Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Implantação de horta comunitária em um campus universitário : inclusão social e qualidade de vida
2019Bianca Jacqueline Silva · · Brazil
This study describes a project for implementing a community garden at the Itabira campus of the Federal University of Itajubá. The project began with dialogue among campus workers and aims to foster greater involvement with the university community and local population. The garden is planned as a space for observation, cultivation, and leisure, potentially contributing to education and activities on ecology, environmental education, and integrated management of solid and organic waste, with positive impacts on the local environment and participants' health.
CommunityElderlyFood educationHealthDeveloping undergraduate community psychology pedagogy and research practice
2019August John Hoffman, Jordan Seitz, Anthonie Collins, Rich Downs · Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community · United States
This study describes the experiences of two community psychology students participating in "green" volunteer sustainable programs. One student worked with young men in a youth detention facility maintaining a vegetable garden, while another organized a community apple harvest in Wyoming, MN. Participants were interviewed about their subjective experiences and how these programs improved understanding of diverse cultures and the value of outdoor "green" voluntary programs.
CommunityFood educationHealthHealthy eating promoting in a Brazilian sports-oriented school: a pilot study
2019Fábia Massarani, Marta Citelli, Daniela Silva Canella, Josely Correa Koury · PeerJ · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This pilot study evaluated the eating habits of 83 adolescent athletes in an experimental school in Rio de Janeiro from 2013 to 2016. Following the implementation of a school garden, experimental kitchen activities, and health promotion classes, the frequency of raw salad and fruit consumption increased, suggesting that integrated healthy eating promotion programs may improve eating habits.
Food educationHealthCommunityGrowing Local: The Role of Urban Gardening in Fostering Food Security, Sustainability, and Community
2019Franklin Wagner, Lindsey Payne · Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement · United States (Lafayette)
In summer 2016, Purdue University researchers collaborated with Lafayette's GrowLocal Urban Gardens Network in Lafayette, Indiana, to conduct a baseline analysis of current community gardening initiatives. Using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, they identified motivations and barriers to participation through stakeholder interviews and focus groups. The study indicated that urban gardens as community spaces may serve a greater purpose than providing fresh food, and its results informed a planning document for GrowLocal with strategic recommendations for governance, communication, event integration, and collaborative grants.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareKnowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviors Regarding Fruits and Vegetables among Cost-Offset Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Applicants, Purchasers, and a Comparison Sample
2019Karla L. Hanson, Leah C. Volpe, Jane Kolodinsky, Grace Hwang, Weiwei Wang, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Marilyn Sitaker, Alice S. Ammerman, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Nutrients · United States
A cross-sectional study in August 2017 surveyed cost-offset Community Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) applicants (purchasers n=46, non-purchasers n=18) and a comparison sample (n=105) of low-income adults with children. CO-CSA applicants reported better knowledge, self-efficacy, home habits, and diet than the comparison sample. Among applicants, purchasers and non-purchasers had equivalent knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, but children in purchaser households consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables (4.14 vs. 1.83 cups, p = 0.001).
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareFood educationSafe community gardening practices: focus groups with garden leaders in Atlanta, Georgia
2019Candis M. Hunter, Dana Williamson, Melanie Pearson, Eri Saikawa, Matthew O. Gribble, Michelle C. Kegler · Local Environment · United States (Atlanta)
This study used five focus groups with Atlanta community garden leaders to investigate perspectives on composting, hygiene, and mulching, which are practices to reduce exposure to soil contaminants. Gardeners cited a need for more funding, volunteers, and training. A primary barrier to composting and mulching was concern about contamination of source materials, and participants did not directly link these practices to reducing soil contaminant exposure. Hygiene challenges included concerns about beneficial bacteria, inadequate water access, and limited supplies.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthCompostDoes Urban Agriculture Improve Food Security? Examining the Nexus of Food Access and Distribution of Urban Produced Foods in the United States: A Systematic Review
2018Siegner A., Sowerwine J., Acey C. · Sustainability 10(9):2988 · United States
Systematic review of US urban agriculture and food systems literature. Finds strong emphasis on multiple benefits but few studies robustly measuring urban farms' impact on food security in low-income communities.
WelfareHealthCommunityPilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention among Older Cancer Survivors
2018Bail J. R., Frugé A. D., Cases M. G., De Los Santos J. F., Locher J. L., Smith K. P., Cantor A. B., Cohen H. J., Demark-Wahnefried W. · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 118(4):689-704 · United States
Pilot RCT of a home vegetable gardening intervention among older cancer survivors. The program was feasible and well-accepted, suggesting improved fruit and vegetable consumption, reassurance of worth, and attenuated waist-circumference increase.
HealthPhysical and Mental Health Impacts of Household Gardens in an Urban Slum in Lima, Peru
2018Korn A., Bolton S.M., Spencer B., Alarcon J.A., Andrews L., Voss J.G. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 15, No. 8 · Peru (Lima)
A longitudinal pilot study examining the feasibility and health outcomes of household garden implementation in a Lima urban slum, collecting anthropometric and mental health data at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months, finding positive associations with nutritional status and wellbeing.
HealthWelfareCommunityGrowing ‘good food’: urban gardens, culturally acceptable produce and food security
2018Lucy O. Diekmann, Leslie C. Gray, Gregory A. Baker · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Santa Clara County)
This research evaluates how three types of urban gardens in Santa Clara County, California—home gardens, community gardens, and community food security (CFS) program gardens for low-income families—contribute to food security using a multidimensional framework. In summer 2015, median production ranged from 26 kg (CFS participants) to 56 kg (home gardeners), enough for at least one adult to meet federal vegetable guidelines; interviews further showed gardeners valued knowledge, control, freshness, flavor, organic methods, and cultural acceptability, not just quantity.
HealthCommunityWelfareCultivating healthy trajectories: An experimental study of community gardening and health
2018Dietlinde Heilmayr, Howard S Friedman · Journal of Health Psychology · United States
Framing community gardening as a promising but under-evidenced multifaceted health intervention, this paper presents one of the first experimental studies on the topic. The results showed promise for aspects of community gardening while underscoring the need for more rigorous methodologies, and the article offers a framework for studying the health effects of community gardening and similar multifaceted health-promotion efforts.
CommunityHealthOccurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in garden produce at homes with a history of PFAS-contaminated drinking water
2018· Chemosphere · USA (Minnesota)
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were found in garden produce grown at homes with a history of PFAS-contaminated drinking water, showing home gardens can be a PFAS exposure pathway.
HealthBuilding capacity through urban agriculture: report on the askîy project
2018Wanda Martin, Lindsey Vold · Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada · Canada (Saskatoon)
This qualitative case study examined how participation in the "askîy" urban agriculture project in Saskatoon, Canada, empowered young adults and built food-growing capacity. Seven interns (aged 19-29) participated in 2015, and their experiences were analyzed using a sustainable livelihoods framework. Findings indicated that collaborative engagement fostered connections, influenced grocery shopping habits towards more vegetables, and motivated interns to continue gardening and apply their knowledge in their home communities.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareCurso de agroecología en formación de un huerto comunitario en la unidad de salud de la familia Giserlando Biondi, Jequie-Bahia-Nrasil / Course of agroecology in the formation of a community garden in the health unit of the Giserlando Biondi family, Jequi
2018Leandro Nascimento Bertoldi, Pamela Johanna Menéndez Velásquez · Revista panorama/Panorama. Cuba y salud · Brazil
A course on Agroecology was conducted in Jequié, Bahia, Brazil, focusing on creating organic community gardens and training communities in health promotion, disease prevention, and food and environmental education. The project identified farmers who transitioned from using agrotoxins to biological control, resulting in increased local biodiversity and encouraging community gardening. The initiative also fostered social empowerment, increased self-esteem, and developed collective discussion and production practices within the SUS.
Food educationCommunityHealthBiodiversityCaregivers’ Perspectives on the Determinants of Dietary Decisions in Six First Nation Communities
2018Lorrilee McGregor, Pamela Toulouse, Marion Maar, Nancy L. Young · International Journal of Indigenous Health · Canada
A narrative analysis of eight focus groups with 33 caregivers in six First Nation communities in Canada explored determinants of dietary decisions. Caregivers identified changes in food systems due to factors like wage economy participation, low income, hunting/fishing regulations, and processed food availability. These factors have altered food systems and influenced dietary choices, leading communities to pursue initiatives such as community gardens, freezers, and hunting camps to regain food sovereignty.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthWelfareWhat Gardens Grow: Outcomes from Home and Community Gardens Supported by Community-based Food Justice Organizations
2018Christine Porter · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Wyoming)
This mixed-methods study, conducted over five years with five food justice Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the U.S., including quantifying harvests from 33 gardeners in Laramie, Wyoming, and surveying 20 of them, documented benefits of home and community gardening. Four categories of benefits were identified: improving health, producing quality food in nutritionally meaningful quantities, providing cultural services, and fostering healing and transformation. The findings illustrate a range of health, food, cultural ecosystem services, and social change outcomes from gardening.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareNivel de Seguridad Alimentaria en beneficiarios de Comedores Comunitarios del programa Cruzada Nacional contra el Hambre (México)
2018Fabiola Bernal, Edith Yolanda Romero Hernández, Krystal Dennicé González Fajardo, Susana Sánchez Viveros, Rebeca Monroy‐Torres · Revista Espanola De Nutricion Comunitaria-spanish Journal of Community Nutrition · Mexico
This cross-sectional comparative study in Mexico compared food security levels among beneficiaries of community kitchens within the National Crusade against Hunger program, differentiating between those with and without a community orchard. The study involved three community kitchens: one with an orchard and two without. Results showed that the frequency of food security was 16.67% for kitchens with an orchard and 10.00% for those without. Furthermore, 48.93% of beneficiary households from kitchens with an orchard reported having a variety of foods, compared to 14.28% for those without.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWhy Garden? Personal and Abiding Motivations for Community Gardening in New York City
2018Nancy F. Sonti, Erika S. Svendsen · Society & Natural Resources · United States (New York City)
Semi-structured interviews with community gardeners in New York City explored their motivations for gardening. Gardeners' motivations were found to be both personal and collective, with community gardens providing a space for reflection and a deep connection to nature for many. Joy and personal fulfillment consistently remained the most prevalent motivations over time, while the impulse to improve the community decreased, and food production and cultural identity connections became more common motivations.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCultivating People-Plant Relationships in Community and Cultural Heritage Gardens San Jose, California (1977–1992)
2018John Dotter · · United States (California)
This paper documents people-plant relationships in San Jose, California's ethnically diverse Community and Cultural Heritage Gardens from 1977 to 1992. Unpublished university research, magazine articles, and newspaper stories show how partnerships with grassroots community groups contributed to the gardens' sustainability. Preliminary findings suggest greater utilization of non-English speaking skilled horticulturalists, and case studies illustrate how cooperative development of San Jose gardens produced benefits like neighborhood beautification, stimulated social interaction, and nutritious food production.
CommunityFood educationHealthListening local: Community perceptions of fresh food resources in Greater Little Rock
2018Stacy C. Moak, Caitlin P. S. McAteer, Heather A. Rossi, Merrill J. Schmidt · Journal of Community Psychology · United States (Little Rock)
This study investigated community perceptions of fresh food access in two target neighborhoods in Greater Little Rock, Arkansas. Through interviews at food pantries, online surveys with local experts, and asset mapping of healthy food resources, findings revealed that cost and transportation are barriers to fresh food access. Residents supported mobile markets and community gardens as viable options for increasing fresh food access.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood access, food security and community gardens in Rockford, IL
2018Walter W. Furness, Courtney M. Gallaher · Local Environment · United States (Rockford)
A study in Rockford, Illinois, examined community gardens to assess their contribution to residents' access to fresh produce and other social benefits. Data was collected through interviews with gardeners, focus groups, and surveys of food pantry users. The findings indicate that while non-gardening community members benefit from increased produce provided by the gardens, they do not receive all the social and communal benefits associated with active garden participation.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthReducing Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawai'i Through a Collaborative Partnership With K-12 School Garden and Agriculture Projects
2018Kathleen Howe, Jenny Bach, Myles DeCoito, Shari Frias, Rebecca Hatch, Susan I. Jarvi · Frontiers in Public Health · United States (Hawai'i)
A collaborative project with five Hawaiʻi Island schools developed an integrated pest management plan to control slugs and snails, intermediate hosts of rat lungworm disease (Angiostrongylus cantonensis). Curricula for grades 5-8 were created, and students trialed five shelter materials, removing over 4,000 invasive slugs and snails while collecting data. This initiative aimed to reduce human cases of the disease and restore public trust in local agriculture through education and pest control.
Food educationHealthCommunityUrban Gardens and Nutrition in Sioux Falls, SD
2018Austin Brynjulson · Open PRAIRIE (South Dakota State University) · United States (Sioux Falls)
This research explored the role of urban gardens in Sioux Falls, SD, as a tool to combat food insecurity. It examined gardeners' experiences and how gardens affect perceptions of food security and eating behaviors. Additionally, the study investigated the nutritional quality of urban garden produce compared to store-bought equivalents, aiming to understand how urban gardens affect access to and consumption of nutritional food for the surrounding community.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceThe socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees: A Montreal case-study
2018Juliette Colinas, Paula Louise Bush, Kevin Manaugh · Urban forestry & urban greening · Canada (Montreal)
A study in Montreal, Quebec, investigated the socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees, using a public urban orchard as a case study. Semi-structured interviews with users revealed positive impacts on social capital, place attachment, and food knowledge, but no evidence of impact on environmental knowledge. The findings suggest that public, unrestricted-access urban agriculture can have diverse socio-environmental impacts.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthHorta 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 cycleHealth