Barriers to Urban Food Production: Perspectives of Urban Food Producers

Abstract

Locally grown food systems in urban areas is globally important for numerous reasons such as food security, nutrition, financial well-being, and solutions to the many complex issues observed in areas with increasing populations. An understanding of the barriers to urban food production is needed because, if not addressed properly, they may lead to severe threats in urban communities such as food insecurity and poverty. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the barriers associated with urban food production. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. to collect data. Rules and regulations from city ordinances were perceived as the greatest barrier to urban food production. Negative perception towards farming, lack of marketing options, and resource scarcity were also identified as strong barriers to urban food production. Revisiting city ordinances, creating more market options for urban food producers, and directing programs, networks, organizations, and responsible people towards urban farming are recommended to eliminate barriers to urban food production. International agricultural and extension educators may consult the barriers identified in this study and use the findings as a starting point from which to support urban food production. Keywords: urban extension; urban food production; food production barriers

A profile of urban agricultural growers, organizations, their needs, and challenges in the Northeastern United States

“…Urban growers face diverse barriers and challenges, some unique to the urban operating environment and others found across agriculture in general, including finding access to credit and financing, labor, information on how to start a business, a balance earning a living wage for themselves and employees with selling affordable food, and information about food safety compliance. The most ubiquitous barriers and challenges reported by respondents from all types of organizations, regardless of their tax status, were related to availability of land and long-term access in urban areas, which has similarly been reported in other studies [10,30]. Even though most respondents reported their long-term access to their current property as relatively secure, respondents from all organizations, except for-profits, still listed this as one of their top three barriers or challenges and expressed concerns about continuing access.…”

“…However, expansion faces several social, economic, and environmental challenges [ 9 ]. Urban agriculture initiatives may suffer from a lack of community, academic, and government support due, in part, to the perception that agricultural production is incommensurate with city life, its small scale, and its often non-commodified nature because it occurs in backyards and community gardens [ 10 ]. The exchange value of vacant land often trumps its use value for food production, limiting access as municipalities hold land for ‘higher and better use’ [ 11 ].…”

Exploring the needs of urban producers in a rural state: A qualitative needs assessment

“…Urban agriculture and local food production play an important role in community food systems by providing nutrition, increased food access, green infrastructure, economic development opportunities, urban environment resiliency, and social and cultural identity enhancement for community members (Ackerman et al, 2014;Fricano & Davis, 2020;Jones et al, 2021;Kopiyawattage et al, 2019). For cities in the United States, the primary drivers of urban agriculture include food security, local food system development, health and nutrition, food waste reduction, social justice, and environmental sustainability (Bellows et al, 2010;Reynolds, 2011;Rogus & Dimitri, 2015;Stevenson et al, 2007;Surls et al, 2015).…”