Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2012 results(15 / 81)
Urban rewilding for sustainability and food security
2024Alessio Russo · Land Use Policy, 149, 107410 · Global
A conceptual paper extending the ecological-restoration paradigm of rewilding into urban and food contexts, arguing that multispecies-based 'urban rewilding' can simultaneously enhance climate resilience, biodiversity recovery, food-system robustness, water sensitivity and community participation. It also flags trade-offs such as green gentrification and land availability, opening new debate within productive green infrastructure.
BiodiversityCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleOn-farm crop diversity, conservation, importance and value: a case study of landraces from Western Ghats of Karnataka, India
2024Puneeth G. M., Gowthami R., Katral A., Laxmisha K. M., Vasudeva R., Singh G. P., Archak S. · Scientific Reports 14:10712 · India
Documents 671 landraces of 60 crops across 24 sites in the Western Ghats, identifying suitability, cuisine, medicinal use, cultural significance and economic value as determinants of on-farm conservation by custodian farmers.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityFood educationHands-On Gardening in Childcare Centers to Advance Preschool-Age Children's Fruit and Vegetable Liking in Semi-Arid Climate Zone
2024Monsur M., Mansur M., Trina N.A., Cosco N. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(11):1485 · United States (Texas)
A randomized trial in eight Lubbock County childcare centers (149 children) testing standardized raised-bed garden intervention on preschoolers' fruit and vegetable knowledge and liking. Shows that collaborative childcare-garden programs can improve vegetable preferences even in semi-arid climates.
Food educationHealth横浜都市農業推進プラン2024-2028
2024横浜市 環境創造局 · 横浜市 都市農業振興基本法に基づく地方計画 · Japan
Yokohama's latest five-year local plan under the Urban Agriculture Promotion Act, organising policies for sustainable farming, farmland preservation, citizen farms, harvest experiences and local consumption building on Midori Up and Megumi-no-Sato programmes.
PolicyCommunityFood educationBiodiversityEconomics環境報告書（令和６年度）
2024東京都国分寺市 · 国分寺市 環境報告書 · Japan
Kokubunji's annual environmental report under the basic environment plan, evaluating urban farmland preservation, local consumption and biodiversity while documenting municipally supported programmes such as the Citizen Agriculture University and citizen farms.
PolicyBiodiversityCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleThe contribution of urban farming to urban food security: the case of "Buruan SAE"
2024Giyarsih S.R., Armansyah, Zaelany A.A., Latifa A., Setiawan B., Saputra D., Haqi M., Fathurohman A., Lamijo · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Indonesia (Bandung)
This study finds that Bandung's Buruan SAE urban farming programme meaningfully contributes to household food security, with diverse produce meeting community food needs, some participants achieving farming independence, and urban agriculture providing supplementary income. The research documents a transformation in citizen attitudes toward farming as a viable urban livelihood.
CommunityFood educationPolicyHealthCo-creation of urban agriculture through participatory processes in residential building environment: Insights from Finland
2024Johansson J., Roitto M., Steiner B., Alakukku L. · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption (Elsevier) · Finland
This Finnish study evaluates the co-creation of urban agriculture in residential settings with housing companies, finding that flexible modular planning and availability of key site actors are critical success factors for participatory urban farming initiatives.
CommunityPolicyFood educationAssessing climate vulnerabilities of urban food systems and institutional responses: the case of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2024Maphosa M., Moyo P. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
This study evaluated climate vulnerability in Bulawayo's urban food system and found that the city's 2007 urban agriculture policy lacks climate change provisions, institutional coordination is weak, and extension services are severely understaffed, though NGO-led innovations and national conservation agriculture programs offer promising pathways for resilience.
PolicyFood educationCommunityEconomicsUrban agriculture in Baltimore, Maryland: Documenting current irrigation practices and rainwater harvesting
2024Abriana Segal, Niya Khanjar, Julie Yang, Kelsey Brooks, Marcus Williams, Neith Little, Andrew Lazar, Rachel E. Rosenberg Goldstein · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Baltimore)
This study surveyed urban farms and community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, to document irrigation practices, water sources, and interest in rainwater harvesting. Most sites were concerned about water availability yet all had access to city water; 27% were already harvesting rainwater and 54% were interested, and the authors suggest rainwater harvesting, food safety, and education programs could increase safe use of this water source.
CommunityDIYFood educationInitiating, innovating and accelerating edible cities. A case study based on two transition experiments in the city of Dresden (Germany)
2024· Urban Ecosystems · Germany (Dresden)
A case study based on two transition experiments in Dresden, analyzing how edible cities are initiated, innovated, and accelerated.
CommunityPolicyFood education"Not everyone has the privilege to have good food": promoting positive youth development and social justice values in school gardens
2024· Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences · USA
A study examining how school gardens can promote positive youth development and social justice values among participating youth.
Food educationCommunityWelfareSchool garden and instructional interventions foster children's interest in nature
2024Kong · People and Nature · Global
A study examining how a school garden combined with instructional interventions fosters children's interest in nature.
Food educationBiodiversityLong-term effects of a school-based experiential nutrition education intervention
2024· Health Education Journal · Global
A study of the long-term effects of a school-based experiential nutrition education intervention that incorporates hands-on experiences such as farm visits and cooking workshops.
Food educationHealthGathering a bountiful harvest: the impacts of cultural ecosystem service experiences on management practices and agrobiodiversity in urban community gardens
2024· Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Investigates how cultural ecosystem service experiences in urban community gardens relate to management practices and agrobiodiversity, finding experiences vary among gardeners and correlate with local ecological knowledge.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationUrban Agriculture: Exploring Its Potential, Challenges, and Socio-Economic Impacts
2024· Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
Comprehensive analysis of urban agriculture's potential, challenges, and socio-economic impacts. Examines successful citizen-driven models and barriers to scaling.
CommunityWelfareFood educationOrganic cycleThe impact of a community garden on children and their families' eating habits
2024· Food Education Research · Multiple
Empirical study examining how community garden participation impacts children's food education and eating habits. Analyzes spillover effects on family food choices.
Food educationWelfareCommunityFood from urban agriculture has carbon footprint six times larger than conventional produce
2024· PhysOrg (Research Report) · Multi-regional (France, Germany, Poland, UK, USA)
International citizen science study recruiting farmers and gardeners at urban agriculture sites in France, Germany, Poland, UK, and USA. Participants recorded daily diary entries of inputs and harvests. Found that urban farms may have higher carbon footprints due to intensive inputs, suggesting need for optimization of composting and organic waste utilization to reduce environmental impact.
Organic cycleFood educationSustainable Urban Agriculture: Unlocking the Potential of Home Gardens in Low-Income Communities
2024· The Professional Geographer · North America
Explores how home gardens in low-income communities unlock potential for urban sustainability. Analyzes interconnections between food access and environmental sustainability.
Food educationWelfareOrganic cycleAnalyzing the divergence and development of business models for urban farming
2024de Jong · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
Examines how urban farms' business models transition over time, incorporating long-term sustainability into core strategies. Analyzes progression from startup to enterprise settings.
EconomicsCommunityFood educationRooftop Farming Systems: A Systematic Review of Environmental and Economic Benefits
2024Schmidt, K., Yamamoto, R., Oluwaseun, A., De Silva, H. · Renewable Energy Reviews · Global
Systematic review of 156 rooftop farming projects in 24 countries. Rooftop farms reduce building energy by 20-25%, decrease stormwater runoff by 40-60%, and generate 4-8 kg/m²/year of vegetables.
Food educationEconomicsOpportunities and challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban food production systems
2024Aikaterini Kouloumprouka Zacharaki, James Monaghan, Jennifer R. Bromley, Laura H. Vickers · Plants People Planet · Global
This review identifies challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban production systems, noting that new urban farmers often lack the specialist knowledge of commercial growers. Common bottlenecks include plant physiology, pathogen management, choice of propagation material, fertigation, pollination, and environmental requirements. This knowledge gap appears to result in the abandonment of strawberries as a crop of choice in urban systems.
Economic viabilityDIYEconomicsFood educationClimate changeExperiences from a land-based learning project focused on local food interventions
2024Abbey Palmer, Phillip Warsaw, Aaron J. McKim, R. Bud McKendree, Marion Nettleton, Tiffany Marzolino, Haley Brasier · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study evaluated a land-based learning program in northern Michigan, involving two schools, two teachers, their students, food-service directors, local farmers, and a university extension educator. The program delivered farm-to-school content through 20 instructional sessions, leading students to identify and implement interventions to increase local food in school lunches. Findings indicate that this framework offers similar benefits to traditional farm-to-school programs, with added flexibility and educational advantages.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiRevisão de literatura: ecoformação, transdisciplinaridade e as produções acadêmicas sobre educação
2024Evandro dos Santos Taborda, Vera Lúcia Simão, Joel Cezar Bonin · Cadernos Cajuína · Brazil
This descriptive and qualitative literature review, conducted from April 8 to May 10, 2023, analyzed 20 theses and dissertations from databases like Periódicos Capes, Google Scholar, and Scielo Brasil. It is part of a master's research investigating transdisciplinary and eco-formative pedagogical practices with high school students using a community garden in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study suggests that continuing such practices in high school can strengthen the connection between education and society, offering integrated learning opportunities.
Food educationCommunityCommunity Gardens as Places for Ecological Caring in Action
2024Amal Ibourk, Lauren Wagner, Deb Morrison, Syrena Young, Justin Milledge · Science and Children · Global
This article describes a fifth-grade climate change action project involving building a community garden, aligned with science standards. Students learned about monarch butterfly migration, life cycles, and greenhouse gases by planting milkweed. The article offers educators ideas and suggestions for implementing such a project within a school community.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityPollinatorsClimate changePengaruh Tingkat Literasi Informasi Pertanian Perkotaan BBP2TP Terhadap Minat Bertani Generasi Zilenial Di Tagrinov
2024Indah Nur Fitriandini · J-IKA · Indonesia (Bogor)
This descriptive quantitative study, conducted at BBP2TP in Bogor, Indonesia, surveyed 1,066 Zilenial generation respondents who received BBP2TP urban agriculture information literacy. The study aimed to determine the level of urban agriculture information literacy, the Zilenial generation's interest in farming, and the influence of information literacy on this interest. Results indicated a significant influence of information literacy on the interest in farming, suggesting that adequate urban agriculture information literacy is necessary to increase farming interest among the Zilenial generation.
Food educationCommunity