Ecological Civilization in Practice: An Exploratory Study of Urban Agriculture in Four Chinese Cities

Alesandros Glaros (), Geoff Luehr, Zhenzhong Si and Steffanie Scott
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Alesandros Glaros: Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Geoff Luehr: Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Zhenzhong Si: Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, ON N2L 6C2, Canada
Steffanie Scott: Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Chinese development priorities have, since 2012, been formally framed under the slogan “Ecological Civilization” (EC). Simultaneously, urban agriculture (UA) has emerged as a potential strategy to contribute to urban food security in China, in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we interrogate EC as an approach to urban and agricultural development in China and explore how EC manifests in practical terms, through a case study of urban agriculture. Over four months, we conducted on-site interviews and surveys with UA practitioners in four Chinese cities to understand how their experiences are negotiated with the state, in the context of EC. We find through our case study that capital-intensive and peri-urban approaches to UA are favoured in the context of EC, while small-scale intra-urban initiatives are actively discouraged in policy but passively accepted in practice and enforcement. This is despite all forms of UA promoting key goals for EC, including beautifying urban areas, increasing the quality of life for urban residents, and reconnecting individuals with food growing culture. Despite novel developments in innovative agricultural practices in both rural and urban contexts, the EC pathway risks overlooking grassroots initiatives and meeting local residents’ needs.

Keywords: ecological civilization; urban agriculture; food policy; exploratory study; global development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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