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Title Social perception of urban agriculture in Latin-America. A case study in Mexican social housing
ID_Doc 19813
Authors Nadal, A; Cerón-Palma, I; García-Gómez, C; Pérez-Sánchez, M; Rodríguez-Labajos, B; Cuerva, E; Josa, A; Rieradevall, J
Title Social perception of urban agriculture in Latin-America. A case study in Mexican social housing
Year 2018
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.02.055
Abstract Food security is at the heart of governmental agendas of developing countries. In Latin America, urban agriculture (UA) offers an interesting alternative to ensuring a sufficient, safe and nutritious food supply for urban populations. However, Latin American cities have been subject to radical transformations in the last decades, most apparently through the expansion of social housing. The main objective of this research is to analyze the social perceptions and feasibility of UA in Mexican social housing neighborhoods. The Merida city was used as a representative case study. Structured interviews were given to 65 key stakeholders across different categories (residents, urban government officials and technical experts). The results indicate a nonexistent perception of UA in Merida, despite the secular agricultural tradition of the Yucatan region. Nevertheless, respondents agreed in their interest in potentially developing UA activities to improve diets, increase green areas, support local economies, and reduce CO2 emissions. The main perceived barriers for UA are the prevalent model of housing, with a very limited floor area, and the current approach to urban planning, which lacks non-built-up areas. Significantly, large artificialized zones create suitable areas to implement UA on extended rooftops. Finally, stakeholders demand the intervention of authorities at different levels (Federal [national], State [regional] and local) as a requirement to develop UA properly. The main pathways for this support should be to prepare new urban and housing policies and introduce economic incentives.
Author Keywords Food security; Green rooftop; Stakeholders survey; Urban planning; Merida; Yucatan
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:000435619900068
WoS Category Environmental Studies
Research Area Environmental Sciences & Ecology
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