Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
458 results(14 / 19)
Gardens, cities and people - How to assess urban gardening
2018J Dostalík, Radoslava Krylová, Vojtěch Pelikán, Lucie Sovová, Zbyněk Ulčák · · Global
This paper presents a methodological tool designed to standardize the assessment of gardening sites and offer a user-friendly approach for evaluating diverse urban gardening areas. This multidisciplinary methodology assesses territory from three perspectives: urban gardening in urban planning, the social benefits of gardening communities and economic aspects including food security contributions, and the environmental aspects of gardening sites, such as their support for biodiversity.
CommunityEconomicsBiodiversityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceFortalecer los programas de orientación ambiental del Jardín Botánico de Bogotá en comunidades educativas de Bogotá
2018José Darío Barragán Romero, Johana Andrea Gutiérrez Rivera · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This document illustrates how urban agriculture is being applied in Bogotá, with the assistance of the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB), particularly in educational institutions. The objective is for young people to understand the benefits of urban agriculture through educational processes and replicate this information in their homes. The work consists of three parts: a photographic record of the gardens in educational institutions assisted by the JBB, the creation of a list of plant species suitable for cultivation in Bogotá, and a compilation of research related to the JBB on urban agriculture.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityThe Smallest Sprouts
2018Katrina Hoch · · Global
Involving children in decisions and preparations for activities, particularly in natural settings, increases their enthusiasm and understanding of the food system. A 2015 systematic review of 13 studies found that participation in school garden programs led to an increased preference for vegetables. School gardens provide individual, interpersonal, and social benefits, engaging children in broader themes such as protecting biodiversity.
Food educationHealthBiodiversityAgroecología urbana: diseño de granjas urbanas ricas en biodiversidad, productivas y resilientes
2018Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · Agro Sur · Global
Although urban agriculture (UA) is estimated to provide 15-20% of global food, its significant contribution to city food self-sufficiency is questionable due to low yields in most existing urban farms. Agroecology can enhance UA's productive potential by offering key principles for designing diversified, productive, and resilient urban farms. This paper describes principles and practices for increasing soil quality and enhancing plant health.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityOrganic cycleClimate changeTrees and Shrubs Prevailing in the Urban Green Spaces of the Gaza City in Palestine
2018Abdel Fattah N. Abd Rabou · IUG Journal of Natural Studies · Palestine (Gaza City)
This six-month study (October 2016 – March 2017) identified and recorded woody components in three selected urban green spaces in Gaza City, Palestine: Gaza Municipality, Barcelona, and Al-Azhar parks. A total of 50 tree and shrub species, belonging to 26 families and 14 orders, were identified. Angiosperms accounted for 92.0% of species, with Fabales being the largest order. The study recommends selecting woody species adapted to local environmental conditions.
BiodiversityCommunityRegistro de dos taxa de ácaros (Acari: Mesostigmata, Astigmata) asociados a Milichiidae (Diptera) y Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) en el estado Falcón, Venezuela | Record of two mite taxa (Acari: Mesostigmata, Astigmata) associated to Milichiidae (Diptera) and Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) in Falcon state, Venezuela
2018Dalmiro Cazorla-Perfetti, Pedro Morales-Moreno · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Venezuela (Coro)
This paper records the presence of deutonymphs of two mite taxa, Uroobovella Sensu lato Berlesse, 1903 and Cosmoglyphus Oudemans, 1932, in the urban area of Coro, Falcón State, Venezuela. These mites were found attached to the legs and/or abdomen of adult Desmometopa Loew, 1866 and Spalangia Latreille, 1805 specimens. The specimens were collected inside a dwelling, specifically in a plastic container with compost for growing vegetables and on the windows.
CompostDIYBiodiversityWild nature, biodiversity, habitats and species
2018Claire Freeman, Yolanda van Heezik · · Global
This chapter describes urban environments as spaces where other species live and the characteristics of species able to thrive in human-dominated environments. It explores the potential of different modified urban habitats to support biodiversity and how animals respond to urban challenges. The urban landscape consists of numerous small patches of diverse habitats that vary in their capacity to support wildlife populations. Urban agriculture takes many forms, including private gardens, community or allotment gardens, rooftop farms, and urban orchards.
BiodiversityCommunityGreen Green: a Community Gardening Story
2018Cynthia Frazier · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global
This story describes the transformation of a garbage-filled empty lot into a beautiful green space through community effort. It illustrates how community gardens and green spaces can spread throughout a neighborhood, from parks to rooftops. The narrative inspires people to create community gardens and highlights the importance of bees and butterflies.
CommunityBiodiversityDIYFood educationContribuição da horta comunitária para alimentação saudável dos agricultores e suas famílias
2018Natália Peres Almeida · · Global
This research aimed to identify the contribution of community gardens to healthy food for farmers and their families, with objectives of Food and Nutrition Security, Human Right to Adequate Food, and Food Sovereignty. Interviews were conducted with the president and farmers in the community garden, randomly addressed during their activities. It was concluded that the community garden significantly contributed to the healthy eating of farmers and their families through the production of in natura food of vegetal origin, of sufficient quality and quantity.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityEdible green infrastructure: An approach and review of provisioning ecosystem services and disservices in urban environments
2017Alessio Russo, Francisco J. Escobedo, Giuseppe T. Cirella, Stefan Zerbe · Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 242, 53-66 · Global
A foundational paper proposing and reviewing the concept of Edible Green Infrastructure (EGI), addressing the neglect of provisioning (food) ecosystem services in green infrastructure planning that has emphasized regulating and cultural services. It frames allotment gardens, rooftop gardens, edible landscapes and urban forests as a multifunctional green network that, with best management practices to minimize disservices, can enhance food security and urban resilience.
BiodiversityEconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleUrban Agriculture as a Productive Green Infrastructure for Environmental and Social Well-Being
2017Brenda B. Lin, Stacy M. Philpott, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere · Greening Cities (Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements), Springer, 155-179 · Global
A book chapter framing urban agriculture—community farms, rooftop gardens, edible landscaping and urban orchards—as 'productive green infrastructure' supplying high biodiversity and diverse ecosystem services. It synthesizes both ecosystem services (pollination, biological pest control) and social benefits (food and nutrition, cultural and recreational value) that this green infrastructure delivers to cities.
BiodiversityCommunityHealthEconomicsA chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor
2017Tieman D., Zhu G., Resende M.F.R., Lin T., Nguyen C., Bies D., Rambla J.L., Beltran K.S.O., Taylor M., Zhang B., Ikeda H., Liu Z., Fisher J., Zemach I., Monforte A., Zamir D., Granell A., Kirst M., Huang S., Klee H. · Science 355(6323):391-394 · Global
Quantified flavor chemicals across 398 modern, heirloom, and wild tomato accessions and linked them to consumer liking. Shows modern cultivars lost allelic diversity governing sugars, acids, and volatiles, explaining reduced flavor versus heirlooms.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthUrban Agriculture in the Philippines: Initiatives, Practices, Significance, and Threats
2017Guzman C. · Sustainable Landscape Planning in Selected Urban Regions (Springer, Tokyo) · Philippines (Metro Manila)
This book chapter reviews urban agriculture initiatives, practices, and impacts in the Philippines, using Metro Manila vegetable production and peri-urban jasmine cultivation as case studies. It highlights employment and income benefits while identifying land-use competition and lack of clear policy as major threats to continued urban farming.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityUrban Agriculture in Helsinki, Finland
2017Hagolani-Albov S.E. · Focus on Geography, Vol. 60, No. 1 · Finland (Helsinki)
This photographic study documents four forms of urban agriculture in Helsinki — colony allotments, market gardens, box gardening, and community-supported agriculture — tracing over a century of practice and illustrating how urban farming is spatially and institutionally embedded in the city.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationThe city as a refuge for insect pollinators
2017Hall D.M., Camilo G.R., Tonietto R.K., Ollerton J., Ahrné K., Arduser M., Ascher J.S., Baldock K.C.R., Fowler R., Frankie G., Goulson D., Gunnarsson B., Hanley M.E., Jackson J.I., Langellotto G., Lowenstein D., Minor E.S., Philpott S.M., Potts S.G., Sirohi M.H., Spevak E.M., Stone G.N., Threlfall C.G. · Conservation Biology, 31(1):24-29 · Global
A review by an international team arguing that, as pollinators decline globally under agricultural intensification and pesticide use, cities can serve as important refuges for insect pollinators including native bees. It highlights the conservation value of designing and managing urban green spaces such as gardens and community plots for pollinators, framing citizen urban agriculture as a contributor to biodiversity conservation.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunityPolicyEcosystem services and land sparing potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture: A review
2017Jennifer Wilhelm, Richard G. Smith · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This 2017 global review analyzed 320 peer-reviewed papers on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) published between 2000 and 2014, focusing on UPA's impact on ecosystem services (ES) and land sparing potential. The review found that while UPA research is growing, few studies (n=15) place UPA in the context of ES, and no studies explicitly quantify its land sparing potential. Additionally, few studies (n=19) quantify UPA's production potential, indicating a significant data gap.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityUrban agriculture
2017Brenda B. Lin, Monika Egerer · · Global
Urban agriculture, the production of food and livestock in urban areas, is a key component of urban green infrastructure, supported for food security and biodiversity enhancement. While habitat management in urban agriculture aids local biodiversity and food production, the effect of native plants on beneficial insects and ecosystem function is debatable. Declines in urban bees are likely linked to increased impervious cover, which reduces habitat and restricts bee movement.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban green infrastructures and ecological networks for urban biodiversity conservation
2017Emily S. Minor, Elsa C. Anderson, J. Amy Belaire, Megan Garfinkel, Alexis D. Smith · · Global
This chapter explores the benefits of green infrastructure networks for urban biodiversity and proposes strategies to enhance their extent, performance, and connectivity. It suggests that planting lower-maintenance vegetation in urban green spaces, including urban agriculture and cemeteries, can reduce costs and improve air quality while providing habitat. The concept of ecological land-use complementation is introduced, where clustered urban land uses synergistically support biodiversity.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePolicyCOMMUNITY GARDENS AND ECOLOGICAL CITIZENSHIP: THEIR POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS IN FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTALISM
2017Michael Kennedy · OpenSIUC (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) · Global
Community gardens can serve as important local greenspaces to address environmental degradation and educate individuals about the importance of food and the environment. However, certain barriers need to be overcome and addressed before community gardens are successfully implemented. Participation and interaction within community gardens may provide a pathway to long-term commitment to sustainability, encouraging individuals to adopt more environmentally supportive behaviors and a deeper commitment to environmentalism.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationBiodiversityClimate change도시양봉으로 양봉산업의 발전가능성 확보 방안
2017박진 · 한국양봉학회 학술대회 자료집 · Global
This report examines the global rise of urban beekeeping, noting its diverse approaches across countries like the UK, Japan, and Denmark. While South Korea has seen an increase in urban beekeeping since 2012, with government support initiated in 2016, the sector faces significant challenges. Urban beekeeping is still largely viewed as a derivative of conventional beekeeping, and a lack of ordinances or legal frameworks hinders its widespread adoption and recognition of its environmental, social, and economic value.
Governance failureBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityPolicyEconomicsCommunity gardens as urban social-ecological refuges in the Global North.
2017J. Chan, Bryce DuBois, Kristine T. Nemec, Charles Francis, Kyle D. Hoagland · CABI eBooks · Global
This chapter examines community gardens in three distinct urban locations in the Global North through the lens of social-ecological resilience. Case studies focus on Vienna, Austria; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; and New York City post-Hurricane Sandy. These community gardens support vital social-ecological functions, ranging from generating local ecosystem services to cultivating community empowerment and bolstering food sovereignty, reflecting their local contexts.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageWhy forest gardening for children? Swedish forest garden educators' ideas, purposes, and experiences
2017Ellen Almers, Per Askerlund, Sofia Kjellström · The Journal of Environmental Education · Sweden
This qualitative study in Sweden explored forest garden educators' ideas and experiences in a three-year project with primary school children, using interviews and observations. It found that educators aimed to provide children with opportunities to feel belonging, experience self-regulation and systemic dependence, co-create with non-human organisms, and imagine place transformation. The study discusses four pedagogical features of forest gardens.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityTHE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF ROOFTOP GARDEN FOR BETTERMENT OF LOCAL URBAN HABITAT IN MALAYSIA
2017Maryanti Mohd Raid, Muhammad Uzair Azizan, Khadijah Hussin, Megat Mohd Ghazali Megat Abd Rahman · Journal of Technology Management and Business · Malaysia
This article analyzed the environmental benefits of rooftop gardens as part of urban greenery systems in Malaysia. An in-depth interview with seven experts revealed a consensus that rooftop gardens can effectively address several urban environmental issues. However, the study emphasized that the function and purpose of the rooftop garden must be considered during design and construction to fully achieve its objectives, whether for recreation or environmental purposes.
BiodiversityClimate changeDesign Procedure and Criteria Used in Vertical Gardens and Green Roof Constructions
2017A. N. Sarkar · · Global
This paper discusses design procedures and criteria for vertical gardens (living walls) and green roofs. Vertical gardens are suitable for urban areas, offering uses like urban agriculture, while green roofs provide ecosystem services such as mitigating urban heat island effects and improving biodiversity. Both technologies are recognized globally for environmental benefits, with a thriving industry and extensive research, particularly in Europe.
DIYClimate changeBiodiversityThe Impact of Urbanization on the Vegetation of Yaounde, (Cameroon)
2017Clement Anguh Nkwemoh, Mesmin Tchindjang, Roland Ngwatung Afungang · International Journal of Innovative Research and Development · Cameroon (Yaounde)
A study in Yaounde, Cameroon, investigated the impact of rapid urban expansion on vegetation cover using maps, images, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings revealed a significant depletion of flora due to settlement expansion. Forest degradation was attributed to the demand for construction materials, fuelwood, woodworking, and the need for space for urban agriculture, among other factors.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityUrban–rural linkage