Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2091 results(11 / 84)
Educación ambiental y su impacto social en la sostenibilidad empresarial
2025Fabiola Cabral-Rochin, Fabiola Lydie Rochin Berumen, Silvia Paulina Rochin-Berumen · South Florida Journal of Development · Global
This article describes a corporate social responsibility project that fostered sustainability and environmental awareness through five environmental education workshops. Fifteen employees participated, achieving a 70% increase in knowledge of sustainable practices, and 10 families benefited from actions like creating urban gardens. A social media campaign reached 2,648 people, increasing inquiries for the company Atelier Fábrica de Ideas by 30%.
Food educationCommunityUrban Agricultural Land Revitalization and the Creation of Edible Parks Toward Sustainable Urban Development
2025Zahra Nobar, Akbar Rahimi · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This study explores the revitalization of urban agricultural lands and the creation of edible parks as nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development. It highlights urban agriculture's role in addressing food demands and its social and environmental implications. Edible parks, utilizing public and private spaces, are presented as a strategy to build sustainable urban infrastructure, promote social interaction, and strengthen community bonds.
Climate changeCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceBecoming ‘Good Neighbors’: Co-Creating Spaces for Interspecies Hospitality in Urban Encounters
2025Emily Schneider · Amsterdam Museum Journal · Global
This essay explores the conjuncture of interspecies reciprocity, hospitality, gift-giving practices, and the co-creation of urban spaces, focusing on the potential for and complexity of neighborly relationships between humans and plants. Borrowing the concept of the ‘good neighbor’ from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, it considers the conditions under which relationships based on care and responsibility can thrive through ‘circular reciprocity’. Sites for close interspecies encounters, like urban foraging practices and community gardens, show the potential of a caring and attentive striving toward neighborliness but also reveal the multiplicity and ambiguity of what can be considered different, sometimes irreconcilable, interests and needs of various urban dwellers. Nevertheless, this essay argues that the practice of becoming ‘good neighbors’ ultimately benefits both humans and plants.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageFrom Windowsills to Rooftops: The Cultural History and Modern Uses of Domestic Plant Cultivation in Estonia
2025Mare Kõiva · Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies · Estonia
This study examines the historical development, cultural meanings, and contemporary practices of indoor, balcony, and rooftop gardening in Estonia from the 19th to 21st centuries. Combining historical sources, folkloric data, horticultural literature, and qualitative interviews, the research shows that urban plant cultivation in Estonia is shaped by cultural, ecological, architectural, and personal factors.
DIYCommunityUrban–rural linkageBetydningen av sosial programmering i urbant landbruk: en praktikers erfaringer fra Norge
2025Helene Gallis, Kimberly Weger, Adam Curtis · · Norway (Oslo)
This contribution presents Norwegian experiences from Nabolagshager and its founder Helene Gallis, focusing on the development of urban agriculture projects in Oslo. Gallis argues for a more systematic application of placemaking principles in urban agriculture to enhance social well-being. Her experience suggests that combining placemaking with urban agriculture can empower community members, residents, and fragile and undesirable groups to co-create urban agriculture in public spaces, highlighting the transformative impact of using the placemaking principle of triangulation in these projects.
CommunityWelfarePolicyShorter Food Chains
2025Jeffery W Bentley, Paul Van Mele · CABI eBooks · Global
Supermarkets dominate the food market, resulting in lower prices for farmers and the decline of smaller shops, impacting local sourcing and quality. The abstract states that consumers and local governments can support family businesses, farm shops, and farmer markets, with examples from France to Ecuador. Allotment gardens and innovations like the Belgian ‘Juice Mobile’ are also noted for providing fresh food, social interaction, exercise, and a connection to nature.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsÅ øke ambisjonene for urbant landbruk i det offentlige rom: å fremme urban agroøkologi og planetær helse
2025Chiara Tornaghi · · Global
This chapter, based on 15 years of research, identifies key shortcomings in urban planning policy that prevent urban agriculture from reaching its full potential for human and non-human health. These include the failure to recognize urban agriculture as food production, the invisibility of soil and its role, and the neglect of soil care and food production specialists in public land design and soil management. The chapter suggests that agroecological considerations can enhance urban agriculture's ambition in public spaces.
