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The Promise of Urban Agriculture: National Study of Commercial Farming in Urban Areas

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  • Rangarajan, Anu
  • Riordan, Molly

Abstract

Excerpts from the Executive Summary: Urban and peri-urban farms have proliferated around the United States in the past decades. Although considerable attention has been paid to the impact of this emerging farm sector on social indicators, such as fresh food access, youth engagement, community development, and educational attainment, far less attention has been paid in the research literature to the economic and commercial promise of urban-based agriculture. Nevertheless, despite the high risks and narrow profit margins often associated with growing and selling farm products, some urban farms have managed to develop successful business strategies that merge economic objectives and social mission in a profitable manner. Our purpose in conducting this study was to investigate the commercial promise of urban-based agriculture and uncover those specific urban farm characteristics that seem to be linked most closely to long-term survivability and growth. The study posits that urban farms have the potential to be commercially viable and economically self-sufficient, while offering a multitude of quality of life benefits for community residents, which may include: economic security and sustainability; empowerment of small business owners and entrepreneurs; access to employment opportunities, job training, and skill development; expanded access to nutritious food; community beautification and safety; and greater opportunities for interpersonal connection.

Suggested Citation

  • Rangarajan, Anu & Riordan, Molly, 2019. "The Promise of Urban Agriculture: National Study of Commercial Farming in Urban Areas," Analysis 320850, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation and Marketing Program.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uamstr:320850
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.320850
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    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/320850/files/PromiseUrbanAg.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. MacDonald, James M. & Korb, Penelope J. & Hoppe, Robert A., 2007. "Experience Counts: Farm Business Survival in the U.S," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, pages 1-6, April.
    2. Catarina Passidomo, 2014. "Whose right to (farm) the city? Race and food justice activism in post-Katrina New Orleans," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(3), pages 385-396, September.
    3. Bolund, Per & Hunhammar, Sven, 1999. "Ecosystem services in urban areas," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 293-301, May.
    4. Peredo, Ana María & McLean, Murdith, 2006. "Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 56-65, February.
    5. Ioan Voicu & Vicki Been, 2008. "The Effect of Community Gardens on Neighboring Property Values," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 36(2), pages 241-283, June.
    6. Daniel Block & Noel Chávez & Erika Allen & Dinah Ramirez, 2012. "Food sovereignty, urban food access, and food activism: contemplating the connections through examples from Chicago," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(2), pages 203-215, June.
    7. Campbell, Benjamin L. & Khachatryan, Hayk & Behe, Bridget K. & Dennis, Jennifer & Hall, Charles, 2014. "U.S. and Canadian Consumer Perception of Local and Organic Terminology," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 17(2), pages 1-20, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Garrett M. Broad & Wythe Marschall & Maya Ezzeddine, 2022. "Perceptions of high-tech controlled environment agriculture among local food consumers: using interviews to explore sense-making and connections to good food," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 417-433, March.
    2. Dohlman, Erik & Maguire, Karen & Davis, Wilma V. & Husby, Megan & Bovay, John & Weber, Catharine & Lee, Yoonjung, 2024. "Trends, Insights, and Future Prospects for Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture and Agrivoltaics Systems," Economic Information Bulletin 340508, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

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