E-conference on Urban AgricultureResearch/Planning/Implementation etc.

S* G*

There's an E-conference on Appropriate methods for
Urban Agriculture Research, Policy development, Planning, Implementation and
Evaluation. (4 - 15 February 2002)

There are summary papers for each of the six topics which will be discussed
which are very helpful in summarizing the current info available.  I discovered
items in the bibliographies which I had not come across before as well as
references to classics in the fields.

People can participate in English, French or Spanish.

Below, I have included a list of the six topics along with a paragraph 
about what
is included in that topic/paper.  A person may participate in one or more 
of the topics.

Info and registration at :

http://www.ruaf.org/conference

Sharon
gordonse@one.net

Topic 1:
"Methodologies for Situation Analysis in Urban Agriculture"
By Adrienne Martin, Sabine Guendel and Nicoliene Oudwater
Livelihoods and Institutions Group, Natural Resources Institute, University 
of Greenwich. United Kingdom
The paper considers methods that can be used to analyse the existence and 
characteristics of different UA systems, their productivity and the 
technologies applied, the type of producers and clients of each UA system 
and their needs/priorities, market channels, backward and forward linkages 
and external services, use of soil/water/waste resources, negative 
environmental and health impacts experienced, etc.

Topic 2:
"Appropriate Methodologies for Development of a Facilitating Framework for 
Planning and Policy in Urban Agriculture"
By Marielle Dubbeling
IPES / Urban Management Programme (UMP-LAC/UNCHS-HABITAT), Quito, Ecuador
This paper concentrates on methods that are suited for a participatory and 
‘early implementation’ approach to policy formulation and planning It will 
include: stakeholder analysis, building of platforms for exchange of 
knowledge, negotiation and joint planning of priority action plans, 
participatory budgeting, mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation and 
concerted action; forms of public-private partnerships; flexible, dynamic, 
interactive planning; institutional aspects (mandates, coordination, 
budgetary considerations).

Topic 3:
"Technical Tools for Urban Land Use Planning"
By Axel Drescher
University of Freiburg, Germany
In spite of ongoing research on urban agriculture, in most of the world’s 
cities, little is known about the actual extent of urban agriculture in 
inner city areas. Also, little is known about the spatial distribution of 
urban agriculture in the cities.
Many questions arise: Where do urban agricultural activities concentrate 
and why, who is involved, what kinds of crops are grown and by which groups 
of city dwellers, what is the contribution of the product to nutrition and 
food security, which kinds of soils are occupied, how is water availability 
and quality, what is the distance to markets?
An important and so far in many countries unsolved problem are appropriate 
methodologies to integrate agricultural activities in cities into urban 
planning processes.

Topic 4:
"Appropriate methods for technology development in urban agriculture"
By Safiétou T. Fall1 and Henk de Zeeuw2
1 ISRA, Senegal
2 ETC-RUAF, the Netherlands
This paper focuses on participatory methods for technology development and 
diffusion in urban agriculture, including use of multiple sources of 
knowledge in the identification and screening of promising technologies, 
the development, participatory testing and adaptation of the most promising 
technologies under local urban farming conditions, use of adult education 
techniques in technology evaluation, participatory diffusion of the results 
of the technology development and adaptation process; public-private 
partnerships in technology development and diffusion in urban agriculture.

Topic 5:
"Methods for Monitoring and Evaluation and its adaptation to urban and 
peri-urban agriculture"
Dindo Campilan1, Pay Drechsel2, and Daniel Jöcker3
1CIP-UPWARD, Manila, Philippines
2IWMI Ghana Office, Kumasi, Ghana
3University of Konstanz, Dept. of Politics and Management, Germany
This paper focuses on frameworks, methods and tools to monitor and evaluate 
urban agriculture related projects and interventions as well as of the 
general or specific impacts of urban agriculture on food security and 
nutrition, health, income, employment and urban ecology. We are looking for 
case studies of conventional and participatory M&E approaches with emphasis 
on the adaptation of M&E and its indicators to the specific context and 
dynamic of urban agriculture.

Topic 6:
"Methods for Microenterprise Development in Urban Agriculture"
By Robert J. Holmer
Xavier University College of Agriculture, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
Methods discussed in this paper relate to the analysis and strengthening of 
micro-enterprises in urban agriculture and marketing of urban agriculture 
products. This includes methods for analysis of consumers demands (food and 
non-food products), marketing channels and flows and their characteristics, 
assessment of the linkages between micro-enterprises involved in urban 
agriculture, methods to their access to credit, technical advice, labour, 
marketing information and other services; Analysis of strengths and 
weaknesses of existing micro and small enterprises related to urban 
agriculture and methods to improve actual management practices and 
efficiency in small scale enterprises involved in input supply, food 
processing and marketing in order to meet market demands.

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