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The Socio-Cultural Benefits of Urban Agriculture: A Review of the Literature

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  • Rositsa T. Ilieva

    (CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA
    CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Nevin Cohen

    (CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA
    CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Maggie Israel

    (CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Kathrin Specht

    (ILS Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development, 44135 Dortmund, Germany)

  • Runrid Fox-Kämper

    (ILS Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development, 44135 Dortmund, Germany)

  • Agnès Fargue-Lelièvre

    (AgroParisTech UMR SAD-APT, INRA–AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France)

  • Lidia Poniży

    (Department of Integrated Geography, Faculty of Human Geography and Planning, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-680 Poznan, Poland)

  • Victoria Schoen

    (Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management (CAFEM) Research, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, Hertfordshire, UK)

  • Silvio Caputo

    (Kent School of Architecture and Planning, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK)

  • Caitlin K. Kirby

    (College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

  • Benjamin Goldstein

    (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada)

  • Joshua P. Newell

    (School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Chris Blythe

    (Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, Birmingham B14 7TQ, UK)

Abstract

Despite extensive literature on the socio-cultural services of urban open spaces, the role of food-producing spaces has not received sufficient attention. This hampers advocacy for preserving and growing urban agricultural activities, often dismissed on justifications that their contributions to overall food supply are negligible. To understand how the social benefits of urban agriculture have been measured, we conducted a systematic review of 272 peer-reviewed publications, which drew on insights from urban agriculture sites in 57 different countries. Through content analysis, we investigated socio-cultural benefits in four spheres: engaged and cohesive communities, health and well-being, economic opportunities, and education. The analysis revealed growth in research on the social impacts of gardens and farms, with most studies measuring the effects on community cohesion and engagement, followed by increased availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables associated with reduced food insecurity and better health. Fewer studies assessed the impact of urban farming on educational and economic outcomes. Quantifying the multiple ways in which urban agriculture provides benefits to people will empower planners and the private sector to justify future investments. These findings are also informative for research theorizing cities as socio-ecological systems and broader efforts to measure the benefits of urban agriculture, in its many forms.

Suggested Citation

  • Rositsa T. Ilieva & Nevin Cohen & Maggie Israel & Kathrin Specht & Runrid Fox-Kämper & Agnès Fargue-Lelièvre & Lidia Poniży & Victoria Schoen & Silvio Caputo & Caitlin K. Kirby & Benjamin Goldstein & , 2022. "The Socio-Cultural Benefits of Urban Agriculture: A Review of the Literature," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:5:p:622-:d:800387
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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