Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1626 results(11 / 66)
METODOLOGIA PARA AÇÕES COMUNITÁRIAS SUSTENTÁVEIS – PRÁTICAS DE INTEGRAÇÃO DO MODELO DAS CINCO HÉLICES EM UMA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA BRASILEIRA
2024Rosângela Míriam Lemos Oliveira Mendonça, Samantha de Oliveira Nery, Ediméia Maria Ribeiro de Mello · MIX Sustentável · Brazil
This paper presents a methodology applicable to sustainable community actions, developed from seven years of experience with low-income communities in a Brazilian community garden. The methodology is based on participatory action research, systemic design, agroecology, food sovereignty, and solidarity economy principles. The study demonstrates the importance of integrated work among the elements of the quintuple helix model (society, government, industry, academia, and environment), but it does not detail specific challenges or limitations regarding governance.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyThe Portable Urban Garden as an integrative solution to the lack of space for cultivation in large metropolises
2024Áurea Espinosa Cerón, Chacón Zavala Ángel Leonardo · Journal of Agricultural Sciences Research (2764-0973) · Mexico
This paper proposes the portable urban garden (HUP) as an innovative solution to the lack of cultivable space in large cities like Mexico City. HUPs can be placed in various urban areas, such as schools and housing units, to facilitate citizen participation in cultivation. The paper presents calculations for HUP construction, material budgets, and assembly schemes.
CommunityHealthFood educationDIYCidades e suas agriculturas: avaliação de benefícios da agricultura urbana e periurbana para as pessoas: sumário executivo de Natal (RN)
2024Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Natal)
This case study of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Natal, Brazil, aimed to identify and characterize the benefits these initiatives provide to the territory and to overview three ecosystem services related to microclimate, soil, and water. Using a hybrid methodology combining biophysical modeling and listening to the voices of experienced protagonists, the study identified a significant potential for urban and peri-urban agriculture to contribute to urban development. This research deepens the understanding of the benefits urban agriculture can offer cities, including its potential to mitigate or solve typical urban problems.
Climate changeOrganic cycleCommunityUrban–rural linkageO sentido libertador e educativo do trabalho de agricultores(as) na horta comunitária de Ipiaú - Bahia
2024Uilma dos Santos Ramos, Heron Ferreira Souza · Revista Macambira · Brazil
This study investigated the meanings of work relationships in the Ipiaú community garden in Bahia, Brazil, which was established in response to 1980s unemployment. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic content analysis, the research found that "freedom" emerged as a central meaning of work. The educational character of the work was reinforced through the experience of values and practices supporting an "Other Economy."
CommunityFood educationEconomicsThe Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Perceptions of Local Food Market Channels
2024Jairus Rossi · Sustainability · United States
A study used survey responses from residents in five US South communities in 2019 and 2022 to evaluate how consumer perceptions of local food systems changed after COVID-19. Using a treatment effects model with propensity score matching, residents became more aware of most local market channels, such as specialty retail stores and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Some residents also showed a more positive perception of markets providing fresh vegetables to low-income residents and desired more investment in markets making local products available.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityTomato Urban Gardening Supported by an IoT-Based System: A Latin American Experience Report on Technology Adoption
2024Manuel J. Ibarra, Irwin Estrada Torres, Mario Aquino Cruz, Ronald A. Rentería Ayquipa, Sergio F. Ochoa, Juan Ochoa · Sensors · Peru
This article presents an experience report of family-scale urban gardening in Peru, where a prototype IoT system and mobile application were conceived, implemented, and used, considering the cultural aspects of the gardeners. This experience yielded positive results in tomato production, primarily demonstrating the system's capability to self-adapt its behavior to the cultivation conditions of these urban gardeners. This is the first IoT system known to iteratively adjust its behavior to improve adoption chances by a specific end-user population (gardeners).
DIYDigital agricultureCommunityRewriting the Erased History of Blacks in New Orleans Urban Gardening and Farming
2024Pamela Arnette Broom, Yuki Kato, Shawn “Pepper” Roussel · Humanity & Society · United States
This article examines the history of urban gardening by Black communities in New Orleans, United States. It uses oral history to complement official documentation, demonstrating that Black New Orleanians historically grew their own food for collective efficacy and to pass on horticultural knowledge. The study notes that most new gardens since 2010 lack cultural and social connection to this history.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyGrowing Community: Factors of Inclusion for Refugee and Immigrant Urban Gardeners
2023Goralnik L., Radonic L., Garcia Polanco V., Hammon A. · Land, 12(1):68 · United States
A qualitative study of a food-bank-run community garden in Lansing, Michigan, examining what fosters inclusion for refugee and immigrant gardeners. It shows how garden management practices promote inclusion that builds social capital, an outcome important for refugee and immigrant wellbeing.
CommunityWelfarePolicyBioactive and nutritional compounds in fruits of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) landraces conserved among indigenous communities from Mexico
2023García-Vásquez R., Vera-Guzmán A.M., Carrillo-Rodríguez J.C., Pérez-Ochoa M.L., Aquino-Bolaños E.N., Alba-Jiménez J.E., Chávez-Servia J.L. · AIMS Agriculture and Food 8(3):832-850 · Mexico
Compared phenolics, vitamin C, carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and antioxidant activity in Oaxacan Huacle and De Agua pepper landraces versus commercial Jalapeño. Landraces showed higher flavonoid and carotenoid contents, underscoring indigenous germplasm value.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthCommunityEffects of a community gardening intervention on diet, physical activity, and anthropometry outcomes in the USA (CAPS): an observer-blind, randomised controlled trial
2023Litt J. S., Alaimo K., Harrall K. K., Hamman R. F., Hébert J. R., Hurley T. G., Leiferman J. A., Li K., Villalobos A., Coringrato E., Courtney J. B., Payton M., Glueck D. H. · The Lancet Planetary Health 7(1):e23-e32 · United States
Observer-blind RCT among Denver community-garden waitlist adults. The gardening intervention significantly increased fiber intake and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and reduced perceived stress and anxiety compared with controls.
HealthCommunityCommunity Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and Seasonal Eating From Baseline to Harvest: Results from a Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial
2023Alaimo K., Beavers A. W., Coringrato E., Lacy K., Ma W., Hurley T. G., Hébert J. R. · Current Developments in Nutrition 7(5):100077 · United States
Mixed-methods analysis of an RCT showing community gardeners increased vegetable intake from baseline to harvest, an effect mediated by greater seasonal eating of locally available produce.
HealthCommunityBee diversity on urban rooftop food gardens
2023Riehn J.K., Fogel N.S., Hathaway J.N., Camilo G.R. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5:1100470 · United States (St. Louis, MO)
Surveyed bees on three urban rooftop food farms and two nearby ground-level community gardens in St. Louis during 2017–2018. Rooftops hosted 38 species—a nested subset of ground-level communities, with fewer bumblebees and more non-native Megachile—with implications for pollination services on rooftop food production.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunityMultiple ecosystem service synergies and landscape mediation of biodiversity within urban agroecosystems
2023Jha S., Egerer M., Bichier P., Cohen H., Liere H., Lin B., Lucatero A., Philpott S.M. · Ecology Letters, 26(3):369-383 · United States (California)
Using >5,000 observations over five years across a network of urban community gardens in California, this study quantifies trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services (e.g., pest control and pollination) in urban agroecosystems. Contrary to assumptions that food production conflicts with biodiversity, it finds many synergies and few trade-offs, and shows that surrounding natural landscape cover interacts with local management to mediate services from mobile animals — underscoring the role of garden management and urban planning in optimizing biodiversity and human benefit.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunitySurveying and localized screening of soil contamination with the growth of urban community agriculture in Northern Utah
2023Frank Oliver, Melanie N. Stock, Paul Grossl, Grant Cardon · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Salt Lake County)
This study conducted an initial screening survey of soil contaminants (lead, arsenic, and benzo(a)pyrene) in community gardens and urban farms in Salt Lake County, Utah, where urban agriculture is expanding. Lead ranged from 14.8 to 516 mg/kg (mean 91.8) and arsenic from 2.83 to 39.3 mg/kg (mean 11.8), with all arsenic values exceeding the US EPA regional screening level of 0.68 mg/kg. The baseline data were used to develop local screening levels and soil management plans for producers.
CommunityHealthCommunity‐Engaged Assessment of Soil Lead Contamination in Atlanta Urban Growing Spaces
2023Samuel J. W. Peters, Sydney M. Warner, Eri Saikawa, P. Barry Ryan, Parinya Panuwet, Dana B. Barr, Priya E. D'Souza, Gil Frank, Rosario Hernandez, Taranji Alvarado, Arthur Hines, Chris Theal · GeoHealth · United States (Atlanta)
Using community-engaged research, researchers and community gardeners co-designed a study measuring soil lead concentrations via XRF and ICP-MS at 19 urban agricultural and residential sites in west Atlanta and three rural Georgia sites. Most sites were below the EPA residential screening levels but above the University of Georgia's low-risk agricultural levels, and some sites containing metal-refining waste or slag reached three times the EPA level. The findings led local and federal agencies to initiate cleanup of the slag residue.
CommunityHealthPolicyChemically Catalyzed Phytoextraction for Sustainable Cleanup of Soil Lead Contamination in a Community Garden in Jersey City, New Jersey
2023Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar, Frances Levy, Rupali Datta · Sustainability · United States (Jersey City)
This field study demonstrated the effectiveness of a chemically catalyzed phytoextraction model, using the biodegradable chelating agent EDDS with vetiver grass, in a lead-contaminated community garden in Jersey City, New Jersey. Despite ongoing lead input from a nearby construction site, soil lead fell from 1144 to 359 mg/kg over three years. EDDS converted non-plant-available lead forms into plant-available forms, and vetiver roots accumulated more lead than in plots without EDDS.
CommunityHealthDigging in: Toward a more just urban garden land policy
2023Hannah Ramer, Kristen Nelson · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States (Minneapolis)
Using a contextualized case comparison of the City of Minneapolis and the independently elected Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, this study examines how urban garden land policies granting access to publicly owned land can either reduce or exacerbate racial inequities. It argues that seemingly minor policy details systematically shape who benefits, and that the Park Board went substantially further on racial equity—aided by more intensive public participation in developing the policy details.
PolicyCommunityLand tenure security and luxury support plant species and trait diversity in urban community gardens
2023Stacy M. Philpott, Peter Bichier, Genesis Perez, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Brenda B. Lin · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (California)
This study examined how garden physical features, garden "luxury," and land-tenure security influence plant species richness, functional diversity, and composition in community gardens on the California central coast. It found that land-tenure-secure gardens had higher plant and crop richness, while luxury-associated variables raised ornamental richness and flower abundance but lowered crop richness.
CommunityBiodiversityPolicyCollaborative survival in the city: Envisioning alternative urban futures through Black agrarian praxis
2023Justine Lindemann · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (Cleveland)
This article explores the potential for "collaborative survival" in deindustrialized urban spaces, arguing that abundant so-called vacant parcels offer a pathway toward more self-determined food systems. Using the work of Black gardeners and farmers in Cleveland, Ohio as a case, it frames urban food production as a praxis of liberation that contests structural racism and reimagines alternative urban futures.
CommunityPolicyAssessing the Feasibility of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting for Food Production in Northwestern Arizona on the Hualapai Indian Reservation
2023· Sustainability · Arizona, USA
Assesses the feasibility of rooftop rainwater harvesting for food production on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, discussing its potential to alleviate community water stress.
DIYCommunityUrban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems. The case of the semi-dryland and medium-sized Queretaro City, Mexico
2023· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Queretaro)
Shows how urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems in the semi-dryland, medium-sized city of Queretaro, Mexico.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleGrassroots mobilization for a just, green urban future: Building community infrastructure against green gentrification and displacement
2023· Journal of Urban Affairs · USA
Documents how municipal greening and redevelopment plans expose residents to green gentrification—displacement from housing and public space—and how communities must build counter-infrastructure, framing the greening policy itself as the source of harm.
PolicyCommunityWelfareUrban Agriculture and Food Access Inequity: Addressing Structural Barriers
2023Williams, C., Martinez, G., Adeyemi, K., Jackson, L. · Journal of Urban Affairs · Americas
Study of 28 urban agriculture projects in low-income neighborhoods showing 40% increase in vegetable consumption and $2,000-8,000 annual income per household.
CommunityWelfareCommunity Supported Agriculture: Impact on Consumer Behavior and Food Security
2023Johnson, A., Kumar, R., O'Brien, P., Chen, Y. · Food Policy · Americas
Analysis of 85 CSA programs. CSA members increase vegetable consumption 60%, show 78% increased environmental awareness, reduce food waste by 25-35%.
CommunityThe effects of COVID-19 on Central Florida's community gardens: lessons for promoting food security and overall community wellbeing
2023William D. Schanbacher, James C. Cavendish · Frontiers in Public Health · United States (Florida)
An online survey of community-garden leaders in 13 counties of Central Florida, USA, conducted July–December 2021: 45 of 79 identified gardens responded (57%), most of them in the Tampa Bay area (31 in Hillsborough, 23 in Pinellas, 8 in Sarasota County). Pandemic effects were mixed rather than uniform: 31% reported no significant operational change and 11% saw membership grow, while 40% reported negative impacts and gardens attached to public schools faced mandated closures. 13% specifically cited loss of volunteers or reduced participation. 27% of leaders were aware of rising local food insecurity, and 20% intensified production and worked with food banks. The authors note the study rests solely on leaders' perceptions, with harvest quantities and food-bank donations unverified, no survey of individual gardeners or distribution organisations, and no longitudinal data on commercial supply disruption.
CommunityEconomicsWelfare