Agroecology recognizes the broader context within which the problem of food insecurity plays out–a world where the economic, social, and political rights of the urban poor are neglected, where their agency and power over their lives are persistently undermined. Agroecology is necessary in the creation of the food gardens, given its grounding in the specific environment, struggles, and experiences of those practicing it and how it places importance on the practical, appropriate, and collective. The community of practice in Payatas is creating important practices and knowledge on urban agriculture that are responsive to the constraints of the urban poor, and therefore may be useful and relevant to this sector.