Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5823 results(168 / 233)
Developing food literacy through food production
2016Heather Yeatman · Research Online (University of Wollongong) · Global
This chapter focuses on how food literacy is developed through experiences with food production in different settings, including agriculture, urban food production, and home and school gardens.
Food educationDIYCommunityBohnen, Bohrer, Samenbomben
2016Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann · · Germany
The Bad Oldesloe City Library in Germany organized an event series on urban gardening, integrating makerspaces and community learning. This initiative aimed to position the library as a modern learning hub and foster new urban initiatives.
CommunityFood educationHorta comunitária de base agroecológica com sistema de irrigação e compostagem
2016Talita Slota Kutz, Fernanda Daniela Bandelero, Jéssica Cardoso, Thiago de Olivera Vargas · · Brazil
This work describes a 16-hour theoretical-practical workshop conducted in a settlement in Peritoro-MA, Brazil, during the "Operacao Velho Monge" of Project Rondon in 2014. The workshop aimed to disseminate agroecological horticulture through the implementation of a pilot community garden project with drip irrigation and composting systems, facilitating learning for both the settlement community and participating students.
CommunityCompostFood educationOrganic cycleUrban agriculture up-scaled: economically and socially productive public green space
2016Joshua Zeunert · UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) · Australia
Urban public green spaces typically require external budgets for maintenance, with most projects costing municipal authorities more money than they generate, making them economically unproductive. For instance, the Adelaide Parklands annually costs AU$9 million for maintenance while generating less than AU$1 million in income. Maintenance spending on public green spaces in the USA, UK, and Australia has been declining, a trend accelerated since the 2008 global financial crisis.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPolicyStrategically Siting Urban Agriculture: A Socioeconomic Analysis of Roanoke, Virginia
2016Tammy E. Parece, Elena Serrano, James B. Campbell · The Professional Geographer · United States (Roanoke)
A socioeconomic evaluation in Roanoke, Virginia, analyzed ten variables, including food options, across census block groups to identify neighborhoods that would benefit from urban agriculture. The study found that one block group qualified in all ten variables, and two-thirds showed need in at least half, with most of these areas located in the city's middle. This analysis produced a hierarchy of locations based on socioeconomic need for new urban agriculture sites.
EconomicsCommunityBiodiversityIntroduction: Defining Community-Built
2016Barry L. Stiefel, Kristin Faurest, Katherine Melcher · · United States (New York City)
Throughout history and globally, community members have gathered to build places. These are "community-built" projects that "meet a set of criteria that stress participation and result in an environmental change," bringing community members together to construct projects in public and semi-public spaces.
CommunityEcosystem services and tradeoffs in the home food gardens of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households in Chicago, IL
2016John Taylor, Sarah Taylor Lovell, Sam E. Wortman, M.K. Chan · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Chicago)
In Chicago, semi-structured interviews and plant inventories were conducted with 59 African American, Chinese-origin, and Mexican-origin households regarding ecosystem services and tradeoffs in their home food gardens. A total of 387 plant species were identified; gardens of African American households were rich in ornamental species, while those of Chinese-origin households had a depauperate flora. Shade trees and a developed shrub layer were absent from most gardens, suggesting a tradeoff in ecosystem services favoring food production. Only 9.6% of the inventoried species were native to the Chicago area.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleHealthAnchors in a Globalizing World [Book review]
2016Kimberley Curtis · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This book review covers Steven McFadden's "Awakening Community Intelligence," presenting his argument for the exponential expansion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). McFadden believes CSAs have the potential to become "community cornerstones" and function as a "network of light-giving impulses" through digital networking, addressing 21st-century challenges.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana como alternativa de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional : familias de la UPZ Marruecos, localidad Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bogotá
2016Monroy Quevedo, Katherin Mayerli · · Colombia (Bogotá)
A mixed-methods study in UPZ Marruecos, Rafael Uribe Uribe Locality, Bogotá, Colombia, investigated the impact of urban agriculture on the food and nutritional security of participating families. Based on interviews and surveys with 10 participants, urban agriculture was found to contribute to families' food and nutritional security by increasing the availability of safe food and improving physical access. Participants perceived higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, tubers, cereals, and legumes, leading to greater dietary diversity.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityWelfareElderlyVeganic farming at the Montreal Vegan Festival
2016Stéphane Stéphane · · Canada
Stephane Groleau gave a talk on Urban Vegan Agriculture at the Montreal Vegan Festival on November 6, 2016. The event also featured an information booth on veganic agriculture. The talk highlighted that growing food in cities without animal exploitation is possible, despite urban agriculture often relying on such practices.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCommunity garden: A bridging program between formal and informal learning
2016Ranjan Datta · Cogent Education · Global
Community garden activities play a significant role in bridging formal and informal learning, especially in urban children's science and environmental education, by promoting relational methods that integrate food security, social interactions, community development, environmental activism, and cultural integration. An auto-ethnographic study revealed that community garden-based practices adhere to forms of agency such as embracing diversity, sharing power, and trust building as part of everyday learning.
