Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement in Collective Gardening Among Black African Immigrants in Alberta, Canada

Urban Farm DB summary

Community gardens are increasingly popular in Canadian cities and can be transformative spaces where immigrants develop self-reliant strategies for accessing culturally familiar, healthy food — yet many facilitators and barriers limit the engagement of racialized groups such as Black-identifying immigrants. Using a socio-ecological framework and a community-based participatory research approach, this mixed-methods study combined structured surveys (n = 119), in-depth interviews (n = 10) and two Afrocentric sharing circles, with participants recruited through African immigrant-serving community organisations in Alberta. Barriers at several levels of the socio-ecological model interacted to shape interest and engagement, while access to collective gardens was associated with significant benefits: maintaining healthy foodways, knowledge exchange, growing social capital, and community connections supporting overall wellbeing. The authors offer an accessible framework for addressing these barriers and for making urban agriculture initiatives more inclusive and culturally responsive.