Whose Urban Forest? The Political Ecology of Foraging Urban Nontimber Forest Products

Hurley, Patrick T.; Emery, Marla R.; McLain, Rebecca J.; Poe, Melissa R.; Grabbatin, Brain; Goetcheus, Cari

doi:10.1017/cbo9781139923316.014

Cited by 31 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Foragers find plant materials and fungi of interest to them in city parks, institutional campuses, street tree planting areas, remnant urban woodlots, vacant lots, cemeteries, transportation and other infrastructure rights-of-way, residential yards, and allotment gardens [11,13,[38][39][40]. Interviews with foragers about their typical practices have detailed the importance of having access to a wide diversity of forest, shrub, and understory plants, including wild and native species, ornamental plantings, ruderal species, and spontaneous vegetation [4,11,26,[38][39][40]. These different sites and species are well documented in the US, with a range of examples, such as: foragers in Seattle sourcing edible, medicinal, and craft-related species in parks; mulberries and ginkgo berries harvested from street trees and edible mushrooms from street tree pits in New York City [39]; foragers in inner city Philadelphia locating dandelions and other greens for their use in everyday meals from cemeteries, alleyways, and neighbours' yards; and foragers in suburban Philadelphia harvesting service berries from the ornamental plantings of new housing developments and around public buildings [39].…”

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interviews with foragers about their typical practices have detailed the importance of having access to a wide diversity of forest, shrub, and understory plants, including wild and native species, ornamental plantings, ruderal species, and spontaneous vegetation [4,11,26,[38][39][40]. These different sites and species are well documented in the US, with a range of examples, such as: foragers in Seattle sourcing edible, medicinal, and craft-related species in parks; mulberries and ginkgo berries harvested from street trees and edible mushrooms from street tree pits in New York City [39]; foragers in inner city Philadelphia locating dandelions and other greens for their use in everyday meals from cemeteries, alleyways, and neighbours' yards; and foragers in suburban Philadelphia harvesting service berries from the ornamental plantings of new housing developments and around public buildings [39]. In Syracuse, New York in the US, an immigrant group whose urban garden was vandalised and crops destroyed foraged "weeds" from nearby vacant lots, thereby ensuring their families were able to meet critical short-term food needs.…”

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the US, for example, parks in New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle are among the most frequently mentioned foraging sites [39]. This includes large, iconic parks, as well as small neighbourhood greenspaces.…”

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interviews with foragers in Philadelphia and New York City suggest that parks facilitate group-oriented foraging practices and associated learning through organised group educational hikes [39]. Foraging tours have become a regular, if unauthorised, feature in several New York City parks, with individuals who have written field guides or developed other educational materials leading guided walks of edible and useful species.…”

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research

et al. 2017

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Abstract:Although hardly noticed or formally recognised, urban foraging by humans probably occurs in all urban settings around the world. We draw from research in India, South Africa, Sweden, and the United States to demonstrate the ubiquity and varied nature of urban foraging in different contexts. Across these different contexts, we distil seven themes that characterise and thereby advance thinking about research and the understanding of urban foraging. We show that it is widespread and occurs across a variety of urban spaces and places. The species used and the local practices vary between contexts, and are in constant flux as urban ecological and social settings change. This requires that urban foragers are knowledgeable about diverse species, harvest locations, and rights of access, and that their practices are adaptable to changing contexts. Despite its ubiquity, most cities have some forms of regulations that prohibit or discourage urban foraging. We highlight a few important exceptions that can provide prototypes and lessons for other cities regarding supportive policy frameworks and initiatives. The formulation of dynamic policy, design, and management strategies in support of urban foraging will benefit from understanding the common characteristics of foraging in cities worldwide, but also will require comprehension of the specific and dynamic contexts in which they would be implemented.

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Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 2: Urban Foraging Occurs Across the Full Range Of Urbamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research

et al. 2017

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Fruits of the city: The nature, nurture and future of urban foraging

Sardeshpande

Shackleton

2023

People and Nature

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Urban foraging is a global informal phenomenon which has been investigated in the Global North more than other parts of the world. Characterising the nature of urban foraging in the Global South is imperative given the rapid urbanisation and sustainable development priorities in the region. In this study, we interviewed 80 urban foragers in four cities in the eastern coastal region of South Africa, with an aim to understand the nature of urban foraging in a developing nation context. We asked foragers about their initiation to and motivations for foraging, their logistics, yields and associated activities, descriptions of their foraging grounds, and if and how they had changed, and what they envisage as an ideal future for foraging. Many foragers started foraging in their childhood, in the company of friends and family, and, as in the Global North, regarded it as a cultural and recreational activity. Foraging was mostly done within a 5‐km radius of home, on a weekly or fortnightly basis, and very few foragers processed or sold their foraged products. Unlike the Global North, formal green spaces were not foraged in, and were perceived to be poorly provisioned in urban planning. Forests and roadsides were equally used by the foragers, and very few had been discouraged from foraging. Most foragers were enthusiastic about the possibility of more people foraging, having designated spaces for foraging, and foraging‐based businesses such as processed products and ecotourism. We recommend that policymakers and land managers recognise and encourage foraging as a potentially sustainable use for stewardship of urban green spaces. To this end, we list the main wild edible fruit species used by foragers in the area, which could be planted in public spaces. We also suggest harnessing foragers' knowledge of useful species and spaces to develop green spaces and foraging‐based supply chains. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Ecosystem Provisioning Services in Global South Cities

Shackleton

2021

Cities and Nature

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Whose Urban Forest? The Political Ecology of Foraging Urban Nontimber Forest Products

Cited by 31 publications

References 44 publications

Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research

Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research

Fruits of the city: The nature, nurture and future of urban foraging

Ecosystem Provisioning Services in Global South Cities

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