The role of community gardens in urban agriculture

Urban Agriculture involves the production of food in space that is within and immediately surrounding cities. There are many motivations for this kind of production. These encompass environmental advantages (reducing 'food miles' and the impact of 'urban heat islands'), social benefits (increasing food security and agricultural education of city-dwellers), and human health perks (eating fresher, often organically grown, seasonal food). Current food systems involve many organizations who operate at different scales of production and in different geographic locations. In many developed countries this is dominated by supermarkets and the food service sector who source products globally. However, there are many initiatives working towards increasing local food production and distribution to complement these global food networks. Community gardens are one such activity. They provide many benefits, particularly in the social arena of increased interactions in neighbourhoods. However, to prosper there are many barriers that they must overcome, including negative attitudes towards gardening from some of members of society, the market domination by large agricultural producers, food processors and retail supermarkets, and unsupportive government policies.