PCEF publishes regenerative urban agriculture baseline research conducted in partnership with Portland State University

Regenerative urban agriculture baseline research

What is this project about?

In our 2023-2028 Climate Investment Plan, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) promised to take a close look at regenerative urban agriculture in Portland.

We wanted to understand:

• What urban agriculture looks like in Portland right now
• How much it could grow in the future
• How it can help build climate resilience and support local communities

To do this work, PCEF hired researchers from Portland State University. Their job was to review existing studies and reports about urban agriculture in Portland, talk with community members and local growers and use mapping tools to identify where farming is happening now and where it could happen in the future.

What were the goals?

This baseline assessment aimed to:

1. Better understand Portland's urban agriculture ecosystem and its potential
2. Clarify what role PCEF should play in supporting it
3. Guide future PCEF funding and programs for regenerative urban agriculture

What questions guided the research?

We organized our research around five key research questions:

1. What is the historical context and current state of regenerative agriculture in Portland?
2. What are the benefits of urban regenerative agriculture identified in Portland and beyond?
3. What are the barriers and gaps for regenerative agriculture in Portland?
4. How can the benefits of urban regenerative agriculture be measured (including greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration)?
5. What opportunities exist and advancing regenerative agriculture in Portland?

How did researchers gather information?

To get a full picture, the team used several approaches:

Community conversations

The team held a workshop in January 2025 with urban farmers, food system advocates, and members of PCEF's priority communities, centering the voices of people most involved in and affected by this work.

Research review

The team thoroughly reviewed academic research on how urban regenerative agriculture affects climate change, including research conducted by Black, Indigenous, and other scholars of color as well as articles connecting regenerative agriculture to environmental justice, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and land reparations.

Review of local policies

Researchers conducted detailed analysis of local plans and policies, including research and governance documents for PCEF, the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to better understand current rules, opportunities and barriers.

Looking at other cities

They reviewed case studies from other cities to understand how regenerative urban agriculture is being supported elsewhere.

Mapping and land analysis

The team used GIS (digital mapping tools) to map where urban farming is currently happening, identify public land that could potentially be used for agriculture, and highlight other important factors for planning.

Community review

Before finalizing the report, the team shared it with key stakeholders, technical and academic experts and representatives from PCEF's priority communities. This ensured the findings reflected real community needs and expertise.

Why does this research matter?

• PCEF staff and leaders can use this report to improve our community grant-making processes, prioritize where and how to invest in urban regenerative agriculture, and how to implement our strategic program to increase access to urban regenerative agriculture opportunities, including planning and land acquisition. Staff can learn from other cities and site-specific examples, especially about agrivoltaics, land trusts, rematriation, and other practices not yet widely used in Portland. Ultimately, this report can shape both the implementation of the current Climate Investment Plan and set the stage for a more detailed, stronger role for urban regenerative agriculture in the next one.
• Regenerative urban agriculture practitioners and advocates can use this report to contribute to community knowledge and awareness about the climate and other benefits of urban regenerative agriculture, as well as its barriers.
• Climate action advocates can use this report to better understand how urban regenerative agriculture is a climate "super solution." Advocates can compare Portland to other local government efforts and can learn from other site-specific examples.

What were the learnings?

• Not all urban regenerative agriculture practices reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the same way. Some practices such as food forests and biochar application offer many more climate and environmental benefits than others.
• Keeping land in production is critical to the long-term climate benefits of urban regenerative agriculture. Permanent land tenure for urban regenerative agriculture is essential to ensure those long-term benefits.
• Urban regenerative agriculture practitioners in Portland are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including extreme heat and flooding. They would benefit from support from PCEF and other programs to adapt to these changing conditions.
• Many public lands in Portland could support the expansion of urban regenerative agriculture. There are also opportunities to support practitioners and community leaders in strengthening their approaches and practices.
• Spatial analysis shows that much of East Portland and parts of North Portland should be considered for place-based investments in urban regenerative agriculture. These areas have higher proportions of PCEF priority communities, greater climate impacts and lower rates of food access and food security. It is important to ensure the benefits of these investments reach the intended communities. Placing projects in certain neighborhoods does not necessarily mean community members will benefit. For example, the higher cost of some locally produced food can make urban agriculture sites inaccessible to low-income residents and create "food mirages." Communities should regularly assess access to urban regenerative agriculture and identify barriers to its benefits.
• Portland is lagging behind many comparable cities in leading and supporting urban regenerative agriculture. Leadership from elected officials and city staff is needed to help Portland become a more sustainable food city.
• Portland can learn from other governments and local examples including models such as rematriation, land trusts, solar and farming partnerships and agrihoods.

To learn more, read the full report:

Back to the basics: What is urban regenerative agriculture?

According to Black, Indigenous, and other leaders, scholars of color, and many Portland-area farmers and food systems advocates, urban regenerative agriculture is both a food system approach and a form of land stewardship rooted in pre-colonial Indigenous, ancestral, and traditional practices.

Urban regenerative agriculture is especially meaningful for Black and Indigenous communities whose relationships to land have been disrupted through colonization and displacement. At the same time, all people have land-based ancestral histories. Urban regenerative agriculture can help people connect or reconnect with land in ways that support healing and community well-being.

Urban regenerative agriculture offers many climate benefits as well as other environmental, health, social, and cultural benefits. It is a climate and community resilience "super solution."

How does urban regenerative agriculture help?

• Cuts greenhouse gas emissions: Growing food locally and using climate-friendly soil practices can lower greenhouse gas emissions from both food production and transportation.
• Builds climate and community resilience: Urban farms and gardens help cities adapt to climate change while strengthening local food systems, ecosystems and community connections. They also serve as a form of green infrastructure.
• Stores carbon in the soil: Healthy soil can capture and store carbon over time. Practices such as adding compost or biochar improve soil health and increase the amount of carbon the soil can hold.
• Improves community health and well-being: Urban agriculture supports physical and mental health, brings neighbors together and can create jobs, education opportunities and safer, more connected communities.
• Strengthens local food systems: Growing food closer to where people live shortens supply chains and can help communities avoid disruptions in food access.
• Helps meet public policy goals: Urban regenerative agriculture can support many city and state priorities, including climate action, food security, public health and economic development.