Blooming communities - A case study exploring community gardening practices and social inclusion in Oxford, UK

Abstract

By providing green spaces for recreation and value formation, sustainable food production, social capital as well as education and skills training, urban community gardens have the potential to contribute to a just and sustainable food culture in cities. The community garden OxGrow in Oxford, UK is one such initiative striving for the creation of a food system that promotes environmental and social justice. However, like many other urban farming organisations worldwide, OxGrow struggles with social inclusion and participation of people living in low-income and food poor neighbourhoods. This reflects common issues around food justice and urban socio-economic disparities among Oxford’s communities, including inequalities in access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food. While previous studies have shown that urban community gardens have the potential to combat food poverty, little is known about the exclusionary dynamics of their establishment and how such initiatives can address structural challenges of participation. By applying Social Practice Theory to the case, the study aims to shed light on the material systems of provision as well as social and cultural conditions that shape participation at OxGrow. The theoretical framework explores how practices are recruited, reproduced and diffused based on the elements of materials, competences and meaning as well as the assessment of networks and spaces. During the case study conducted in Oxford, focus group discussions and interviews with community gardening practitioners at OxGrow, citizens living in low-income and food poor neighbourhoods as well as experts on urban farming and food poverty were conducted. The analysis showed that the practice of community gardening can only be moved by also focusing on the elements of related practice bundles. Materials, competences and meaning of food practices, leisure activities and political activism need to be targeted in order for people to value community gardening practice as an activity that builds a healthy, sustainable and communal food culture. Furthermore, the meaning element of community gardening needs to be moved by creating awareness of the practice and its benefits. Material constraints such as distance to OxGrow and limited time resources are crucial factors to consider while designing appropriate interventions. Furthermore, it was found that exclusionary dynamics are reinforced in networks and spaces, as they do not reach communities affected by food poverty. In order to make community gardening practices travel, practice carriers need to move the elements to yet excluded spaces. In the wake of the results, this study includes recommendations given to OxGrow and the wider urban farming network in Oxford.