Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
2539 results(100 / 102)
Ankara kenti Yenimahalle ilçesinde okul bahçeleri üzerine bir araştırma
2001Candan Kuş · · Turkey (Ankara)
A study in Yenimahalle District, Ankara, evaluating multiple schools including 80 primary schools, assessed the importance of school gardens and their place within the urban open-green space system. The findings revealed that many school gardens were unsuitable for use by teachers and students, being narrow, containing only ceremonial areas and a few plants, and lacking sufficient furnishing elements. It was also observed that additional buildings further narrowed school gardens, and insufficient attention was given to recreation areas, sports areas, and green spaces.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityDiagnóstico específico en huertos urbanos del suroeste de ciudad de La Habana. Evaluación de sus características sociodemográficas, ambientales, tecnología aplicada y agroecosistema
2001Raúl Ortíz, Celia Patricia Vera, Antonio Leyva · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba
A diagnostic study was conducted on the conditions of urban gardens, their producers, and families in 20 gardens across five localities in the "Boyeros" and "Arroyo Naranjo" municipalities of Havana, Cuba, between December 1998 and March 1999. While the garden agroecosystems showed satisfactory biodiversity, general knowledge of biological technologies in sustainable urban agriculture remained relatively low. None of the surveyed plot owners consciously knew or used vermiculture, pisciculture, biofertilizers, biopesticides, or biostimulants, and almost half did not consciously use crop rotation.
Limited or null effectCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleFood educationUrban agriculture and its qualified personnel cultivation
2001Bu Miao · Journal of Zhangkai Aguotechaical College · Global
Urban agriculture aims to meet the needs of modernization and high-grade consumption in large central cities. Its establishment and development rely on creative, highly skilled personnel and scientific research from agricultural higher education and research organizations. Colleges and universities involved in urban agriculture education should establish appropriate specifications, patterns, and mechanisms for personnel cultivation, aligning with urban modernization demands for the industry's establishment, operation, and management.
Food educationPolicyThe Effect of School Gardens on Children's Interpersonal Relationships and Attitudes Toward School
2001Tina M. Waliczek, J.C. Bradley, J.M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · Global
Children participating in garden activities were evaluated for improvements in interpersonal relationships and attitudes toward school, using pre- and post-tests comparing control and experimental groups. No significant differences were found between pre- and post-tests or between the control and experimental groups overall; however, demographic comparisons showed female students had significantly more positive attitudes toward school than males at program's end, interpersonal relationships differed by grade level, and children's attitudes toward school were more positive in schools offering more intensive, individualized gardening.
CommunityFood educationCities of the future: urban agriculture in the third millennium.
2001Isabel María Madaleno · Food, nutrition and agriculture · Global
An essay argues that urban agriculture—food and non-food production occurring throughout urban and peri-urban fabric—could improve city dwellers' nutritional status and food security, strengthen food self-reliance and employment prospects, and make survival strategies more effective. It describes urban agriculture as a setting where children, young people, and adults engage directly in safe food production and develop respect for farmers' work, surveys the evolution of cities and green-space use in Europe and North America, presents recent urban agriculture experiences in African, European, and Latin American countries, and advocates urban agriculture as a local solution to social, ecological, political, and economic problems.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsBiodiversitySchool gardens and beyond: progressive conservation, moral imperatives and the local landscape
2001Libby Robin · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Global
This historical account traces how new educational theories at the turn of the century in the British world reconceived the school child from an 'administrated unit' into a 'growing flower,' drawing on Swiss and German ideas of the school as a kindergarten, as noted by education professor Patrick Geddes. It describes the progression from an indoor flower shelf, through window boxes, to a full school garden in the playground, and details Miss Latter's design for a British school garden: eighteen kitchen-garden plots of 4 by 2 feet and eighteen flower-garden plots of 3 by 4.5 feet, separated by paths, laid out to read as a formal classroom exercise.
Food educationCommunityAgricultural Education in an Elementary School: An Ethnographic Study of a School Garden
2001Laurie Thorp, Christine D. Townsend · · United States
An ethnographic case study of an agricultural-education garden-based curriculum at an elementary school in the Midwestern United States, seeking a phenomenological understanding of its impact on students and teachers. Data were collected through participant observation, dialogue, interviews, photo elicitation and student work, and analyzed using Lincoln and Guba's constant comparative method. Findings were that the garden: (1) reshapes school culture; (2) serves as a leverage point reversing loss of time, control and place; (3) connects students to experience as an organizing principle; (4) becomes a site for student and teacher self-expression, creativity and innovation; and (5) shifts food's status from a consumable commodity to a portal for communal good.
Food educationCommunityDIYSchool 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 educationHealthExperiences from a Community Nature Project in a Housing Estate in Singapore
2000Foo Tuan Seik · Local Environment · Singapore
The Nature Corner project, a city farm involving animals and plants, was launched in Ghim Moh housing estate, Singapore, in 1997 to introduce nature and encourage social interaction among residents. A 1998 survey of users and non-users found the project was successful in introducing nature to users. However, it was less successful in encouraging social interaction among them.
CommunityFood educationThe Importance of School Gardens as Perceived by Florida Elementary School Teachers
2000Sonja M. Skelly, Jennifer Bradley · HortTechnology · United States (Florida)
A Fall 1997 questionnaire for elementary school teachers participating in a Florida school garden competition found that teachers used school gardens infrequently, with most using them as an instructional tool no more than 10% of the time. However, 97.1% used them for environmental education, 72.9% for experiential learning, and 84.3% reported enhanced student learning. The surveyed teachers had relatively new gardens and lacked or were unaware of educational resources.
Food educationCommunityHealthVegetable 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 linkageGrowing STEM Education on the Playground: A Case Study of the Factors That Influence Teachers’ Use of School Gardens
2000Megan Poole · · Global
Factors influencing primary school teachers' decisions to utilize school gardens in their STEM curriculum were investigated using a mixed methods design in a single school district. Quantitative data was collected from garden resource and teacher self-efficacy surveys, while qualitative data was extracted from in-depth teacher interviews. Overall analyses determined that aspects of instruction and logistics were the most important factors for teachers in their decision to utilize school gardens.
Food educationCommunityUsing a Web-based Survey to Research the Benefits of Children Gardening
2000Tina M. Waliczek, R. Daniel Lineberger, Jayne M. Zajicek, Jennifer Bradley · HortTechnology · Global
This study investigated adults' perceptions of the benefits of children participating in gardening through a web-based survey (320 responses) targeting adults working with youth in garden situations. The study covered 128,836 children, primarily under 12, involved in gardening with teachers in school gardens. Adults reported benefits to children's self-esteem and reduction in stress levels. Comparisons showed parents viewed food production as most important, while teachers prioritized socializing and learning about plants.
Food educationHealthCommunity456 Measuring the Intensity of School Gardening Programs and the Impact on Positive Youth Development
2000Sonja M. Skelly, John Bradley · HortScience · United States (Florida)
This research project aimed to develop a typology of school garden program intensity and to determine if variables related to positive youth development varied within this intensity typology. Twenty elementary schools in Florida participated, accounting for approximately 20 teachers and 400 third-grade students. The study examined student developmental assets, environmental attitudes, and attitudes toward science.
Food educationCommunityHealthBuilding a Mien American House: An Inter-Cultural Dialogue.
2000Lorie Hammond · · United States (California)
This study applies an anthropological approach to science teaching at a mainstream California elementary school, focusing on inter-cultural dialogue between Mien refugee families from Laos and mainstream educators. Using a family literacy project and a school-community garden, the research explores how traditional cultural knowledge and Western scientific knowledge can blend to develop curricula for science and literacy. The paper emphasizes dialogue where minority and majority voices co-create curricula, contrasting with standard parent involvement models.
CommunityFood educationWelfareG00-1419 Community Supported Agriculture
2000Paul L. Swanson · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · Global
This NebGuide, published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is a practical explainer describing what community-supported agriculture (CSA) is, how it works, and what producers need to do to participate — not an empirical study. At the time of writing, most Nebraskans had not heard of CSA, though the concept was about three decades old in Japan and Europe and 10-15 years old on the US East Coast. In Japan, amid continued loss of farmland to urbanization and farmers' migration to cities, a group of women approached local farm families proposing direct marketing of produce to urban residents; the resulting cooperative buying-club arrangement, called teikei, now involves millions of people. In Europe, farmers and community members concerned about food-system industrialization started the CSA model in the early 1970s. In the United States, two farms in the eastern US began CSAs based on the European model in 1986, and the guide states that more than 1,500 CSA farms existed across the country by the time of publication.
CSA & TeikeiFood educationAbout the Meaning and Role of Edible Landscape in Urban Residential Area
1999Isami Kinoshita, Jin Yoshikawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan
This study identified the meaning and role of edible landscapes in urban residential areas by comparing three districts in Japan: Nezu, Taishido, and Kokubunji-shinmachi. Through observation, interviews, and questionnaires, five common meanings and roles were found, including providing fresh food, fostering memories, promoting communication, preserving folk customs, and encouraging ecological thinking despite maintenance challenges.
CommunityFood educationDIYEffect of Service Learning on Attitudes towards Students with Severe Disabilities
1999Martha S. Burns, Nicholas J. Certo, Keith Storey · Education and training in mental retardation and developmental disabilities · Global
This quantitative study explored regular education students' attitudinal changes towards students with severe disabilities through inclusive service learning projects. The study involved a first intervention group of 12 volunteers who created a community garden with 8 students with severe disabilities, and a second intervention group of 12 Outdoor Education students who assisted 8 students with severe disabilities at a Special Olympics event. An attitudinal questionnaire was administered before and after the projects, and a control group was also included, but the abstract does not report the findings.
CommunityFood educationWelfareSchool Gardening: Improving Environmental Attitudes of Children Through Hands-On Learning
1999Tina M. Waliczek, Jayne M. Zajicek · Journal of Environmental Horticulture · United States
Project GREEN, a school garden program, was integrated into seven elementary and junior high schools in Kansas and Texas to evaluate its impact on students' environmental attitudes. Students' environmental attitudes were significantly more positive after participating, with post-test mean scores 0.26 points higher than pre-test scores. Demographic analysis showed that female, Caucasian, and rural students exhibited more positive environmental attitudes compared to other groups.
Food educationCommunity498 School Gardens: Do They Affect Children's Food Preferences and Eating Behaviors?
1999Sarah Lineberger, J.M. Zajicek · HortScience · Global
A study (HortScience, 1999) developed a teacher curriculum guide, "Nutrition in the Garden," combining horticulture and nutrition lessons, and tested its effect on children's food preferences and eating behaviors using a pretest/posttest attitude instrument developed by Tom Baranowski and a 24-hour food recall journal. The abstract states that results examine the effects of school gardens on nutritional attitudes and behaviors but does not report specific outcome figures.
Food educationHealthResource Guide on Urban Agriculture
1999ETC Agriculture · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global
A resource guide compiling information on people and organizations with expertise relevant to formulating and implementing urban agriculture policies, plans and projects.
PolicyCommunityFood educationSchools, Children, and Gardening: The Results of a Children's Garden Competition among Florida Elementary Schools
1998Sonja M. Skelly, Jennifer Bradley · HortScience · United States (Florida)
In Spring 1998, the University of Florida hosted a children's garden competition for approximately 100 elementary schools across Florida. The competition required schools to establish or use an existing garden and for teachers to integrate it into classroom instruction. A random sample of 500 students from participating schools completed an environmental attitude survey at the beginning and end of the competition, and teachers also completed a survey on garden use and its effect on students.
Food educationCommunityReport on a visit to South Africa to facilitate a participatory workshop for an urban agriculture project in Sobantu Village, KwaZulu-Natal, as part of the DfID funded project: "Support to the Institute of Natural Resources for institutional development in South Africa"
1998Adrienne Martin, B. Pound · · South Africa
This report describes a visit to South Africa to facilitate a participatory workshop for an urban agriculture project in Sobantu Village, KwaZulu-Natal. The visit's objectives were to identify organizational, social, technical, and financial issues and necessary activities to initiate an urban agriculture project with the Sobantu community, the Institute for Natural Resources (INR), and Department of Agriculture staff. Discussions also included a draft manual on FSR/FPR being prepared by NRI/INR.
CommunityFood educationWelfare