Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
628 results(13 / 26)
Hortas escolares em Vancouver, Canadá como parte da “segunda geração” da soberania alimentar
2018Estevan Leopoldo de Freitas Coca, Ricardo Barbosa · Ateliê Geográfico · Canada (Vancouver)
This paper qualitatively analyzed the implementation of school gardens in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the "second generation" of food sovereignty. It highlighted that while these initiatives are implemented in public schools, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are primarily responsible for developing projects that promote local agriculture and food literacy.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGardening Club has a "flipping" good time
2018David Broyles · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States (Virginia)
On November 17, 2018, the Carroll News reported on the 4-H Gardening Club in Carroll County, Virginia, which planted peanuts as an experimental crop in their school garden. The report covered their harvesting methods and the success of growing peanuts in Southwest Virginia.
Food educationCommunityScience in the Garden: A Qualitative Analysis of School-based Agricultural Educators’ Strategies
2018Sarah M. Cross, Sami Kahn · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States
This collective case study investigated how two Ohio school-based agricultural educators use school gardens to teach science, including socioscientific issues (SSI). Qualitative data from semistructured interviews revealed that both teachers utilized applied science teaching methods and expressed frustrations regarding the difficulty of meeting mandated science learning standards. Although controversial topics were often integrated, fidelity to the SSI framework did not appear to be utilized.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeAnálise da necessidade de escolarização de jovens, adultos e idosos: O estudo de caso na Horta Comunitária Girassol – São Sebastião/DF
2018Tallyrand Moreira Jorcelino, Getúlio Francisco Silva, Jorge Alfredo Cerqueira Streit · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (São Sebastião/DF)
A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research was conducted at the Girassol Community Garden in São Sebastião/DF, Brazil. The study aimed to collect educational data from garden members through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis, intending to contribute to public policy formulation. Main results showed that 62.5% of Girassol Community Garden members had incomplete elementary school, 25% had completed high school, and 12.5% had incomplete high school. The conclusions identified a necessity for access to schooling in youth and adult education segments, and for knowledge relevant to environmental education and the work they develop in the garden.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfareHorta Universitária: Plantando Ciência E Reduzindo Desigualdades
2018Livia Marques Brandolt, Vitória Aparecida Porto Lima, Josimar Rodrigues Oliveira, Flaviana Tavares Vieira Teixeira · Revista UFG · Brazil (Diamantina)
In Diamantina, Brazil, the "University Garden: planting science and reducing inequalities" project was implemented at the Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM). The project aimed to create a more sustainable university environment through a community garden, involving undergraduate students to reduce retention and dropout rates. Approximately 87.5% of the project team members improved their Academic Performance Coefficient (CRA), suggesting that participation in university projects positively contributes to maintaining or improving academic performance.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHorta escolar com práticas agroecológicas no município de Serra- ES
2018Fernanda Emanuele Silva Costa, Natália Sant’Anna de Medeiros, Iana de Oliveira Carneiro · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This project, implemented in 2016 at EEEFM Professora Juraci Machado in Serra, Brazil, established a school garden with agroecological practices. With the help of students, teachers, and the local community, the project cultivated four species of unconventional food plants, four medicinal plants, and two fruit trees, plus two leguminous species for nitrogen fixation. The initiative aims to promote agroecological experiences and has already shown improvements in students' teamwork, cooperation, and appreciation for school spaces.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleHealthScience in the Learning Gardens (SciLG): a study of students’ motivation, achievement, and science identity in low-income middle schools
2018Dilafruz R. Williams, Heather Brule, Sybil S. Kelley, Ellen A. Skinner · International Journal of STEM Education · United States (Portland)
This study examined the Science in the Learning Gardens (SciLG) program with 113 students and three teachers from two low-income urban middle schools in Portland, United States. Longitudinal data from 2015 measured students' motivational experiences in the garden to predict science engagement, learning, grades, and identity. Findings suggest that garden-based activities can support students' engagement and learning in science and foster long-term interest in science.
Food educationCommunityWelfareResponding to neoliberal diets: School meal programmes in Brazil and Canada
2018Estevan Leopoldo de Freitas Coca, Ricardo Barbosa · Policy Press eBooks · Brazil, Canada
This chapter analyzes school meal programs in Brazil (PNAE) and Canada (F2S BC) as sustainable alternatives to corporate dominance in the global food system. PNAE creates an institutional market for family farmers and provides local food to students, while F2S BC involves school gardens, food education, and local food incentives. The study found that PNAE has wider reach but focuses on consumption, whereas F2S BC highlights schools as growing spaces and food as a pedagogical resource.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGENERACIÓN DE UN MODELO DE HUERTOS URBANOS COMO DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE: CASO COLONIA LINDA VISTA DEL MUNICIPIO DEL CENTRO, EN VILLAHERMOSA, TABASCO.
2018Beatriz Doris Laury Dzib Moo, Sandra Patricia Dzib Moo, Gerardo González García · · Mexico (Villahermosa)
This study aims to help residents of Colonia Linda Vista in Villahermosa, Tabasco, understand the importance of implementing home gardens, targeting 7,500 inhabitants with a sample of 30 households. The primary objective of this first phase is to assist residents in comprehending the significance of urban gardens as an alternative to improve family nutrition and economy. The introduction of urban gardens is particularly emphasized due to the lack of parks and gardens for the residents in this area.
CommunityHealthEconomicsFood educationStakeholder Identified Community Garden Program Outcomes
2018Sue Webb, John Diaz · EDIS · United States
This 3-page publication discusses a statewide study conducted by the author to identify community garden program outcomes. The study was undertaken to address challenges in collecting meaningful data from community garden activities. The publication was issued by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication in January 2018.
CommunityFood educationProposta pedagógica interdisciplinar realizada a partir da utilização da composteira numa horta escolar urbana<br>Propuesta pedagógica interdisciplinar realizada a partir de la utilización de la compostura en una horta escolar urbana<br>Interdisciplinary pedagogical proposal from the use of the composite in an urban school horta
2018Rodrigo Vanderlan do Nascimento, Ajibola Isau Badiru, Luiz Agberto Fragoso De Oliveira · REMEA - Revista Eletrônica do Mestrado em Educação Ambiental · Brazil (Maceió-Alagoas)
This study explored the pedagogical possibilities of using a composter for biofertilizer production as an interdisciplinary teaching resource in the school garden of Monte Sinai College in Maceió-Alagoas, Brazil. Employing a qualitative, exploratory research approach with observational data analysis, it identified educational benefits in environmental projects. The process utilized mango tree residues from the school as primary biomass generators for the composter.
Food educationCompostCommunityMOVIMENTOS A FAVOR DA AGRICULTURA URBANA EM CURITIBA – PARANÁ E A CONSTITUIÇÃO DE PRÁTICAS DE ENSINO AMBIENTAIS/EDUCATIVAS
2018Ana Paula da Silva Rodrigues, Marcia Regina R. S. Zago, Nívea Gomes Nascimento de Oliveira, Lidia M. Lima, Eloy Fassi Casagrande, Maclóvia Corrêa da Silva, Alexandre Hüller · Educação Ambiental em Ação · Brazil (Curitiba)
This study identified the origins of urban gardens in Curitiba, Brazil, as a social movement for the appropriation of urban spaces and investigated their contribution to environmental education for urban sustainability through participation mechanisms and environmental education teaching practices.
CommunityFood educationPolicyClimate changeDistribuição e dinâmica de ocupação socioespacial de iniciativas em agricultura urbana e periurbana do município de petrolina-pe, semiárido brasileiro
2018Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Ícaro Cardoso Maia, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio, José de Alencar Peixoto Filho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Petrolina)
This study mapped urban community vegetable gardens in Petrolina, Brazil, using GPS and ArcGis software to understand their distribution and socio-spatial occupation. Results showed fewer gardens in the city center, with the majority located in peripheral areas, predominantly on public land, especially in schools. More recent urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives have been established on private land.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureFood educationFarm Fresh Foods: What to Know About Growing and Selling Produce in Buffalo
2018Colleen Roberts · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)
This document details local regulations for market and community gardens in Buffalo, including rules for selling produce. It provides tips for locating suitable sites for food gardens and outlines educational opportunities for growing and selling. Topics such as plant selection and soil safety are also addressed.
PolicyFood educationCommunityEconomicsKey Program Outcomes for K-12 School Gardens Identified Through Expert Consensus
2018Susan Webb, John Diaz, Catherine Campbell · EDIS · United States
This article presents results from a Delphi study, which is the first step in developing a comprehensive set of indicators for K-12 school garden programs. The study addresses the lack of an outcome-driven framework for support organizations, such as Extension, to evaluate the short, medium, and long-term outcomes of school garden activities.
Food educationCommunityPiloting an observation tool for the Garden to Table Program to assess education of underserved youth in Omaha, Nebraska
2018A. Gargano · Graduate Medical Education Research Journal · United States (Omaha)
A pilot study was conducted in Omaha, Nebraska, to assess the effectiveness of The Big Garden's "Garden to Table" program, which teaches students in five Omaha Public Schools how to grow, harvest, cook, and preserve crops. A direct observation tool was developed and piloted at one site to record children's attitudes, knowledge, and behavior towards fruits and vegetables during lessons.
Food educationCommunityHealthGreening a Food Desert
2018Ivana George · Journal of international women's studies · United States (Miami)
The documentary film "Greening a Food Desert" showcases Cerasee Farm, an inner-city farm in Liberty City, Miami, Florida, a neighborhood designated as a "Food Desert" by the USDA. The film illustrates how community member Roger Horne established this urban farm to provide residents with affordable produce, gardening training, and nutrition and environmental education. It also features stories from other community members about the farm's impact on their lives and the community.
HealthFood educationCommunityWelfareA importância da implantação de hortas escolares para desenvolvimento de estudos e interação da Agroecologia
2018Rafael Rosa Rocha, Elizangela Carniel, Crislaine Borges Raimundo, Kátila Freitas Bento, Willian Marques Duarte, Ana Cássia Silva Possamai · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This report details an agroecological vegetable garden project implemented for educational and food purposes in Nova Mutum - MT, Brazil. The project involved Agronomy students from UNEMAT and students from Jose Aparecido Ribeiro State School, providing a space for experience exchange, environmental discussions, and interaction through workshops on management techniques. The garden served as a sustainable alternative for healthy food production and demonstrated the importance of agroecological practices.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleHEALTH ACTIVIST EDUCATION FOR BRAZIL
2018Rita de Cássia Gabrielli Souza Lima, Camila Gonçalves Labrêa, Marco Aurélio Da Ros, Adriana Grabner Corrêa, Paula Côrrea Souza, Liana Riveiro, Joelma Feliciano, Marina Goelzer Kieling · International Journal for Innovation Education and Research · Brazil (Itajaí)
This article reports on an extension project experience conducted in 2016 with elderly people from the Community Center for the Elderly in Itaipava, Itajaí city, Brazil, in partnership with a local Health Primary Care Unit and Local Health Council. Testimonies were dialectically analyzed using the category “We want to dance again, and we appreciate plants,” revealing symbolic pain over municipal resource cuts for monthly trips and balls, alongside a willingness to create a community garden. The involved sectors recognized the extension program as an effective class and a locus for developing praxis.
CommunityElderlyFood educationProjeto EcoViamão: Canoas e as hortas comunitárias na metrópole
2018Marcos Daniel Schmidt de Aguiar, Cláudio Fioreze, Danielle Grassi · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
This research, part of the EcoViamão project in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Brazil, identified community gardens in the municipality of Canoas. Through data collection from public and private entities, bibliographic review, field visits, and extension action reports, an alternative form of urban agriculture was revealed, practiced collectively in socially vulnerable areas with a strong agroecological and food security bias. The study also analyzes possibilities for strengthening actions with the community and the mission of IFRS and the EcoViamão project for more sustainable regional development.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationHow to grow a city: cultivating an urban agriculture action plan through concept mapping
2018Wanda Martin, Lindsey Wagner · Agriculture & Food Security · Canada
In a Canadian prairie city, 66 participants used concept mapping and group discussions to develop an urban agriculture action plan. The plan consists of six concepts, with increasing food production in public spaces and improving education strategies ranked as both important and feasible. Participants stated that an integrated vision from city administration, along with a paid position to oversee bylaws and consider local food procurement systems, is necessary to advance urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceComida de Verdade
2018Fernanda Maciel Mendes Costa, Ana Paula Leite Fabrini, Tânia Vital, Aline Neves Costa, Tatiana Perassolo, Rodrigo Borghezan · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This experience report describes the introduction of Unconventional Food Plants (PANC) into a school environment in Campo Grande, Brazil, through culinary workshops for staff and lectures for students. The initiative aimed to promote healthy eating and prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. As a result, Taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) was included in the public call for supply to municipal schools, ensuring frequent PANC consumption for approximately 1100 students.
Food educationHealthA Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing a Problem- and Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course to Assess Process- and Skill-Based Learning Objectives
2018Rachel Watson, John Willford, Mariel A. Pfeifer · Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning · United States
A problem-based capstone course at the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program was designed to assess student learning objectives. Students collaborated with a local farm, community garden, and clinic to address partner problems. Instructor assessments and external subject matter experts confirmed students' mastery of learning objectives, and community partners expressed satisfaction with the solutions.
CommunityFood educationCivic Stewardship as a Catalyst for Social-Ecological Change in Detroit, Michigancccccc
2018R. Witt, Erika S. Svendsen, Marianne E. Krasny · Cornell University Press eBooks · United States (Detroit)
This chapter explores how civic stewardship has driven social-ecological transformation in Detroit through the work of the nonprofit Greening of Detroit. The organization expanded its mission from restoring the city's tree canopy to include urban agriculture, environmental education, and workforce development, acting as a bridging organization connecting various stakeholders. Sustained community-based stewardship builds resilience, strengthens social networks, and shapes both local change and broader social movements through inclusive green infrastructure and civic participation.
CommunityPolicyFood educationBiodiversityColhendo e plantando vida nas cidades: extensão ao contrário e ecologia de saberes no Aglomerado da Serra, Belo Horizonte - MG
2018Bruno Martins Dala Paula, Luana do Carmo Araujo de Oliveira, Emmanuel Duarte Almada, Filipe Freitas Chaves, Maura Neves Coutinho · Expressa Extensão · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This essay reflects on the relationship between urban agriculture practices and life care, based on a university extension project mobilized between resident groups of the Aglomerado da Serra communities in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and members of Grupo Aroeira, over six years (2008-2013). The project was structured through main activities including surveying urban agriculture initiatives in the community, holding a cycle of 'Cultivating Health' meetings, forming a Medicinal Plants Group, creating a literacy class, and organizing open-air markets with urban agrobiodiversity products. This project aimed to cultivate and promote the care for the lives of the residents, valuing their popular knowledge, while bringing these experiences into the university through the practice of 'reverse extension'.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationBiodiversity