Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
598 results(17 / 24)
Ecosystem 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 cycleHealthSchool Gardens Enhance Academic Performance and Dietary Outcomes in Children
2015Berezowitz C., Bontrager Yoder A., Schoeller D. · Journal of School Health, 85(8):508-518 · United States
A review examining the academic and dietary effects of school garden programs. It found that garden-based learning does not harm academic performance and may favorably affect science and math achievement as well as fruit and vegetable intake and preferences.
Food educationHealthPolicyFeasibility and acceptability of a gardening-based nutrition education program in preschoolers from low-income, minority populations
2015Sharma S.V., Hedberg A.M., Skala K.A., Chuang R.-J., Lewis T. · Journal of Early Childhood Research, 13(1):93–110 · United States (Texas)
An 8-week teacher-led PLANT Gardens (Preschoolers Learn About Nutrition Through Gardens) program with 103 Head Start preschoolers in two Harris County, Texas centers. Confirmed feasibility and acceptability and a significant increase in parent-reported willingness to try new fruits and vegetables.
Food educationHealthCommunityFood Safety and School Garden Program for Elementary and Middle School Students
2015Valerie Calberry, Lori Pivarnik, Ingrid Lofgren · The FASEB Journal · United States (Rhode Island)
An intervention study, part of a Rhode Island Farm to School project overseen by the nonprofit Farm Fresh RI, aimed at improving elementary and middle school students' knowledge and practices around the food safety of school-garden produce. Two lessons on good vs. bad bacteria, hand hygiene, and harvesting/washing were delivered to 115 children aged 5–11, and knowledge scores rose significantly by over 39% (from 5.3±1.8 to 7.4±2.0).
Food educationHealthA plant to plate pilot: a cold‐climate high school garden increased vegetable selection but also waste
2015Brian Wansink, Andrew S. Hanks, David R. Just · Acta Paediatrica · United States (New York)
Using a before/after tray-waste design, this pilot tested whether a cold-climate high school garden could influence vegetable intake without nutrition education. At an upstate New York high school, adding garden-grown greens to the salad bar raised the share of students selecting salad from 2% to 10% and students ate about two-thirds of what they took, though waste rose from 5.56% to 33.33% per serving.
Food educationHealthFood lossFighting insecurity: Experiments in urban agriculture in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro
2015Lea Rekow · · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This paper describes key initiatives in urban agriculture within Rio de Janeiro's favela communities, which are experiencing displacement and destabilization due to rapid urbanization policies. These initiatives aim to create resilient and productive spaces, particularly addressing food and nutrition security amidst socio-economic and security landscape changes.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareThe Effects of School Gardens on Children's Science Knowledge: A randomized controlled trial of low-income elementary schools
2015Nancy M. Wells, Beth M. Myers, Lauren Todd, Karen Barale, Brad Gaolach, Gretchen Ferenz, Martha Aitken, Charles Henderson, Caroline C. Tse, Karen Ostlie Pattison, Cayla Taylor, Laura Connerly, Janet B. Carson, Alexandra Z. Gensemer, Nancy Franz, Elizabeth C. Falk · International Journal of Science Education · United States
A randomized controlled trial in 25 low-income elementary schools across four US states (n=3,061 students aged 6-12) examined the effect of a school garden intervention on science knowledge from Fall 2011 to Spring 2013. While science knowledge increased more in the intervention group than in the control group, overall scores remained poor and gains were very modest. A dose-response relationship was observed, where more robust intervention implementations correlated with stronger treatment effects.
Food educationHealthCommunityBrooklyn Farmer
2015Andrew Koval · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States (New York City)
The 27-minute documentary film "Brooklyn Farmer" (2014) covers organic urban rooftop farming as a business. The film offers perspectives on the cost of farm labor's exposure to pesticides versus the increased cost of organic vegetables, citing aesthetics, supply chain reduction, and human health as benefits of urban farming. While noted for its informative text and enhanced production value, a stated limitation is that it should have featured farmers in a more traditional vegetable production capacity to provide a diversity of opinion concerning the market.
DIYEconomicsHealthFood educationGoing, Doing, Gardening: School Gardens in the Underrepresented Communities of Lake Worth, Palm Springs, and Greenacres, Florida
2015Amy Wagenfeld, Erica Whitfield · Children Youth and Environments · United States (Florida)
In January 2010, the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, received a grant to install school/community gardens to reduce obesity and increase access to fresh produce among minority communities, primarily Hispanic children and families. A 42-item survey measured the gardens' usability, curricular integration, movement/exercise capacities, and health benefits. Findings indicated that participating in garden programs positively influenced students' and teachers' lives.
Food educationHealthCommunityWelfareAgroecological urban agriculture from the perspective of health promotion
2015Silvana Maria Ribeiro, Cláudia Maria Bógus, Helena Akemi Wada Watanabe · · Brazil (São Paulo)
This paper systematizes the experience of the "Colhendo Sustentabilidade" project, implemented in Embu das Artes, São Paulo metropolitan region, from 2008 to 2011, analyzing it from a Health Promotion perspective. Data was obtained through workshops and interviews with participants, public service technicians, and project team members. Conclusions revealed that agroecological urban agriculture serves as a health-promoting tool by contributing to individual and community empowerment, creating favorable health environments, and multiplying knowledge on income generation, health, and environment.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceVancouver community gardeners perceptions on soil health and contamination
2015Jason Murillo, Environmental Health BCIT School of Health Sciences, Bobby Sidhu · BCIT Environmental Public Health Journal · Canada (Vancouver)
An online survey of 101 community gardeners from 23 community gardens in Vancouver, Canada, investigated perceptions of soil health and contamination. The study found no association between soil testing and garden location, nor between garden location and gardeners' confidence in soil safety. Despite potential health concerns from contaminated soil, community gardeners refrained from soil testing and remained confident in their soil's safety, indicating a gap in safety standards.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthGrowing Together: Poverty Alleviation, Community Building, and Environmental Justice through Home Gardens in Pacoima, Los Angeles
2015Bhavna Shamasunder, R Mason, Luke Ippoliti, Laura Robledo · Environmental Justice · United States (Los Angeles)
A community-based research project in Pacoima, Los Angeles, examined 36 families who received home gardens, training, and support in 2013. Following families through one planting cycle, data showed the potential for home gardens to contribute to household food budgets, increase home pride, motivate community involvement, and provide green spaces. This project aims to address the research gap on home gardens' benefits and challenges.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood education"What We Eat Matters": Perspectives on Food and Health in the Mexican Im/migrant Farmworker Communities in Indian River County, Florida
2015Hugo Puerto · Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research · United States (Florida)
This ethnographic study in Indian River County, Florida, investigated challenges in engaging Mexican im/migrant farmworkers in community-based health solutions, specifically community gardens. Despite efforts by farmworker leaders and the health department to promote community gardens for health and economic benefits, little engagement was observed within the farmworker community. The research, based on participant observation, surveys, and interviews, analyzed barriers to healthy eating and the limited role of grassroots initiatives in improving health outcomes.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationWelfare나탈리 제레미젠코의 환경개선 프로젝트
2015박윤조 · · United States (New York City)
This essay describes Natalie Jeremijenko's environmental improvement projects, which utilize interactive technologies and an ecological worldview emphasizing symbiotic relationships between humans and nonhumans. Her work includes public experiments like 〈Robotic Geese〉 and eco-products for monitoring contamination, as well as the urban farming system 〈Farmacy〉 and local food movement 〈AgBags〉, aiming to reduce environmental costs and promote biodiversity.
CommunityClimate changeHealthSC Farm-to-School Programs Encourages Children to Consume Vegetables
2015Sonya J. Jones, Casey Childers, Amy T. Weaver, Jacquelyn Ball · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States (South Carolina)
In South Carolina, United States, a piloted farm-to-school program with four components, including local producer partnership, SC-grown foods in the cafeteria, promotion, and a school garden, was evaluated. A quasi-experimental design compared fruit and vegetable consumption in children from participating schools to matched comparison schools. Results showed that children in farm-to-school schools consumed more vegetables but fewer fruits than those in comparison schools.
Food educationHealthCommunityImpact of Access to Healthy Food and Lifestyle on Obesity: The Evidence from U.S. Counties
2015Yves T. Ilunga, Sayed Saghaian · 2015 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2015, Atlanta, Georgia · United States
This study used a linear regression econometrics model with USDA county-level data to measure the economic impact of access to healthy food on obesity in the U.S. Results showed that many factors beyond access to healthy food explain variations in obesity rates. Increased household income and more full-service restaurants both had a negative impact on obesity rates, and age played a significant role, with people over 65 likely eating healthier than those under 18.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsOcupação de vazio urbano como promotor do planejamento para cidade saudável
2015Ana Maria Girotti Sperandio, Lauro Luiz Francisco Filho, Édison Fávero, Marialva Motta Ribeiro, Thaís Manfrinato · PARC Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Construção · Brazil (Conchal-SP)
This article presented results from a pilot field research project in Conchal-SP, Brazil, aiming to identify aspects of urban vacant space occupation through a community garden, considering principles of the City Statute, Health Promotion, and Healthy Urban Planning. Using a case study methodology, including bibliographic and documentary research, a Post-Occupancy Walkthrough Survey, and oral histories, the community garden was found to be an efficient tool for occupying urban vacant spaces. It helped re-establish intrinsic territorial relationships, fostering social participation, intersectorality, and local governance, which contributes to a sense of comfort and pleasure in a place.
CommunityHealthPolicyAgricultura urbana agroecológica na perspectiva da promoção da saúde 1 Agroecological urban agriculture from the perspective of health promotion
2015Cláudia Maria Bógus, Helena Akemi, Wada Watanabe · · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study systematized the "Gathering sustainability, community practices on food security and urban agriculture" project conducted in Embu das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2008 to 2011. Through workshops and interviews with participants and project staff, the research found that ecological urban agriculture serves as a health promotion tool by strengthening individual and community leadership, fostering empowerment, and creating supportive environments. It also facilitates knowledge sharing related to health, environment, and income generation.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceTrace Metal Contamination in New York City Garden Soils
2015Zhongqi Cheng, Anna Paltseva, Ireyena Li, Tatiana Morin, Hermine Huot, Sara Perl Egendorf, Zulema Su, Roxanne Yolanda, Kishan Singh, Leda Lee, Michael Grinshtein, Ying Liu, Kayo Green, Win Wai, Bushra Wazed, Richard K. Shaw · Soil Science · United States (New York City)
This study analyzed trace metal concentrations (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb) in 1,652 soil samples from 904 gardens in New York City. It found that many soils exceeded New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Soil Cleanup Objective (SCO) limits for Pb, Cr, As, and Cd. Specifically, about 21% of community garden samples and 71% of home garden samples exceeded SCO limits for Pb and As, and less than 3% of all samples met criteria for unrestricted use.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityDIYThe Importance of Urban Agriculture in Defeating Food Deserts
2015Taina Tremblay · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · United States
This research outlines the intent to examine the correlation between access to healthy, organic food and poverty, and the increasing problem of food insecurity in the United States. Urban agriculture and urban gardening are considered as solutions to food instabilities in poverty-stricken areas. The study aims to uncover reasons for the lack of access to healthy food and to discover solutions for promoting better food access and eating habits.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthEconomicsEngaging City Youth in Urban Agriculture: Examining a Farm-Based High School Internship Program through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory
2015Elena Broaddus, Liana S. Przygocki, Peter J. Winch · Children Youth and Environments · United States (Baltimore)
A year-long case study examined six eleventh- and twelfth-grade students participating in a farm-based youth internship program in Baltimore, Maryland. Using Self-Determination Theory as an analytical framework, program components that promoted participants' engagement by meeting their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness were identified. The findings indicate specific strategies that urban agriculture programs can use to more effectively engage youth.
Food educationCommunityHealthA CONSTRUÇÃO DE UMA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA NA PERSPECTIVA DA EDUCAÇÃO POPULAR: ESTRATÉGIA DE PROMOÇÃO DA SAÚDE E PARTICIPAÇÃO POPULAR
2015Maria José Pereira Tavares, Ana Paula Maia Espíndola Rodrigues, Reginaldo Ferreira de Lima Júnior, Pedro José Santos Carneiro Cruz · Encontro Regional Nordeste I 2015 · Brazil (João Pessoa)
The "Praticas Integrais da Promocao da Saude e Nutricao na Atencao Basica – PINAB" University Extension Program, active since 2007 in João Pessoa, Brazil, uses popular education methodology to promote health and food security. The "Horta Popular Boa Esperanca" community garden, a key initiative, provides weekly educational activities like cultivation and harvesting, fostering collective work and social mobilization. The program's actions create a collective space for learning and integration between the community, health services, and university, contributing to health promotion and environmental care.
CommunityFood educationHealthFood sovereignty & justicePsicologia, agricultura urbana, universidade: o que podem pés descalços?
2015Ana Paula Louzada, Ernesto Grillo Rabello, Yan Menezes Oliveira · Revista Interinstitucional Artes de Educar · Brazil
This study documents the collective construction experience of an agroecological garden by psychology students at the Federal University of Espírito Santo. The paper emphasizes the relevance of this practice in producing integral health and critiques the current context of Integrated World Capitalism, which separates humans from nature.
Economic viabilityFood educationCommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceMeasuring the impacts of a school garden-based nutrition intervention
2015Jenna Banning · ScholarWorks -A service of University of Vermont Libraries (University of Vermont) · United States
This study analyzed three years of student surveys collected before and after one year of participation in the American Heart Association's Teaching Gardens program. While improvements were indicated in preferences, food systems learning, social norms, and gardening skills for the experimental group, none of these changes over time were statistically significant. At post-test, significant differences were found across all five indices by gender (girls more positive) and by school minority concentration and socioeconomic status (SES), with mixed effects for environmental factors.
Food educationHealthFood Consumption, Attitude, and Behavioral Change Among CSA Members: A Northern Utah Case Study
2015Kynda R. Curtis, K. Eileen Allen, Ruby A. Ward, Curtis, Kynda R., Allen, Karin, Ward, Ruby A. · Journal of food distribution research · United States (Utah)
This study examined the impacts of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program participation on consumer attitudes and behaviors related to food consumption and preparation among CSA members in Utah. Data were collected through pre, post, and monthly surveys, food purchase receipts, and CSA basket contents. Results showed shifts in participant dietary intake and food preparation attitudes and behaviors, including increased fresh produce consumption, decreased grain intake, and fewer meals consumed away from home. Participants also became more interested in cooking and canning/preserving, with increased availability of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and folic acid.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood education