Against this backdrop, this study sought to investigate the perceived impact of urban agriculture on food insecurity in Khayelitsha. As a survival strategy, urban agriculture has been advocated to improve food security in most developing countries. Moya Wekhaya Peace Gardens is the study organization of this thesis. The aim of the research is (1) To investigate the extent of food insecurity in Khayelitsha; (2) To investigate the coping strategies adopted by households to be more food secure (3) To investigate the perceived impact of urban food gardens on household food security and (4) To identify challenges faced by urban farmers in Khayelitsha.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / This study focuses on the contribution of community gardens to livelihoods of participants. It was carried out among 7 community gardens in Mudavula village in Thulamela Municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The village is located in Vhembe District. The aim of this study was to assess the technical efficiency and the contribution of community gardens to the livelihoods of participants at Mudavula Village. The objectives of the study were to determine the contribution of community gardens to food security and the livelihood of Mudavula community gardens’ participants using per capita production to determine the technical efficiency of the community gardens in the village and to identify sources of improvement of the contribution of the gardens towards food security and livelihoods. The findings from the descriptive and quantitative test revealed positive and negative relationship between variables and how the constraints affect their livelihood. The results shows that there is no relationship between gender and years of education, years of education and age, family size and age, employment and gender. The estimate of technical efficiency for the irrigated crops suffers more from omitted variable bias (OVB) than the rainfed equation. The study reveals that community gardens have positive impact to the livelihood of Mudavula villagers. It is therefore recommended that the Department of Agriculture capacitate farmers through their local extension officers to help empower them and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge. Key Words: community gardens, livelihood, technical efficiency, Mudavula