Forestry alumni and current researchers contribute to Urban Foraging in the Changing World publication
Urban Foraging in the Changing World edited by Shalini Dhyani and Mallika Sardeshpande brings together theoretical, experiential, and creative perspectives on the phenomenon of urban foraging in which authors from various disciplines and geographies provide a collection which invites readers to envisage scenarios that are desirable and achievable. It is of special interest to those working in urban and landscape planning, social-ecological systems, non-government organizations, municipal and development corporations, and the environment.
Forestry alum Sivajanani Sivarajah and Sadia Butt along with current Post Doctoral Fellow Md Abdul Halim and PhD Imrul Kayes contributed their own chapter: Encountering the Hidden Bounty of the Urban Forest: Community Foraging Practices and Policies in Canada.
Abstract
Urban foraging research has been growing in the past two decades. Likewise, trends in social practice are moving towards connecting with nature through activities that include urban foraging. While the global urban population increases, it brings into focus on food security issues and practices such as foraging are seen as one possible mitigation strategy to provide local, accessible food. In this chapter, we highlight the growing phenomenon of urban foraging globally and provide an overview of Canada’s current status and practices. Firstly, using grey literature, we unpack and synthesize existing urban foraging practices, and the status of legislative frameworks and by-laws that restrict the use of urban foraging across 16 Canadian municipalities (larger than 100,000 population). Then, we use a bibliometric analysis to review and synthesize the scholarly “urban foraging” literature to identify themes and trends in publication. The latter part of the chapter dives into a case study highlighting the historical importance and current status of urban fruit trees in the City of Toronto. Finally, we conclude the chapter by comparing urban foraging practices between the global north and south. We found Canadian urban foraging research is still in its early stages, while practices grow, conservation policies restrict and limit the activity on public lands.
Read and download the full chapter and book HERE.
