Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1031 results(11 / 42)
Producción urbana de alimentos: una contribución al cumplimiento de los ODS. Una experiencia desde la proyección social universitaria
2023Luis Carlos Estupiñán Aponte · Repositorio Institucional UPTC · Global
This project explores urban and peri-urban agriculture as a viable, though not comprehensive, solution to food vulnerability in urban areas, where access to food is often limited by purchasing power. It applies circular economy and agroecological principles, utilizing available resources for garden assembly, processing plant waste into fertilizers, and employing botanical and microbiological controls for phytosanitary management. The initiative emphasizes broad community participation, knowledge exchange, and the creation of social spaces to enhance food and nutrition security.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cyclePENDAMPINGAN KOMUNITAS PETANI "URBAN FARMING" DI KELURAHAN BUKIT SANGKAL KALIDONI KOTA PALEMBANG
2023Sumaina Duku · Al-Basyar Jurnal Pengembangan Masyarakat Islam · Indonesia (Palembang)
This community assistance program in Bukit Sangkal village, Kalidoni district, Palembang City, aimed to map potential vacant lands for urban farming and suitable commodities for cultivation. The program found that while urban farming has been implemented as a poverty alleviation method in Bukit Sangkal, the utilization of vacant land remains suboptimal, with many residents still disposing of waste indiscriminately. Continued involvement from various parties is needed to provide information and extension services on urban farming and innovation adoption.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCash for assets during acute food insecurity: an observational study in South Sudan
2023Shannon Doocy, Emily Lyles, Robert Kenyi Morjan, Kayla Pfieffer-Mundt, Courtland Robinson, Kevin Savage · Agriculture & Food Security · South Sudan
A prospective cohort study in South Sudan (2019–2021) examined the impact of cash assistance for work in community gardens on food security among 1213 cash-receiving, 582 non-intervention, and 300 later cash-receiving households. The study found no significant differences in changes over time in household hunger, coping strategies, or meal frequency between participants and the comparison group. Cash transfers did not appear to have lasting benefits on food security and livelihoods coping strategy use.
Limited or null effectWelfareCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDrivers of the Chemical Quality of Market Gardening Soils in the Urban and Peri-Urban Environment of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso): Impact of Fertilizers Sources and Sites Location
2023Fabèkourè Cédric Kambiré, Sheick Sangaré, Rayangnéwendé Adèle Ouédraogo, Adama Zanga Ouattara · Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment · Burkina Faso (Bobo-Dioulasso)
This study investigated the chemical quality of soils across six market gardening sites in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, considering the impact of fertilizer use and site location. Soil samples from 30 farms in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas were analyzed for carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and pH, revealing that soil chemical parameters, except for available K, were affected by site location. Urban farm soils were less acidic, and long-term organic matter application improved soil chemical quality, though soil quality tended to decrease with area expansion.
Peri-urban agricultureWelfareOrganic cycleThings that endure: Community gardens and the post-work imaginary
2023Abigail Schoneboom, Daniel Mallo, Armelle Tardiveau · Journal of Classical Sociology · United Kingdom
This sensory ethnographic study, using pinhole photography, explored how time is experienced by unemployed volunteers at a community garden in the north-east of England. It found that the garden's ability to provide meaningful time is rooted in its food-growing and composting cycles, as well as enduring elements like mature trees and volunteer-made structures. The study argues that urban community gardens offer an "elongated present" that fulfills individuals and sustains community and nature.
CommunityWelfareOrganic cycleHealthRecipes for Resistance
2023Claudia J. Ford · · United States
This essay provides a critical historiography of Black women's roles in the food justice movement, using storytelling and historical analysis to amplify their voices. It highlights figures such as Leah Chase, the women of Rise and Root Farm, Barbara Norman, and Edith Floyd, who established Growing Joy Community Gardens. The author positions these Black women as advocates for community food justice and creators of community healing spaces, moving beyond individual healthy lifestyle improvements.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthWelfareUrban farming for the community in Arga Jaya Housing, Kalinegoro, Magelang Regency
2023Sumarno Adi Subrata, Hamisa Juniar Latesa, Salma Inas Rafida, Muhammad Wildan Alfarisi, Fitri Fitri, Citra Delima Sakinadya · Community Empowerment · Indonesia
An urban farming program was implemented in Kalinegoro Village RW III, Magelang Regency, Indonesia, with the PKK team and housing residents. The program aimed to address potential food shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants showed enthusiasm, leading to the creation of a park incorporating urban farming practices. The initiative is expected to serve as a solution for food security during the pandemic.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareLa trama de la agricultura urbana: trayectoria de vida de un militante local (Rosario, Argentina)
2023Licia María Lilli · kult-ur revista interdisciplinària sobre la cultura de la ciutat · Argentina (Rosario)
This study reflects on sustainable food systems through the biographical narrative of Antonio Lattuca, a key figure in urban agriculture development in Rosario, Argentina. Based on a semi-structured interview, the research focuses on his activism in establishing urban gardens and institutionalizing collective strategies within the municipal government since the 1990s, including the Urban Agriculture Program. Rosario has over 34 years of urban agroecological experiences addressing urbanization, poverty, and exclusion.
CommunityPolicyWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePeningkatan kemandirian dan ketahanan pangan masyarakat perempuan melalui urban gardening Kelompok Wanita Tani (KWT) “Ijo Royo-Royo” Tambakaji Ngaliyan Kota Semarang
2023Siti Hasanah, Mustika Widowati, Sri Hardiningsih, Vita Arumsari · KACANEGARA Jurnal Pengabdian pada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Semarang)
This community service project targeted women in the "Ijo Royo-Royo" Women Farmers Group in Tambakaji, Semarang City, Indonesia, addressing their limited experience in utilizing narrow home yards for planting and lack of skills in waste management. The project provided assistance in creating urban gardens for daily food independence, managing plastic waste for vertical planting, and processing vegetable and fruit waste into healthy drinks and organic fertilizer. The aim was to increase the economic value and benefits of urban backyard farming.
DIYCompostFood educationWelfareCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceA Social-Ecological Model for Inclusion Processes in Urban Agriculture of Vienna, Austria
2023Sophie Kathrin Schaffernicht, Elisabeth Quendler · Merits · Austria
This study aimed to identify systemic barriers to inclusion in horticultural working life and potential solutions for people with disabilities within urban agriculture in Vienna, Austria. A pilot project was conducted from May to October 2019, involving a university, three social institutions, two horticultural farms, and fifteen people with disabilities. The findings suggested that urban agriculture opportunities should extend beyond simple cooperation between social institutions and horticultural farms.
Equity & displacementWelfareCommunity‘We’ve Never Done This Before’
2023Jen Rae · Performance Research · Australia (Melbourne)
During the 2020-21 COVID-19 lockdowns, Fawkner Commons in Melbourne, Australia, transformed a community garden into an urban farm and a disused lawn bowling club into a food hub. This initiative, led by local residents, distributed over $116,000 worth of no-cost/low-cost culturally relevant food boxes and over 2,400 prepared meals in 2020 to the food-insecure suburb of Fawkner. This article reflects on the creative methodologies that supported Fawkner Commons' success in providing food relief when other organizations were overwhelmed.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareClimate changeURBAN AND PERI-URBAN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION EFFECTS ON FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
2023Peter Sanjo Adewale, Sunday Clement Olubunmi Makinde, V. Kusemiju · Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This mixed-method study in Lagos State, Nigeria, examined the effects of Urban and Peri-urban Vegetable Production (UPVP) on farmers' livelihood subscales using a Household Livelihood Survey and Focus Group Discussion. The findings indicate that all livelihood subscales (Physical, Natural, Financial, Social, Human) were positively and significantly impacted by UPVP, with a moderately high overall impact. The study concludes that UPVP can be a resilient sector for the economy and sustainable development.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareNurturing soil-adarities
2023Bethaney Turner · · Global
This chapter explored human-soil relations in urban home and community gardens through ethnographic fieldwork. While biodiverse soil offers direct health benefits, the presence of contaminated, toxic soils, prevalent in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, was shown to expose inequities in access to safe gardening sites and hinder the realization of potential therapeutic benefits. It argues that the therapeutic benefits of gardens are best realized when humans cultivate attentive relationships with myriad multispecies companions.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthBiodiversityOrganic cycleWelfareThe pedagogical school garden and the educationalisation of social problems in Denmark
2023Christian Larsen · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Denmark
In Denmark, school gardens were voluntarily established by the School Gardens Association and local teachers to address perceived social problems in cities during the first half of the 20th century. This initiative aimed to develop civic virtue and inner strength in urban children through garden education. The movement peaked around 1960 and has experienced a revival in recent decades.
Food educationCommunityWelfareCertificación de productores ecológicos en SGP Lima: Reporte basado en la estrategia de la intervención piloto
2023Maikol Muñoz, Duvert Ventocilla, Cristina Fonseca, Willy Pradel · · Peru (Lima)
In response to Peru's significant food insecurity in 2022, the Institute of Development and Environment (IDMA) and the International Potato Center (CIP) organized an awareness campaign for World Food Day, focusing on the contribution of agroecological family farming in Metropolitan Lima's Valleys. A central forum, "DIALOGUES ABOUT HEALTHY DIETS FOR EVERYONE, 3X7," highlighted the roles of small farmers in food generation and the importance of common soup kitchens, noting how urban agriculture producers supplied inputs for these kitchens.
Food sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureWelfareCommunityUsing TAPE to assess agroecology on women-led farms in the U.S.: Support for environmental and social practices
2023Lianna Gomori-Ruben, Chantal D. Reid · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study examined women farming in the United States to analyze if their practices align with agroecology, using the FAO’s 10 Elements of Agroecology and the TAPE tool. A mixed-methods case study design collected web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. Participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities, aligning with FAO elements. Farm size and region were significant in the prevalence of agroecological practices; farms of 50–100 acres were most likely to integrate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricultural practices.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareFood educationSocial gastronomy initiatives in Copenhagen, Denmark for food security, sustainability and health
2023Charlotte Siiger · European Journal of Public Health · Denmark (Copenhagen)
The "Green Sustainable Communities" project in Copenhagen, Denmark, developed social gastronomy methods to empower lower socio-economic households with sustainable, healthy, and affordable cooking practices. Interventions included community meals, gardening, and food courses, utilizing surplus fruits, vegetables, and affordable legumes. These initiatives promoted affordable, climate-friendly, and healthy diets, increasing social wellbeing and improving nutrition.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Farming di Permukiman Pesisir untuk Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan Rumah Tangga
2023Sri Aliah Ekawati · JURNAL TEPAT Applied Technology Journal for Community Engagement and Services · Indonesia
A community service program in Tallo Village, Indonesia, addressed post-COVID-19 economic impacts on low-income coastal residents, who experienced reduced vegetable consumption due to decreased income. The program implemented urban farming as a solution for dense settlements with minimal green space. Participants' knowledge and understanding of urban farming increased, and produce from demonstration gardens was consumed by families, reducing vegetable expenses.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareFood educationConceptual Framework for Urban Farming (UF) Cost Components: The Application of Iceberg Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Model
2023Puteri Sidrotul Nabihah Saarani, Siti Nur Aishah Mohd Noor, Zailawati Khalid2, Asniza Hamimi Abdul Tharim, Asmalia Che Ahmad, Norhafizah Abdul Rahman, Mohamad Haizam Mohamed Saraf · International Journal of Business and Technology Management · Malaysia
This paper aimed to develop a conceptual framework for Life Cycle Cost (LCC) in the context of smart urban farming through an in-depth literature review. Employing the Iceberg Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model, the conceptual framework for Smart UF LCC components was divided into acquisition cost and hidden cost. This framework assists in decision-making by providing a holistic view of the costs involved in a project or investment.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareDigital agriculture“Tur pilnīgi cita pasaule”: vides jautājumi Lucavsalas dārzkopju stāstos
2023Una Smilgaine · Aktuālās problēmas literatūras un kultūras pētniecībā rakstu krājums · Latvia (Riga)
This article explores the environmental issues reflected in the experience stories of 16 gardeners and locals on Lucavsala island, Riga, collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, audio recordings, and photography in 2021. Gardeners expressed environmental awareness through narratives about the island's geography, gardening practices, and environmental quality, with acquiring and managing a garden being a prominent theme. Despite mentions of waste, the environmental quality of Lucavsala was generally judged to be relatively high, with fresh air, peace, and quiet being important indicators.
CommunityWelfareClimate changeMulticulturalism and Sustainability Education
2023Dilafruz R. Williams · · United States (Portland)
This chapter describes how courses at Portland State University have integrated sustainability themes to engage students with marginalized communities affected by ecological injustices. The 10-acre Learning Gardens Laboratory provides hands-on experiences in food cultivation, nutrition, and composting, fostering garden-based education as a means to address ecological and human oppression.
Food educationCommunityWelfareFlowers in the dark: The contribution of rooftop urban agriculture to human well-being in the Ein El-Hilweh Refugee Camp, Lebanon
2023Anisja Tarchahani, Jacqueline Loos · World Development Sustainability · Lebanon
This study analyzed the livelihood effects of rooftop urban agriculture for 10 Palestinian women in Ein El-Hilweh Camp, Lebanon, using a mixed-method approach combining document analysis and a survey. Findings suggest that rooftop urban agriculture contributes considerably to more sustainable livelihoods for Palestinian women and their families by enabling them to develop natural and human capital, increasing food security, and protecting natural resources. It is a low-threshold tool that enhances refugees' well-being over the medium term.
CommunityWelfareHealthEconomicsA Critical Reflection on the "Deficits to be Overcome" in Urban Agriculture in Bulgaria
2023Svetlana Hristova-Vladi · Postmodernism Problems · Bulgaria
The book "Urban Agriculture for Improving the Quality of Life. Examples from Bulgaria," edited by Donna Pickard, explores the real versus potential effects of urban agriculture on the welfare of urban and nearby communities. This multidisciplinary study analyzes the interplay between urban agriculture practices and quality of life through social, educational, economic, spatial, and ecological aspects. It also delves into the historical dimension of urban agriculture in Bulgaria, including examples from Sofia in the 1930s.
Governance failureWelfareHealthEconomicsPolicyCaring in unequal worlds
2023Miriam Williams, Lillian Tait · · Australia (Sydney)
This chapter reflects on how attention to care helps understand the hopes and troubles shaping Community Food Initiatives (CFIs) in unequal worlds. Drawing on data from a 2019 research project documenting CFIs across metropolitan Sydney, Australia, the chapter analyzes two initiatives: the Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO) Food Pantry and Five Serves Produce Community Support Agriculture Scheme (CSA). The analysis reveals expansive communities involving human and non-human others that are cared for, cared about, and cared with CFIs, highlighting the complexities of care in unequal contexts.
Equity & displacementCommunityCSA & TeikeiWelfareStunting Allevation in Kalibaru Subdistrict, North Jakarta trough the Implementation of Integrated Urban Farming and Rainwater Harvesting System
2023Risma Anisa, Nur Khafifah Rusni, Annisa Fitri Mustafa, Hayati Sari Hasibuan, Ahyahudin Sodri, Sri Setiawati Tumuyu, Analissa Huwaina, Muhammad Hasnan Habib · Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA · Indonesia (North Jakarta)
This social experiment in Kalibaru District, North Jakarta, analyzed the effectiveness of integrating rainwater harvesting (RWH) and urban farming to address stunting, clean water access, and food supply. Data was collected through field observations and surveys of 39 respondents across community education, RWH installation, and urban agriculture development. The results indicated an increase in public knowledge about RWH and urban farming benefits, with RWH effectively improving clean water availability and urban agriculture providing better access to nutrient-rich foods, potentially reducing stunting.
HealthFood educationCommunityWelfare