Urban agriculture is transforming cities across Brazil by strengthening public health, food security and environmental justice. Over an 18-month period starting in 2022, action research in six metropolitan areas uncovered the powerful role of agroecological networks in shaping healthier, more sustainable urban spaces and communities.
By mapping key urban agriculture initiatives led by civil society in Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Vitória, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Florianópolis, our aim was to reach a broader understanding of urban agriculture in Brazil, especially its connection to health. At the same time, we wanted to highlight how farmers, collectives and social movements are influencing public policies, reclaiming the right to the city, and promoting gender and racial equity.
The study was led by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in partnership with the National Collective of Urban Agriculture, which is part of the National Coalition for Agroecology in Brazil (ANA). It revealed that urban farming improves health outcomes, fosters community resilience, and strengthens ties between food production and wellbeing.
Rivers of Time: a collective memory of urban agriculture movements
To bring to life the histories of urban agriculture groups, collectives and advocates at both the national and regional levels, an immersive and collectively-developed methodology called Rivers of Time was employed. This approach, sometimes referred to as ‘Rivers of Life’, is widely embraced by Brazil’s agroecology movement. It enables communities to collectively reconstruct their histories, blending chronological timelines with oral narratives to foster deep reflection and critical analysis.
Participants mapped their collective journey, identifying key moments that shaped their movements
A national workshop with members of the National Collective of Urban Agriculture took place virtually, along with six in-person workshops across different regions. Using water-related metaphors, participants mapped their collective journey, identifying key moments that shaped their movements. For example, ‘source’ represented the origins of the movement, ‘rocks’ represented the challenges and obstacles encountered along the way; ‘droughts’ represented times of decline and resource scarcity; and the ‘ocean’ symbolised achievements and the evolving destination.
The mapping was carried out by 165 urban agriculture collectives, mostly led by women, Black people, and people from the periphery. Together, they identified 435 significant historical milestones, culminating in the construction of seven territorialised Rivers of Time. Each River of Time was printed on a large scale and distributed to its respective collective, serving as a powerful advocacy and organising tool. The Rivers workshops not only provided more visibility to urban agricultures but also turned into places for gathering, for celebrating the various trajectories, and for recognising the importance of the people and groups that are the protagonists of urban agriculture in Brazil. As this process unfolded right after the pandemic, the celebrations felt very significant.
The following urban agriculture networks were involved in the Rivers of Time:
- Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro Urban Agriculture Network (Rede CAU), Sustainable Favelas Network, Fitovida Network, West Zone Solidarity Network
- Recife: Articulation of Agroecology and Urban and Periurban Agriculture of the Metropolitan Region of Recife (AUP-RMR)
- Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais): Metropolitan Articulation of Urban Agriculture (Amau), Agroecological Horizons Association
- Vitória: Capixaba Urban Agroecology Network (Ruca)
- São Paulo: Network of Peripheral Agroecological Women Farmers from São Paulo (Rappa)
- Florianópolis: Semear Network
- National Collective of Urban Agriculture (CNAU)
The collectives’ milestones were examined through three thematic lenses: health, race and gender; the right to the city; and environmental justice. The process revealed the historical role of urban agricultures in promoting ways they have been meaningful for civil society. These include the expression of cultural and ancestral practices, the provision of ways to seek food and nutritional sovereignty and security, the supply of income sources, as tools in the struggle for rights and, importantly, as a means to improve physical and mental health.
Herbal medicine initiatives have been linked to the country’s publicly funded Unified Health System and have led to municipal laws that recognise ‘living pharmacies’
In the metropolitan region of Recife, for example, urban agriculture is led by racialised women and often related to popular medicine, medicinal plants and education. Here, the fight for the legalisation and medicinal use of locally grown cannabis is also organised by a group of mothers. And in the metropolitan region of Vitória, herbal medicine initiatives have been linked to the country’s publicly funded Unified Health System and have led to municipal laws that recognise ‘living pharmacies’ and a Municipal Policy for Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicines. In Florianópolis, composting processes in urban farming are a form of solid waste management, contributing to sanitation and health.
Additionally, health professionals who are also part of Rede Semear, a local urban agriculture collective, are actively involved with the 45 garden initiatives of Florianópolis’ public health units. Finally, the national urban agriculture River of Time (Figure 1) demonstrates how public policies in Brazil aimed at urban agriculture are strongly driven by the promotion of food and nutritional security and health.
A deep dive into existing maps
In parallel, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of existing territorial mapping of urban agriculture. Many urban agriculture collectives contributed their own research data, much of it previously unpublished. Additional data sources included public institutions and academic studies. The final database consolidated 13 different mapping projects and documented 2,345 active urban agriculture initiatives in the six metropolitan areas involved in the research. This unification of data has created a valuable resource for urban agriculture advocacy and policy development.
These deep dives into the existing mapping efforts of the six metropolitan regions helped local agroecological urban agriculture collectives, research institutions and local governments to better understand the state of urban agriculture in Brazil.
It is a dynamic political movement for collective health, shaped by diverse knowledge systems and social struggles
For example, the leadership of women and non-white people in urban agriculture development became apparent. We also found that, beyond presenting an overview and an analysis, some mapping initiatives enhanced territorialised actions, such as collaboration between initiatives, the exchange of seeds and products among farmers, and improved commercialisation. Finally, the importance of urban agriculture experiences in a period of health, economic and food crisis was highlighted as the mapping by local urban agriculture collectives took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through this dual approach – honouring lived experiences with the Rivers of Time methodology and grounding the work in rigorous data mapping – our group built a dynamic and collective memory of urban agriculture movements in the country, strengthening their impact and giving visibility to how they are connecting fundamental dimensions of collective health.
Urban agricultures: Cultivating health, justice and transformation
As our study clearly showed, urban agriculture is more than a set of farming practices – it is a dynamic political movement for collective health, shaped by diverse knowledge systems and social struggles. Our research uncovered a vast array of urban farming initiatives, many deeply rooted in the emancipation of marginalised communities. To honour this diversity, we embrace the term ‘urban agricultures’, recognising the multiple ways people cultivate, resist and reimagine city spaces.
Yet, not all approaches to urban farming are equal. Some mainstream perspectives reduce it to a mere technological fix, sidestepping the many ways in which it can address deeper structural inequalities. In contrast, agroecological urban agriculture embraces Indigenous, Afro-diasporic and peasant knowledge systems, foregrounding the leadership of women, youth and grassroots movements. These actors reclaim urban spaces as sites to promote life, solidarity and health.
Urban agriculture is also a force for cultural renewal, helping to reconstruct identities and reclaim ancestral knowledge. Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and peasant traditions infuse urban agroecology with critical lessons for climate resilience and environmental justice, through knowledge about caring for the land, cultivating crops, and preparing food and medicine in alignment with the rituals and celebrations of life. These stories also highlight the different ways in which communities understand health and organise themselves to address their health issues. They remind us that urban agriculture is not just about growing food – it’s about growing movements, strengthening communities, and transforming the very fabric of our cities.
One of our most powerful findings is the central role of Black and marginalised women in urban agriculture
One of our most powerful findings is the central role of Black and marginalised women in urban agriculture. Their work goes beyond food production; it fosters political empowerment, self-esteem and financial autonomy. It also contributes to women’s mental health through their contact with the land and the strengthening of networks for social support. However, it is important to note that despite their leadership, these women remain largely excluded from key decision-making spaces in public policy.
In summary, through the Rivers of Time methodology and deep engagement with urban agriculture networks, this initiative generated valuable insights that not only inform research but also drive action. We identified three key ways that urban agriculture strengthens health and wellbeing:
- Food and nutrition: Advancing food sovereignty and security through local, pesticide-free production.
- Environmental quality and sanitation: Restoring urban ecosystems through composting and green infrastructure.
- Health and wellbeing: Enhancing mental health, preserving traditional medicine and fostering collaborations with Brazil’s Unified Health System and integrative health practices.
Nonetheless, significant barriers remain:
- Lack of visibility and recognition.
- Limited access to public policies and markets.
- Legal insecurity regarding land access.
- Persistent denial of fundamental rights like housing, sanitation, transportation and healthcare.
We currently have an important opportunity to strengthen urban agroecology. With the approval of Brazil’s National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Programme and Policy in 2024, the potential exists to elevate urban agriculture as a cornerstone of sustainable and just food systems and collective health. The insights from this study offer clear priorities for action – ensuring that urban agriculture not only thrives but that it also drives possibilities for transformation towards people’s health and wellbeing, and more equitable, resilient and agroecological cities.
Authors: Lorena Portela Soares is the coordinator of the Agroecological Urban Agriculture and Health Promotion project at the Health and Agroecology Agenda – Vice-Presidency of Environment, Care, and Health Promotion/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (VPAAPS/Fiocruz). Karine Pereira de Freitas, Priscila Seoldo Marques and Daniela Adil Oliveira de Almeidaare are researchers in the same project. Contact: lorena.soares@fiocruz.br
Contributions to this article were made by other members of the research team: Douglas Rafael Lopes Reis, André Campos Burigo, André Ruoppolo Biazoti, Ione Duarte Pereira, Jackline Gomes da Silva, Luana de Brito, Luisa Alburqueque Ferrer, Marília Escanhoela Cucolicchio, Maysa Mathias Alves Pereira, Natália Almeida Souza and Vivian Delfino Motta.
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This article is part of Issue 2-2025: Cultivating health and healing
