Dr. Rose Jennings on Advancing Urban Agriculture for Equitable Food Systems

Dr. Rose Jennings, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rhode Island, recently visited KTH FOOD to share her insights on the innovative JUST GROW framework, designed to guide urban agriculture governance towards justice-centered, sustainable policies. Highlighting the need for resilient city-regional food systems, especially as urban food consumption is projected to reach 80% by 2050, Dr. Jennings emphasized the importance of preparing for food system shocks like pandemics and natural disasters. 

Drawing from five global case studies—including Japan, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the U.S.—the framework addresses key justice dimensions: from equitable land access and nutritious food availability to ecosystem services and cultural foodways. Dr. Jennings also underscored the role of community engagement, advocating for collective reflexivity to ensure that urban agriculture initiatives reflect the needs of local communities. 

The next steps in the project involve targeted co-design workshops to refine equity indicators, continued resource sharing, and policy reviews, aiming to support underrepresented groups and enhance local governance structures to assume responsibility for more equitable food systems. 

Learn more about JUST GROW here .

Written by: Andrea Kron