Local urban agriculture movements through the lens of environmental justice

Over the last years, urban agriculture (ua) has been strongly promoted in a wide variety of cities as a strategy towards greater resilience. The fast pace at which projects and ideas are copied, marks a worldwide interest in changing Western urban lifestyles. Even though ua activities are spreading on a global scale, they all take place in interaction with and responding to local needs. Moreover, ua approached as a movement covers a diversity of individuals, motivations, approaches and activities. Consequently, ua has been associated with different urban development goals, such as greening of the city, localization of the food system, and social and economic well-being. As such, local ua movements are likely to be characterized by a great diversity both within and between different movements. Despite the general (and often unquestioned) agreement of ua’s contribution to urban resilience, it is explored in this paper how the proliferation of enthusiasm for ua translates into environmentally just urban areas. It is analyzed what and who local movements are composed of and how they promise more sustainable living practices. Diversity between and within ua activities and discourses of ua movements in three different contexts (Ghent, Belgium; Warsaw, Poland; and Philadelphia, USA) are highlighted and compared. More specifically, it is questioned how these local movements address problems of inequality and accessibility. Through the lens of environmental justice, a more critical reflection identifies opportunities and barriers for ua at the community level.