Greening Cities by Growing Food: A Political Ecology Analysis of Urban Agriculture in the Americas

Description

This book examines how urban agriculture (UA) is valued in the sustainable city. Through a comparative examination of UA projects in four cities across the Americas – Rosario, Argentina; Toronto, Canada; Medellín, Colombia; and Charlotte, USA – the book illustrates local manifestations of the socio-ecological dimensions of the global food system, and traces theoretical and empirical explanations for the impact of global political economic structures (sustainable neoliberalism) on local efforts to promote social and environmental goals through UA. The study contributes to literature on UA, sustainability, and urban geography through examining the ability of marginalized communities to compete for land on which to grow produce in contribution to their food security, livelihoods, communities, and environments, and will be of interest to UA practitioners, students, and scholars of geography, sociology, sustainability studies, environmental studies, and food studies. This project is distinctive for its global - local orientation that uses local cases to shed light on global phenomena relating to sustainability, neoliberalism, and policy mobilities. It is also important for its qualitative approach to understanding the perceived value of UA. Throughout the research, stakeholders emphasized the qualitative values of UA (such as social integration for new immigrants) that are not easily captured in statistical representations of the economic value of a given piece of urban land. As such, this book seeks to contribute to understanding about the contributions UA makes to a city beyond the food produced, and fill gaps in literature regarding the local manifestations of global policy in UA projects seeking to address both sustainability and social justice objectives. Acknowledgments Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Evolution of Urban Agricultural Practice in the Global North and South Examining Urban Agriculture Practice in the Americas Through a Political Ecology Lens Impacts of Global Political Economy on Urban Agriculture Practice Research Sites Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina Toronto, Ontario, Canada Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Organization of the Book References Chapter 2: Entanglements of Social Justice, Sustainability Governance, and Land Tenure: A Literature Review Expanding Scholarly Engagements with Urban Agriculture Urban Agriculture’s Contributions to Urban Sustainability The Role of Food Systems in Urban Sustainability Planning and Policy Social Justice in Urban Agriculture Approaches to Food Justice Pursuing Social Justice in Urban Agriculture Projects Securing Land for Urban Agriculture Constraining Land Access via Neoliberal Urban Land Policies Conclusion References Chapter 3: Promoting Market Gardens and (Re)producing Uneven Development Toward an Urban Political Ecology of Sustainable Urban Agriculture Market-Oriented Urban Agriculture Projects Growing Organic Crops for the Market in Medellín Market Potential of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Rosario Pursuing Community Economic Development in Toronto Employment Strategies in Charlotte Exclusions and Uneven Development Contributing to the City Through Urban Agriculture Entrepreneurialism? References Chapter 4: “It Is Not Just About the Food”: Integrated Qualitative Valuations of Urban Agriculture Beyond Food Production Providing Social and Cultural Value Through Fostering Community Economies, Neighborhood Place-Making, and People and Land Relationships Community Economies Social Connections and Place-Making Connecting to Land, Histories, and Traditional Knowledge Providing Environmental Value Through Food System Alternatives, Human-Nature Connections, and Education Ecosystem Services and Environmental Alternatives Human and Environmental Health Food and Agriculture Education Outcomes Valuing Urban Agriculture’s Interrelated Qualitative Contributions References Chapter 5: Stewarding the Environmental Commons Theoretical Foundations in Public Space and Environmental Commons Literature on Public Space and Environmental Commons in Urban Agriculture Productions of Lived Space in Urban Agriculture Policy Approaches to Stewarding the Commons Producing Contested Publics Through Lived Space Shifting Representations of Growing as a Collective Unsettling Public or Private Natures References Chapter 6: A Way Forward Challenges to Pursuing Social Justice via Neoliberal Sustainability Policy More Seats at the Table: Engaging Diverse Viewpoints Pursuing Systemic Change Embracing the Ever-Changing Urban Environment References Index