Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2056 results(15 / 83)
Urban agriculture matters for sustainable development
2024Prajal Pradhan, Daya Raj Subedi, Kshitij Dahal, Yuanchao Hu, Prakriti Gurung, Sijal Pokharel, Sagar Kafle, Biplav Khatri, Sudeeksha Basyal, Monika Gurung, Aruna Joshi · Cell Reports Sustainability · Global
This systematic analysis of 1,450 urban agriculture publications examined its impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It found urban agriculture is linked to all SDGs, with 142 targets showing positive sentiments and 136 showing negative sentiments, with positive sentiments roughly double the negative. The study concludes that urban agriculture does not inherently contribute to sustainability, as its impacts depend on specific practices and require tackling identified hurdles.
Limited or null effectClimate changeEconomicsHealthPolicyFoundations of self-agency: development of a nano-therapeutic community
2024Adrian J Hayes, Tulane Chiarletti, Stephanie Hares, Sarah Devereux, Stephanie Upton, Daniel McNamara, Sally Brookes · Therapeutic Communities The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities · United Kingdom (South West of England)
This paper reports on the development and running of Foundations Group, a pilot 2-hour nano-therapeutic community (TC) intervention. Conducted within the NHS on City Farm premises in the South West of England for 18 months (2021–2022), the group comprised 11 members, one peer, and three staff. The authors reflected on the TC approach of democratic work, non-expert stance, and using support and challenge to enhance self-agency and belongingness, detailing the group's structure.
HealthCommunityWelfareHands-on Activities through Gardening: Building Twenty-First Century Skills for Lifelong Learning
2024Kamal Prasad Acharya, Kalpana Gyawali, Indra Raj Upadhyaya · Interdisciplinary Research in Education · Nepal
This article explores the contribution of garden-based activities to developing 21st-century skills in public schools in Nepal. Using participatory action research in three intervention schools, the study found that school gardening, involving flower and vegetable cultivation, enhances critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Students also viewed gardening as a valuable learning platform that encourages creative thinking, environmental sustainability, and lifelong learning competence.
Food educationCommunityHealthClimate changeEvidence of COVID-19 pandemic influence on well-being produced by urban gardening: a before-after study
2024Laura S. Tuominen, Heikki Helanterä, Patrik Karell, Lauri Rapeli, Timo Vuorisalo, Jon E. Brommer · npj Urban Sustainability · Finland (Turku)
This before-after study in Turku, Finland, examined the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban box gardening from 2019 to 2021. While box gardening's importance for resilience increased and gardeners remained motivated, participants reported receiving fewer benefits from gardening during the pandemic. This suggests a negative influence of the pandemic on well-being, extending to urban gardening outcomes.
Limited or null effectHealthCommunityClimate changeReflections: Lessons Learned, Limitations, and the Way Forward for Urban Agriculture in Public Space
2024Beata Sirowy, Deni Ruggeri · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter reflects on urban agriculture practices in public spaces, emphasizing their unique role in the individual and communal well-being of city dwellers. It concludes with a brief reflection on the future trajectories for urban agriculture practices in compact cities.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicyRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agriculturePromoting active ageing: The positive impact of older people’s participation in Urban Gardens
2024N Fernández Salido, A Gallego Valadés, C Castells, Jordi Garcés Ferrer · European Journal of Public Health · Europe
The European U-GARDEN project evaluated the impact of urban gardens on promoting active aging through the participation of people over 65. Qualitative analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews revealed multiple benefits, including increased physical activity, psychosocial improvements such as higher personal satisfaction, reduced stress, enhanced self-esteem, and strengthened community connections. Participants also reported economic savings on food costs and increased food security.
ElderlyHealthCommunityPlanning for Equitable Urban Agriculture: Opportunities and Quandaries
2024Samina Raja · Urban agriculture · United States
Urban agriculture initiatives in US cities face complications, including information asymmetry and elite capture, which limit their potential for equitable development. This chapter introduces a volume exploring the opportunities and quandaries in addressing questions of equity in the research, pedagogy, and practice of planning for urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityHealthCommunity gardens for inclusive urban planning in Padua (Italy): implementing a participatory spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis to explore the social meanings of urban agriculture
2024Daniele Codato, Denis Grego, Francesca Peroni · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Italy (Padua)
This study in Padua, Italy, used field surveys of key informants and spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis to identify suitable and inclusive areas for community gardens. The results prioritized neighborhoods for new community gardens based on distance, social, and combined indices, providing a methodology to support local policymakers in implementing community gardens.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthABORDAGEM BIODINÂMICA PARA O CULTIVO SUSTENTÁVEL: UM ESTUDO DE CASOS DE HORTAS URBANAS
2024Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)
This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.
DIYOrganic cycleHealthBiodiversityFostering Health and Heritage: Ministry of Ayush’s Aushadha evam Poshana Vatika Initiative in Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
2024Rabinarayan Acharya · Journal of Drug Research in Ayurvedic Sciences · India
The Ministry of Ayush's Aushadha evam Poshana Vatika initiative integrates ancient Ayurvedic principles into contemporary nutrition and wellness practices in India. These "medicinal plants and nutrition gardens" cultivate diverse fruits, vegetables, herbs, and nutrient-rich plants on small plots of land. The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s Poshan 2.0 framework, launched in 2021, to address malnutrition and ensure nutritional security by promoting dietary diversity and access to fresh, locally sourced foods.
Food educationHealthCommunityUrban green space use in transition
2024Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityHealthPolicyUrban–rural linkageSustainable vegetable garden in the school environment: A STS approach in elementary school
2024Elizângela dos Santos Oliveira Magerski, Felipe Fontana, Irene Yukiko Kimura · Seven Editora eBooks · Global
This qualitative research investigated the pedagogical potential of an educational product for constructing a sustainable vegetable garden with 5th-year elementary school students. Structured with a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach, the product aimed to develop students' understanding of science, technology, and their societal and environmental implications. Data from a field diary revealed that school garden activities, supported by an STS approach, foster students' critical thinking about food and healthy processes related to human health.
Food educationHealthCommunityImplications of a Climate-Smart Approach to Food and Income Security for Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review
2024Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda, Lelethu Mdoda · Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa
A systematic review and bibliometric analysis examined the implications of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and climate adaptation strategies for food and income security in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. The review found that CSA practices boost urban food production and income, but also recognized critical challenges and trade-offs requiring urban agriculture transformation.
Governance failureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthGreen Space Provision and Equity in the City
2024Magdalena Biernacka · · Global
Ensuring equal access to attractive green spaces for all urban residents, including vulnerable groups, is crucial due to pandemics, climate change, and lifestyle diseases. Both formal and informal green spaces provide ecosystem services, and smaller green infrastructure can be effective in compact city centers.
CommunityHealthClimate changePolicyA quasi-experimental study to assess the impact of green gardens on elderly anxiety: A socio-ecological perspective
2024Somayeh Gholami, Shahpar Geravandi, Farahnaz Rostami · Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment · Iran
This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of green gardens on the mental well-being of elderly individuals in eldercare facilities in Kermanshah city, western Iran. Eighty participants were purposively sampled and divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). Using pre-test/post-test measures with the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, the experimental group showed statistically significant reductions in cognitive (p < .01), arousal (p < .01), and somatic (p < .01) anxiety after green garden initiatives, while the control group showed no significant changes.
HealthElderlyCommunityThe Relationship of Urban Farming with Horticultural Therapy for Urbanites: A Systematic Review
2024Nurul Raihana Ramzi, Che Bon Ahmad, Helmi Hamzah, Noriah Othman · Built Environment Journal · Global
This systematic review, analyzing SCOPUS articles from 2010 to 2022, explored the relationship between urban farming and horticultural therapy in reducing urban stress. It found that horticultural therapy incorporating urban farming elements was linked to multiple therapeutic interactions, with nature-based elements serving as a potential source of significant positive outcomes. The review emphasizes the value of connecting horticultural therapy with urban farming and proposes a conceptual framework illustrating their constructive interaction for improving mental and physical health.
HealthCommunityWelfareAdaptacija postojećih ravnih krovova solitera u zelene krovove na području Općine Kakanj u cilju osnaživanja i promovisanja koncepta urbane poljoprivrede
2024Nedžada Zahirović, Sabina Trakić, Pavle Krstić, Lejla Biber · Radovi Šumarskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Sarajevu · Bosnia and Herzegovina (Kakanj)
This project aims to develop a conceptual plan for adapting the existing flat roofs of three towers (S-1, S-2, S-3) built in the 1980s in the Municipality of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, into green roofs. This plan seeks to strengthen and expand urban agriculture, bringing ecological, social, and economic benefits, and promoting a healthier lifestyle through daily contact with greenery.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityHealthMidwestern specialty crop impacts on the environment and health: a scoping review
2024Laura E. Balis, Emily Shaw, Whitney Fung Uy, Katie Nelson, Maryan Isack, Laura Flournoy, Daniele Vest, Jessie Deelo, Amy L. Yaroch · Agriculture & Food Security · United States
This scoping review examined the environmental and health impacts of locally distributed specialty crops in the Midwestern United States, analyzing 9 grey and 19 peer-reviewed sources. While specialty crops positively impacted nutritional intake for diverse populations, the effectiveness of production practices on soil and plant quality and greenhouse gas emissions was mixed. The review concluded that more rigorous study designs with long-term follow-up are needed.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthEconomicsClimate changeSCHOOL GARDEN IN THE SUBJECT OF GEOGRAPHY FOR STUDENTS OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 29 OF MAXIXE
2024Teófilo Etelvino do Amaral, Carlitos Luís Sitoie · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Mozambique (Maxixe)
A school garden project was implemented at Escola Secundaria 29 de Setembro da Maxixe in Mozambique, integrating it into the geography curriculum. Research found that geography teachers only taught theoretical content, lacked practical understanding of the geographical relationship with local agricultural production, and did not value food from home gardens. Students and their parents also had no knowledge of vegetable gardens and preferred processed foods, which exacerbated hunger when they lacked money. The school garden was suggested as a means to produce healthy food and generate family income.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCultivating Publicness Through Urban Agriculture: Learning from Aarhus and Rotterdam
2024Melissa Anna Murphy, Pavel Grabalov · The Geojournal library · Europe
A study of urban agriculture initiatives in Aarhus, Denmark, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, explored how municipalities facilitate urban agriculture and its performance in public spaces. It identified four public service trajectories: increasing access and animation, contributing to social services, producing and distributing food, and building communities. The study found that food production and social services may be little suited for urban spaces requiring high public access, although benefits can reach a broad public if localized and facilitated appropriately.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyHealthPromising Nature-Based Solutions to Support Climate Adaptation of Arizona’s Local Food Entrepreneurs and Optimize One Health
2024Yevheniia Varyvoda, Taylor Ann Foerster, Joona Mikkola, Matthew M. Mars · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)
This multi-method study in Southern Arizona, USA, explored the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) by local food entrepreneurs (LFEs) for climate adaptation. The findings revealed that existing NbS were primarily introduced through learning-by-doing practices, which were constrained by economic and technological resource limitations. Priority adaptation pathways identified for NbS included funding, financing, and knowledge co-creation, with LFEs likely to adopt NbS based on their ability to address climate issues and generate revenue.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsHealthCommunityCommunity agroecology. Facilitation of the cultivation of medicinal plants and family phytotherapy
2024Luis L. Vázquez · Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Research · Global
This article discusses community agroecology, focusing on the cultivation of medicinal plants in agroecological family and community gardens. It highlights that the use of these plants for treating symptoms and diseases is a common practice. The integration of family and community self-management of medicinal plants into primary care services contributes to sustainability in health management.
CommunityHealthDIYENSEÑANZA DE LA SOSTENIBILIDAD: LAS FUNCIONES PEDAGÓGICAS DE LOS HUERTOS ESCOLARES
2024Benatti, Lia P. · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global
This paper explores school gardens as pedagogical tools beyond food provision, noting that in visited schools, gardens do not meet dietary needs due to limited space. They offer opportunities for agroecology and environmental education, depending on educators' integration efforts. Despite logistical challenges, gardens promote healthy eating habits, though effective management often falls to individual teachers. The paper also proposes a framework for garden design to foster therapeutic, social, and knowledge-building experiences.
Food educationCommunityHealthDeveloping the Feast for the Future Program through a Community Visioning Process
2024Kristen Speakman, Nicole Neault, Ventura Lovato, Katie Cueva, Ivanka Szabo, Rebecca Wallis, Jennifer Richards, Allison Barlow · Progress in community health partnerships · United States
Three tribal communities in the Southwestern United States partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health to develop culturally relevant plans for the "Feast for the Future" program, addressing community concerns about obesity. Using a community visioning process, Community Advisory Boards from each community identified opportunities, challenges, goals, and visions, leading to the development of seven program components including Edible School Gardens and Community Gardens. A community-based participatory action research process was critical to this development.
CommunityFood educationHealth