Perceived barriers and determinants of rooftop gardening in urban agriculture
Md. Nur Alom Sarkar Mithun, Saifur Rahman, Md. Asifur Rahman, Md. Hasan Sabit, Joseph L. Donaldson, Shonia Sheheli
Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 11(1)
Urban Farm DB summary
A study of perceived barriers among 100 randomly selected rooftop gardeners in Kewatkhali and Aqua, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, interviewed with a structured protocol between September and November 2023 and analysed with descriptive statistics, rank order, correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression. Every participant perceived substantial barriers. The most prominent concern was the complexity of the technologies involved; neighbours' negative attitudes ranked least significant. Age, rooftop garden area, income, experience, contact with extension media and gardening knowledge were all negatively and significantly related to perceived barriers, with garden area and knowledge the strongest predictors in the regression. The authors argue that research, demonstrations, extension activity and training to build residents' skills and understanding are the way to lower those barriers.