CommunityFood educationHealthFood sovereignty & justiceMunicipal community gardens in the metropolitan area of Milano. Assessment and planning criteria
2016Giulio Senes, Natalia Fumagalli, P. Ferrario, Daniele Gariboldi, Roberto Rovelli · Journal of Agricultural Engineering · Italy (Milano)
A study was conducted in 133 municipalities of the metropolitan area of Milano (excluding Milano city) to evaluate the presence of Municipal Community Gardens (MCGs) and define criteria for new MCG settlements. The study found that 59 municipalities had MCGs, with an average area per capita of 0.68 sq.m (excluding an outlier), and most MCGs were located in urban or suburban areas. Criteria proposed for identifying suitable areas for new MCGs included proximity to road networks within residential areas, suitable land use, and not high land capability, leading to the identification of the number and area of MCGs to be realized and their potentially suitable sites in each municipality.
CommunityPolicyElderlyPeri-urban agricultureCharacteristics Analysis of Visitors Satisfaction and Revisit Intention on Horticulture Exhibition at a University Campus
2016Yong Hyun Kim, Keùn Huh, Moo Ryong Huh · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea
A survey of 275 visitors was conducted at a horticultural exhibition held on the campus of G University in J city, South Gyeongsang Province, from May 2-4, 2016, to analyze satisfaction and revisit intention. Satisfaction with the flower plants section (83.7%) and docent service (78.2%) were highest, and satisfaction with activity experience showed the strongest positive correlation with overall satisfaction (0.659) and revisit intention (0.519).
Food educationCommunityDisplaying Urban Agriculture: From Garden City to Carrot City
2016Joe Nasr, June Komisar · · Global
This chapter reflects on the re-emergence of food and agriculture as an urban concern for planners and designers, examining public discourse through exhibitions. It analyzes recent exhibits highlighting the relationship between food and cities, using the "Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture" exhibition as a case study. The authors, as co-curators, reflect on lessons learned from staging this exhibition, which traveled across three continents.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageBiodiversidad y agricultura urbana
2016Nicolás Cuvi · Americanae (AECID Library) · France (Paris)
The journal "Letras Verdes" called for reflections on biodiversity and urban agriculture, but many proposals were not published due to their technical report nature and lack of reflection on the meaning of these spaces. However, the article by Ana Cristina Torres et al., "Exploring the human-nature relationship: urban agriculture, conservation sciences, and the city," analyzes community gardens in Paris. In these spaces, dedicated to urban agriculture, the meaning of "nature" is redefined while new meanings about the city are constructed.
BiodiversityCommunityUrban–rural linkageThe Role of Local and Regional Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy
2016Renée Johnson · University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) · United States
This report provides background information on various types of operations involved in the U.S. local and regional food system. These include direct-to-consumer marketing, farmers' markets, farm-to-school programs, community-supported agriculture, community gardens, and school gardens. The report also highlights available resources within existing federal programs administered by the USDA and other agencies.
PolicyCommunityFood educationCSA & TeikeiIn Pursuit of a Participatory Society: The Role of the participatory agent
2016Beatriz Pineda Revilla, A.J.J. van der Valk · Urban Agriculture Magazine · Netherlands
This article examines the role of a participatory agent, a civil servant in Amsterdam East, Netherlands, whose primary task is to bridge the interests of citizens and local government within a community garden. The study focuses on citizen-led initiatives in Dutch cities.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeA Study on the Prefab Greenhouse on the Rooftop for the Neighborhood Regeneration in Seoul, South Korea
2016Hae-Yeon Yoo · International Journal of Smart Home · South Korea (Seoul)
This study evaluated the purpose and method of new facilities for urban farming in neighborhood regeneration during the establishment of the castle village regeneration plan in Seoul's Haengchon District. It examined a method to reduce residents' economic burden and generate profits with neighbors by utilizing unused rooftop spaces of multi-family houses. A prefabricated greenhouse designed for lightness and miniaturization was selected for the rooftop of "Haengchon Lot," the revitalization center of Haengchon-dong.
CommunityEconomicsDIYTeaching STEM through Horticulture: Implementing an Edible Plant Curriculum at a STEM-centric Elementary School
2016Leila A. Graves, Harrison Hughes, Meena M. Balgopal · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global
This case study examined the implementation of a horticulture-based curriculum by two 3rd grade teachers and two STEM coordinators. While one STEM coordinator found the curriculum addressed academic science standards and provided relevant inquiry activities, the other STEM coordinator and teachers believed garden plants did not address science standards and only supported enrichment. This highlights a divergence in perception regarding the curriculum's alignment with academic standards.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityEfficient City Farming
2016Stefan Hebold, Andrea Frömel · edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin) · Global
This study aimed to address the lack of scientific documentation on the forms and effects of urban agriculture by investigating the health of urban-produced plant-based foods. Raised beds were established at urban, peri-urban, and rural locations, planted with identical species, and compared with the yields from an ECF container farm hydroponic system. Yields were compared between the hydroponic system and raised beds, while raised beds were compared among themselves based on heavy metal accumulation.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPrompts to improve post-consumer waste composting behaviors in the SUB
2016Valerie Chiykowski, Guhan Chendurnathan, Jun S. Lee, Lius Daniel · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This project at the University of British Columbia's Student Union Building (SUB) aimed to reduce contamination in post-consumer organics bins using visual prompts. While the intervention successfully decreased both the percentage weight and level of contamination, the overall weight of compostable waste also decreased post-intervention. The study suggests considering confounding factors like a sustainability fair during baseline data collection and improved bins, and proposes an infrared sensor-based audio prompt system for future efforts.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cycleCommunityUsing Community-Based Participatory Research to Explore Backyard Gardening Practices and Soil Lead Concentrations in Urban Neighborhoods
2016Sheri L. Johnson, Dalila Cardona, J. H. C. Davis, Benjamin Gramling, Chelsea Hamilton, Ray G. Hoffmann, Sabrina J. Ruis, Douglas J. Soldat, Steve Ventura, Yan Ke · Progress in community health partnerships · Global
This study used community-based participatory research to explore backyard gardening practices and soil lead concentrations in urban neighborhoods. Interviews with 20 adult gardeners revealed perceived benefits but few initial concerns about lead exposure, despite children's active involvement. Soil lead concentrations from 17 residential properties ranged from 7 to 3,234 mg kg-1, significantly higher than commercial soils (6 to 13 mg kg-1), indicating a contamination risk.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFood educationTowards a Human Right to Food: Implications for Urban Growing in Baltimore City, Maryland
2016Becky Lundberg Witt · FLASH - Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship & History (Fordham University) · United States (Baltimore City)
This article argues that property law in Baltimore City, Maryland, creates a significant barrier to urban growing by prioritizing the right to exclude others from vacant and abandoned land. Thousands of fallow lots remain inaccessible to neighbors for community benefit due to property ownership laws, which can neglect the human rights of the poorest citizens. The paper examines how the universal right to adequate food might legally support urban farming and gardening.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban AgriCulture and Food Systems Dynamics: Urban Gardening and Urban Farming of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg region, Germany
2016Darya Hirsch, Christian H. Meyer, Johannes Klement, Martin Hamer, Wiltrud Terlau, Hirsch, Darya, Meyer, Christian, Klement, Johannes, Hamer, Martin, Terlau, Wiltrud · Publication Server of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences) · Germany
This paper presents an empirical case study on Urban AgriCulture initiatives in the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg region of Germany. It states that Urban AgriCulture is a niche movement with the potential to contribute significantly to urban development and constitute a pillar of urban quality of life.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthUrban agriculture: why "one size fits all" approached don't work
2016Charlotte Prové, Joost Dessein, Michiel De Krom · Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) · Belgium; Poland
A study evaluating urban agriculture in Belgium and Poland argues that current governance approaches fail to reflect the importance of local context. The authors found that considering city-specific factors is crucial for urban agriculture to reach its full potential. They recommend a broader policymaking strategy that acknowledges benefits beyond food production.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate change