Alec Thornton is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has a PhD in Development Studies (Sussex, UK). He is Research Associate at the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg. His research takes a critical approach to rural and urban agriculture in developed and developing countries.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Urban agriculture: overview of the field & early models of urban food governance.- 3. City case studies in urban governance and urban activism.- 4. Conclusions.