Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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724 results(16 / 29)
South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden Methods
2020Linda Corkery, Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard, Lisa Thomson · · Australia
This case study describes the South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden, located on the unceded land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. Developed in collaboration with Indigenous practice partner Jiwah, the project is underpinned by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander principle of "give back," emphasizing the sharing of accumulated Indigenous knowledge with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
CommunityFood educationHortas escolares: construção de uma cultura saudável
2020Nunes Vital · Revista Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade · Global
This bibliographic research, conducted over four months, explored how school gardens can positively influence the development of a healthy food culture among children and adolescents. The study identified that school gardens, based on urban agriculture and agroecology principles, serve as an attractive tool for students, encouraging participation outside the classroom and offering benefits to all involved agents.
Food educationHealthCommunityAdaptation
2020Peter Loxley · · Global
This chapter discusses "adaptation" as a scientific concept that helps children understand the diversity of wildlife they encounter in school gardens, local parks, and other outdoor learning areas. It also helps children understand why the destruction of green spaces can have devastating consequences for wildlife. The chapter includes three topics designed to guide teachers in helping children grasp the concept of adaptation.
Food educationBiodiversityRelationship Between School Gardening and Self-Efficacy Towards Weekly Fruit & Vegetable Intake
2020Hussein Mukasa Kafeero, David Kavuma, Scovia Mbabazi · Advanced Journal of Graduate Research · Uganda
This cross-sectional study in Uganda investigated the relationship between school gardens and students' self-efficacy towards weekly fruit and vegetable intake, comparing two secondary schools (one with a garden, one without). Neither group met the WHO/FAO/USDA recommendation of ≥35 servings per week. However, students exposed to gardening activities consumed more weekly servings of fruits and vegetables (P>0.05) and showed higher self-efficacy towards their dietary intake (P=0.007).
Food educationHealthEdible City Solutions—One Step Further to Foster Social Resilience through Enhanced Socio-Cultural Ecosystem Services in Cities
2019Ina Säumel, Suhana E. Reddy, Thomas Wachtel · Sustainability, 11(4), 972 · Global
A foundational paper of the EU EdiCitNet project that positions citizen-led food production (Edible City Solutions) as urban infrastructure generating socio-cultural ecosystem services—social cohesion, education, health—alongside regulating services such as stormwater management and biodiversity. It offers a framework in which participatory productive green space underpins social resilience and sustainable food-system transitions.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareThe sustainability of a nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention: a case study from urban Senegal
2019Nordhagen S., Thiam K., Sow S. · Food Security · Senegal (Dakar)
A post-project survey in Dakar found that microgardens were largely abandoned (5% continued use) while poultry activities persisted strongly (75%) due to income-generation potential, suggesting urban nutrition interventions must align with economic incentives to achieve lasting adoption.
HealthEconomicsCommunityFood educationCommunity gardens and wellbeing amongst vulnerable populations: a thematic review
2019Pernille Malberg Dyg, Søren Christensen, Corissa Jade Peterson · Health Promotion International · Global
A thematic review of 51 articles published between 1980 and 2017 examined the effects of community gardens on wellbeing among vulnerable populations. Findings suggested positive impacts on physical health and individual/social wellbeing, but food security enhancements were inconsistent. Two articles raised potential food safety concerns in urban community gardens, recommending attention to minimizing these risks.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthWelfareFood educationUrban agriculture: boon or bust?
2019Martin Stuchtey, Tilmann Vahle · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
This paper discusses different types of urban agriculture (UA) to assess its potential for future food production. Conventional open-air farming is found to be rarely commercially viable for meaningful food production, though it offers community, educational, psychological, and environmental benefits. High-yielding Controlled Environment Farming (CEF), while potentially contributing substantially to food output, is highly capital and knowledge-intensive and likely to develop at city fringes due to economic considerations.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood educationClimate changeContextual Teaching Learning (CTL) Learning Through School Media Environment Utilization To Improve Literacy Of Science And Achievement Test
2019Mia Hilmiyati, Anna Fitri Hindriana, Sri Redjeki · Edubiologica. · Global
This study investigated the impact of Contextual Teaching Learning (CTL) combined with school environment media on science literacy and cognitive achievement among X grade biology students. Using a pre-test-post-test control group design with purposive sampling, the experimental class (X MIPA-2) showed a high gain in science literacy (0.80) and a medium gain in cognitive achievement (0.68). The control class (X MIPA-1) had a medium science literacy gain (0.63) and a low cognitive achievement gain (0.29). Hypothesis testing confirmed significant differences between the groups, indicating that CTL with school environment media improved both science literacy and cognitive achievement.
Food educationBiodiversityUrban Harvest
2019Tracy Hood · UNC Libraries · Global
This article cautions against professional planners dismissing community gardening projects as simplistic community development initiatives. Author Tracy Hood reminds planning and city officials of the value of small-scale, less costly community development options like community gardens. She lists and describes numerous economic, educational, and social benefits derived from planting and maintaining a garden.
CommunityEconomicsFood educationVicar Ioan Marian, Edifier of Pedagogical Education in Năsăud (Romania)
2019Horațiu Catalano · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Romania
This survey aimed to highlight the complex personality of curate-educator Ioan Marian and his contributions to the social, educational, and cultural life in Năsăud County, Romania. His name is connected to the establishment of the first preparatory course for teacher training on November 1, 1837, in addition to the Năsăud Normal School. He also founded a school for girls, ordered the construction of schools in frontier villages, increased teachers' salaries, set up school gardens for pomiculture, and contributed to the education of people with hearing impairments.
Food educationCommunityGardening with children and pre-service teachers
2019Janice Kroeger, Terri Cardy, Abigail E. Recker, Lynn Gregor, Aubrey Ryan, Anna Beckwith, Jacob Dunwiddie · · Global
This study aimed to enhance pre-service teachers' abilities to engage in hands-on work in school gardens with primary and preschool children. A professor and her students worked to build reciprocity and social connections globally. This initiative involved North American and Ghanaian Elders collaborating to nurture children's understanding of growing spaces and address the common notion of caring for the Earth.
Food educationCommunitySituated agroecology: massification and reclaiming university programs in Venezuela
2019Olga Domené-Painenao, Francisco Herrera · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Venezuela
The Bolivarian University of Venezuela established the Program Degree in Agroecology (PDA) in 2004 to expand agroecological practices and knowledge. Over a decade, more than a thousand PDA graduates have contributed to agroecological scaling in urban and rural areas, playing a key role in urban agriculture amidst economic crisis. The PDA has created human talent for territorializing agroecology and institutionalizing pro-peasant policy in Venezuela.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsFood educationUrban–rural linkageHow Will We Eat and Produce in the Cities of the Future? From Edible Insects to Vertical Farming—A Study on the Perception and Acceptability of New Approaches
2019Kathrin Specht, Felix Zoll, Henrike Schümann, Julia Bela, Julia Kachel, Marcel Robischon · Sustainability · Global
Nineteen qualitative expert interviews were conducted to identify perceptions of sustainability, social acceptability, and ethical aspects of new urban food production approaches. While major perceived benefits included educational effects and efficient resource use, significant conflicts involved negative side-effects, legal constraints, and high investment costs. Acceptance barriers were largely tied to the "unknown," encompassing a lack of understanding of new approaches, uncertainty about benefits, health risk concerns, unfamiliarity with products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare. The study concluded that adapting the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is a crucial first step to foster dissemination of urban food production approaches.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood educationExpanding the Contribution of Community Gardens to City Sustainability through Family Education Programs
2019Stavrianakis, Farmer · Children Youth and Environments · Global
This study investigated the impacts that gardening education workshops in community gardens can have on family members and their environmental behaviors. Participants reported a variety of positive impacts from the gardening workshops, including socializing, health benefits, and acquired knowledge. However, there was limited evidence of pro-environmental behavior change beyond gardening.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationHealthClimate changeAny Sign of Virtual School Garden Exchanges? Education for Sustainable Development in School Gardens since 1992: A Systematic Literature Review
2019Johanna Lochner, Marco Rieckmann, Marcel Robischon · Journal of Education for Sustainable Development · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 158 peer-reviewed articles on school gardening, with a focus on Virtual School Garden Exchanges (VSGEs) and their connection to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study examined the global perspective of ESD, the use of digital media, and international exchanges in school gardens. Only 14 articles directly incorporated these three perspectives, leading to the identification of possible directions for future research on VSGE.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureUsing decomposition of household items as an indicator of soil health and educational tool in Kamuli District, Uganda
2019Theresa Brehm · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · Uganda
This study, conducted at Naluwoli Primary School garden in Kamuli district, Uganda, tested the decomposition of household items as an inexpensive indicator of soil health. Cotton underwear, green and rooibos teas, and birch wood sticks were buried for 4, 7, 14, and 21 days in hand-tilled and untilled soils. Untilled soils decomposed cotton by 0.68% less and birch wood sticks by 0.86% more per day than hand-tilled soils, while tea data was inconclusive due to outside biological factors.
Food educationOrganic cycleCommunityCaracterización etnobotánica de plantas alimenticias y medicinales en huertas urbanas de Bogotá
2019Pulido Guerrero, Ana María · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project characterized ethnobotanical aspects of food and medicinal plants in urban gardens in Bogotá, Colombia, by visiting ten family gardens and ten community gardens across five locations. It found that 80% of the gardens had more food plants than medicinal plants, and 80% of registered plants were introduced species. Community gardens showed greater species richness and social purposes, while family gardens focused on self-consumption and social cohesion. No correlations were found between species richness and socioeconomic variables due to urban heterogeneity.
CommunityFood educationHealthBiodiversityCultivating urban landscapes: horticulture
2019Simone Betti · U-PAD Unimc - Open Digital Publications (University of Macerata) · Global
Urban horticulture, traditionally a marginal activity for the elderly, is gaining popularity in post-modern society for educational, rehabilitation, or hobby purposes. This growing interest in urban gardening, manifesting in various forms globally and locally, addresses needs beyond food production, often promoting social inclusion and the restoration of urban green areas. Gardens serve as spaces for reconnecting with nature, stress relief, social interaction for the elderly, outdoor classrooms for children, and therapeutic support in healthcare facilities.
Food educationWelfareElderlyCommunityHealthPossibilities of urban agriculture
2019Anna Janis-Chorosińska · Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings · Global
This article presents and compares well-functioning urban agriculture models from Havana (Cuba), Todmorden (England), and Bergamo (Italy), noting their differences in climate, area size, origins, objectives, organization, and financing. The analysis identifies various potential and effective functions, including educational, integration, therapeutic, aesthetic, job creation, and food autonomy. The study suggests these models could be implemented in Małopolska, Poland, to address multiple crisis situations.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsThe challenges of deploying urban agriculture
2019Mathilde Martin-Moreau, David Ménascé · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
The deployment of urban agriculture relies on initiatives from companies, startups, and non-profit organizations, alongside support from public authorities, especially local governments. Challenges include the need to raise consumer awareness of new production methods and to train urban farmers for quality supply chains. The abstract indicates that commitment from local stakeholders is crucial for scaling up urban agriculture projects.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood educationEducación popular, educación ambiental y buen vivir en América Latina : una experiencia socioeducativa de empoderamiento comunitario
2019Byron Cevallos, Xavier Úcar · · Ecuador
This doctoral thesis proposal analyzes socio-educational approaches to the global social-ecological crisis and climate change. It systematizes the experience of the "Convento Eco-emprende" project in Convento, Manabi province, Ecuador, where participatory bioconstruction of an agro-ecological community center and a community garden began in 2017 through strengthening local organizational capabilities. These are understood as spaces for knowledge exchange aimed at collective empowerment and social transformation.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceTOURISM DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH URBAN FARMING AS A CONSTITUENT OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND EDUCATION
2019Ivan Obreshkov · Knowledge International Journal · Global
This study examined urban farming in Almere, Netherlands, as a means of tourism diversification and an integral part of modern culture and education. Based on interviews with local food producers and an entrepreneur, it highlighted efforts by local governments and academia to shorten the food chain and enhance urban farming's appeal. The urban farming initiative in Almere provides food for consumption and sale, alongside educational activities.
Food educationPolicyEconomicsCommunity Gardening in a Society With High Malnutrition Prevalence Helps Reduce Malnutrition but Increases Obesity
2019Greg Zandrow, Samir Malkani, Kerri Gosselin · PEDIATRICS · Philippines
A community garden program in a rural Filipino village, involving families of 67 children, aimed to assess the impact of community gardens and education on plant care and proper diet on malnutrition and food security. The study found that while the program helped reduce malnutrition, it also led to an increase in obesity.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationSchool Gardening in Early Childhood Education in Oman: A pilot project with Grade 2 students
2019Abdulla Ambusaidi, Rashid Al‐Yahyai, Subhashni Taylor, Neil Taylor · Science education international · Oman
A pilot school gardening project involving Grade 2 students in Oman used a quasi-experimental mixed-method design. While findings were somewhat mixed and tentative, they suggest that school gardens in Oman could provide affective and possible health benefits for students. Given that the study was a pilot, these findings need to be treated tentatively.
Food educationHealth