Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
8656 results(173 / 347)
Becoming Posthuman
2020Saskia Van Viegen · · Canada
This chapter describes a collaborative action research project involving newcomer and Canadian-born multilingual elementary students in Canada. The project aimed to promote equity and inclusion for children from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, incorporating community and family knowledge to create a school garden and document the process with a short film. From a new materialist perspective, it explains how educators can assemble new materialist and relational pedagogies in and out of school to connect language and literacy teaching with transformations brought about by environmental change and human migration.
Food educationCommunityWelfareTrees nurture nutrition
2020Stepha McMullin, Barbara Stadlmayr, Erick Ngethe, Brendah Wekesa, Ken Njogu, Agnes Gachuiri, Ben Mbaya, Agnes Katiwa, Ramni Jamnadass · · Global
This chapter discusses the role of neglected indigenous fruit trees in providing vital minerals and micronutrients to children and communities, and in addressing seasonality and hunger periods. It highlights their diversity, food composition, and contribution to dietary needs, as well as a 'portfolio approach' for addressing nutritional gaps. School gardens are presented as an entry point for integrating and promoting these trees for nutrition education and community engagement.
Food educationHealthCommunityBiodiversityA Field of learning and living: Suitability of school gardens for children
2020Gülşah KURU, Esra DEMİR ÖZTÜRK, Furkan Atmaca · İlköğretim Online · Global
A study using semi-structured interviews with 30 primary school teachers and 12 school managers revealed opinions on the evaluation of primary school gardens. The majority of participants believed their school gardens were inadequate, citing examples such as a lack of playgrounds, insufficient green areas, and the use of gardens as car parks.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealthIntergenerational transfer of knowledge and mindset change through school gardens among indigenous children in Meghalaya, North East India
2020Melari Shisha Nongrum · · India (Meghalaya)
The North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) facilitated the development of an Indigenous Food System Curriculum to enhance students' knowledge of their environment and food system in Meghalaya, India. Following the implementation of school gardens, schools began harvesting produce. NESFAS aimed to assess students' knowledge of indigenous foods in connection with the impact of these school gardens.
Food educationCommunityHeirloom & landraceFood sovereignty & justiceEffect of changing urban farming landscape on financing livelihoods and food security of urban farmers’ households in Ghana
2020Mr. Isaiah ACQUAH, Dr.Sc. Joseph Ato FORSON, Dr.Sc. Theresa Yaaba BAAH-ENNUMH · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Ghana
This qualitative exploratory study in Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana, investigated the effect of urban growth and concretization on urban farming households' livelihoods and food security. The study, using interviews and spatial imagery, found that urban farms face challenges due to inadequate land use planning and support, leading to a loss of farmlands. Significant challenges identified include limited farming space, limited resources, continuous increase in buildings, and inadequate education for urban farmers.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyThe impact of school gardens on nutrition outcomes in low-income countries
2020Pepijn Schreinemachers, Ray-Yu Yang, Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, Bal Bdr, Mamounata Sandaogo Ouedraogo · · Global
Three cluster randomized controlled trials in Bhutan, Nepal, and Burkina Faso evaluated school garden programs. The interventions significantly improved children's knowledge about food and agriculture in all three countries, and awareness and preferences for fruits and vegetables in Bhutan and Nepal. However, these improvements did not lead to an increase in the frequency or variety of fruit and vegetable consumption in any of the countries.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthFood Plant Solutions
2020Karalyn Hingston, Natalie Ching · · Vietnam
Vietnam faces high stunting rates and pervasive nutritional deficiencies, especially among children. In Quang Nam Province, a Vietnamese non-profit organization partnered with an Australian-based Rotarian Action Group to improve the nutritional status of children. They implemented school garden programmes in the communes of Tam Phu and Dai Hung in response to high malnutrition rates and lack of access to affordable, nutritious foods. The implementation of these school learning gardens resulted in dramatic improvements in health outcomes for the students.
Food educationHealthCommunityاستخدام حدائق السطح کأحد تطبيقات شبکات البنية التحتية الخضراء لتحقيق استدامة المدن الجديدة
2020Zeinab Abd Elkader, Ahmed Haroun · Fayoum University Journal of Engineering · Egypt
The legislative and executive challenges of roof gardens in new cities in Egypt were clarified. Theoretical studies, including an applied study in Sheikh Zayed City, were presented. The research suggests that while roof gardens offer environmental, social, and economic benefits, challenges exist for their widespread application.
Governance failureClimate changePolicyCommunityEconomicsContemporary understandings of school gardens
2020Lexi Earl, Pat Thomson · · Global
This scholarship reviews current research on the history of school gardens, examining their purposes and practices through a discourse lens. It analyzes school garden movements in the US, Australia, and England, identifying a range of benefits and challenges. The study combines analyses to offer an analytic framework for case study materials.
Food educationCommunitySukseskan Gerakan Wanita Matilda (Mandiri, Terampil, Berdaya) di RT 49 Kelurahan Sepinggan
2020Rahayu Sri Waskitoningtyas, Nur Ismiyati · Abdimas Universal · Indonesia (Balikpapan)
This study investigated how urban residents of PKK RT 49 in Sepinggan Village, Balikpapan, Indonesia, engage in urban farming. Through observation and documentation, it found that urban farming benefits mothers in RT 49, enabling them to grow vegetables like chili, tomatoes, onions, lime, and pumpkin in their yards or using recycled containers.
DIYCommunityWelfareThe 2022 problem and urban farmland preservation, urban agricultural policy
2020Seiichiro Shiozawa · The Japanese Journal of Real Estate Sciences · Japan
This study examined the "2022 problem" in Japan, concerning the potential mass conversion of farmland designated as Production Green Space into residential land. It notes that these concerns have receded due to legal amendments and system establishment following the 2016 Basic Law for the Promotion of Urban Agriculture. The study suggests that future urban development should utilize urban farmland to increase regional value, proposing three key actions: establishing cooperation between urban farmers and residents, creating district-specific community development systems, and promoting appropriate land use.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityWhy garden in schools?
2020Lexi Earl, Pat Thomson · · Global
This chapter considers the challenges faced by school gardens. School gardens often have tenuous links with subjects other than health, nutrition, geography, or science, and practical challenges exist in their establishment and maintenance. Key issues of teacher learning, management of resources, and school identity and ethos are also highlighted regarding school change. The chapter concludes with unanswered questions about the prospects for school gardening, particularly whether and how school gardens might be part of an educational solution to the questions posed by the pandemic and climate collapse.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityClimate changeThe Roles of Urban Agriculture for Climate Change Adaption in The Case of Debre Markos Town and Surrounding Districts East Gojjam Zone Amhara Region Ethiopia
2020Mengist Belay · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Ethiopia
This study, focusing on Debre Markos Town and surrounding districts in the East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, establishes that Urban Agriculture is a multipronged tool for adaptation and mitigation to tackle climate change. It is concluded to be an effective tool to address food security challenges in cities, educate and reconnect urban and peri-urban farms and people to assure food and climate security in the cities.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageWhom Do Urban Agriculture Parks Provide Landscape Services to and How? A Case Study of Beijing, China
2020Miaomiao Xie, Manyu Li, Zhaoyang Li, Meng Xu, Yan Chen, Ran Wo, De Tong · Sustainability · China (Beijing)
This study investigated user profiles and landscape service provision in three urban agriculture parks (UAPs) in Beijing, China, based on 345 interviews. Most users had upper-middle incomes and were well-educated, with social connections varying by UAP type. Findings indicated that the scenery service was not adequately supplied, with 31.5% of areas failing to meet demand, suggesting six landscape types require optimization.
Limited or null effectCommunityEconomicsHealthPolicyBuilding Sustainable Local Food Solutions
2020Jennifer Sumner, Derya Tarhan, John Justin McMurtry · Working paper/Working paper CIRIEC ... · Canada
This paper explores how Indigenous communities in Canada address chronic food insecurity through the social and solidarity economy. Using a case study of the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative, it illustrates how local initiatives such as community gardens, greenhouses, and co-operatives contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly zero hunger. The paper emphasizes community ownership, control, and benefits as key aspects of these models.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareFood educationDecisions Support System Urban Farming Di Lahan Sempit Kota Pangkalpinang Dengan Hidroponik Menggunakan Metode Analytical Hierarchy Process
2020Hilyah Magdalena, Hadi Santoso · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Pangkalpinang)
A Decision Support System (DSS) for urban farming using hydroponics was developed in Pangkalpinang City, Indonesia, utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. This research considered factors such as limited urban land, suitable vegetable choices, soil conditions, fertilizers used, pest disturbances, and community interest in hydroponic vegetables. Combined assessment results from expert respondents indicated that the superiority of hydroponics was the highest supporting criterion at 19.9%, and white mustard was the most preferred vegetable at 36.4%.
