Research & reports

Christian Larsen · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Denmark

In Denmark, school gardens were voluntarily established by the School Gardens Association and local teachers to address perceived social problems in cities during the first half of the 20th century. This initiative aimed to develop civic virtue and inner strength in urban children through garden education. The movement peaked around 1960 and has experienced a revival in recent decades.

Maikol Muñoz, Duvert Ventocilla, Cristina Fonseca, Willy Pradel · · Peru (Lima)

In response to Peru's significant food insecurity in 2022, the Institute of Development and Environment (IDMA) and the International Potato Center (CIP) organized an awareness campaign for World Food Day, focusing on the contribution of agroecological family farming in Metropolitan Lima's Valleys. A central forum, "DIALOGUES ABOUT HEALTHY DIETS FOR EVERYONE, 3X7," highlighted the roles of small farmers in food generation and the importance of common soup kitchens, noting how urban agriculture producers supplied inputs for these kitchens.

Lianna Gomori-Ruben, Chantal D. Reid · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This study examined women farming in the United States to analyze if their practices align with agroecology, using the FAO’s 10 Elements of Agroecology and the TAPE tool. A mixed-methods case study design collected web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. Participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities, aligning with FAO elements. Farm size and region were significant in the prevalence of agroecological practices; farms of 50–100 acres were most likely to integrate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricultural practices.

Charlotte Siiger · European Journal of Public Health · Denmark (Copenhagen)

The "Green Sustainable Communities" project in Copenhagen, Denmark, developed social gastronomy methods to empower lower socio-economic households with sustainable, healthy, and affordable cooking practices. Interventions included community meals, gardening, and food courses, utilizing surplus fruits, vegetables, and affordable legumes. These initiatives promoted affordable, climate-friendly, and healthy diets, increasing social wellbeing and improving nutrition.

Sri Aliah Ekawati · JURNAL TEPAT Applied Technology Journal for Community Engagement and Services · Indonesia

A community service program in Tallo Village, Indonesia, addressed post-COVID-19 economic impacts on low-income coastal residents, who experienced reduced vegetable consumption due to decreased income. The program implemented urban farming as a solution for dense settlements with minimal green space. Participants' knowledge and understanding of urban farming increased, and produce from demonstration gardens was consumed by families, reducing vegetable expenses.

Puteri Sidrotul Nabihah Saarani, Siti Nur Aishah Mohd Noor, Zailawati Khalid2, Asniza Hamimi Abdul Tharim, Asmalia Che Ahmad, Norhafizah Abdul Rahman, Mohamad Haizam Mohamed Saraf · International Journal of Business and Technology Management · Malaysia

This paper aimed to develop a conceptual framework for Life Cycle Cost (LCC) in the context of smart urban farming through an in-depth literature review. Employing the Iceberg Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model, the conceptual framework for Smart UF LCC components was divided into acquisition cost and hidden cost. This framework assists in decision-making by providing a holistic view of the costs involved in a project or investment.

Una Smilgaine · Aktuālās problēmas literatūras un kultūras pētniecībā rakstu krājums · Latvia (Riga)

This article explores the environmental issues reflected in the experience stories of 16 gardeners and locals on Lucavsala island, Riga, collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, audio recordings, and photography in 2021. Gardeners expressed environmental awareness through narratives about the island's geography, gardening practices, and environmental quality, with acquiring and managing a garden being a prominent theme. Despite mentions of waste, the environmental quality of Lucavsala was generally judged to be relatively high, with fresh air, peace, and quiet being important indicators.

Dilafruz R. Williams · · United States (Portland)

This chapter describes how courses at Portland State University have integrated sustainability themes to engage students with marginalized communities affected by ecological injustices. The 10-acre Learning Gardens Laboratory provides hands-on experiences in food cultivation, nutrition, and composting, fostering garden-based education as a means to address ecological and human oppression.

Anisja Tarchahani, Jacqueline Loos · World Development Sustainability · Lebanon

This study analyzed the livelihood effects of rooftop urban agriculture for 10 Palestinian women in Ein El-Hilweh Camp, Lebanon, using a mixed-method approach combining document analysis and a survey. Findings suggest that rooftop urban agriculture contributes considerably to more sustainable livelihoods for Palestinian women and their families by enabling them to develop natural and human capital, increasing food security, and protecting natural resources. It is a low-threshold tool that enhances refugees' well-being over the medium term.

Svetlana Hristova-Vladi · Postmodernism Problems · Bulgaria

The book "Urban Agriculture for Improving the Quality of Life. Examples from Bulgaria," edited by Donna Pickard, explores the real versus potential effects of urban agriculture on the welfare of urban and nearby communities. This multidisciplinary study analyzes the interplay between urban agriculture practices and quality of life through social, educational, economic, spatial, and ecological aspects. It also delves into the historical dimension of urban agriculture in Bulgaria, including examples from Sofia in the 1930s.

Miriam Williams, Lillian Tait · · Australia (Sydney)

This chapter reflects on how attention to care helps understand the hopes and troubles shaping Community Food Initiatives (CFIs) in unequal worlds. Drawing on data from a 2019 research project documenting CFIs across metropolitan Sydney, Australia, the chapter analyzes two initiatives: the Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO) Food Pantry and Five Serves Produce Community Support Agriculture Scheme (CSA). The analysis reveals expansive communities involving human and non-human others that are cared for, cared about, and cared with CFIs, highlighting the complexities of care in unequal contexts.

Risma Anisa, Nur Khafifah Rusni, Annisa Fitri Mustafa, Hayati Sari Hasibuan, Ahyahudin Sodri, Sri Setiawati Tumuyu, Analissa Huwaina, Muhammad Hasnan Habib · Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA · Indonesia (North Jakarta)

This social experiment in Kalibaru District, North Jakarta, analyzed the effectiveness of integrating rainwater harvesting (RWH) and urban farming to address stunting, clean water access, and food supply. Data was collected through field observations and surveys of 39 respondents across community education, RWH installation, and urban agriculture development. The results indicated an increase in public knowledge about RWH and urban farming benefits, with RWH effectively improving clean water availability and urban agriculture providing better access to nutrient-rich foods, potentially reducing stunting.

Triya Tessa Ramburn, Yufei Mandy Wu, Rachel Kronick · International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care · Global

A narrative review analyzed 17 peer-reviewed and 4 grey literature articles up to 2021 to document psychosocial outcomes of gardening programs for refugees and migrants. The analysis found that community gardening programs promoted continuity and adaptation (81% of articles), social connectedness (81%), overall wellbeing (95%), and a sense of meaning and self-worth (67%). Community gardens can strengthen psychosocial pillars for the recovery and resettlement of refugees and migrants.

Valentina Cattivelli · Journal of urban regeneration and renewal · Italy (Lombardy)

This paper describes the profile of foreign urban gardeners in Lombardy, Italy, based on questionnaire responses from municipalities. Foreign gardeners predominantly originate from North Africa and Eastern Europe, are mostly over 40 years old, married, and have children. While many Lombard municipalities have urban gardening projects, there is no regional database of cultivated plots or specific information on gardens cultivated by foreign-born residents.

Marcia Muñoz, Ventocilla, D., Fonseca , C., Pradel, W. · · Peru (Lima)

In 2022, Peru faced significant food insecurity, with 16.6 million Peruvians affected. The Institute of Development and Environment (IDMA) and the International Potato Center (CIP) organized an awareness campaign for World Food Day, focusing on agroecological family farming in Metropolitan Lima's Valleys. The campaign highlighted the role of small farmers in food production and the importance of urban agriculture in supplying common soup kitchens in low-resource areas.

Ulises Charles-Rodriguez, Aiat Aborawi, Kamal Khatiwada, Ashmita Shahi, Silvia Koso, Savanna Prociw, Christa Sanford, Richard Larouche · Global Health Promotion · Canada

This article describes a community-based participatory evaluation (CBPE) of a community garden for immigrants in Southern Alberta, Canada. Participants, interpreters, and organizers were engaged through surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews. The garden fostered learning and healthy behaviors, but organizational and communication challenges were identified, with findings used to adapt activities and expand programming.

Odera Chukwumaijem Okafor, Pamela Ogochukwu Mgbenwelu · Trends in Agricultural Sciences · Nigeria

This study investigated the impacts of urban agriculture on the environment of Awka, Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria, using a multi-stage sampling process and analyzing data with descriptive statistics and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient. Findings showed that urban agriculture significantly contributes to the well-being of some city residents by providing revenue, employment, food security, and poverty reduction. The study concluded that urban agriculture should be viewed as a lucrative commercial activity.

Helena Hansen, Kevin J. Gutierrez, S. López García · Daedalus · Global

This essay draws on Frantz Fanon's insights into the sociogenesis of psychiatric disorders and feminist standpoint theory to map a path toward sociogenic mental health. It argues that psychiatry should shift from iatrogenesis, the harms of current individual-level and pathologizing approaches, toward the sociogenesis of mental health through robust collaboration with social movements of oppressed people and their collective healing approaches, including community gardens. The essay concludes by outlining a reinvented, community-collaborative psychiatry that supports sociogenesis.

Emelie Larsson, Katarina Giritli Nygren · Journal of Risk Research · Global

This study analyzed strategy documents and municipal website information to examine how municipalities frame urban gardening as a risk-reduction strategy, using critical discourse analysis. It identified two discourses: an eco(no)logical risk discourse addressing ecological risks within a capitalist market logic, and a social risk discourse focusing on gardening for work training. The findings reveal that top-down urban garden initiatives highlight contemporary inequalities in urban spaces.

Deni Permana · ANTASENA Governance and Innovation Journal · Global

This analysis evaluated the impact of school garden programs on students' nutritional status and nutritious food intake, using surveys, interviews, and nutritional status measurements before and after program implementation. School gardens positively impacted students' nutrition knowledge and increased fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, contributing to a reduction in malnutrition prevalence with significant increases in children's weight and height. However, the program's success was constrained by budget limitations and a lack of training for educators, highlighting the need for adequate training, stable financial support, and curriculum integration.

Ana Paula Pedrosa, Romana Xerez · Global Social Policy · Brazil

This article discusses the implications of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) for social policy in Brazil, based on qualitative methods, namely, semi-structured interviews with subscribers from six administrative regions who participated through digital platforms. The results indicate that the factors determining consumer participation in CSA are health impact, strengthening local production, environmental concerns, and eating as a human right and political act. This article also demonstrates the need to promote participation among low-income and socially vulnerable families in CSA and to firmly connect food and nutrition security policy with health and environment aimed at poverty alleviation.

Ianna Louise Araújo Chagas, Nathália Sá Alencar do Amaral Marques, Josimar Gurgel Fernandes · Pesquisa Agropecuária Pernambucana · Brazil (Itapissuma)

This study analyzed the development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) and its correlation with food and nutritional security in Itapissuma/PE, Brazil. Using satellite imagery, cartographic bases, geoprocessing software, and semi-structured interviews, the research identified UPA units and collected socioeconomic data. The findings revealed that Itapissuma's UPA receives frequent technical assistance, enabling its development and diversification, and ensuring that the interviewed community does not experience food insecurity.

Herman Aldila · Dharma Pengabdian Perguruan Tinggi (DEPATI) · Indonesia (Kepulauan Bangka Belitung)

In the Surya Timur sub-district of Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Province, an activity is implementing hydroponic-based urban farming as a green technology to become an icon for brand awareness and increased competitiveness after massive tin mining. This activity involves coordination with local leaders and hydroponic practitioners to guide sowing, planting, caring for, and harvesting hydroponic commodities.

Karolina Zubel · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Jordan

This policy paper explores the potential of urban farming in Jordan to address pressing issues of food security, climate-induced risks, and socioeconomic vulnerability in urban centers. Urban farming is identified as a crucial solution to feed vulnerable groups, enhance cities' resilience and employment opportunities, act as a center for community engagement and youth education, and provide ecological benefits. The paper also examines stakeholders' perceptions, beneficiaries, inclusivity in decision-making processes, and governance challenges related to urban farm development.

Laura Amelia López, Juan Pablo Ayala, Nicoll Yeliltza Parra, Adriana Alejandra Vargas, Juan Sebastián González, John Manuel Silva · Encuentro de Ciencias Básicas · Colombia (Bogotá)

This study presents a project by students from the Catholic University of Colombia, focusing on community-oriented urban agriculture to promote food security in vulnerable populations. An experimental strategy was used, employing a vertical module with an ESP 32 board and sensors to observe variables such as temperature, humidity, and pH. Prototype development, device design, and the production and growth of Batavia lettuce seedlings were achieved, followed by field piloting of the sensor application in community urban farming modules.