Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3623 results(105 / 145)
Growth Responses of Eggplant (Solanum melongena) to Hydrophilic Polymer Mixture Ratio in Growing Medium for Lower Maintenance Urban Agriculture via Green Roofs
2016Jin-Hee Ju, Won-Tae Kim, Hui Xu, Young-Han Yoon, Eun‐Young Choi · Journal of Environmental Science International · Global
This study investigated the influence of hydrophilic polymer (HP) mixture ratio on the growth of eggplant (Solanum melongena) for lower maintenance urban agriculture via green roofs. As the hydrophilic polymer mixture ratio increased, the growth index, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, and dry weight of shoot and root decreased. Specifically, these values were significantly lower in HP5.0% and HP10.0% treatments compared to the control, and the survival rate was lowest at 56% in the HP10.0% treatment.
Limited or null effectDIYClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEvaluation of a Nutrition Intervention through a School-Based Food Garden to Improve Dietary Consumption, Habits and Practices in Children from the Third to Fifth Grade in Chile
2016Diego Vinueza, Lydia Lera, Judith Salinas, Carmen Gloria González, Lorena Barrios, Fernando Vío · Food and Nutrition Sciences · Chile (Santiago de Chile)
This study conducted a six-month quasi-experimental intervention in two public schools in Santiago de Chile (intervention and control schools) to evaluate the improvement of healthy dietary consumption, habits, and practices among third to fifth-grade children using a school-based food garden. The intervention school showed significant improvements in dietary habits, such as peeling and slicing fruit, and increased use of the school garden, but no significant changes were observed in food consumption or nutritional status.
Food educationHealthCommunityThe Green School: a sustainable approach towards environmental education: Case study
2016Lalieta Somwaru · Brazilian Journal of Science and Technology · Suriname
In Suriname, "The Green School" project, initiated in October 2013, is being implemented in all primary schools nationwide. This project aims to positively influence children's environmental behavior through practical activities, focusing on biodiversity (including school gardens), waste, water, and energy. Of the 333 primary schools in Suriname, 286 have been officially designated "Green Schools," and monitoring has shown improvements in classroom and schoolyard cleanliness and sustainable water and energy usage.
Food educationBiodiversityDIYAllotment gardens as a challenge for an urban designer
2016Antoine Zammit, Ina Šuklje Erjavec, Gabriela Maksymiuk, Dimitra Theochari, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Russell Good, Emanuele Sommariva · · Global
This chapter explores allotment gardens as a challenge for urban designers, identifying specific urban design quality considerations for these green spaces. It also examines the evolving role of urban designers in top-down and bottom-up processes to achieve suitable spatial quality. The chapter suggests that allotment gardens can enhance diversity, robustness, and amenity in urban areas, particularly when accessible from residential developments, and should be designed as safe and secure places.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityTips for young professionals
2016Annalisa Metta · Iris (Roma Tre University) · Global
This publication compiles visions from 50 architects, landscape architects, designers, and environmental leaders from 15 countries on sustainability, sustainable design, urbanism, and architecture. Through articles, interviews, and project presentations, they share insights from their work, including community gardens and environmental education. Annalisa Metta contributes 10 tips for young designers on responsibility and sustainability in open space design.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityEl desafío de la alimentación en un mundo cada vez más urbano
2016A. Sempere · Americanae (AECID Library) · Global
This paper argues that the concentration of people in urban areas poses significant ecological and social challenges, such as how to supply food to large population centers that grow at the expense of surrounding agricultural land. According to the United Nations, over half of the world's population currently lives in cities, projected to reach 66% by 2050. Current cities rely on food imported from increasingly distant places rather than food produced in their geographical environment, resulting in cities and citizens disconnected from their ecological and sociocultural context.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsExamining a New “Pay-as-You-Go” Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Model: A Case Study
2016Marjorie Freedman, Juliana K. King · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This research surveyed 536 current and former J&P Organics farm CSA subscribers, categorizing them into four groups based on ordering frequency. Findings strongly indicate that a flexible pay-as-you-go CSA subscription model could increase subscriber membership and possibly ordering frequency, especially for those likely to order less frequently than weekly but who are otherwise similar to traditional pay-up-front subscribers in demographics, motivations, satisfaction, and subscription length.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityThe Role of Peri-Urban Land Use Planning in Resilient Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Melbourne, Australia
2016Michael Buxton, Rachel Carey, Kath Phelan · Water science and technology library · Australia (Melbourne)
This case study examines the relationship between urban and peri-urban systems in Melbourne, Australia, where peri-urban agricultural production faces pressure from rapid urban development. It explores three scenarios relating rural and urban land supply and demand, and land use planning techniques to limit rural land development. The study argues that stronger statutory planning measures are needed to prevent the loss of peri-urban agricultural land and enhance the resilience of city food systems.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture and the Neoliberalization of What?
