Research & reports

Kathryn Chang, Samantha Brink, Annette B. Gadegbeku · Transformative Medicine · United States

A pilot study on implementing an indoor urban gardening cart at Drexel University in the United States. Noting that "food deserts" - areas lacking affordable full-service grocery stores and with a high density of fast-food options - exist not only in communities like Philadelphia but also on college campuses, the student group Microgreens Health Outreach Project (HOP) built and implemented a small, free-standing indoor community garden cart intended for use by Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM) students, after consulting DUCOM's Office of Student Affairs and the owners of the Health Sciences Building (HSB) on funding, responsibility, space, and permanence. The cart was installed on the ninth floor of HSB in September 2024. The project found little existing literature on indoor urban gardening and so was unable to effectively compare its construction costs against prior work, instead designing a custom-built cart through internet research and price comparisons; communication, funding, and a supportive DUCOM community were identified as crucial to its success. The study recommends future research into microgreen taste preferences and the effectiveness of shared harvesting and community garden rules.

Aline Oliveira Zoia do Amaral, Regina Yoshie Matsue, Luciana Yuki Tomita · Ambiente & sociedade · Brazil (São Paulo)

This engaged, reflexive case study analyzed the implementation of a community garden in a condominium in Heliópolis, a high social-vulnerability neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil, and the participants' motivations, drawing on participant observation, a field diary, and semi-structured interviews. The garden was established through crowdfunding (a "vaquinha virtual"). It contributed to the household budget, expanded the variety of vegetables consumed to include unconventional food plants, and improved diet. It also became a space for recovering affective memories, socializing, an activity for elderly women, and bringing the condominium's children closer to the practice of growing food.

Barelds-Cramer, Leonie, Kapteijns, Annemarie, Battjes-Fries, Marieke · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Europe

This report presents the outcomes and insights from a series of co-design workshops conducted at four FEAST Living Labs — Leuven (Belgium), Oxfordshire (UK), Ghent (Belgium), and Tuscany (Italy) — aimed at developing community-driven solutions supporting healthier, more sustainable food choices. The workshops used a participatory design methodology including timeline reflection, cognitive mapping of bottlenecks and qualities, and solution-pathway development. In Leuven, mothers of primary-school children wanted enjoyable, healthy, sustainable food to become a social norm, especially in schools, citing increasing exposure to unhealthy food marketing, affordability, and limited healthy school offerings; bottlenecks were mainly at the meso level, and proposed solutions included nutrition education as a standard school subject, stronger regulation of unhealthy food marketing, and digital tools to build knowledge. In Oxfordshire, parents of young children prioritized access to affordable fresh produce, opportunities for community growing, time to cook from scratch, and reduced waste; bottlenecks were more often at the micro level — limited skills, fussy eating, convenience pressures, and high food prices — with solutions including a free recipe and advice app, community gardens, cooking classes, better promotion of local support services, and initiatives connecting farmers and residents. In Ghent, professional stakeholders from food-related organizations in disadvantaged neighborhoods shared a goal of fair food access and stronger community connection through food, identifying bottlenecks in fragmented service provision, pricing barriers, and limited visibility of available food support.

Maria Angela Diva Vilaningrum Wadyatenti, Ika Yuli Listyarini, Fransisca Desiana Pranatasari · Jurnal LeECOM (Leverage Engagement Empowerment of Community) · Indonesia

A community-service report on Kampung Wisata Kali Gajah Wong, a tourist site in a densely populated urban area of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, that has several underutilized abandoned plots of land. The intervention provided education and mentoring in using abandoned land and maximizing limited space for urban farming, with results positioned as a diversification of educational tourism products — priced with an appropriate cost of production (HPP) and attractive packaging — as a form of sustainable tourism marketing. The activity is reported to have improved partners' skills in implementing urban farming and included the handover of a complete set of equipment.

Benita Amirotul Ayyi, Siti Muslikah, Sugiarto, Zuhanid Zamarudah · Folium Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian · Indonesia

A growth trial of pea-shoot microgreens (Pisum sativum L.) conducted at "Rumah Microgreen" in the Alamsari housing area of Malang, Indonesia, using a factorial randomized block design with two factors: growing medium (100% cocopeat, 50% cocopeat/50% rice husk charcoal, or non-woven fabric) and harvest timing (6, 7, 8 or 9 days after sowing). The combination of 50% cocopeat/50% rice husk charcoal medium harvested at 9 days after sowing produced the best growth and yield, and this combination is recommended for optimal pea-shoot microgreen production.

