PhD defence

Grow, share or buy? Understanding diverse food economies of urban gardeners

PhD candidate dr. L (Lucie) Sovová
Promotor prof.dr.ir. JSC (Han) Wiskerke
Co-promotor Esther dr. EJ (Esther) Veen
External copromotor dr P Jehlicka
Organisation Wageningen University, Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS), Rural Sociology
Date

Tue 13 October 2020 13:30 to 15:00

Venue

Summary:

How do urban gardens work as sources of food? That is, in a nutshell, the central question of this thesis. Urban gardening and other food alternatives have received growing attention in relation to issues such as food quality and the environmental impacts of food production. However, we know little about how urban gardens actually provide food. In order to answer this question, I conducted an in-depth study of 27 gardening households in Brno, Czechia, exploring the long and lively tradition of gardening in Central and Eastern Europe. I investigated how much food gardeners produce in their plots, how they think of this practice and how it relates to other ways of obtaining food such as shopping. The results reveal that several practices facilitate food self-provisioning, such as food sharing or preserve making. I conclude that urban gardens play a central role in gardeners’ food supply, influencing eating as well as shopping habits in all four seasons.