Digging up the past: urban agriculture narratives in Melbourne and São Paulo

As urban agriculture becomes increasingly recognised as a contributor to nutritional and civic wellbeing, real estate developers and community associations have promoted it to advance distinct agendas. The article analyses this phenomenon in Melbourne and São Paulo, where colonial and industrial legacies have set the stage for urban agriculture’s resurgence and resulting “internal contradictions.” Developers of upmarket condominiums in both cities advertise urban agriculture as a purchasable commodity capable of recovering customers’ lost connections with nature and each other. However, the gentrifying effects of these developments deepen rather than alleviate social and environmental ills. By contrast, community projects profiled in four case studies emphasised urban agriculture’s ability to confront the long-term neglect of land, employment, and environment. We conclude that the capacity of urban agriculture to improve food systems is enhanced when proponents develop historically informed narratives that engage and inform consumers and municipal governments.