Right to Food in Community Gardens (LITES - Legal Issues in Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies)

This book investigates the urban crises of food insecurity and vacant land by examining how community gardens in Berlin and Rio de Janeiro serve as vital mechanisms for realizing the human right to food. Through a comparative study conducted between 2019 and 2023 involving 40 participants, the research explores urban commons’ practices and how they address dimensions of food availability, accessibility, acceptability, and sustainability. The findings reveal distinct motivations and effects shaped by local socioeconomic contexts: while Berlin’s gardens are primarily driven by socialization and environmental concerns, Rio de Janeiro’s gardens focus on food security and social empowerment. Despite the differences, both cities demonstrate a shared commitment to agroecological production as a tool for urban resilience. Ultimately, the study confirms that urban food-sharing practices in these spaces advance the right to food across various dimensions, highlighting the urgent need for urban governance that protects community gardens to foster a global social-ecological transformation.