Digital agricultureEconomicsDIYThe morphological impact of municipal planning instruments on urban agriculture. The case of Lisbon’s Greater Area
2020Ana Mélice Dias, Teresa Marat-Mendes · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Portugal (Lisbon)
In Lisbon's Greater Area, Portugal, the morphological impact of municipal planning instruments (Municipal Master Plans) on urban agriculture was investigated. It was concluded that current planning regulations prioritize leisure and aesthetic solutions for urban agriculture uses, rather than design solutions that address economic growth or ecological diversity.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityEconomic Aspects of Urban Agriculture
2020Zornitsa Stoyanova, Galina Koleva · · Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, the economic aspects of urban agriculture were evaluated using a literature review and qualitative research methods. The study's purpose was to assess the economic aspects of urban agriculture to propose conclusions about its economic benefits for people and society in Bulgaria. No specific findings are presented.
EconomicsCommunityPotential of Technosols Created with Urban By-Products for Rooftop Edible Production
2020Baptiste Grard, Nastaran Manouchehri, Christine Aubry, Nathalie Frascaria‐Lacoste, Claire Chenu · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
A five-year experimental trial quantified the food production potential, soil fertility, and potential contamination of Technosols created from urban wastes for rooftop edible production. The cropping system showed promising results for food production and maintained high fertility. However, a concern was identified regarding the trace metal content of certain edible crops, specifically zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), although most trace metal levels were below existing norms.
Contamination & food safetyDIYCompostOrganic cycleHealthBuilding Indonesian Food Security A Review And Suggestions
2020Endah Sri Redjeki · INNOVATION RESEARCH JOURNAL · Indonesia
This review suggests that achieving food security in Indonesia during a pandemic requires conservation, seed banks, water reservoir construction, and urban farming. It emphasizes the need for a Penta helix approach, involving government, private sectors, institutions, local communities, and social entrepreneurs, to accelerate goal attainment.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyGreen Infrastructure Planning in Metropolitan Regions to Improve the Connectivity of Agricultural Landscapes and Food Security
2020Carolina Yacamán Ochoa, Daniel Ferrer Jiménez, Rafael Mata Olmo · Land · Global
This paper critically reviewed recent literature on Green Infrastructure (GI), highlighting a lack of references to peri-urban agriculture's role in GI planning. It emphasized peri-urban agriculture's positive contribution to local food supply and other services. Furthermore, the paper proposed a methodology to integrate practical GI planning in metropolitan regions to maximize the activation of traditional agricultural landscapes and improve landscape connectivity.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceFoodborne illness prevention in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia: Preliminary efforts to understand household agricultural practices
2020Hillary A. Craddock, Elisabeth Fost Maring, Stephanie Grutzmacher · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Ethiopia
A mixed-methods pilot survey of 21 teachers and parents in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia, investigated household agricultural practices to understand foodborne illness risks. The study found that half of respondents using manure applied uncomposted manure as fertilizer, and many kept multiple animal species. This suggests a high risk of pathogen exposure for children and adults through contact with uncomposted manure and animals.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCompostOrganic cycleReconciliation and Resistance from the Ground Up: The Power of Affect in Chicago’s Community Gardens
2020Olivia Lee · Johns Hopkins University eBooks · United States (Chicago)
This study, drawing on affect theory, examines community gardens in Chicago's low-income, primarily Black South Side neighborhoods. It argues that while these gardens offer a spatial break from violence, they appear unable to fully counteract the ongoing marginalization by race and socioeconomic status. The gardens represent a quiet, nascent resistance against neoliberal injustices through intimate human-nature interaction.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceImplementasi Maqashid Syariah dengan Pengembangan Ekonomi Hijau Melalui Urban Farming
2020Yusvita Nena Arinta · International Journal Ihya Ulum al-Din · Indonesia
This article proposes urban farming as a method to implement a green economy in Indonesia, aligning with Maqashid Shariah principles. It argues that urban farming, by producing, processing, and selling food and energy using natural resources and urban waste, can achieve economic quality growth, environmental efficiency, and social growth. This approach aims to maintain sustainable ecosystems and improve welfare, moving beyond conventional economic trends.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareOrganic cycleInfluence of different ratio of soil and organic fertilizers on growth and yield of strawberry and marigold for rooftop garden
2020Alak Barman, Swarna Shome · International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) · Bangladesh
An experiment in Gazipur during 2018-19 investigated the effect of six different ratios of soil and organic materials on strawberry and marigold growth and yield for rooftop gardens. Marigold performed best with 1 kg vermicompost for 1 kg soil (T5), while strawberry showed best performance in most parameters under the same treatment. The lowest yield was recorded from 1 kg cowdung for 2 kg soil (T4).
DIYCompostOrganic cycle