Community gardens: sustainability, health and inclusion in the city

Abstract

Food-producing community gardens have taken various forms over the past two centuries and have fulfilled a variety of roles. As we grapple with issues of food security, the use of biotechnology and artificial chemicals in agriculture, rising food prices and the environmental costs of growing and distributing food, the different functions of community gardens are coming under increasing attention. This issue of Local Environment is based on papers first delivered at a National Community Garden Conference in Canberra, Australia. The range of papers explores the key themes that emerged from the conference and deepens our knowledge of community gardens in both theory and practice. In particular, conference participants addressed various aspects of community gardening that centred on issues of sustainability, health and inclusion for urban dwellers.

Keywords:

• community gardens
• urban agriculture
• sustainability
• local food

Acknowledgements

As previously mentioned, this special issue emerged out of a conference on Sustainability, Health and Inclusion in the City through Community Gardens that was held on 7–8 October 2010 at the University of Canberra in Australia. The authors of this editorial would like to thank all those who contributed to the presentations, workshops and discussions held at this conference. These enriched the written inheritance upon which many of the ideas developed in the articles for this Special Issue are based. We thank our special keynote presenters for their rich and diverse contributions: Costa Georgiadis, Myles Bremner, Andre Leu, Senator Christine Milne, Neil Savery and Keith Colls. Thanks also to Bob Evans for his support and assistance in making this issue a reality. Finally, we would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by our supporters: University of Canberra, ACT Government through their Environment Grants, Canberra Organic Growers Society and ACT Land Development Agency.