Governance failurePolicyHealthCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe Social Determinants of Urban Agricultural Practice: A Study of Market Gardeners in the City of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
2025Vazoumana Koné · Uirtus · Côte d’Ivoire
In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, market gardening is widespread, but the Master Plan of Greater Abidjan does not allocate specific spaces for these crops. This forces producers to use unsuitable areas like flood-prone lowlands. A study of 45 market gardeners found that they employ various social practices to legitimize their activities and maintain their presence in urban spaces despite the lack of official land allocation.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsConclusion: Cultivating Middle Ground
2025· The MIT Press eBooks · Global
This book examines community farms in Latin America, Australia, and China, highlighting tensions between local identities and global transformation. It finds that while industrial expansion in export agribusiness generates macroeconomic benefits, it incurs micro-level costs such as the replacement of peri-urban farms by plantations, loss of biodiversity, and groundwater contamination from pesticides and fertilizers. The study suggests that food system intermediaries are crucial in connecting rural migrants with urban farms and resources.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeBecoming community economy: how community-supported agriculture diversifies farm labour
2025Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola · Local Environment · Portugal
This study longitudinally examines labor in three Portuguese community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives to reconstruct the trajectory of labor diversification over several years. The analysis shows that the CSA setup led to labor diversification in all three case studies. Findings suggest that "community" is an emergent property rather than an inherent quality of CSA, and that empowerment and disempowerment dynamics are crucial in diversifying work relations.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCultura Alimenticia Ancestral y Hábitos de Consumo en Estudiantes de 6.º–7.º de la Institución Educativa Agrícola de Argelia, Cauca
2025Hoyos Zuñiga, Elder Arnubio, Mena Gómez, Ana Cecilia · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Colombia
This study examined the presence, transmission, and perceived relevance of ancestral culinary practices among 6th–7th grade students at the Agricultural Educational Institution of Argelia, Cauca, Colombia, and their influence on eating habits. A qualitative, descriptive design using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentary review was employed. Findings indicated that students recognize traditional staples but reported low frequency of home preparation and limited availability at school kiosks.
Food educationHealthCommunityCommunity connectedness and sustainable eating
2025Michela Lenzi, Andrea Scatolon, Luciana Carraro, Margherita Guidetti, Valentina Carfora · Current Opinion in Psychology · Global
This review explored how community connectedness influences sustainable eating, particularly meat consumption. It found that while community ties can encourage pro-environmental behaviors and support plant-based diet initiatives, a strong connection to one's community may also hinder the adoption of environmentally friendly diets by reinforcing meat-heavy culinary traditions. The potential for community connectedness to promote sustainable eating depends on factors like environmental awareness.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeRoots of wellbeing: cultivating community wellness through urban farming in Malaysia
2025Jasmin Arif Shah · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Malaysia
The practice of urban farming in Malaysia is recognized for promoting the well-being of urban dwellers and smallholder farmers, and for achieving sustainable food production. Urban farming is viewed as a catalyst for achieving the well-being of urban dwellers and the natural environment, with social and health benefits being among the highest motivating factors for urban communities. The development of urban farming communities and the emphasis on sustainable food production through these initiatives are considered important steps towards empowering locals and creating food-independent communities.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe importance of digital record-keeping among urban agriculture communities: a review
2025Noryana Ahmad Khusaini, Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Global
This review examines the significance of digital record-keeping in urban agriculture, focusing on its impact on efficiency, productivity, market access, economic benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The review identifies challenges such as a lack of digital skills, high implementation costs, inadequate technological infrastructure, limited connectivity, data privacy, and security. These challenges hinder the adoption of digitalization in urban agriculture.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsCommunityClimate changeFood Systems
2025M. L. Wahlqvist · Food and nutrition · Global
This chapter defines food systems and their evolution, noting that current systems contribute significantly to environmental degradation. It highlights the urgent need for transformation due to increasing global food demand, environmental issues, political instability, and climate change. The chapter discusses alternative food systems, including urban agriculture, that prioritize sustainability, resilience, and social justice to address challenges in industrialized food production and ensure access to nutritious food.
Food sovereignty & justiceCSA & TeikeiCommunityClimate changeFen Eğitiminde Okul Bahçeleri Üzerine Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz
2025Şeyma Ulukök Yıldırım, Duygu Sönmez · · Global
This study aimed to analyze academic publications focusing on school gardens in science education using bibliometric methods. It included 128 articles from the Web of Science database, conducting descriptive and network analyses with VOSviewer software. Findings revealed that research on school gardens has experienced a fluctuating increase over the past decade, with Environmental Education Research being the journal with the most publications and the United States the country with the most studies published.
