Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
198 results(8 / 8)
Promoting Environmental Stewardship through gardens: A case study of children’s views of an urban school garden
2013Рена Упитис, Scott Hughes, Anna C. Peterson · Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies · Canada
An 8-month qualitative study was conducted at a school garden program in one public elementary school in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Data collected from eight students through observations, semi-structured interviews, and student photographs identified five themes enhancing environmental stewardship (including connecting with nature, caretaking, and harvesting) and three themes explaining the program's long-term success (including parental involvement and community connections). The study highlighted benefits of the school garden program, as well as some difficulties associated with the program and limitations of the study.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityBiodiversityKnowledge assessment on the effects of climate change due to keeping livestock in urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Shogo Mlozi · International NGO Journal · Tanzania
This paper assesses the knowledge of livestock keepers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding the climate change effects of their activities. Over two-thirds of respondents did not believe solid waste, liquid waste, and pollution from livestock would affect future climate risks. However, they did perceive chemical pollution and land degradation from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) livestock keeping as having climate change effects.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changePeri-urban agricultureFood educationOrganic cycleSchool gardens: teaching and learning outside the front door
2012Rowena Passy · Education 3-13 · Global
This article reports on two projects investigating school gardens, finding that while they can effectively engage primary children in learning, a divide exists among teachers regarding garden use. The article argues that mixed messages in policy concerning outdoor learning act as a barrier to teachers utilizing school gardens.
Governance failureFood educationPolicyJust How Much Can School Pupils Learn from School Gardening? A Study of Two Supervised Agricultural Experience Approaches in Uganda
2011John James Okiror, Biryabaho Matsiko, Joseph Oonyu · Journal of Agricultural Education · Uganda
This study, conducted in eight primary schools in Uganda, compared the learning achievement of pupils taught using supervised home gardens and those taught using school gardens. Data were collected over four school terms using questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews, observations, and a posttest examination, and analyzed with a t-test. Findings showed no significant difference in knowledge achievement between the two groups of pupils.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityUSING SCHOOL GARDENS AS A VEHICLE FOR HEALTH PROMOTION FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOUTH: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
2011Hillary Anne Doerfler · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) · Global
A literature review examined the use of school garden programs for health promotion among elementary school youth. The review found that school gardens successfully improved academic achievement, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and enhanced social skills. However, significant barriers to implementation were identified, particularly in low socioeconomic status schools, including a lack of funding, insufficient gardening knowledge among teachers, and limited community and parent involvement.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityWelfareAn evaluation of the California Instructional School Garden Program
2011Eric L. Hazzard, Elizabeth Moreno, Deborah Lane Beall, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · Public Health Nutrition · United States (California)
A mid-term evaluation was conducted on 3103 California public schools (80.6% of applicants) to assess the effectiveness of the California Instructional School Garden Program (CISGP). Many schools reported not achieving their predicted goals related to the CISGP grant, with only 39.4% of schools accomplishing all their garden-related goals. Additionally, 37.8% of schools reported that their school gardens were negatively affected by the California budget deficit, suggesting that the discrepancy between predicted and actual grant utilization may be due to a combination of budget shortfall and insufficient grant award amounts.
Limited or null effectFood educationPolicyEconomicsOral History Interview: Almuth Koby (1154)
2010Emma Schroeder, Almuth Koby · · United States
In a 2010 interview, Almuth Koby shared her memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden, including her time as president of the Community Gardens Committee. She described challenges such as members failing to fulfill their duties and the issue of abandoned plots, indicating governance difficulties within the community garden. Koby also recounted her personal gardening journey, from being mentored to mentoring others and learning from diverse cultures.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationDIYUrban School Farming to Improve School Feeding: The Case of Nakuru Town, Kenya
2010Dick Foeken, Samuel Owuor, Alice Mwangi · Children Youth and Environments · Kenya
A survey was conducted in almost all primary and secondary schools in Nakuru Town, Kenya, to examine the extent to which school farming contributes to school feeding programs. The survey found that while school farming and feeding programs are common practice, school farming substantially contributes to school feeding programs in relatively few cases.
Limited or null effectFood educationWelfareEconomicsAn Evaluation of the California Instructional School Garden Program Grants
2010Eric L. Hazzard, Elizabeth Moreno, Deborah Lane Beall, Sheri Zidenberg‐Cherr · The FASEB Journal · United States (California)
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the California Instructional School Garden Program (CISGP) grants by surveying 749 grantee schools. It found that the development, sustained use, or expansion of gardens was less than expected (p=.01), and fewer schools than expected reported using gardens for instruction (p<.001) or to teach academic subjects (p<.003). Less than 40% of schools reported accomplishing all their garden goals with the funds.
Limited or null effectFood educationPolicyEconomicsPreparing the Urban Agricultural Science Teacher: Curriculum Implications
2010A. C. Egun · Journal of Agricultural Sciences · Global
This paper examined the competencies needed by Agricultural Science teachers in urban areas for effective institutional preparation. Teachers identified 24 competencies for urban agriculture teaching but expressed deficiency in 19 competencies (79.17%). The curricular implication is to include basic Humanities subjects like Geography, Economics, and Commerce in Agricultural Science teacher programs and to effectively implement field trips to strengthen the relationship between theory and practice.
Limited or null effectFood educationEconomicsUrban–rural linkageDelivering on Sustainability's Global and Local Orientation.
2010Eva Collins, Kate Kearins · Academy of Management Learning and Education · New Zealand (Auckland)
A sustainability instructor took a graduate class to an eco-village near Auckland, New Zealand, where students observed off-grid homes and community gardens. While New Zealand students were inspired by the alternative lifestyle, two international students from China and Tajikistan expressed that this lifestyle was how they lived at home and they did not wish to live that way, preferring the New Zealand lifestyle. This indicates a limited appeal of the eco-village model to some international students.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageClimate changeImpact of Community Gardening Workshops on Food Security in Ghanaian Favelas
2009Kwesi Acheampong, Amoako Mensah, Boatemaa Boateng · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana
A survey conducted from January to March across five favelas in Accra, Ghana, investigated the impact of community gardening workshops on food security. While participants gained knowledge on sustainable gardening techniques, 45% of respondents still lacked access to necessary resources like seeds and tools. The study concluded that workshops improved awareness but further support is needed to address practical implementation barriers.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareAgricultura urbana e peri-urbana em Campinas/SP : analise do Programa de Hortas Comunitarias como subsidio para politicas publicas
2006Juliana Arruda, Nilson Antonio Modesto Arraes · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Campinas)
A 2005 study in Campinas, Brazil, analyzed the city's Community Garden Program (PHC) to support the formulation of new urban and peri-urban agriculture policies. Analysis of PHC management revealed an almost total disengagement between the program and sectoral policies such as education, health, and social action. However, individual actions were found to be important for project implementation and success, and the projects were significant in the lives of beneficiaries.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood educationHealthAGRICULTURA URBANA- EXPERIÊNCIA DA UFRRJ
2006Edilene Lagedo Teixeira, Janailton Coutinho, Adriano Costa da Silva, Andréa Soares, Camila Silva de Oliveira, Carla Gomes dos Santos, Beatriz Ribeiro Guimarães · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil
This study, conducted in 2003 by UNISOL REGIONAL and UFRRJ, aimed to develop an organic, condiment, and medicinal garden through social education activities. A socioeconomic survey of the community revealed urgent problems with water scarcity, mosquitoes, and rodents. While two garden beds and 12 planters were built to encourage self-sustaining urban agriculture, the abstract does not explicitly state the success or failure of achieving self-sustainability or addressing the identified community problems beyond the construction itself.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleEconomicsEffects of a Gardening Program on the Academic Progress of Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade Math and Science Students
2006Adelaide Ellen Pigg, Tina M. Waliczek, Jayne M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · United States (McAllen, Texas)
A study of 196 elementary students in McAllen, Texas, compared the academic progress of students participating in a school garden program with those receiving traditional classroom instruction. No statistically significant differences were found in science achievement scores, indicating similar benefits for both groups. However, students receiving traditional math instruction showed more improved math achievement scores compared to those in the garden program.
Limited or null effectFood educationFactors Influencing Career Choice Of Urban Agricultural Education Students
2005Levon T. Esters, Blannie E. Bowen · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global
This study investigated factors influencing career choices among graduates of an urban agricultural education program. While former students identified parents and friends as influential, and cited various reasons for their career paths, a discriminant analysis model could not distinguish between those who chose agricultural careers and those who did not after completing the secondary agricultural program.
Methodological critiqueFood educationEconomicsUrban Agriculture in Shenzhen: Problems and Strategies for Sustainable Development
2004Jianguo Dai · Journal of Shenzhen Polytechnic · China (Shenzhen)
Urban agriculture in Shenzhen faces problems including decreasing farmland, inadequate skilled farmers, poor disaster resistance, immature insurance, increasing contamination of water, soil, air, and agricultural products, and poor modern enterprise management. Strategies proposed for sustainable development include specific laws, pollution protection, education, research, technology application, industrial technology application, leisure agriculture development, and diversification.
Contamination & food safetyPolicyEconomicsClimate changeFood educationWhat's for dinner?Organizing around food access issues in Los Angeles.
2004Prebus, Olivia · Occidental College Scholar (Occidental College) · United States (Los Angeles)
This work addresses the gross inequity of food access in low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles, such as MacArthur Park, where grocery stores are scarce. The author's internship at the Center for Food and Justice involved projects like a Community Food Assessment and organizing a community garden, all focused on empowering communities to tackle complex food access issues. The abstract highlights the severe problem of limited healthy food options leading to simultaneous obesity and malnutrition.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood educationHealthWelfareSchool Gardens: Can a Hands-on Teaching Tool Affect Students' Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Fruit and Vegetables?
2000Sarah Lineberger, Jayne M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · Global
This study evaluated the "Nutrition in the Garden" program's effect on students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetables. While students' attitudes towards vegetables and fruit/vegetable snacks became significantly more positive after gardening, no differences were detected in attitudes towards fruit. Crucially, students' fruit and vegetable consumption did not significantly improve, remaining at an average of 2.0 servings per day, which is below national averages and recommendations.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthVegetable Growing as a Teaching Material for Environmental Education : (1) Utilization of LISH (Low-Input Sustainable Horticulture) and Vegetable Garden as a School Garden
2000智 藤田, Satoshi FUJITA · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
At Keisen Women's College farm in Japan, the potential of using Low-Input Sustainable Horticulture (LISH) and vegetable gardening as environmental education materials was investigated over 15 years, starting in 1984. The study found that 16 different vegetable varieties could be grown organically, but cucumbers, other fruit/vegetables, and Cruciferae were virtually impossible to grow organically. However, damage could be reduced for some varieties through specific cultivation methods, and the vegetable garden was found to maintain beauty even in cold seasons and provide a suitable hands-on learning experience for environment and food.
Limited or null effectFood educationDIYOrganic cycleA Community Diabetes Education and Gardening Project to Improve Diabetes Care in a Northwest American Indian Tribe
2000Donna Armstrong · The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care · United States
This study aimed to design a culturally appropriate diabetes education program for a Northwest American Indian tribe. A community-based intervention, including workshops on health themes and a community garden, was designed to address multiple barriers to diabetes care. However, prior to the implementation of the community workshops and evaluations, the tribal government chose to discontinue receiving federal funding for this project.
Governance failureCommunityHealthFood educationWelfareA Case Study on Resident's Awareness of the Meaning and Role of Edible Landscape
2000Isami Kinoshita · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Japan
This study analyzed residents' awareness of edible plant cultivation on their properties and the formation of edible landscapes in public spaces, in relation to childhood experiences and memories. The findings showed that childhood experiences influenced the formation of edible landscapes on private properties, which held multiple meanings, but the attribution of meaning to edible landscapes in public spaces was weak, highlighting resident involvement as a challenge.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageRecognizing Ethiopia's urban farmers.
1993Lee M · PubMed · Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, urban agriculture faces significant challenges due to government disapproval of public land use for farming and difficulty in obtaining credit. A 1983 survey in Addis Ababa found that 17% of 1352 households produced their own food on less than 25 sq. meters, with 90% of non-farmers citing lack of land. Despite urban agricultural cooperatives demonstrating 70% higher member income, their lack of government legalization prevents access to loans for productivity improvement.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureFood educationBiodiversityCompostDIYElderlyFood lossHeirloom & landraceOrganic cyclePollinatorsFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiDigital agriculture