Evidence for the growing of food within the social structures of cities can be found throughout recorded history.
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As societies and cities have changed, so too has the role of urban farming and food production � particularly when much of the world's population, especially those in developed nations, participates in an efficient global system of food production and distribution.
In richer countries, urban and peri-urban food production, whether through community gardens in the US or allotment gardens in Europe, is viewed primarily as a desirable addition to the global corporate food network. In developing nations urban agriculture maintains its importance as a source of meat, fruit and vegetables for those lacking the access and income to participate in the global food economy.
Whether practiced in rich or poor nations, certain forms of urban agriculture display a social organisation that focuses on creating stronger urban communities. These activities reflect a grassroots understanding of local needs and skills, and link this to a complimentary understanding of the multiple functions of urban agriculture in a way that, when successful, grants participants a sense of shared accomplishment in how the methods and results of food production and distribution translate into something more encompassing. We call such activities community-based urban agriculture (CBUA).
The thesis of the chapter is that urban agriculture, as a community-driven and community-managed activity, makes significant direct and indirect contributions to urban residents and urban regions. These contributions are similar to the targeted goals of place-based community development as set by national, sub-national and local governments, foundations, and international and local aid agencies.
But instead of seeing the members of an urban community as the object of technical development planning, CBUA is a vehicle for a more grassroots form of community development; one that grants its practitioners a sense of inclusion, dignity and accomplishment that might not occur through standard community development practice.