What Drives Support for Urban Agriculture?

When we talk about agriculture, we’re not always talking about farms in the countryside. Food production is also happening within our cities, and University of Florida researchers wanted to know what gets people interested and involved.

Urban agriculture can include community and school gardens, rooftop farms and gardens, and other spaces used to grow food within urban areas.

UF/IFAS researchers surveyed one thousand South Florida adults and found the reasons people buy local food, volunteer or otherwise support urban agriculture aren’t necessarily the same.

People with a strong sense of community were more likely to donate. Those with hands-on gardening experience or familiarity with urban agriculture projects were more likely to participate. Meanwhile, buying locally grown products and supporting urban agriculture policies were most strongly tied to a sense of shared responsibility for healthier, more sustainable communities.

Researchers also found interest in urban agriculture has generally increased over the past decade, especially since the pandemic.

The study suggests there’s no single way to build that interest. Different experiences and motivations shape how people choose to get involved.