Food educationCommunityEspacio público y agroecología urbana. Genealogías y estrategias de integración paisajística en Rosario, Argentina
2025Diego Roldán · Revista Kawsaypacha Sociedad y Medio Ambiente · Argentina (Rosario)
This article explores how urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina, challenges hegemonic discourses on landscape and territory, offering insights to rethink green public spaces. The study uses critical interpretation of documents, key informant interviews, and direct observation of agroecological initiatives. It investigates the origins of urban agriculture and its links to economic crises and peripheries, analyzing the historical dissociation between aesthetic-recreational and production-environmental imaginaries in green public spaces. The article addresses the potential of agroecological fairs and park-gardens to integrate agroecology and public space, aiming to reassemble nature-city relationships.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCausal Loop Diagrams of Food Systems, Diet, and Obesity: A Scoping Review of Methods, Contextual Factors, and Outcomes
2025Ivana Stankov, Andrés F. Useche, Peter Lekkas, Rosie Mae Henson, Irene Headen, Jonathan Purtle, Brent A. Langellier · Obesity Reviews · Global
This scoping review characterized 40 peer-reviewed studies from 1370 unique records, identified through a comprehensive search of six databases, that used interest-holder-driven causal loop diagrams to examine food systems, diet, and obesity. All studies identified individual and behavioral drivers of obesity, while studies in the Global South and those engaging minoritized populations more frequently emphasized structural factors like racism, urban agriculture, and gentrification. The review highlights the potential of causal loop diagrams to capture the complexity of these issues and identifies gaps in geographical coverage and population representation.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceRole of Urban Farming in Promoting Sustainable Economic Development
2025Yosra Abduljalel Alajeli, Gunavathy Selvarajh · Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies · Global
This qualitative desk research investigated urban farming's economic, environmental, and societal impacts on sustainable economic development. Findings indicate urban farming enhances local economies, provides fresh produce, strengthens community engagement, and promotes green infrastructure. However, its broader adoption is hindered by limited land access, inadequate legislative support, and low public awareness.
Governance failureEconomicsClimate changeCommunityPolicySementes de Sabedoria
2025Ana Claudia Ribeiro Pinheiro, Miriã Aparecida Fidelis da Silva, Érica Coelho Pagel · Revista Latino-americana de Ambiente Construído & Sustentabilidade · Global
This qualitative study aimed to understand school communities' perceptions of green areas, particularly gardens, to develop didactic school garden designs. Through questionnaires and extension activities, the project created landscape design proposals. It found that while schools recognize the importance of greenery, they face challenges, and creative, collaborative solutions can make didactic gardens feasible.
Food educationCommunityHealthBiodiversityAdvancing the New Urban Agenda through Promoting Urban Agriculture: The Case of Masvingo City, Zimbabwe
2025Average Chigwenya, Samson Gwamure · Kuveza neKuumba The Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University Journal of Design Innovative Thinking and Practice · Zimbabwe (Masvingo City)
This research examined how urban agriculture has been incorporated in Masvingo City, Zimbabwe. A mixed methods approach, including interviews with key informants and field observations in urban agriculture areas, was adopted. The research found that despite the widespread practice of urban agriculture, Masvingo City is not innovative in including urban agriculture in its development agenda.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityThe Involvement of Disabled People in Regenerative Agriculture: Analysis of Individual, Economic and Environmental Factors
2025Rosmiza Mohd Zainol, R. Zaimah, M.S. Sarmila, Aizan Sofia Amin, Lahvinnya Loganathan · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia (Selangor)
This quantitative study surveyed 56 People with Disabilities (PWDs) in urban community gardens at a Community Rehabilitation Centre in Selangor to identify factors influencing their participation in urban regenerative agriculture. Using a Likert scale questionnaire, descriptive analysis showed high levels for individual, economic, and environmental factors. This suggests urban regenerative agriculture has potential as an economic and social empowerment platform for PWDs.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsIntegrating urban rooftop farming into city governance in megacities: A systematic literature review
2025Md. Ashikuzzaman, Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan, Atiq Zaman · Cities · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 75 published materials using PRISMA methodology to characterize the governance process for urban rooftop farming (URF) in megacities. The study found that a structured governance framework for URF is scarce, but existing literature helps define potential policy instruments and strategies for integration with city governance. A two-tier governance framework is proposed, requiring attention from local government and stakeholders.
PolicyCommunityClimate changeCommoning and just sustainability across time, space and class: lessons from terminated urban gardening projects in Bucharest
2025Ioana Florea · Environmental Sociology · Romania
This paper investigated three collective gardening projects in Bucharest that closed between 2019 and 2021, analyzing what remains of their sustainability capacities and commoning efforts after termination. Findings indicate that while essential commoning aspects like collectivity building and autonomy can endure and transfer to other spaces, cross-class aspects fade away with these transpositions. This reveals that what persists from closed gardening projects is strongly tied to structural historical contexts.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsSocial-ecological filters influence plant and invertebrate diversity in educational gardens in a South American metropolis
2025María Sofía Herrera-Oesterheld, Sonia Reyes‐Paecke, Alejandra E. Muñoz, Paul Amouroux, Catalina Trujillo, José Tomás Ibarra · Scientific Reports · Chile (Santiago)
A study analyzed plant and invertebrate species richness and influencing social-ecological filters in 33 vegetable gardens in municipal schools within the Metropolitan Area of Santiago (MAS), Chile. A total of 362 plant species and 127 invertebrate morphospecies were recorded. The most influential social-ecological filters for plant richness were garden area, percentage of cultivated ground cover, and summer irrigation. For invertebrate richness, the most influential factors were plant species richness, bare ground cover (with a negative effect), and to a lesser extent, tree cover in the garden's buffer zone and summer irrigation.
CommunityBiodiversityFood education