2016Marion Ernwein · Open Collections · Switzerland (Geneva)
This paper critically examined municipal involvement in community garden and urban agriculture development in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on a case study in Vernier. It found that the municipality's urban agriculture program serves contradictory functions, being simultaneously progressive in reversing space privatization and nature commodification, yet also reinforcing the neoliberal production of individualized, self-responsible, and self-entrepreneur subjectivities. The highly-regulated nature of these municipal community gardens complicates their categorization as either grassroots or purely institutional projects.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEffects of Media Kinds and Container Forms for Urban Agriculture on the Growth Characteristics of Several Herbaceous and Woody Plants
2016Young Hyoo Kwon, Su‐Jin Kim, Ha Kyeong Oh, Sang-Kyun Han, Seak Jin Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study examined the effects of media kinds and container forms on the growth of herbaceous and woody plants for urban greenery and landscape gardens. Five plant species were experimented on three different media kinds (horticultural substrate, decomposed granite, and a mix) and two container forms (vinyl pot and plug tray). Most species experimented on horticultural substrate tended to have the highest growth rate in plant height, root length, number of leaves, and fresh biomass weight. The use of plug trays was found to be more applicable than vinyl pots, considering plant growth rates and shipment convenience.
DIYUrban–rural linkageComplementary school garden, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to improve children’s nutrition and health status in Burkina Faso and Nepal: a study protocol
2016Séverine Erismann, Akina Shrestha, Serge Diagbouga, Astrid M. Knoblauch, Jana Gerold, Ramona Herz, Subodh Sharma, Christian Schindler, Peter Odermatt, Axel Drescher, Ray-Yu Yang, Jürg Utzinger, Guéladio Cissé · BMC Public Health · Burkina Faso; Nepal
This study protocol aims to describe the health status of schoolchildren in Burkina Faso and Nepal and provide an evidence-base for program decisions on the relevance of complementary school garden, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. The studies will be conducted in 24 schools among 1144 children aged 8-14 years in the Centre Ouest and Plateau Central regions of Burkina Faso and the Dolakha and Ramechhap districts of Nepal. Data will be collected at baseline and a 1-year follow-up, including parasitological examinations, anthropometric and hemoglobin measurements, and questionnaire surveys to assess nutritional status, intestinal parasitic infections, and WASH conditions.
Food educationHealthWelfareDeveloping food literacy through food production
2016Heather Yeatman · Research Online (University of Wollongong) · Global
This chapter focuses on how food literacy is developed through experiences with food production in different settings, including agriculture, urban food production, and home and school gardens.
Food educationDIYCommunityUrban agriculture up-scaled: economically and socially productive public green space
2016Joshua Zeunert · UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) · Australia
Urban public green spaces typically require external budgets for maintenance, with most projects costing municipal authorities more money than they generate, making them economically unproductive. For instance, the Adelaide Parklands annually costs AU$9 million for maintenance while generating less than AU$1 million in income. Maintenance spending on public green spaces in the USA, UK, and Australia has been declining, a trend accelerated since the 2008 global financial crisis.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPolicyBases Para La Reestructuración Del Programa De Agricultura Urbana Y Periurbana Agroecológica En Bogotá D.C., Con Base Los Lineamientos Dados En El Acuerdo 605 Del 27 De Agosto De 2015
2016Rada Betancourt, Bibian Andrea · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This document, based on an action research methodology, aims to provide informative, conceptual, and methodological bases for formulating an agroecological urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUPA) program in Bogotá. It describes the context of urban and peri-urban agriculture in the capital district, projects its future in Bogotá, and formulates foundational principles based on previously obtained results.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAnchors in a Globalizing World [Book review]
2016Kimberley Curtis · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This book review covers Steven McFadden's "Awakening Community Intelligence," presenting his argument for the exponential expansion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). McFadden believes CSAs have the potential to become "community cornerstones" and function as a "network of light-giving impulses" through digital networking, addressing 21st-century challenges.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceAtelier 1 Agriculture urbaine et nouveaux marchés la vente de bacs prévégétalisés aux particuliers
2016Marie-Dominique Pivetaud et Jean-Claude Legendre, Entrepreneurs chez Nature et potager en ville · · Global
This workshop focuses on the sale of pre-vegetated planters to individuals and businesses as a new market within the urban agriculture sector.
DIYEconomicsAgricultura urbana como alternativa de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional : familias de la UPZ Marruecos, localidad Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bogotá
2016Monroy Quevedo, Katherin Mayerli · · Colombia (Bogotá)
A mixed-methods study in UPZ Marruecos, Rafael Uribe Uribe Locality, Bogotá, Colombia, investigated the impact of urban agriculture on the food and nutritional security of participating families. Based on interviews and surveys with 10 participants, urban agriculture was found to contribute to families' food and nutritional security by increasing the availability of safe food and improving physical access. Participants perceived higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, tubers, cereals, and legumes, leading to greater dietary diversity.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityWelfareElderlyCommunity garden: A bridging program between formal and informal learning
2016Ranjan Datta · Cogent Education · Global
Community garden activities play a significant role in bridging formal and informal learning, especially in urban children's science and environmental education, by promoting relational methods that integrate food security, social interactions, community development, environmental activism, and cultural integration. An auto-ethnographic study revealed that community garden-based practices adhere to forms of agency such as embracing diversity, sharing power, and trust building as part of everyday learning.
CommunityFood educationHealthFood sovereignty & justiceA faecal exposure assessment of farm workers in Accra, Ghana: a cross sectional study
2016Prince Antwi-Agyei, Adam Biran, Anne Peasey, Jane Bruce, Jeroen H. J. Ensink · BMC Public Health · Ghana (Accra)
This cross-sectional study in Accra, Ghana, assessed faecal exposure among 80 farm workers during dry and wet seasons, analyzing water and soil samples for E. coli. The results showed that while irrigation water was highly contaminated (5.6 Log E. coli/100 ml), exposure to farm soil (2.3 Log E. coli/g) was the key risk pathway due to soil-to-mouth events, with 53% of farmers experiencing such events daily. The estimated norovirus infection risk to farmers was found to be higher than guidelines set by the WHO, indicating that exposure to soil is a critical pathway of pathogen risk in wastewater farmers, exceeding recommended health targets.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkagePolicyDisplaying Urban Agriculture: From Garden City to Carrot City
2016Joe Nasr, June Komisar · · Global
This chapter reflects on the re-emergence of food and agriculture as an urban concern for planners and designers, examining public discourse through exhibitions. It analyzes recent exhibits highlighting the relationship between food and cities, using the "Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture" exhibition as a case study. The authors, as co-curators, reflect on lessons learned from staging this exhibition, which traveled across three continents.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageTeaching STEM through Horticulture: Implementing an Edible Plant Curriculum at a STEM-centric Elementary School
2016Leila A. Graves, Harrison Hughes, Meena M. Balgopal · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global
This case study examined the implementation of a horticulture-based curriculum by two 3rd grade teachers and two STEM coordinators. While one STEM coordinator found the curriculum addressed academic science standards and provided relevant inquiry activities, the other STEM coordinator and teachers believed garden plants did not address science standards and only supported enrichment. This highlights a divergence in perception regarding the curriculum's alignment with academic standards.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityEfficient City Farming
2016Stefan Hebold, Andrea Frömel · edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin) · Global
This study aimed to address the lack of scientific documentation on the forms and effects of urban agriculture by investigating the health of urban-produced plant-based foods. Raised beds were established at urban, peri-urban, and rural locations, planted with identical species, and compared with the yields from an ECF container farm hydroponic system. Yields were compared between the hydroponic system and raised beds, while raised beds were compared among themselves based on heavy metal accumulation.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityThe Utopian Idea of Urban Agriculture - Growing Politics in the Urban Area
2016Ida Åberg · · Global
This abstract introduces urban agriculture (UA) as a potential solution to the challenges of feeding rapidly growing cities sustainably and addressing unsustainability and poverty.
PolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUsing Community-Based Participatory Research to Explore Backyard Gardening Practices and Soil Lead Concentrations in Urban Neighborhoods
2016Sheri L. Johnson, Dalila Cardona, J. H. C. Davis, Benjamin Gramling, Chelsea Hamilton, Ray G. Hoffmann, Sabrina J. Ruis, Douglas J. Soldat, Steve Ventura, Yan Ke · Progress in community health partnerships · Global
This study used community-based participatory research to explore backyard gardening practices and soil lead concentrations in urban neighborhoods. Interviews with 20 adult gardeners revealed perceived benefits but few initial concerns about lead exposure, despite children's active involvement. Soil lead concentrations from 17 residential properties ranged from 7 to 3,234 mg kg-1, significantly higher than commercial soils (6 to 13 mg kg-1), indicating a contamination risk.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFood educationCaracterización de diferentes métodos de establecimiento y producción de agricultura urbana, bajo la sostenibilidad y seguridad alimentaria para la población vulnerable de Altos de Cazucá, municipio de Soacha: Informe de avance de investigación
2016Paredes Guzmán, Germán Ricardo · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project aims to describe different methods of establishing and producing urban agriculture, focusing on sustainability and food security for the vulnerable population of Altos de Cazucá, Soacha municipality, Colombia. This population is affected by forced displacement due to armed conflict, resulting in increased poverty and malnutrition, with a chronic malnutrition rate of 30% in children compared to the national average of 8%. The project proposes to apply participatory action research methodologies and techniques to develop an urban production model that addresses these issues.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityHealth