Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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4283 results(168 / 172)
Assessing food security in the Monteverde Zone: a multi-method approach
2002Jennifer Andia, Emilie Davis, Rebecca Klein, Elisabeth Wirsing · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · Costa Rica
A multi-method study assessed food security and perceptions of nutrition in the Monteverde Zone, Costa Rica, using anthropometric assessment, semi-structured interviews with mothers, 67 Radimer/Cornell Scales, and a focus group. Food insecurity, particularly Adult Food Insecurity, was prevalent across all communities. Despite high nutritional knowledge, a lack of quality nutrition was observed due to economic limitations. The focus group positively received the idea of a community garden as a solution for better quality and more affordable produce.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHongos que causan damping-off en el tomate y control con Trichoderma harzianum cepa A34 para el manejo integrado de plagas del cultivo en Cuba.
2002I. Sandoval, Marco López, M. Stefanova, B. Bernal, Mario Oswaldo Siles Neyra, Daniela Rodríguez García, F. Rodríguez · · Cuba
This study identified major fungal species causing damping-off in tomato seedlings in Cuba, with Rhizoctonia solani present in 50% of samples, Phytophthora parasitica in 41%, and Pythium aphanidermatum in 8.3%. Seed treatment with the antagonist Trichoderma harzianum (strain A34) increased germination to 100% in Floradel, Lignon, Placero, Criollo, and Campbell-28 varieties, compared to 70-80% in untreated ones. This treatment also increased seedling weight and fruit size, and for the Placero variety, it resulted in over 50% higher harvest, yielding a profit of $560.12.
DIYOrganic cycleWorkshop 7 (synthesis): trade-offs in water for food and environmental security – urban/agricultural trade-off
2002Ausaf-ur Rahman, Mohammad Ait Kadi, Johan Rockström · Water Science & Technology · Global
A synthesis paper from a 2002 workshop reports that competing demand for water between agriculture and urban users is generating severe stress on water resources, with virtual water trade (importing food instead of pursuing self-sufficiency, to conserve real water resources) and water reuse (irrigation with treated urban wastewater) emerging as the two dominant proposed responses. It states that virtual water trade carries serious political and economic risks, with one proposed remedy being an international virtual water trading council.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyClimate changeCommunityA Study on Urban Agriculture Development Mechanism
2002Yang Hai-juan · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · Global
This paper argues that urban agriculture has its own distinct resource base and functional requirements, and that the key to its development lies in harmonizing urban agricultural and non-agricultural activities in resource use and functional design. It outlines cultural, legal, technical and district-level harmonizing mechanisms intended to let urban agriculture make the best use of urban resources and meet city needs.
PolicyCommunityDrip Irrigation for Small Farmers: A New Initiative to Alleviate Hunger and Poverty
2001· Water International · Global
Describes a spectrum of drip systems keyed to income and farm size (beginning with a US$5 bucket kit for home gardens) as a means to alleviate hunger and poverty among poor farmers.
DIYEconomicsBuried clay pot irrigation: a little known but very efficient traditional method of irrigation
2001· Agricultural Water Management · Global
Presents buried, unglazed porous clay pot irrigation, in which water seeps through the pot wall at a plant-driven rate, as a highly efficient low-cost traditional method well suited to small farmers.
DIYEnvironmental concerns of (peri-) urban vegetable production: Case studies from Kumasi and Accra
2001E. Mensah, Philip Amoah, Robert Clement Abaidoo, Pay Drechsel · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Ghana
This document presents case studies on environmental concerns related to urban and peri-urban vegetable production in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana. It is part of a larger work on waste composting for urban and peri-urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleClimate changeTurning municipal waste into compost: the case of Accra.
2001I. Etuah-Jackson, W. P. Klaassen, J. A. Awuye · CABI Publishing eBooks · Ghana (Accra)
This paper reports on solid waste management in Accra, Ghana, examining the experiences of two compost plants, Teshie-Nungua and Ashiedu Keteke (AKCPP), with urban waste composting. It also describes the urban farming systems in Accra and identifies current and potential users of the produced compost.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityFuentes y proporciones en sustratos para organopónico
2001E. Pena, M. V. Carrion · · Cuba
Four experiments were conducted at INIFAT experimental plots on organoponicos (horticulture on organic substrates) in Cuban urban agriculture. The study investigated substrate preparation methods, sources and proportions, fertility maintenance with organic fertilizers, and earthworm inoculation. Key findings indicated that substrates should be mixed homogeneously, and many crops showed better yields with 75% Cachaza mixtures. Decreases in nutrient and organic matter content led to a gradual decline in yield, while earthworm humus application and direct inoculation maintained fertility and increased yields.
