Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
6072 results(164 / 243)
Survey Data from Utah Urban Agricultural Workshop
2017Tyson J. Sorensen, Kelsey Hall, David Francis, Joshua Dallin · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)
A survey was conducted among 42 teachers who attended the Urban Agriculture Workshop in Utah to assess the value of various workshop aspects and measure pre-post gains in knowledge, ability, and importance. The survey also measured attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and behavioral intention, with demographic data also collected.
Food educationCommunityFostering behaviour change to encourage low-carbon food consumption through community gardens
2017Ju Eun Kim · International Journal of Urban Sciences · United Kingdom (London)
This empirical research evaluated the role of London's community gardens in promoting participants' environmentally friendly food consumption patterns, thereby lowering London's foodprint. An online survey was circulated to 95 community gardens in London, with 48 gardeners responding, complemented by semi-structured interviews. The study confirmed that the timespan of community garden participation is not an absolute indicator of low-carbon food consumption choices, while identifying experiential and social learning as key aspects promoting gardeners' behavioral change.
CommunityClimate changeFood educationHealthTecnología y resolución de conflictos socio-espaciales: la agricultura urbana como alternativa al desarrollismo
2017Elżbieta Ura, J Guerra Pedroza, M Torrealba Febres-Cordero, G Buenaño Alviarez · Revista Educación Superior y Sociedad (ESS) · Venezuela (Region de los Valles del Tuy)
This research in Venezuela's Valles del Tuy region addresses socio-spatial conflicts arising from unplanned territorial occupation, despite the region's historical agricultural use. It proposes urban agriculture as an alternative to developmentalism. An action plan was designed using urban agriculture as the primary alternative to developmentalism in the Valles del Tuy region, aiming to establish foundations for socio-ecological system balance guided by the philosophy of 'buen vivir'.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageDinâmicas e potencialidades
2017Delgado, Cecília · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Europe
This study analyzed a set of gardens in Vienna and Lisbon, plus 29 relevant experiences in Portugal, to verify the argument that women are protagonists in urban agriculture. The results demonstrate a favorable evolution towards a greater presence of women in gardens, women's hegemony as process managers and facilitators, and their emergence in social entrepreneurship projects.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture Spaces in Built Environment
2017Rawaa Fawzi Naom, Fatima fouad Yaseen · Iraqi Journal of Architecture and Planning · Global
This research explores the concept of urban agriculture within sustainable urban trends, driven by limited green areas, population growth, and neglect of urban landscapes. Through a literature review and analytical study of urban agriculture projects, the study identified contextual linking as a main characteristic and social and cultural uses as the most important functions of urban agriculture spaces. The findings led to the development of a theoretical model for urban agriculture in city landscapes.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkage“We Always Say: And Then Came The Water…” 1 Flint’s Emergent Latinx Capacity Building Journey During the Government-Induced Lead Crisis
2017Roxanna Duntley-Matos, Victoria Arteaga, Ángel García, Rafael Arellano, Roberto Montes Garza, Robert M. Ortega · Journal of Community Practice · United States (Flint)
This critically intersubjectively engaged ethnography examines emergent Latinx lead crisis rehabilitation efforts in Flint, MI, focusing on the role of education within multicultural struggles for validation. It employs cultural humility, transformative complicity, and empowerment paradigms, emphasizing organizing strategies that respect faith-based, union, and urban gardening histories. The study's popular pedagogical methods promote agency among detained youths from Kalamazoo, who contribute through protest music, testimonies, and commentaries.
CommunityFood educationApplication of Agricultural Extension Principles to Information Dissemination among Extension Workers in Delta State, Nigeria: Implications for Urban Agriculture
2017D. U. Okoedo-Okojie, C.O. Edeoghon · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Nigeria
This study in Delta State, Nigeria, surveyed 120 extension workers from two research institutes. It found that only farm visits were regularly used for information dissemination, and extension principles focused on farmer needs and problem-solving were commonly practiced. Age, education, and rank significantly influenced the frequency of applying these principles.
Food educationCommunityPolicySistemas alimentarios sostenibles. Potencial de la agricultura urbana para pequeños empresarios del cantón Machala
2017Dra. C. Andreína Inés González Ordóñez, MSc. David Zaldumbide, MSc. Javier Solano · · Ecuador (Machala)
This research analyzes the potential of urban agriculture for small entrepreneurs in Canton Machala, El Oro Province, Ecuador, using a documentary review of related literature. Urban agriculture is identified as having economic, social, and environmental benefits, including improved food and nutrition, reduced ecological footprint, and strengthened social fabric. Its implementation can enhance living conditions by providing healthy food, additional income, and improved environmental quality.
EconomicsCommunityHealthClimate changeThe Ellstorp Lot: An Undefined Urban Landscape
2017Maria Finn · · Sweden (Malmö)
Malmö’s Lot 30:40, a former allotment garden area, has been in a state of decay since the 1990s, largely unmanaged by its owner, Jernhusen AB. This site is used by city residents for recreation, though temporary encampments by homeless people are not permitted. The area is described as an undefined urban space, existing in a fluid state that defies conventional descriptions and offers a disordered yet resilient environment.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFlowers
2017Dan McKanan · · Global
Rudolf Steiner's economic teachings and "threefolding" social theory influenced the development of green banking and community-supported agriculture (CSA) starting in the 1970s. Steiner advocated for "fraternal" cooperation within the economic sphere, inspiring cooperative enterprises and later contributing to social entrepreneurship and B-corps. This philosophy also led biodynamic farmers to establish CSAs, where consumers share farm costs and risks.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityUrban farming and its importance for environmental sustainability
2017Mohd. Ramzi Mohd. Hussain, Norul Hafizah Yusoff, Izawati Tukiman · · Global
This paper aims to discuss the literature framework of the growing demand for urban farming activities within the city environment and how they benefit the concept of environmental sustainability. It describes the advantages of urban farming activities from environmental, economic, and social perspectives that contribute to urban sustainability, evaluating the benefits and potential of implementing urban farming within limited urban spaces.
CommunityClimate changeEconomicsUrban–rural linkageLeadership, partnerships, and civic engagement
2017Helena C. Lyson · · United States (California)
This qualitative fieldwork in a large, urban school district in Northern California explored school food reform efforts addressing childhood obesity. Reforms transpired through three processes: sustained involvement of parent-activists, leadership by the school food service director in championing farm-to-school efforts and facilitating partnerships, and widespread community support for funding and implementation. These findings indicate how local social change transformed public school food programs to benefit youth health.
Food educationCommunityHealthPolicyMoving dirt: soil, lead, and the dynamic spatial politics of urban gardening
2017Bethany B. Cutts, Jonathan London, Shaina Meiners, Kirsten Schwarz, Mary L. Cadenasso · Local Environment · Global
This paper applies a dynamic spatial politics framework to interpret a 30-year conflict over an urban garden in Sacramento, California. It examines how urban gardens, often idealized, are also sites of conflict due to competing visions of "soil" versus "dirt." The study highlights that contaminants like lead in the soil contribute to this instability, reframing fertile soil as dangerous dirt, and influencing the garden's transformation from a countercultural space to a gentrified amenity.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthPolicyAgriculture urbaine et souveraineté alimentaire à Genève (Suisse), machines à consentement ou moteurs d’hybridation du référentiel agricole dominant ?
2017Rémi Schweizer, Cyril Mumenthaler · VertigO · Switzerland (Genève)
This case study in Geneva, Switzerland, examined the integration of urban agriculture and food sovereignty into public policy, focusing on the regional brand Genève Région - Terre Avenir (GRTA). The analysis, based on a cognitive approach, highlighted compromises and imbalances among actor communities with divergent value systems. Ultimately, the study demonstrated the difficulty in challenging the dominant agricultural framework.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityDeterminants of Level of Women Participation in Urban Agriculture: The Case of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Region of Ethiopia
2017Misrak Misikir Sebisibe · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Ethiopia
This study in Wolaita Sodo town, Ethiopia, investigated determinants of women's participation in urban agriculture using a sample of 204 women respondents. The Tobit model found that age negatively affected participation, while dependency ratio, credit access, extension worker contact, land ownership, neighbor influence, farm experience, and improved seed access positively affected it. Descriptive analysis showed 22% of women in the study area participated in urban agriculture, with an average participation extent of 34.3%, generating average monthly incomes ranging from 557 to 3392 birr.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareImplementación de agricultura urbana y siembra de micro jardines para afianzar la conciencia ambiental y a su vez generar estrategias comunicativas a través de los procesos de arte de la tierra en el Gimnasio Real de Colombia con niños y niñas del grado tercero de primaria
2017Villarraga Cordoba, María Fernanda · · Colombia
This 8-month project at Gimnasio Real de Colombia implemented urban agriculture and micro-garden planting with third-grade primary students. The aim was to strengthen environmental awareness and generate communication strategies through "Earth Art" processes, including pre-ritual games and performance actions. The report details the process and results of this pedagogical work.
Food educationCommunityEngaging Past and Future on a Community Supported Agriculture Farm
2017Catherine Villar · Scholarship@Western (Western University) · Canada
This ethnographic study, conducted from August 2013 to August 2014, examined Orchard Hill Farm, an organic, draft-horse powered Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Sparta, Ontario, Canada. It found that the farm's management approach resulted in a financially viable small-scale farm. The study highlighted that CSA members experience a "re-enchantment" through closeness to food and the farm, while farmers and apprentices demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityPeri-urban agricultureEconomics6 DOES A ‘LIVING LAB’ CHANGE IT ALL? ABOUT INTERETHNIC ENCOUNTERS IN SUPER-DIVERSE NEIGHBOURHOODS IN VIENNA
2017Julia Dahlvik, Yvonne Franz, Myrte Hoekstra, Josef Kohlbacher · ISR-Forschungsberichte · Austria (Vienna)
The effects of urban living labs and "unplanned" meeting spaces on interethnic contacts were investigated using semi-structured interviews and participant observations in three urban living labs in Vienna: the neighborhood center in Gumpendorf, the neighborhood space "Herbststraße 15," and the urban gardening project "Matznergarten." Comparative analysis showed that the success of an initiative depends on the number of participants, its continuity, and the degree of interethnic encounter. A mixing of non-Austrian and Austrian participants was observed in relatively few initiatives, linked to both ethnic and socioeconomic exclusion mechanisms.
CommunitySet up and Running Status of School Gardening at Elementary Schools: Focus on Jeollabuk-do
2017Yoonah Jang, Sun Jin Jeong, Kyeong Suk Han, Gyung Mee Gim, InChan Choi, Joonyung Heo · The Korean Journal of Community Living Science · South Korea
A study investigated the status of school gardening in 164 elementary schools (39.4% of 416) in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. The installation and automation of garden facilities, such as greenhouses and tool sheds, were poor. Teachers, who most often operated the gardens, reported difficulty managing them due to a lack of knowledge about sustaining gardens and expressed a need for training programs.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityUrban–rural linkageAcompañamiento al proyecto ambiental escolar “guardianes de la naturaleza “
2017Pulido Barbosa, Cindy Gillary · · Global
This report details the results of the "Guardians of Nature" environmental project, which aimed to raise student awareness of environmental care through building a school garden and making compost. The project utilized recycled materials like plastic bottles for planting various vegetables and provided workshops to the entire educational community on environmental topics. This initiative led to changes in students' cognitive and procedural skills, fostering critical reflection and problem-solving, culminating in the successful construction and maintenance of a school garden.
Food educationCommunityCompostDIYPropuesta de agricultura urbana aplicada a un jardín infantil ubicado en el barrio Santa Bárbara (La Candelaria-Bogotá D.C.)
2017Daniela Artunduaga Arboleda, Laura Michelle Bayona Ruiz, Juan Camilo Gómez, Laura Marcela González Vargas, Lady Jhoana Leiton Peña, María Fernanda Pardo Pachón, Daniela Alejandra Quintero Bautista, Möritz Velásquez Riaño · Revista de Tecnología · Colombia (Bogotá)
This descriptive study in a kindergarten in Santa Bárbara, Bogotá, addressed food security for 14 children, who received 16,693.6 g of vegetables/month, significantly less than the FAO-recommended 42,000 g. To mitigate this deficit, urban agriculture workshops were held for parents. The implemented proposal covered 65% of the vegetable supply deficit, equivalent to cultivating 140 plants, and 100% of participants showed interest in continuing the project.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe ‘Hungry Gap’: Twitter, local press reporting and urban agriculture activism
2017Matthew Reed, Daniel Keech · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United Kingdom (Bristol)
This study investigated how urban food activists related to the media, represented themselves, and how others represented their agenda during 2015 when Bristol was the European Green Capital. The research found that mass media primarily focused on topics other than food, and urban food was not a salient issue in their coverage. The self-representation of urban food networks revealed a narrow focus of interest, which may have contributed to a lack of connection between potential allies within the city, indicating limited connections of urban food networks to circuits of power and influence.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyPARTISIPASI PELAKU URBAN FARMING DALAM MEMANFAATKAN LAHAN KOSONG
2017Praptiningsih Gamawati Adinurani · · Global
Massive urbanization without adequate human resources support will cause problems, including the provision of food. Urban farming activities by urban communities, utilizing yards or abandoned land, can address food needs. Increased knowledge and skills of urban farming practitioners can be achieved through counseling, discussion, and training in various agricultural techniques such as verticulture, hydroponics, and polybag systems. After participating in training, urban agriculture practitioners can produce vegetables and fruits for their consumption and for sale, produce seeds and fertilizer, and model various farming practices.
CommunityFood educationDIYEconomicsROLES OF COMMUNITY TOWARDS URBAN FARMING ACTIVITIES
2017Norul Hafizah Yusoff, Mohd. Ramzi Mohd. Hussain, Izawati Tukiman · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia
This paper reviews and analyzes the importance of a framework for urban farming activities within cities, describing the community's role in achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability. It evaluates the benefits and potential of urban farming in limited urban spaces, noting its contribution to improving quality of life and addressing food shortage crises. The paper concludes that the community's role is crucial for implementing urban farming activities in urbanized areas.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeGetting the Lead Out: Urban Chicken Keeping as Transformative Neo-Agrarianism
2017Sydney Giacalone · Journal for Undergraduate Ethnography · United States (Boston)
This ethnographic study, conducted in Boston and Somerville in the summer of 2016, investigated how urban chicken keeping might transform keepers’ thinking about food systems and animal relationships. The research revealed the unexpected discovery of lead contamination in urban chicken flocks in the Boston area, which unsettled the imagined simplicity of urban agriculture and exposed a "metabolic rift." This finding prompted keepers to engage more deeply with the history of the soil and opened new ways of thinking about collective metabolism, multispecies living, and food politics.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealth