Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3622 results(115 / 145)
Social LCA Scenarios: Engaging producers and consumers in new domestic oyster value chains in Denmark
2014Arne Wangel · · Denmark (Copenhagen)
This paper discusses efforts to develop a Social LCA methodology to account for social impacts in the life cycle of existing products. It specifically shifts focus to the design phase of products and services yet to be constructed by start-ups and community groups. A maritime gardening project concerning the growing, harvesting, and eating of native oysters in the harbor of Copenhagen is presented as an example of urban farming initiatives.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthThe Study of Urban Agricultural Manor Construction under the Perspective of Rural Tourism Complex
2014LU Fe · Ecological Economy · Global
This paper analyzed the similarities and differences between rural tourism complexes and urban agricultural manors using a comparative method. Both share resource bases, industrial bases, market orientation, development ideas, target markets, and high-quality services. However, they differ in core profit points, essential supporting facilities, location selection, operators, managers, and stakeholders. The study inferred insights for constructing urban agricultural manors from existing rural tourism complex development modes, proposing construction thoughts focused on agricultural foundation, urban-rural integration, cultural integration, industrial development, and ecological civilization.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunityService Learning: A Bridge to Engineering for Underrepresented Minorities
2014Abiola A. Farinde, Brett Tempest, Lisa R. Merriweather · International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship · Global
This report described a service learning project that exposed underrepresented high school students to engineering through a community service activity where students built irrigation equipment for a community garden. The project's objective was to motivate high school students to consider STEM majors using service learning. A qualitative study was also conducted to describe the impact of informal science education through service learning, revealing three themes: experiential learning, broadening perspective, and identity as performance.
Food educationCommunityEcología urbana: diseño de espacios productivos comunitarios y evaluación de condiciones del medio de crecimiento y asociación de especies
2014Leslie Vorraber, María Sebastián López, Esteve Fernández, Marcelo Scofano · Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) · Argentina (Flores)
Since 2012, the University of Flores (UFLO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has implemented an Urban Agriculture Development Program. This program creates organic garden models with various production systems and designs, utilizing recycled materials and urban-adapted formats, to be promoted in community productive spaces. It involves monitoring and evaluating physical-chemical parameters of system components to ensure optimal development and the use of seasonal species adapted to the local climate.
CommunityDIYOrganic cycleFood educationSUITABILITY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND PERMACULTURE OF SOME BIOTYPES AND NEW VARIETIES OF SPECIES WITH SANOGENE CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES
2014Balan Viorica, V. Tudor, Oana Mencinicopschi, Carmen Gabriela Manole, Baia Sprie · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Romania (Bucharest)
Multidisciplinary research at UASVM of Bucharest recommended specific varieties and biotypes with sanogene characteristics suitable for cultivation in urban and suburban gardens. These included Deea, Elita 124, and Roxia from black currant; Rolan and Jh. Van Tets from red currant; V2 biotype from wolfberry; and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, and Ilinca from apricot. These selections were based on characteristics such as early fruiting, production under ecological conditions, low to medium shrub and tree volume, plant density, high self-compatibility, and the quality, organoleptic, biochemical, and sanogene properties of the fruits.
DIYPolicyBiodiversityOrganic cycleFinancial and economic aspects of urban vegetable farming
2014George Danso, Lesley Hope, Pay Drechsel, Danso, G., Hope, L., Drechsel, Pay · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ghana
This chapter explored the financial and economic aspects of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Ghana. It conducted cost-benefit analysis comparisons of farm finances across common rural, peri-urban, and urban farming systems. Substudies also attempted to quantify societal benefits and cost externalities related to soil nutrient depletion, pesticide use, and urban malaria.
EconomicsPeri-urban agricultureHealthEffects of Horticultural Activities Program Focusing on Four-season Ornamental Rooftop Garden to be Released on Preschoolers’ Creative Thinking
2014Myungil Jeong, EuSook Jea, Sang Mi Lee, BuYoung Yi · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study investigated the effect of a 15-week horticultural activity program using a four-season ornamental rooftop garden on the mental development and intelligence quotient (IQ) of 47 preschoolers (26 experimental, 21 control) from May to September 2013. Both groups showed significant improvement in mental development, with the experimental group showing greater improvement. While IQ also improved in both groups, the change was not statistically significant, possibly due to the study's duration.
Food educationHealthCity pig farm
2014Ulf Hackauf · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · Global
This paper explores urban pig farming as a specific form of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). It uses a design-based research strategy, drawing on the 'City Pig' study (2009) from Delft University of Technology, to identify the potential benefits of urban pig farming and assess how un-built design projects can inform future real projects. A significant limitation is that the study concerns virtual, un-built design proposals.
