Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
886 results(15 / 36)
Applicational study on the edible university landscape under COVID-19 epidemic circumstance
2022Junce Zhou, Taoze Sun, Xiaohua Guo, Wei Wang, Hongna Mu · Horticulture International Journal · Global
This study introduced the concept of Edible Landscape into university campus planning and design under COVID-19 pandemic circumstances. Construction principles of healing, practicality, ecology, economy, and adaptation to local conditions were illustrated, and a construction strategy was proposed to assist teaching and research activities, alleviate negative emotions, and produce fresh fruits and vegetables. This strategy aims to offset the shortcoming of traditional ornamental-value-centered landscapes.
Food educationCommunityHealthEconomicsCost-Benefit Analysis of Green Space Investment in Residential Areas of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania
2022Nicholaus Mwageni, Gabriel Kassenga · Journal of Sustainable Development · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam City)
This study in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania, assessed the costs and benefits associated with green space investment in residential plots. It employed in-depth interviews using structured questionnaires and document review. Results indicated that households incurred an average cost of TZS 136,579 (USD 59) for establishing home greenery. The total net monetary benefit per household was TZS 3,148,827 (USD 1,369) annually. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, the benefit was found to be 2.6 times the investment cost, suggesting that maintaining home greeneries is a cost-effective investment.
EconomicsClimate changeHealthFactors Influencing the Sustained Adoption of Innovative Techniques by Urban Farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
2022Maurice Kesonga Nsele, Jules Nkulu Mwine Fyama, Kevin Maréchal, Thomas Dogot · Agriculture · Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi)
In urban agriculture in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, an innovative technology package was disseminated, but ten years later, farmers' daily income was less than USD 1.25, and critical exceedances of heavy metal content standards in crops were recorded. Survey data from 202 farmers and a Logit model identified factors influencing the sustained adoption of two innovations: motor pumps and integrated soil fertility management. Socio-demographic factors were not significant for motor pump adoption, and only mutual aid moderately influenced integrated soil fertility management. Economic factors like land tenure and income diversification were significant for motor pump adoption, but no economic factors were significant for integrated soil fertility management. Institutional factors such as access to credit and association membership were significant for the sustained adoption of both innovations.
Contamination & food safetyEconomicsPolicyHealthGrowing Seeds, Minds, and Community: A Case Study Evaluation of the Green Thumb Project’s Youth Internship Program
2022Caroline Burner, William R. Veal · Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education · Global
This case study evaluated The Green Thumb Project's eight-week Youth Internship Program in an urban community garden, assessing 12 participants' changes in career preparedness skills, healthy living attitudes, and content knowledge using mixed methods. Results indicated the program was effective in positively changing all interns' skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Significant positive relationships between these areas suggested that learning gains in one area contributed to gains in others, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in personal, professional, and academic growth.
CommunityFood educationHealthThe Value of Urban Farming in Oslo, Norway: Community Gardens, Aquaponics and Vertical Farming
2022Geir Wæhler Gustavsen, Helge Berglann, Elisabeth Jenssen, Signe Kårstad, Divina Gracia P. Rodriguez · International journal on food system dynamics · Norway (Oslo)
This study conducted a contingent valuation survey in Oslo, Norway, to assess citizens' attitudes and willingness to pay for non-commercial (community gardens, educational gardens) and commercial (aquaponics, vertical farming) urban agriculture. The results indicate that Oslo citizens are willing to increase their tax payments to support the further development of urban farming in the city.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsHealthClimate changeBiodiversityThe Role of Allotment Gardens for Connecting Nature and People
2022Petra Schneider, Tino Fauk · · Global
A study based on a literature review and field survey conducted from 2017 to 2020 in Ecuador, Germany, Sweden, Uganda, and Vietnam, examined the role of allotment gardens (AGs) in connecting nature and people. Allotment gardens provide substantial urban ecosystem services, contribute to habitat connectivity, and significantly impact human health. Beyond food production and recreation, they offer crucial benefits for public health, wellbeing, social inclusion, the environment, and serve as cultural archives, with their intrinsic purpose being connectivity for habitats, people, ecosystem services, and circular flux management.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthOrganic cycleMeals, Education, and Gardens for In-School Adolescents (MEGA): study protocol for a cluster randomised trial of an integrated adolescent nutrition intervention in Dodoma, Tanzania
2022Dongqing Wang, Leonard K. Katalambula, Andrea R Modest, Tara A. Young, Abbas Ismail, Mary Mwanyika‐Sando, Amani Tinkasimile, Dominic Mosha, Augustine Malero, Said Vuai, Wafaie Fawzi · BMJ Open · Tanzania
This study is a protocol for the Meals, Education, and Gardens for In-School Adolescents (MEGA) project, a cluster-randomized controlled trial aiming to implement and evaluate an integrated, school-based nutrition intervention package among secondary schools in the Chamwino District of Dodoma, Tanzania. Six public secondary schools will be assigned to three different arms, receiving either the full intervention, a partial intervention, or serving as controls. The intervention will be implemented for one academic year, with baseline and end-line quantitative data collected from 750 adolescents and 750 parents.
Food educationHealthCommunityPast, Present and Future of Urban Agriculture in Cameroon: Major Contemporary Challenges (1993-2017)
2022Theodore Ngoufo Sogang, Youssouf Monkouop · Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment · Cameroon
This article proposes a framework for understanding the past, present, and future of urban agriculture in Cameroon, focusing on the period from 1993 to 2017. It examines the subject through five fundamental notions: International Relations and Geopolitical Agriculture, Urban Economic Agriculture, Environmental and Food Climate Stakes, and Science and Culture adapted to agricultural and food mutations. The study aims to provide a comparative review of agriculture in transition by integrating historical, social, economic, and diplomatic perspectives.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsMicrogreens - An Emerging Trend in Urban Agriculture
2022Gopika Somanath Prathiksha I. · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This paper discusses microgreens as an innovation in vegetable growing, which have gained popularity since their introduction to Californian restaurants in the 1980s. Microgreens are presented as a potential solution for malnutrition and food security, providing nutrient-rich and high-quality phytochemicals. Interest is rising due to their nutraceutical, fresh, and functional food properties, and their abundance of phyto-constituents and minerals.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthUrban–rural linkageDevelopment of a Tribally-led Gardening Curriculum for Indigenous Preschool Children: The FRESH Study
2021Wetherill M.S., Bourque E.E., Taniguchi T., Love C.V., Sisk M., Jernigan V.B.B. · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 53(11):991-995 · Global
Describes the development of a tribally-led garden curriculum for Indigenous preschoolers in the Osage Nation, integrating the traditional Three Sisters planting to teach Native foodways and improve children's vegetable intake and food security.
Heirloom & landraceFood educationCommunityHealthHome gardening improves dietary diversity, a cluster-randomized controlled trial among Tanzanian women
2021Blakstad M. M., Mosha D., Bellows A. L., Canavan C. R., Chen J. T., Mlalama K., Kinabo J., Noor R. A., Madzorera I., Sando M. M., Spiegelman D., Masanja H., Fawzi W. W. · Maternal & Child Nutrition 17(2):e13096 · Tanzania
Cluster RCT among 1,006 reproductive-age women in Tanzania. A home gardening intervention improved women's dietary diversity and household food security after one year compared with controls.
WelfareHealthA systematic scoping review of the impacts of community food production initiatives in Kenya, Cameroon, and South Africa
2021Hutton G.B., Brugulat-Panés A., Bhagtani D., Maadjhou Mba C., Birch J.M., Shih H., Okop K., Muti M., Wadende P., Tatah L., Mogo E., Guariguata L., Unwin N. · Journal of Global Health Reports · Cameroon
This systematic scoping review synthesized 118 studies (from 4,828 screened) on community food production initiatives across Kenya, Cameroon, and South Africa, finding that economic and environmental impacts dominated the literature while health and social dimensions were understudied; Cameroon-specific studies (10 papers) primarily addressed economic impacts.
CommunityHealthEconomicsFood educationAssessing Reliability of Recycled Water in Wicking Beds for Sustainable Urban Agriculture
2021· Earth · Australia
Assesses the reliability of using recycled water in wicking beds, described as a simple system that can provide high yield and water use efficiency, for sustainable urban agriculture.
DIYHealthHorticultural Therapy Reduces Biomarkers of Immunosenescence and Inflammaging in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
2021Wong G.C.L., Ng T.K.S., Lee J.L., Lim P.Y., Larbi A. · The Journals of Gerontology: Series A · Singapore
A feasibility pilot RCT with 59 community-dwelling older adults in Singapore found that a horticultural therapy program was associated with reduced biomarkers of T-cell exhaustion and inflammaging.
ElderlyHealthImpact of home garden interventions on household access to vegetables for nutrition security in Kavrepalanchok district of Nepal
2021· Horticulture International Journal · Nepal (Kavrepalanchok)
Evaluates how home garden interventions contributed to household access to vegetables and nutrition security in Nepal's Kavrepalanchok district during the COVID-19 period.
HealthWelfareFood educationIs School Gardening Combined with Physical Activity Intervention Effective for Improving Childhood Obesity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
2021Yufei Qi, Sareena Hanim Hamzah, Erya Gu, Haonan Wang, Yue Xi, Minghui Sun, Siyu Rong, Qian Lin · Nutrients · Global
A meta-analysis pooling 14 randomised controlled trials covering 9,187 children aged 7–12 that tested school gardening combined with physical activity. Fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly, but the intervention showed no clear effect on BMI and related obesity measures, with only a modest positive direction for weight reduction. The result separates dietary behaviour change from anthropometric change and shows that whether school gardens are judged effective against obesity depends heavily on which outcome is measured.
Food educationHealthUrban collective garden participation and health: a systematic literature review of potential benefits for free-living adults
2021Marion Tharrey, Nicole Darmon · Nutrition Reviews · Global
A systematic review searching January 2000 to August 2020 for quantitative studies on urban collective gardening and health among free-living adults in high-income countries; 15 of 1,261 identified articles met the criteria. Gardeners reported higher fruit and vegetable consumption than non-gardeners and most studies found positive associations with mental and social health, while results for physical activity and physiological measures were mixed. However, 13 of the 15 studies were cross-sectional and subject to selection bias and only 3 used objective measurement, so the authors conclude that longitudinal studies are needed before the suggested health benefits can be regarded as confirmed.
HealthCommunityGardens’ contribution to people and urban green space
2021Helena I. Hanson, Emma Eckberg, Malin Widenberg, Johanna Alkan Olsson · Urban forestry & urban greening · Sweden (Lund)
This study explored private gardens' contribution to urban biodiversity and garden owners' wellbeing (in terms of cultural ecosystem services) in Lund, Sweden, through a garden land-use inventory and interviews with 35 garden owners. Results showed that urban development influences gardens' biodiversity potential by limiting available space or garden vegetation, with new properties having small gardens containing few biodiversity features and large trees. Important cultural ecosystem services included social bonds, recreation, nature experiences, and relaxation, which were influenced by age and gender.
BiodiversityHealthUrban–rural linkagePolicyInstitutional challenges and stakeholder perception towards planned water reuse in peri-urban agriculture of the Bengal delta
2021Kamonashish Haldar, Katarzyna Kujawa-Roeleveld, Marco Schoenmakers, Dilip Kumar Datta, H.H.M. Rijnaarts, Jeroen Vos · Journal of Environmental Management · Bangladesh (Khulna)
This study assessed stakeholder awareness, perception, and willingness towards urban water reuse in Khulna City, Bangladesh, using a questionnaire with 385 urban respondents, 32 farmer interviews, one farmer focus group, and ten key informant interviews. It found an overall positive attitude among major stakeholder groups toward planned water reuse for peri-urban agriculture, with 53% of citizens willing to pay for wastewater treatment and 66% of farmers willing to pay for better-quality irrigation water. However, the public sector requires adjustments in rules and regulations, addressing issues like lack of transparency, coordination, and resources, to implement planned water reuse.
Peri-urban agricultureHealthPolicyPromoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review
2021Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona, Geetha Mohan, Kensuke Fukushi · Sustainability · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 54 articles on urban agriculture, examining socio-economic context, agriculture models, opportunities, and challenges. The review found that academic literature favors community gardens in developed countries and gives comparatively less attention to identifying challenges, benefit groups, and government support for urban agriculture.
Governance failureCommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyMonitoring the contribution of urban agriculture to urban sustainability: an indicator-based framework
2021Carlos Tapia, Linda Randall, Shinan Wang, Luciane Aguiar Borges · Sustainable Cities and Society · Denmark (Aarhus)
This study presents a novel indicator-based evaluation framework for urban agriculture, tested in Fællesgartneriet Brabrand, a community garden in Aarhus, Denmark. The framework aims to capture the contribution of gardening practices to urban sustainability, acknowledging that urban agriculture may also have social and environmental externalities depending on prevalent farming practices.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthPolicyClimate change“We Have Been Part of the Response”: The Effects of COVID-19 on Community and Allotment Gardens in the Global North
2021Victoria Schoen, Chris Blythe, Silvio Caputo, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Kathrin Specht, Agnès Fargue‐Lelièvre, Nevin Cohen, Lidia Poniży, Konstancja Fedeńczak · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global North
This 2021 paper, based on data collected in summer 2020 from five Global North countries (France, Germany, Poland, UK, USA), examined the effects of COVID-19 on urban farms and gardens. The pandemic presented multiple challenges, including loss of support services, lost income, and reduced output due to labor supply issues. It also created opportunities like new local markets and increased community cohesion, demonstrating how gardens adapted to become more resilient.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justicePollution in rainwater harvesting: A challenge for sustainability and resilience of urban agriculture
2021Yang Deng · Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters · Global
While rainwater harvesting (RWH) is considered a sustainable irrigation method for urban agriculture, contaminants in rainwater pose challenges to RWH practices due to potential threats to crop, soil, and human health. Based on literature data, principal pollutants such as particles, toxic metals like cadmium, copper, and zinc, synthetic organic chemicals like agrochemicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and waterborne pathogens were identified as likely exceeding irrigation quality criteria. This study identifies challenges, knowledge gaps, and research needs for RWH irrigation, offering a basis for technical strategies.
Contamination & food safetyHealthClimate changeOrganic cyclePathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agroecosystems of northern Ghana: Influence of biochar application and wastewater irrigation
2021Isaac Asirifi, Korbinian Kaetzl, Steffen Werner, Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba, Felix K. Abagale, Philip Amoah, Bernd Marschner · Journal of Environmental Quality · Ghana
A field experiment in northern Ghana assessed health risks from pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agriculture, evaluating rice husk biochar, N-P-K fertilizer, and their combinations with untreated wastewater or tap water irrigation. While heavy metals in irrigation water and soil were below FAO/WHO standards, wastewater irrigation caused significant E. coli, fecal coliform, and helminth egg contamination on red amaranth vegetables and in soil. Biochar application did not affect bacterial contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleContenidos de plomo en hortalizas cultivadas en huertos urbanos de la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia
2021Lili Tatiana Vega Clavijo, Daniel Andrés Vega Castro · Idesia · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study identified lead (Pb) levels in vegetables cultivated in urban gardens located in high-traffic areas of Bogotá, Colombia. Samples were taken from 49 planting sites across the city, analyzing soil, irrigation water, and plant tissue. The analyzed variables did not show abnormal Pb levels when compared to national and international regulations, leading to the conclusion that urban agriculture in Bogotá should not pose a significant chemical risk to consumers from lead ingestion.
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