Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3622 results(116 / 145)
Urban Agriculture Best Practices in Kampala's Suburbs: A Transfer Study on Food Security and Community Cohesion Initiatives
2014Mr Frank Lewis · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda (Kampala)
This study investigated urban agriculture best practices in Kampala's suburbs, Uganda, employing semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with local farmers, government officials, and community leaders. It found that urban agriculture is critical for food security and community cohesion, with women constituting over 70% of participants in surveyed households and making vital contributions.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareGrowing Roots: Gardening as a means to mitigate urban poverty and its symptoms
2014Maeve Bassett · Fordham Research Commons (Fordham University) · Global
Urban gardens are advertised as a solution to limited food access in impoverished areas, but they are not productive enough to globally affect food production and the environment. However, for surrounding communities, urban gardens are cheap and effective solutions for many problems associated with poverty and food deserts, such as obesity, education, social interactions, income supplementation, health issues, dangerous neighborhoods, and refugee assimilation.
Limited or null effectWelfareHealthCommunityEconomicsRefugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening
2014Neil Harris, Fiona Nicole Rowe Minniss, Shawn Somerset · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
A cross-sectional study conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve African humanitarian migrants participating in a campus-based community food garden. The study explored how involvement in the garden supported their connectedness with their new country. Thematic analysis revealed three important benefits: land tenure, reconnecting with agriculture, and community belonging.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceAgrileisure
2014James Farmer, Charles Chancellor, Jennifer Meta Robinson, Stephanie T. West, Melissa S. Weddell · Journal of Leisure Research · Global
This study collected data from 712 individuals regarding participation in local food systems, including farmers' markets and CSA programs. Findings revealed a significant association between participants and privilege variables, suggesting that despite promotion, barriers exclude many from engaging in these agrileisure opportunities.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityWelfareDoes Urban Agriculture help improve women`s resilience to poverty? Evidence from low- income generating women in Bulawayo
2014Nobuhle Sebata, Clifford Mabhena, Mkhokheli Sithole · IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science · Zimbabwe
A qualitative study in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, using data from 30 women, 5 key informant interviews, and 2 focus groups, examined urban agriculture's role in women's poverty resilience. While urban agriculture significantly improved food availability and access, its nutritional contribution was low due to a focus on maize, and income generation remained very low due to subsistence production.
Limited or null effectWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban agriculture in Vila Nova de Gaia: the nurturing symbiosis
2014Isabel Martinho da Silva · Journal of Landscape Architecture · Portugal (Vila Nova de Gaia)
In Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, an urban agriculture policy was introduced in 2012 with the launch of the Municipal Network of Urban Allotment Gardens. This program views urban agriculture as an opportunity to meet the demand for such spaces within the urban area, solve maintenance problems for municipal lands, and improve the environmental, aesthetic, and social quality of the landscape. This paper presents and discusses the network's capacity to promote urban agriculture despite the economic crisis and to change landscape 'ownership'.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsBeyond Gardening: A New Approach to HCI and Urban Agriculture
2014Tad Hirsch · The MIT Press eBooks · Global
This chapter explores a new approach to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and urban agriculture. It includes sections on understanding urban agriculture, moving from urban form to urban experience, from cultivation to food provisioning, an expanded definition, a framework, and a case study of Sunroot Gardens.
