Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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3465 results(128 / 139)
El Saber Tradicional en la Agricultura Urbana: influencia de las Fases Lunares en la producción de especies hortícolas.
2009Yael Kemelmajer, Laura Cecilia De Luca · · Global
This work, part of the Programme of Food Self-Production, studied the influence of moon phases on horticultural crop productivity in urban vegetable gardens. Adapting agrarian science mechanisms, it incorporated popular knowledge regarding lunar influence on crops. Broccoli and lettuce were planted during crescent and waning moon phases, and differences in productivity were found for both species according to these moments.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDeterminants of re-cycling and use of domestic waste in urban swamp areas of Yaounde in Cameroon
2009Joël Sotamenou · · Cameroon (Yaounde)
This paper identifies determinants of domestic waste recycling and use in three swamp areas of Yaounde, Cameroon, based on data collected from 126 farmers between August and September 2005. Findings indicate that vegetable production, short farm-to-home distance, use of recycled livestock waste, education level, and farm surface positively influence the decision to use domestic waste. Conversely, farmer age has a negative effect.
Organic cycleCommunityUrban–rural linkageFROM THEORY TO PRACTICE - ORGANIC WASTE REDUCTION AT THE LOCAL COMUNITY LEVEL
2009Delia Nicoleta Vieru · · Global
This text discusses organic waste reduction, noting that over 50% of household waste is organic and often leads to pollution. It explains the importance of managing compost processes for quality compost, emphasizing a 30:1 carbon to nitrogen ratio for efficient decomposition. The text proposes school-based compost production as a method to engage the school community in environmental efforts, promoting resource recirculation, education on compost benefits, waste attitude change, reduction of school canteen waste, student involvement, and the creation of fertile soil for school gardens.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityFood educationGrowing Gardens and Nurturing Community in the Urban Environment
2009Katie Shaw · Providence College Digital Commons (Providence College) · Global
This study analyzes how urban agriculture, specifically community gardens, addresses rising global pressures on urban areas by rebuilding local networks. It presents community gardening as a solution to the global food crisis and compares community garden projects in five cities: Accra, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Havana, and Philadelphia. The research also examines the demographics of community gardeners, particularly their impacts on marginalized members of society, and highlights community gardens' role in city planning and green design.
CommunityFood educationWelfareElderlyPolicyPromoting Healthy Diets through Community Gardens: An Investigation into Their Effectiveness in Reducing Obesity Among Senegalese Adolescents in Uganda
2009Kasaka Kizito, Okumu Mukulu, Sserunkuma Ndegeyi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda
This mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of community gardens in reducing obesity among 200 Senegalese adolescents aged 15-18 in Uganda. Initial analysis suggests that community gardens significantly reduced the proportion of adolescents with obesity by 30%, indicating a positive impact on dietary habits and physical activity levels. While these preliminary findings are promising, further longitudinal studies are needed.
HealthCommunityFood educationWelfareInterdisciplinary Aspects of Climate Change
2009· International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management · Global
This publication presents a table of contents for multiple papers addressing interdisciplinary aspects of climate change. Topics include the impacts of climate change on electricity generation and consumption, the role of cross-disciplinary models in the Irish housing sector, urban agriculture as a way to adapt modern cities, experiences in climate change policy-making, a climate stabilization fund, social learning on climate change among regional agents, costs and effectiveness of mitigation policies, campaign strategies by environmental NGOs, the role of sustainable buildings, quantifying vulnerability and adaptability of natural ecosystems, farming community concerns, local government risk assessment, approaches to resolving climate change, impacts on flood events, municipal solid waste management's impact on greenhouse gas emissions in Estonia, conducting interdisciplinary workshops, public opinion on climate change, and innovative multi-stakeholder approaches.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkagePolicyLinking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development: A role for urban agriculture?
2009Femke Hoekstra, R. van Veenhuizen · · Global
This article focuses on the role of urban agriculture in linking relief, rehabilitation, and development following disasters or emergency situations. It notes that many people in refugee situations establish small-scale gardening or micro-technologies like container gardening to improve food security. The article highlights urban agriculture's multiple functions, including community building and sustainable environments.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareDIYResearch on Technical Feature and Technological Innovation about Urban Agriculture
2009Yujie Jiang · Tianjin Agricultural Sciences · Global
This article researched the technical features of urban agriculture. It proposed a new technological innovation model primarily based on cooperative innovation, supplemented by independent and imitative innovation, and outlined choices for implementing this model.
Digital agricultureAgricultura urbana y sustentabilidad en Valdivia, Chile. Una nueva alternativa microempresarial
2009O Beatriz Vera · Revista Urbano · Chile (Valdivia)
This study characterized 22 urban agricultural micro-enterprises in Valdivia, Chile, focusing on their economic, productive, and commercial aspects, and the employment they generate. Using the Snowball method to identify urban farmers, the research found that urban agriculture is a significant source of permanent employment in Valdivia, also providing temporary work during the summer season.
EconomicsCommunityAGRICULTURA PERIURBANA: NUEVOS ROLES DE LA AGRICULTURA DE PROXIMIDAD EN LA PLANIFICACIÓN DE LAS PERIFERIAS URBANAS
2009Carlos Humberto Gómez Arciniegas · Revista M · Global
This article from 2009 investigates the primary features and opportunities of peri-urban agriculture, a practice at the transition between rural and urban areas. The study aims to identify 'agricultural strategies' from significant experiences to encourage future territorial planning practices in other peri-urban contexts. The research seeks to recognize recent experiences where peri-urban agriculture has coordinated economic and social activities and integrated with other activities aimed at valorizing local resources.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageWastewater Use in Cauliflower Production and Farmer’s Health: An Economic Analysis
2009Shahzad Kouser, Mr. Abedullah, Abdus Samie · The Pakistan Development Review · Pakistan (Faisalabad)
This study, conducted in 2006 with 200 farmers in two peri-urban villages of Faisalabad, Pakistan, estimated the economic values of negative health externalities from wastewater use in cauliflower production. While wastewater use appeared profitable without considering externalities, factoring in health costs strongly discouraged its use. The health externalities for a three-month cauliflower crop on 741 acres amounted to Rs 3.2 million, and for 5,283 acres of vegetables cultivated with wastewater in Faisalabad, the annual total was Rs 90.7 million. The findings indicate a significant economic loss due to wastewater use, suggesting that installing a water treatment plant is a viable option to minimize these external effects.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyLike what you get? Is it good for you? Organic food, health and sustainable development in schools
2009Minna Mikkola, Bent Egberg Mikkelsen, Gun Roos · · Global
These Proceedings compile preliminary empirical research, Master's theses, projects on implementing organic school meals and school gardens, and educational visions for future food education for sustainability. Published halfway through the iPOPY project, this report presents some of the outcomes achieved and outlines ongoing work towards more sustainable food systems.
Food educationHealthCommunityCommunity Gardens in Urban Ghana: Impacts on Food Security, Public Health, and Community Cohesion
2009Abena Boampongwa, Esi Amagatso, Efua Asarekwai · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana
This study in urban Ghana used a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, and observational studies over one year, to assess the impact of community gardens. It found that community gardens significantly increased (p<0.05) the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among community members, improving dietary diversity and reducing reliance on processed foods. The findings suggest community gardens can enhance food security and public health outcomes in urban settings, especially with integrated educational programs.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood educationPolicyContext Aware Education for Agriculture.
2009Richard Beckwith, Sharon Greenfield · · Global
This ethnographic study investigated how teachers use school gardens for agricultural education and how farmers learn on farms, aiming to define needs for a mobile educational application. The research sought to inform the development of a mobile device with video, connectivity, and sensors, capable of generating inferences for computer vision and other applications. Future work will explore how such devices can influence learning and teaching.
Food educationCommunityExperiencia cubana en organopónicos, una opción para la seguridad alimentaria en Nicaragua
2009Mayra Puente Isidrón · Revista Ciencia y Tecnología El Higo · Cuba
This paper describes the development and impacts of urban agriculture, specifically "organopónicos," in Cuba. It highlights how this approach utilizes local productive potential and available labor to significantly increase agricultural products for the population. The impacts include contributions to human nutrition, providing vitamins, minerals, and plant/animal protein, and fostering new dietary habits based on societal possibilities.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthThe Socioeconomic and Cultural Significance of Food Gardening in the Vladimir Region of Russia
2008Sharashkin L. · University of Missouri-Columbia (PhD Dissertation) · Russia (Vladimir Region)
A PhD dissertation examining 1,500 Vladimir Region families to show that household food gardens underpin more than half of Russia's agricultural output and fulfil wide-ranging economic, social, and cultural functions.
EconomicsCommunityWelfareFood educationImpact of treadle pump irrigation technology on smallholder poverty and food security in Malawi: a case study of Blantyre and Mchinji districts
2008· International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Malawi
Case study in two Malawian districts finding that adopters of low-cost treadle pump irrigation had higher net farm income per hectare than non-adopters.
DIYEconomicsOpportunities and Challenges of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Niamey, Niger
2008Sophie Graefe, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Outlook on Agriculture · Niger (Niamey)
Semi-structured interviews with 130 households in Niamey, Niger, characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and assessed resource use. The study found high use of livestock manure and indiscriminate use of nutrient-loaded wastewater for irrigation, leading to significant nutrient surpluses in UPA gardens. Initial calculations suggested large gaseous emissions of nitrogenous compounds and and leaching of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to groundwater.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeEconomicsOn Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening without Boundaries
2008Richard W. Reynolds · · Global
This 2008 global handbook, "On Guerrilla Gardening," explores the motivations and methods of guerrilla gardening, a movement involving illicit cultivation of public land. The book compiles advice from guerrilla gardeners in thirty countries on topics such as plant selection, coping with environmental conditions, seed bombing, and propaganda. It also traces the historical development of the movement from the 17th century to the 1970s.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageImpact of urban agriculture on malaria vectors in Accra, Ghana
2008Eveline Klinkenberg, Philip J. McCall, Michael D. Wilson, Felix P. Amerasinghe, Martin J. Donnelly · Malaria Journal · Ghana
This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on malaria transmission risk in Accra, Ghana, through larval and adult mosquito surveys. It found that Anopheles spp. and Culex quinquefasciatus outdoor biting rates were three and four times higher, respectively, in areas around agricultural sites compared to areas far from agriculture. The annual Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) was also higher in agricultural areas (19.2) than non-agricultural areas (6.6), suggesting that urban agricultural areas may increase malaria transmission risk by providing resting sites for adult mosquitoes.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageGrowing Vegetables and Values: Benefits of Neighborhood-Based Community Gardens for Youth Development and Nutrition
2008Julie Ober Allen, Katherine Alaimo, Doris Elam, Elizabeth Perry · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This 2008 qualitative case study examined two neighborhood-based community gardens with youth programs, using participant observation and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. The study found that these garden programs offered opportunities for constructive activities, community contributions, skill development, and improved nutrition for participating youth. Community gardens promoted developmental assets for youth while enhancing their access to and consumption of healthy foods.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfareSmart growth ; can there be an African version?
2008Sue Wells · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · Tanzania
This paper examines the transferability of six Smart Growth concepts to Tanzanian cities (Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma, Zanzibar) given their extreme poverty and agrarian base. Primary research conducted in May-June 2007 and related publications were used. The study suggests that Smart Growth strategies from the Global North may be unsuitable for the Global South, indicating that urban agriculture in this context presents both a promise and a problem.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageThe URBANET Trade Justice Campaign in Ghana: A Case Study of Efforts to Involve Indigenous Farmers in Advocacy
2008Masud Aziz Rauf · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Ghana (Tamale)
This research, conducted in the Tamale metropolitan area of Ghana's northern region, investigated the efforts of URBANET, a local NGO, to educate and involve indigenous farmers in advocacy as part of Ghana's broader trade justice movement. URBANET advocated for farmers facing challenges like falling prices due to imported products under unfair trade policies, providing workshops, radio programs, and mobilizing farmers. The advocacy raised awareness among indigenous farmers and contributed to policy changes, such as the Ghanaian government's 2005 statement requiring state institutions to buy Ghanaian rice.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAprovechamiento de residuos sólidos en un sistema hidro-orgánico de agricultura urbana Use of solid residues in a hydro-organic culture systems of urban agriculture
2008Consuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia (Popayán)
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic system for vegetable production in small areas to contribute to urban food security and solid waste utilization in Popayán, Colombia. An alternative system was designed using recycled materials and evaluated with three nutritional treatments using cilantro as a biological indicator. The system achieved productions of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), and the common nutritional solution was identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceDIYThe benefits of rooftop garden on living conditions construction
2008WU Yun-fe · Shanxi Architecture · Global
This paper demonstrates the benefits of rooftop gardens for improving living conditions in response to urban environmental problems, detailing nine aspects. These benefits include mitigating the heat island effect, increasing urban green spaces, and purifying city air. The paper also offers recommendations for the development of rooftop gardens.
Climate changeBiodiversity