Urban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCommunityHealthNatuculture: Urban farming for the future
2014R. Panwala, Alyssa Joyce, Manuel R. Reyes · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · Global
Natuculture is defined as any human-made system that mimics nature in human-disturbed landscapes. It is an agroecologically balanced and biologically diverse system designed for food production, stormwater treatment, and recreation.
BiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceA quiet revolution? Beneath the surface of Ireland's alternative food initiatives
2014Aisling Murtagh · Irish Geography · Ireland
This exploratory paper considers the broad dynamics of alternative food activity in Ireland, examining the nature of resistance and whether a collective vision exists across initiatives, illustrated by two examples: a community garden and a consumer food co-op. Alternative food initiatives commonly found in Ireland include allotments, community gardens, farmers’ markets, farm shops, and on-farm food enterprises.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCombining Realism with Rigour: An Evaluation of a National Kitchen Garden Program in Australian Primary Schools
2014Heather Yeatman, Karen Quinsey, James Dawber, Wendy Nielsen, Deanne Condon‐Paoloni, Simon Eckermann, Darcy Morris, Pam Grootemaat, David L Fildes · Evaluation Journal of Australasia · Australia
An evaluation of a national kitchen garden program in Australian primary schools was conducted across 28 initiative and 14 comparison schools. The program achieved overall improvements in students' food choices (t=2.26, p=0.024) and kitchen lifestyle behaviours (t=2.35, p=0.019). Female students and those from provincial schools showed statistically greater improvements in food choices, with girls scoring higher than boys (t=6.19, p<0.001).
Food educationHealthUrban Agriculture and Food Security in the Middle Eastern Context
2014Salwa Tohmé Tawk, Mounir Abi Said, S.K. Hamadeh · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This study in the Middle East and North Africa region investigated the relationship between urban agriculture and food security in two peri-urban locations: Bebnine, Lebanon, and Wadi el Seer, Jordan. High food insecurity was prevalent in both locations, demonstrating that producers were more food insecure than non-producers. Food security was found to be strongly associated with poverty and the number of household members.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsSmall-scale water reuse for urban agriculture in Namibia: Modeling water flows and productivity
2014Laura Woltersdorf, Stefan Liehr, Ruth Scheidegger, Petra Döll · Urban Water Journal · Namibia
This abstract is an erratum notice for a previously published article titled "Small-scale water reuse for urban agriculture in Namibia: Modeling water flows and productivity." It states that Table 3 in the original online publication was incorrectly amended during revision and provides the correct version of the table, specifically mentioning "Pathogen reduction (log units)".
Climate changeEconomicsAssessing supply-demand balance of nitrogen toward local-scale organic material circulation: a case studyof suburban residential district in Metro Manila
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armand PALIJON, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Philippines (Metro Manila)
The nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in suburban residential districts of Quezon City, Metro Manila, was assessed. Analysis revealed that almost half of the subdivisions faced nitrogen oversupply, while several were in short supply. Current centralized composting facilities may not adequately support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. It was proposed that existing barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture require greater flexibility and attention to coordination systems across subdivision boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureCommunity-supported agriculture from the perspective of health and leisure
2014Bernadett Kis · Annals of Leisure Research · Hungary
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a relatively new concept in Hungary, with only five or six "share CSAs" established. This paper presents how the French variation of CSA (AMAP) was adopted in Szeged, Hungary, and how this vegetable community functions, along with its leisure and health impacts on the author. The author's CSA membership is interpreted from a health and leisure perspective, connecting it to health promotion and Blackshaw's 'liquid leisure' concept.
CSA & TeikeiHealthCommunityA Review of “Roots and Research in Urban School Gardens”
2014Kimberly Yates, Michael J. Brody · The Journal of Environmental Education · Global
This book states that the urban school garden represents a cultural, pedagogical, and practical shift in priorities towards the earth. Veronica Gaylie's latest book is just one example of the many ways she has addressed urban school gardens.
Food educationCommunityImproving access to community‐based food systems: Comparing perspectives of low socioeconomic individuals and food system representatives
2014Kylie Markow, Sue Booth, Stephanie Savio, John Coveney · Nutrition & Dietetics · Global
This study compared perspectives of low socioeconomic individuals and food system representatives regarding access to community-based food systems. Focus groups with low socioeconomic individuals and interviews with food system representatives revealed that affordability, convenience, and knowledge were barriers. While representatives acknowledged these barriers, their understanding of importance differed, and views were divided on strategies, especially concerning affordability. A disconnect exists between the two groups' views on improving access for disadvantaged groups.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareEconomicsCommunityDe sustainable à incredible edible, ou de l’intention à l’action : analyse linguistique de quelques termes du domaine environnemental
2014Jacqueline Percebois · ASp · Global
This paper linguistically analyzed various environmental terms, from the institutional discourse of "sustainable environment" to individualized local discourse like "guerrilla gardening" and "incredible edible." It investigated their emergence, development, linguistic characteristics, lexical environment, and French equivalents within economic and social contexts. The analysis highlighted a clear contrast between two discursive positions and the gap between intention and action.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceA Scoping Review of Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Market Vegetables and Biomarker Evidence of Consumer Exposure in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: An African Perspective, 2014
2014Abdirahman Osman Warsame, Fadumo Abdi Mohamud, Ahmed Hassan Ali · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)
This scoping review synthesized evidence on the association between heavy metal contamination in vegetables sold in Kinshasa's urban markets, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and human biomarkers of consumer exposure. Available evidence consistently showed that vegetables, particularly leafy greens, from Kinshasa markets contained elevated levels of lead and cadmium, often exceeding international safety limits. However, studies directly linking vegetable contamination with human biomarkers are notably scarce, suggesting a potential exposure pathway but not establishing definitive causation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageProduzione agricola e beni relazionali
2014Benedetto Rocchi · RIVISTA DI ECONOMIA AGRARIA · Global
This paper discusses the relevance of “relational goods” in studying the economics of agriculture and food supply chains. The concept of relational goods is used to discuss three specific topics: overcoming information asymmetries in the agro-food system, labor organization in agriculture, and social farming. The creation of relational assets can ease information problems in marketing and deepen the understanding of alternative food supply chains. Social farming clearly demonstrates the economic and social relevance of relational goods, where production activities become opportunities for personal care.
EconomicsCSA & TeikeiCommunityCompetition Versus Cooperation
2014John Ikerd · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
Cooperation is presented as a key concept in the sustainability movement, particularly in food systems, as a response to economic competition. Food-related cooperatives include various models like regional food hubs and CSAs. While cooperation is vital, the text also acknowledges the human tendency to compete, arguing that unrestrained competition is unsustainable.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityCommunity or Market?: The Implications of Alternative Institutional Logics for IT Use in Community Supported Agriculture Programs (CSAs)
2014Brian S. Butler, Diane M. Travis, Catherine M. Ridings, Zach G. Zacharia · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · Global
This study uses data from a national survey of local food producers to show how different institutional logics can result in varied IT use profiles and complex outcomes in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. It highlights challenges for IT in supporting local food systems where multiple logics coexist.
CSA & TeikeiDigital agricultureEconomicsCommunityContentious Territorial Alliances: Coalition Politics and Struggles over Urban Development in Pikine, Senegal
2014Nicole C. List · EchoGéo · Senegal (Pikine)
Based on fieldwork in Pikine, a rapidly urbanized city in Senegal's Dakar region, two interconnected conflict cases concerning the development of urban agricultural land for middle-class and elite housing were analyzed. The analysis indicates that public and private actors, including producers, traditional authorities, real estate developers, and local/central government officials, are abandoning old forms of governance in favor of "territorial alliances" to promote their own urban development projects. These alliances lead to new relationships between local/central government members and civil society, impacting urban Senegal's land registry, property rights, and public infrastructure.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceMore Livable Urban Space for Children: Practices around the World
2014Okşan Tandoğan · MEGARON / Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Architecture E-Journal · Global
This study compiles a literature review on global efforts to create more livable physical environments for children, focusing on urban open spaces like home surroundings, school gardens, and playgrounds. It emphasizes the importance of these spaces for child development, socialization, and behavior formation. The review includes Child Friendly City initiatives and other practices related to streets, school gardens, playgrounds, and children's transportation.
Food educationCommunityHealthA Case Study of the Symbolic Value of Community Supported Agriculture Membership
2014Lydia Zepeda, Anna Reznickova, Willow Saranna Russell, David Hettenbach, Zepeda, Lydia, Reznickova, Anna "Alice", Russell, Willow Saranna, Hettenbach, David · Journal of food distribution research · Global
This paper uses a focus group study to examine the symbolic value of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a vegetable delivery system. It finds that for both current and former members, CSA confers symbolic and private meaning and status to vegetables, but has little influence on the perceived status of agriculture itself. Only continuing CSA members demonstrate learned cues, perceptions of appraisal, improved role performance, and confer status to the CSA farmer.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomics