Urban Community Gardens, Places with Untapped Food Potential: The Parisian Case
Based on the Parisian example, this article is part of the current scientific debate regarding the food contribution of urban collective gardens. Based on the proven existence of fruit and vegetable production in Parisian collective gardens, the article aims to examine the potential contribution of these spaces to the diet of their gardening users. It is based on a study conducted with collective garden managers, combined with manual analysis of aerial images of gardening sites and vacant spaces, as well as quantification of production rates of harvested volumes. The results obtained show that Parisian collective gardens do not meet the needs of their users in terms of fruits and vegetables. They are a limited help in improving the quantity of fruit and vegetables consumed per person. On the other hand, they contribute greatly to their dietary practices on a nutritional and social level by improving the diversity and quality of their diet while promoting social time around food. Their dietary role should therefore not be neglected in favor of other functions.