Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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9074 results(168 / 363)
Analytical Variables Leading to the Involvement of Consumers and Farmers in Sustainable Urban Agriculture in the Indianapolis Region
2020Olivia Holabird · Digital Commons @ Butler University (Butler University) · United States (Indianapolis)
This study investigated factors influencing consumer and farmer involvement in sustainable urban agriculture in the Indianapolis region, where 200,000 people have low food access. Through 12 semi-structured interviews with 6 farmers and 6 consumers, the research identified key variables: sense of identity, accessibility, health, and community. Differences in these factors were observed between white and African American respondents, with accessibility and overall diet concerns being stronger for African American interviewees, while authenticity was more prevalent among white respondents.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEvaluations of internet of things-based personal smart farming system for residential apartments
2020Fatin Natasya Shuhaimi, Nursuriati Jamil, Raseeda Hamzah · Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics · Global
This study proposed and evaluated two Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart farming system designs for personal use in residential apartments, focusing on humidity and temperature monitoring. After comparing sensor readings (DHT 11 and DHT 22) over three days against actual environmental values, and assessing implementation costs and power consumption, the findings regarding accuracy and costs were inconclusive.
Limited or null effectDIYDigital agricultureHealthUrban agriculture and food security: a case study in Maringá, PR, Brazil
2020Paulo de Oliveira Neto, Andréa Rossi Scalco, Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani, Sandra Cristina de Oliveira · Ciência e Natura · Brazil
This study analyzed the impact of urban agriculture on food security in community gardens in the city of Maringá, Brazil. The research was carried out using the EBIA method, with descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression procedures. The results indicate that the activity did not contribute to the food security of people who depend on the resources generated, whether for consumption or income.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsEl huerto escolar: una herramienta pedagógica para la conciencia medioambiental del alumnado
2020Gutiérrez Sánchez-Osorio, Maria Lúcia · · Global
This work explores the school garden as a program for environmental education in early childhood and primary stages. It outlines specific environmental activities integrated into various courses, using garden tasks as a central theme. Through these activities, students actively learn about current environmental problems and discover alternatives for sustainable development.
Food educationClimate changeCommunityDiversidade de moluscos terrestres e nematofauna associada em horticulturas no município do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
2020Karina Leal de Oliveira · · Brazil
This study evaluated terrestrial mollusc diversity and associated nematodes in two horticulture areas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Manguinhos and Jacarepagua). Two collections, in spring and summer, sampled four points in each area. A total of 760 specimens were collected, identifying 16 species across 10 families, with significantly more live specimens collected in summer (363) than in spring (159) (p = 0.0011).
BiodiversityOrganic cycleURBAN AGRICULTURE COMMERCIALIZATION; AN ALTERNATIVE TO FOOD SECURITY (Case of Mekelle city)
2020Gebrekiros Hagos Belay, Abrha Gebreslassie, Amanuel Teklay, Mulugeta Tesfay · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Ethiopia
A study in Mekelle city, Tigrai, Ethiopia, investigated the commercialization of urban dairy farming, surveying 100 households using questionnaires. Results from a binary logit model showed that household head's education, family size, market distance, and total dairy products owned significantly influenced commercialization decisions. Further analysis indicated that education, extension agent visits, total dairy products, and owned land size significantly affected the extent of commercialization.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityTutelare il paesaggio agrario periurbano attraverso la multifunzionalità. Costruzione e valutazione di una proposta di piano di conservazione e valorizzazione in area milanese
2020Andrea L’Erario · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Italy (Milan)
This paper describes the application of a multi-methodological decision-making support tool for concerted management policies (Public bodies/farmers) in peri-urban agricultural areas. The proposal is guided by three principles: conservation of the historical landscape as heritage, valorization of the social potentials of the landscape in the peri-urban context, and sustainable management with a public-private partnership perspective. Peri-urban agricultural landscapes possess potential social value linked to agricultural area use, in addition to their agricultural-productive value.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityClimate changeLand, Language, and Food Literacy: Co-Creating a Curriculum at Lach Klan School with Gitxaała Nation
2020Ada P. Smith · Collaborative anthropologies · Canada
In Canada's Gitxaała Nation, the potential of the Gitxaała community garden and the summer reading program at Lach Klan School as a "food literacy" learning platform for achieving food security and food sovereignty was explored. This research suggests that hands-on learning activities integrating local Indigenous language and knowledge have the potential to contribute to food sovereignty goals by better equipping students to shape their food system.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationHealthWelfareSchool gardening activities as contextual scaffolding for learning science: participatory action research in a community school in Nepal
2020Kamal Prasad Acharya, Chitra Bahadur Budhathoki, Birgitte Bjønness, Bhimsen Devkota · Educational Action Research · Nepal
This participatory action research in a community school in Nepal's Chitwan district investigated school gardening as a contextual scaffold for science learning among sixth and seventh graders. Initial barriers included time allocation and curriculum integration, but students, teachers, and parents later reported active engagement. Overall, school gardening activities positively affected students' understanding of scientific concepts.
Food educationCommunity“There is food we deserve, and there is food we do not deserve” Food injustice, place and power in urban agriculture in Cape Town and Maputo
2020Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke · Local Environment · South Africa (Cape Town)
This study, conducted from 2017 to 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, explored urban agriculture's contributions to livelihoods and food availability through a food justice lens. In Cape Town, NGO-led urban agriculture regulated production and market access, serving wealthy consumers, with only 15% of farmers consuming their produce. In Maputo, urban agriculture contributed to local food availability, with 99% of farmers eating their produce, but farmers depended on intermediary-determined prices and faced unequal access to inputs. The study revealed stark structural inequalities and uneven power dynamics in both contexts.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityThe contribution of small-scale food production in urban areas to the sustainable development goals: a review and case study
2020Elizabeth Nicholls, Adrian Ely, Linda Birkin, Parthiba Basu, Dave Goulson · Sustainability Science · United Kingdom (Brighton and Hove)
A review and case study in Brighton and Hove, UK, examined the contribution of small-scale urban and peri-urban agriculture to sustainable food production. Findings showed these small, labor-intensive systems with high crop diversity can be highly productive, offering environmental and social advantages over industrial agriculture through minimal synthetic inputs and local consumption. However, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding productivity, economic impacts, pesticide use, and biodiversity implications.
BiodiversityPollinatorsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceStart me up! Food biodiversity and youth-led innovations
2020Eliot Gee, Hyun-Ju Lee · · Global
Gee and Lee explore the incorporation of local food biodiversity into food and agriculture innovations, with attention to emerging youth-led practices. The chapter highlights opportunities and challenges of mobile apps, urban agriculture, and youth movements. These varied examples are assessed to suggest how social and technological innovative approaches can be leveraged to ensure fair and effective promotion and protection of local food biodiversity across the producer–consumer spectrum.
BiodiversityFood educationCommunityAre early-years-children able to use magnifying glasses and dichotomous keys to observe, compare, classify and identify small animals?
2020Esther Cascarosa Salillas, Beatriz Mazas Gil, Ester Mateo González · Journal of Biological Education · Spain
Research with first-year preschoolers in Spain analyzed their ability to observe, compare, classify, and identify small animals using magnifying glasses and dichotomous keys. Students learned to observe intentionally with magnifying glasses and compare small animals based on the number of wings, legs, and color. However, students struggled to use dichotomous keys, indicating that teacher assistance was necessary to develop scientific skills such as observation, comparison, classification, and identification.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityFood Security Improvement Policy in Urban Area Through Urban Farming Program in Malang (Studies in the Department of Agriculture and Food Security Malang)
2020Said Nasuiton, Asep Nurjaman · Journal of Local Government Issues · Indonesia (Malang)
This study, conducted in several villages across five sub-districts of Malang, investigated the extent to which the urban farming program influences community food security, particularly family food needs. Results from this qualitative descriptive research showed that the urban farming program impacts several aspects of food security, including food availability, quality, and affordability. However, the research also revealed that some locations struggle to develop urban farming programs effectively due to a lack of supervision, socialization, and technical guidance.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAGROECOLOGIA E AGRICULTURA URBANA NA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO: MOVIMENTOS SOCIOESPACIAIS E SOCIOTERRITORIAIS/ Agroecology and urban agriculture in Sao Paulo city: sociospacial and socioterritorial movements/ Agroecología y agricultura urbana en la ciudad de Sao Paulo: movimientos socioespaciales y socioterritoriales
2020Marcelo Gomes Justo · REVISTA NERA · Brazil (São Paulo)
This article presents data and analyses on organic and agroecological production in São Paulo city, Brazil, using secondary data surveys and interviews. It maps the combined action of socio-spatial and socio-territorial movements for agroecology in São Paulo and its Metropolitan Region. The study discusses concepts of agroecology, urban and peri-urban agriculture, and socio-spatial/socio-territorial movements as analytical tools, concluding that combined action is necessary for agroecology's expansion.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageImpact of land use on Histosols properties in urban agriculture ecosystems of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2020Otávio Augusto Queiroz dos Santos, Eduardo Carvalho da Silva Neto, Andrés Calderín García, Hugo de Souza Fagundes, Yan Vidal de Figueiredo Gomes Diniz, Robert Ferreira, Marcos Gervásio Pereira · Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study investigated the effect of tillage with plowing and drainage on Histosol properties in three land use systems in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The research focused on areas subjected to different land use systems over the last twenty years, aiming to understand how management practices impact these carbon and nitrogen-rich soils.
Organic cycleClimate changeRacial capitalism and a tentative commons
2020Rachael Baker · · United States (Detroit)
Farming on Detroit's vacant land has been used for blight reduction and food cultivation since the 1970s, supported by initiatives like Farm-a-Lot. However, in 2015, the mayor’s office directly transferred 40 acres of city-owned land to a for-profit urban agriculture business in Detroit’s east Poletown, raising concerns about equitable resource distribution.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePROJETO HORTA ESCOLAR NA BAHIA
2020Cassia Silva Santos Góes · Revista Integrativa de Inovações Tecnológicas nas Ciências da Saúde · Brazil
This paper documents the presentation of the “School Garden Project in Bahia” at the International Congress on Technological Innovation in Health Sciences, held from November 15 to 18, 2017, at IFBA SAJ. The presentation highlighted the school's experiences with a social community garden, including resistances, advancements, garden care outside school hours, and the teaching of composting and natural fertilizers using organic compounds.
Food educationCommunityCompostOrganic cycleThe “PV Rooftop Garden”: Providing Recreational Green Roofs and Renewable Energy as a Multifunctional System within One Surface Area
2020Stefan Sattler, Irene Zluwa, Doris Österreicher · Applied Sciences · Global
An interdisciplinary study developed and tested designs for integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems into rooftop gardens, focusing on retrofitting flat roofs. Prototypes were analyzed for structural design, plant choices, and energy output. The study found that concurrent integration of PVs and green roofs is achievable with lightweight construction, suitable for existing buildings, contributing to urban renewable energy, UHI mitigation, and recreational spaces.
Climate changeBiodiversityDIYUma experiência com pessoas com deficiência através do Projeto Cultivando Cidadania de Agricultura Urbana em Aracaju-SE
2020Ivan Siqueira Barreto, Danilo França Bomfim, Jessica Rayane de Oliveira Melo, Mariane Marques · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
In Aracaju, Brazil, the "Cultivating Citizenship Urban Agriculture Project" pioneers the establishment of vegetable gardens in community spaces. This initiative aims to generate income and promote financial autonomy for 100 low-income beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program, including persons with disabilities. The project seeks to foster social and productive inclusion for vulnerable populations.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsPolicyRemediation Strategies to Reduce Heavy Metal Uptake in Lettuce Grown in Contaminated Urban Soil
2020R. Holm Thomas · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States (Lincoln)
This study investigated remediation strategies to reduce heavy metal uptake in soil from a potential community garden lot near a railroad in Lincoln, NE, where elevated concentrations of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) were detected. In a greenhouse experiment, romaine lettuce was grown. Biochar amendment resulted in the lowest concentrations of Pb and As in lettuce leaves and stems, whereas coffee grounds amendment led to the highest concentrations across all tested plant parts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityContamination of toxic metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rooftop vegetables and human health risks in Bangladesh
2020Tanmoy Roy Tusher, Md. Eusuf Sarker, Sumaya Nasrin, Tapos Kormoker, Ram Proshad, Md. Saiful Islam, Shamim Al Mamun, A. R. M. Tareq · Toxin Reviews · Bangladesh
This study investigated toxic metal and PAH contamination in rooftop soils and vegetables (red amaranth, spinach) in urban and peri-urban Bangladesh. Urban rooftop soil and vegetables were highly contaminated with toxic metals and PAHs compared to peri-urban samples. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in urban vegetables exceeded safe limits. However, health risk indices indicated that the levels of toxic metals and PAHs in urban rooftop vegetables would not pose carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic health risks for adults and children, deeming them safe for consumption.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureKatakin kōṃṃan jikin kallib ilo jikuul – Republic of the Marshall Islands School Learning Garden Program
2020Koh Ming Wei, Samuel Bikajle · · Republic of the Marshall Islands
This paper describes the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) School Learning Garden Program, which adapts the Ku Aina Pa teacher training program from Hawai‘i. The program focuses on using learning gardens as outdoor labs for interdisciplinary environmental education, opening new avenues for teaching and learning in the RMI.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeASSESSMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHOOL FOOD GARDENS: A CASE OF CHRIS HANI DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA
2020Harry Kasumba, M. Mashologu, Patrick W Bwowe · · South Africa
An investigation into the sustainability of school food gardens in Chris Hani District, South Africa, used a mixed-methods approach with a purposive sample of six schools. Findings revealed significant bottlenecks hindering sustainability, specifically inadequate funding and a lack of proper planning for school food gardening activities.
Governance failureFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyRespon Polikultur Cabai Rawit Dan Sawi Terhadap Waktu Pengomposan Dan Dosis Kompos Kulit Bawang Merah
2020Peileku Yikwa, Luluk Syahr Banu · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Indonesia
An experimental study conducted at the Greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Respati University, Indonesia, from February to August 2019, investigated the response of chili and mustard greens polyculture in polybags to onion peel compost composting time and dose. Using a factorial completely randomized design, onion peel compost doses (0, 100, 150, 200 gr/polybag) and composting times (24, 36 hours) were examined. The results showed that applying 100 grams/polybag of 36-hour compost yielded the highest plant weight (211.25 grams) and chili fruit weight (73.25 grams) for polycultured chili and mustard greens.
CompostDIYFood sovereignty & justice