Since before departing for Barcelona, the future of my current project has been slightly unclear, but we have a general focus and are exploring our options. Today, we had our first meeting with the entire team since arriving, in which I presented my current exploration findings. In general, my project is set to expand off of a former University of Toledo student’s master’s thesis, which explored the environmental impacts of implementing urban agriculture in Toledo, Ohio. My prior research experience has dealt with translating environmental impacts into social and economic terms, and accounting for not only the costs, but also the benefits of agriculture. The intention with this current project is to apply my prior experience to this former student’s work.
How do we assess the impacts on a city from a major implementation of urban agriculture? Not to mention, how do we assess them when there are so many—both positive and negative—to consider?
In search of a potential central indicator, my task this past week has been to explore the needs of Toledo. Specifically, my researching has led me to food sovereignty, current urban garden initiatives, and how these two are intertwined. Lucas County, in which Toledo resides, is among the most food insecure counties in Ohio. It also has a wealth of urban gardens which came into existence specifically to address community food needs. Can implementing urban gardening across the city enhance the well-being of the people of Toledo? Here’s to finding out!
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