Organic cycleDIYEstudio de la biodiversidad en huertos agrícolas urbanos de dos municipios de ciudad de La Habana. Caracterización de las accesiones del género Vigna
2001Rodomiro Ortíz, Celia Vera · Cultivos Tropicales · Cuba (Ciudad de La Habana)
This study investigated the agricultural biodiversity in urban gardens across eight localities in the municipalities of Boyeros and Arroyo Naranjo.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe Inner links and the Transition Points Between Urban Agriculture and Suburbs Agriculture
2001Gan Jin-tian · · Global
Urban agriculture originates from and develops within suburban agriculture. This study argues that important inner links and transition points exist between urban and suburban agriculture, such as growth regions, functions, and industrial layouts.
Urban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture in Mwanza, Tanzania
2001Karen Flynn · Africa · Tanzania
This article compares urban farmers in Mwanza, Tanzania, with those in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. In Mwanza, urban agriculturalists are increasingly not among the poorest, often being middle and upper-class males with access to scarce land and inputs, similar to Ghana. They differ from farmers in Kenya and Zambia in terms of gender, socio-economic class, and motivations. Many of Mwanza's wealthier males continue to face enough job/income insecurity to choose to plant crops to support themselves and their household in lean times.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageWelfareUrban harvest: cities, food, activism and the third sector
2001Robyn Lynn · ResearchOnline at James Cook University (James Cook University) · Global
This paper highlights the significance of urban food production, which has been historically neglected despite its potential to address issues of globalization, urbanization, and environmental degradation. It explores the relationship between cities, food production, and activism, noting a growing local food movement that resists global food discourses. The paper aims to identify issues within urban food production activism and its organizational aspects.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changePolicyUrban agriculture, a project for Tunis
2001Moez Bouraoui, Pierre Donadieu, André Fleury · Cahiers Agricultures · Tunisia (Tunis)
In Tunis, the concept of public green spaces has not evolved much, and the risk of continuous urbanization is real, making agriculture not inherently sustainable between dynamic urbanization poles. However, new attitudes are emerging, with environmental concerns influencing public planning policies, and residential forms, recreational/cultural practices associated with agriculture, and new citizen interest in rural areas are appearing. These developments may signal the beginning of a new planning policy and the advent of urban agriculture in Tunis.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityStadtnahe Landwirtschaft in der Stadt- und Freiraumplanung
2001Frank Lohrberg · OPUS Publication Server of the University of Stuttgart (University of Stuttgart) · Global
This study argues that agricultural production forms near cities, often overlooked by municipal and environmental policy, are innovative, consumer-oriented, and economically efficient. It suggests that urban and and open space planning should abandon the prejudice that agriculture on the city outskirts is an outdated model. A differentiated view reveals an "urban" agriculture that is more vital than its rural counterpart and can provide important impulses for more sustainable cities and efficient planning.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsClimate changeUtilización de una técnica de secado solar para la conservación de alimentos y semillas en condiciones rústicas
2001Nercy Rodríguez de la Rosa, Raimundo M. Díaz Esquivel, Lissett Gutiérrez Hernández, Susana Pérez Talavera, Francisco M. Pérez Tabares · Alimentaria · Global
This study aimed to establish a methodology for using solar dryers for food and seed preservation under rustic conditions. It was established that condiments and seeds can be dried in approximately 3 days, maintaining their qualities and offering additional sanitary advantages. The manufacturing of solar dryers is very simple and does not require large investments.
Food lossDIYOrganic cycleWie beeinflusst die persönliche Betroffenheit die Einstellung gegenüber Füchsen in der Stadt
2001Fabio Bontadina, Pascale Contesse, Sandra Gloor · DORA WSL (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) · Switzerland (Zurich)
This study analyzed attitudes towards urban foxes in Switzerland using a nationwide survey and questionnaires for households and allotment gardeners in Zurich. While 60% of Swiss respondents were against urban foxes, only 40% in Zurich were; however, 70% of gardeners opposed them, with 55% reporting damage caused by foxes, which negatively correlated with fox acceptance.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityDiagnóstico específico en huertos urbanos del suroeste de ciudad de La Habana. Evaluación de sus características sociodemográficas, ambientales, tecnología aplicada y agroecosistema
2001Raúl Ortíz, Celia Patricia Vera, Antonio Leyva · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba
A diagnostic study was conducted on the conditions of urban gardens, their producers, and families in 20 gardens across five localities in the "Boyeros" and "Arroyo Naranjo" municipalities of Havana, Cuba, between December 1998 and March 1999. While the garden agroecosystems showed satisfactory biodiversity, general knowledge of biological technologies in sustainable urban agriculture remained relatively low. None of the surveyed plot owners consciously knew or used vermiculture, pisciculture, biofertilizers, biopesticides, or biostimulants, and almost half did not consciously use crop rotation.
Limited or null effectCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleFood educationUrban agriculture and its qualified personnel cultivation
2001Bu Miao · Journal of Zhangkai Aguotechaical College · Global
Urban agriculture aims to meet the needs of modernization and high-grade consumption in large central cities. Its establishment and development rely on creative, highly skilled personnel and scientific research from agricultural higher education and research organizations. Colleges and universities involved in urban agriculture education should establish appropriate specifications, patterns, and mechanisms for personnel cultivation, aligning with urban modernization demands for the industry's establishment, operation, and management.
Food educationPolicyThe Effect of School Gardens on Children's Interpersonal Relationships and Attitudes Toward School
2001Tina M. Waliczek, J.C. Bradley, J.M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · Global
Children participating in garden activities were evaluated for improvements in interpersonal relationships and attitudes toward school, using pre- and post-tests comparing control and experimental groups. No significant differences were found between pre- and post-tests or between the control and experimental groups overall; however, demographic comparisons showed female students had significantly more positive attitudes toward school than males at program's end, interpersonal relationships differed by grade level, and children's attitudes toward school were more positive in schools offering more intensive, individualized gardening.
CommunityFood educationCities of the future: urban agriculture in the third millennium.
2001Isabel María Madaleno · Food, nutrition and agriculture · Global
An essay argues that urban agriculture—food and non-food production occurring throughout urban and peri-urban fabric—could improve city dwellers' nutritional status and food security, strengthen food self-reliance and employment prospects, and make survival strategies more effective. It describes urban agriculture as a setting where children, young people, and adults engage directly in safe food production and develop respect for farmers' work, surveys the evolution of cities and green-space use in Europe and North America, presents recent urban agriculture experiences in African, European, and Latin American countries, and advocates urban agriculture as a local solution to social, ecological, political, and economic problems.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsBiodiversitySchool gardens and beyond: progressive conservation, moral imperatives and the local landscape
2001Libby Robin · Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes · Global
This historical account traces how new educational theories at the turn of the century in the British world reconceived the school child from an 'administrated unit' into a 'growing flower,' drawing on Swiss and German ideas of the school as a kindergarten, as noted by education professor Patrick Geddes. It describes the progression from an indoor flower shelf, through window boxes, to a full school garden in the playground, and details Miss Latter's design for a British school garden: eighteen kitchen-garden plots of 4 by 2 feet and eighteen flower-garden plots of 3 by 4.5 feet, separated by paths, laid out to read as a formal classroom exercise.
Food educationCommunityMulti-sectoral initiatives for urban agriculture in Metro Manila, Philippines.
2001Dindo Campilan, R. Boncodin, Constancio De Guzman · · Philippines
In Metro Manila, Philippines, the CIP-convened Strategic Initiative for Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (SIUPA) contributed to improved coordination and enhanced capacity for urban agriculture, which ranges locally from backyard and container gardens for subsistence to commercial vegetable farms for household income. A partnership between SIUPA and the Philippines' Inter-Regional Integrated Research, Development and Extension Program on Urban Agriculture (IIRDEP) addressed food safety, production systems, and environmental protection, and the number of agricultural activities in the metropolis increased markedly over the two years prior to publication as households pursued urban agriculture in response to a worsening economic and environmental situation.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceTypology of urban agriculture architecture
2001Aleksandra Nowysz, Elżbieta Trocka-Leszczyńska · Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Architectura · Global
This paper addresses contemporary urban farming architecture, defined as urban spaces and structures located within cities and dedicated to growing edible plants. It aims to investigate designs that facilitate urban development integrating city life with food production, using literature review, case studies, project descriptions, and comparative analysis. The paper presents a typology of urban agriculture architecture along with selected examples of each type.
CommunityPolicyUrban Livelihoods and Food and Nutrition Security in Greater Accra, Ghana
2000Maxwell D., Levin C., Armar-Klemesu M., Ruel M., Morris S., Ahiadeke C. · IFPRI Research Report 112, International Food Policy Research Institute · Ghana
Based on a 1996-97 survey, this IFPRI report analyzes the relationship between urban poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition in Accra, developing food and livelihood security indicators suited to urban settings and examining nutrition outcomes among the urban poor.
WelfareHealthEconomics