Digital agricultureCommunityPolicyA Probe on Urban Agriculture-Oriented Ecological City
2014Tong Zhou, Tao Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global
This article introduced the connotation and function of urban agriculture, analyzing the relationship between its development and ecological city construction. It concluded that the development of urban agriculture is conducive to eco-city construction and an inevitable choice for it.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyClimate changeMarketing of Urban Agriculture Produce in Three Municipalities in Tanzania: Opportunities and Challenges
2014Kizito K. Mwajombe · · Tanzania
This study investigated urban agriculture (UA) produce marketing in three Tanzanian municipalities. Findings showed UA farmers lacked pre-arranged contracts with buyers, limiting their marketing, and faced problems including poor packaging, bylaws, taxes, and difficulty meeting consumer preferences. Farmers also lacked direct links to retail and consumer units like supermarkets.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceメトロマニラ郊外部を対象とした有機性廃棄物の地域内循環実現可能性
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armando M. Palijon, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Philippines
This study assessed the nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in subdivisions and barangays in Quezon City, Metro Manila, using GIS. It found that nearly half of the subdivisions experienced nitrogen oversupply, while others faced shortages. Although cooperation among subdivisions within a barangay could improve nitrogen balance, the current centralized composting facilities were deemed insufficient to support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. The study concluded that current barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture need greater flexibility and attention to inter-subdivision coordination across barangay boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureThe politics and technologies of urban waste
2014Jonathan Crush · · Global
Cities in the global South face a deepening crisis of food inaccessibility, characterized by food poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. This urban crisis is largely invisible to policy and research communities, with less attention given to urban food security than in the 1990s. Urban agriculture is the only aspect of urban food security receiving significant attention, though it is improbably seen as the key to achieving food security in these cities.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsWelfareCommunity supported agriculture in Romania: Solidarity partnerships as viable innovations for small farms?
2014Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia · Romania
This study investigates Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania as a viable rural innovation for small-scale farms and consumers. Based on three case studies of pioneering CSA farmers in Western Romania, the research found that consumers are motivated by value-based considerations like healthy diets, while farmers find CSA attractive for price premiums and market access. Both farmers and consumers engage in CSA partnerships to compensate for market failures.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceLooking over Fences
2014Ben Stringer · WestminsterResearch (University of Westminster) · Global
This essay explains the design development for a city farm within the context of the history of representations of rurality in arts and architecture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageSociocoltura. La riscoperta del rapporto con la terra come "balsamo" per la società ibrida urbana
2014Marco Picone · Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) · Global
This article considers the role of agriculture in contemporary societies, specifically the renaissance of urban gardening and innovative forms of agriculture. It studies the spread and impact of urban gardening and other innovative agriculture and horticulture in hyper-technological postmetropolises. These forms of crop tending are stimulating new forms of relationships, encouraging people to regain control over their lives and spend time closer to nature, and are argued to be becoming a form of "society tending" or socioculture, aligning with growing environmental awareness.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePerception of campus community towards the application and practicality of campus farming in IIUM, Gombak
2014Norul Hafizah Yusoff, Nurfaezah Ghani, Putri Haryati Ibrahim · The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository (The International Islamic University Malaysia) · Malaysia
This study analyzed the practicality of campus farming at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak campus, from the perspective of its community. Questionnaire surveys, interviews, and observations were conducted among 15 workers and 50 students. Findings indicated that the majority of respondents agreed campus farming is suitable and beneficial for the environment, economy, and social aspects within the campus.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsSeeds for Change? Attaining the benefits of community gardens through council policies in Sydney, Australia
2014Gregory Mintz, Phil McManus · Australian Geographer · Australia (Sydney)
This research in Sydney, Australia, evaluates and compares the quality of community garden policies with the distribution of community gardens across local councils and broader geographic regions. It identifies areas that could benefit from increased access to community gardens and discusses ways for councils and the Sydney Region to improve their policies. The study aims to determine what elements community garden policies should contain to best promote these gardens and their benefits.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDriving forces of land use
2014Matilda Thelin · · Sweden
This qualitative study in peri-urban Uppsala, Sweden, identifies driving forces influencing land use decisions by commercial farmers and institutional landowners. It notes that approximately 700 hectares of land in Sweden are diverted from food production annually, with Uppsala Municipality showing the greatest change in 2013. The expropriation of agricultural land for urban development leads to farmers losing land resources and increased competition for remaining land, resulting in high land prices.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageClimate-Resilient Design Strategies for Urban Drainage Systems in Coastal Ghana
2014Yaw Kofi, Abena Adwoa, Kwasi Anane · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana
Urban drainage systems in coastal Ghana are vulnerable to climate-induced flooding due to rising sea levels and increased rainfall intensity. Hydrological models indicated a need for increased stormwater infiltration capacity in ATMA, especially along the coastal belt where sea levels could rise by up to 50 cm. Designing drainage systems with enhanced permeability and elevated flood walls is recommended to ensure resilience against projected climate change risks over the next three decades.
Climate changePolicyBiodiversityCharacterization of municipal waste in Kampala, Uganda
2014Allan John Komakech, Noble Banadda, Joel R. Kinobe, Levi Kasisira, Cecilia Sundberg, Girma Gebresenbet, Björn Vinnerås · Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association · Uganda (Kampala)
A study characterized municipal waste in Kampala, Uganda, from July 2011 to June 2012, analyzing waste delivered to Kiteezi landfill during dry and wet months. Waste was sorted, weighed, and organic samples were analyzed for nutrients and energy content. Findings showed that organic waste constituted 88.5% in wet months and 94.8% in dry months, with an average moisture content of 71.1% and significant nutrient levels. The organic waste was concluded to be a suitable source of plant nutrients for urban agriculture, with characterization results differing from other Sub-Saharan African cities.
CompostOrganic cycleEconomicsDecentralised Sanitation and Energy Reuse in the Built Environment
2014Guang Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global
This paper presents a concept for building-integrated decentralized technologies for wastewater and organic waste treatment with energy and nutrient recovery, termed a "sustainable implant," for deep green housing districts. It explores the potentials of integrating solutions for energy and sanitation flows near their origin, linking sanitation to energy and food production. The system layout and dimensioning are explained, noting scale limitations and its application in a unique intentional community, with no other similar urban district-scale projects found worldwide.
Organic cycleCompostClimate changeUrbane Landwirtschaft in Buenos Aires (Argentinien)
2014Christina Jochum · · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
This study examined the social inclusion potential of urban agriculture, focusing on six community gardens in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It analyzed how urban community gardens can promote social inclusion and identified limiting factors. The research found that urban community gardens in Buenos Aires remain an informal strategy, unrecognized by political authorities. The positive impacts of communal gardening on participants and the community are limited by this lack of recognition and often by associated lack of land use rights.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareCommunity supported agriculture in Romania: Is it driven by economy or solidarity?
2014Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Romania
This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania, focusing on costs and benefits for both farmers and consumers in three pioneering CSA groups offering organic vegetables to contracted consumers in the western part of the country. It found that consumers are typically urban dwellers with higher education and income, prioritizing organic-quality fresh products over solidarity, which is a value aspired by the initiating NGO. Farmers' main motivation for CSA involvement is the need for a stable market with fair prices, indicating that both parties use CSA to compensate for market failures.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityHealthUrban Agriculture & The Co-Development of Environment, Culture, and Community
2014Heidi Thomas · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · Global
This paper discusses how urban agriculture can repair environmental and sociocultural divisions within urban communities, which often manifest as racial and class barriers. It posits that the convergence of environment and foodways through urban agriculture fosters a culturally democratic co-development process. This process, involving the growing and sharing of food, can sustain existing cultural communities and inspire new forms of community aligned with sustainability.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunity Gardens in Zagreb, Croatia: Old/new practices for the local sustainability
2014Lana Slavuj Borčić, Cvitanović Marin, Aleksandar Lukić · · Croatia (Zagreb)
Community gardens have long existed in Zagreb, Croatia, where residents have transformed underused public urban areas into gardens. While these activities largely occurred outside formal government frameworks, the "City Gardens" policy was adopted in 2012 to allocate urban public parcels to interested citizens. This policy increased participation in community gardening, and previous research indicates that community gardens offer multiple benefits and positive impacts on individuals, local communities, and urban spaces.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthThe meanwhile lease: enabling temporary community use of vacant property
2013Meanwhile Foundation · Meanwhile Foundation (UK) · Global
The 'meanwhile lease' lets landlords grant short-term use to voluntary groups while keeping ownership and the right to recover the site; an intermediary provides standard contracts and insurance to make interim use legal and smooth.
PolicyCommunity