Samuel Ikendi, Michael S. Retallick, Gail R. Nonnecke, Theressa N. Cooper, Francis Owusu · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global

A 2025 comparative study of alumni from Iowa State University (ISU) and Makerere University (MAK) who participated in a summer school garden service-learning program run through the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Uganda between 2006 and 2019. Grounded in intergroup contact theory, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to 274 alumni via Qualtrics with a 94.2% response rate, measuring change in self-perceived appreciation of differences (SAD) and awareness of structural inequalities (ASI). ISU alumni showed greater changes in knowledge, attitudes, and awareness than MAK alumni; race, ethnicity, and gender accounted for differences, with white and female ISU alumni showing greater changes than alumni of color and male alumni respectively, and binational housing arrangements also influenced the differences.

Katie Wagner, Kynda R. Curtis, Ruby Ward, Melanie Stock, Sheriden M. Hansen · Applied Economics Teaching Resources · United States

This article describes the Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference (USFC), an annual outreach event for new and existing small and urban agricultural producers in Utah and across the United States facing urbanization and environmental challenges. It reports that themed sessions led by producers, government personnel, and Extension faculty led to information adoption, community partnerships, and effects on participants' professional careers and involvement in urban agriculture governance. The article suggests the USFC model could be adapted by other organizations and communities facing similar challenges.

Endang Retno Wedowati, Fungki Sri Rejeki, Emmy Wahyuningtyas, Diana Puspitasari, Adi Candra · ADMA Jurnal Pengabdian dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This community outreach report describes a program to add value to vegetable products from urban farming in the Kampoeng Pintar neighborhood of Surabaya, Indonesia, working with the local farmer group Kelompok Tani Kampoeng Pintar Oase. Using socialization, training, and technology-adoption activities based on a learning-by-doing approach, the program introduced processing techniques for vegetable nuggets, vegetable chips, and vegetable ice cream. It reports that participating residents gained skills in producing these processed vegetable products.

Ni Wayan Mutia Dewi Artawati, Tri Martini, Siwi Gayatri, Forita Dyah Arianti, Retno Widiyawati, Cahyo Prasetyo, N A Sasongko, Dany Juhandi, Nur Faizah, Vina Eka Aristya · Evergreen · Indonesia

In Kampung Sawah Mijen, Mijen District, Semarang City, Indonesia, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was used to identify local resources and challenges, and Multiaspect Sustainability Analysis (MSA) assessed a sustainability index across six dimensions. Farmers produced an average of 4.6 tons of rice per hectare per growing season, with most already using environmentally friendly practices; the sustainability index was 50.14, highest in the social dimension (69.44) and lowest in the technological dimension (41.67). Green manufacturing practices — composting rice straw and manure, reusing aquaculture wastewater for irrigation, and energy-efficient post-harvest techniques — were introduced and evaluated as part of an agro-edutourism model developed with local communities, academics, business and media, pointing to a need for further technological sustainability innovation.

Ida Ayu Kartika Maharani, Putu Widiadnyana, Ni Putu Dilia Dewi · WIDYABHAKTI Jurnal Ilmiah Populer · Indonesia

A community service program among members of the GBI Swiss Ministry congregation in Denpasar, Indonesia, addressed limited land availability and a lack of knowledge of urban farming technology through training in Budikdamber, a simple aquaponics-based system for cultivating catfish in buckets. The program proceeded through needs assessment, technical outreach, cultivation training, and distribution of Budikdamber kits equipped with automatic feeders and digital guide posters, and it produced high participant enthusiasm and improved practical understanding of seed and seedling management and integrated food production systems.

Sucipto, Dian Peniasiani · INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR · Global

Using a library research method reviewing existing literature on pedagogy, environmental education, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the role of teachers' pedagogical competence in the local content program Tatanen di Bale Atikan was examined for its effect on students' environmental character. Teachers were found to play a crucial role in integrating environmental values into lesson planning, teaching strategies, and evaluation, with hands-on activities such as planting, plant care, and school garden management improving students' ecological literacy and developing caring attitudes, responsibility, and sustainable habits; success depended on teacher role modeling, consistent habituation, and institutional school support, and the program's potential for wider replication faces challenges including limited facilities, teacher competence, and institutional support.

Prita Indah Pratiwi, Bambang Sulistyantara, Indung Sitti Fatimah, Nizar Nasrullah, Riswandi, Andy Darusalam, Yusuf Dwi Shaka Juliandri, Khansa Aqila Arrahman · Agrokreatif Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

A community activity report on developing a healing garden at the Al-Muhajirin Foundation's elderly Islamic boarding school (pesantren) on Abun Bunyamin Mukhtar (ABM) Farm in Kiarapedes District, Purwakarta Regency, West Java. The site includes 4 hectares of agricultural land planted with fruit and vegetable crops, also used for management meetings, outing classes, English camps and tahfidz camps. Through seven stages—preparation, inventory, analysis and synthesis, concept development, design creation, implementation and dissemination—the project produced a relaxation garden, a toga (family medicinal plant) garden, and an edible garden, which functioned as spaces for discussion, murojaah, horticultural cultivation, and recreation. During construction and dissemination, the community actively planted aromatic plants, engaged with the material, and completed pre- and post-tests, with post-test results showing that the outreach activity increased community knowledge about healing gardens.

Mustangin Mustangin, Aisyah Trees Sandy, Norhidayat Norhidayat, Fahrul Hidayat, Anita Febriyani, Andin Dwi Kinanti · Darma Diksani Jurnal Pengabdian Ilmu Pendidikan Sosial dan Humaniora · Indonesia

This community outreach program at PKBM Bunda, a non-formal education center in Samarinda, Indonesia, introduced basic aquaponics concepts to learners in an equivalency education program. Conducted in three stages — preparation, implementation and evaluation — the implementation stage combined icebreaking, lecture, video materials, group discussion and Q&A, with pre- and post-tests measuring change in understanding. The evaluation found that participants' understanding of aquaponics concepts improved, indicating that the learning methods used were effective for building foundational knowledge.

CiAuna Heard · Environmental Education Research · Global

Using the author's own course, "Race, Gender, and Environmental Justice," as a case study, this article argues that justice-oriented climate education is strengthened when rooted in Black ecofeminist pedagogy. Set against the context of Jesuit educational institutions' commitments to sustainability since Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', it examines how Black ecofeminist pedagogy contributes to interrogating epistemological authority, developing structural analytical frameworks and embodied engagement with the lived world, arguing that it challenges Western Christian epistemological, methodological and political norms and pushes Jesuit environmental education toward a more critical stance on racial and gender justice.

Ni Nyoman Serma Adi, Aditya Wirayudha, Dini Layali Apriliani, Elisa Kurnia Putri, Fitri Khaerunnisa, Ni Luh Putu Susi Ardiningsih, Nige Auliya Marga Utami, Putri Ayu, Ade Irma Cahyani, Dyah Rahayu · Suluh Pendidikan · Indonesia

An applied study using a SMART-based participatory training design examined urban farming as a way to improve food security in Desa Dauh Peken, Indonesia, a densely populated village with limited farmland vulnerable to food price fluctuations and supply disruption. Hands-on participatory training—covering cultivation on limited land, environmentally friendly farming methods, and implementation support—was delivered to 21 members of the village's Women Farmers Group (KWT). In evaluation, 61.9% of respondents reported satisfaction with the educational outcomes, and 71.4% reported the training achieved its food-security goal and had a strong environmental/sustainability impact.

Kolawole Farinloye, Grzegorz M. Józefaciuk, Samson O. Ojo, Ibukun A. Ayodele, Mayowa A. Aduloju · Journal of Natural Resource Conservation and Management · United Kingdom

A study evaluated the agritourism potential of Mudchute Park and Farm, an urban farm in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom, using a mixed-methods approach that combined qualitative assessment of the farm's existing infrastructure and programming with quantitative analysis of its plant and animal biodiversity (2025). Structured data was used to model potential offerings such as educational programs, hands-on workshops and thematic tours. The farm's collection of rare-breed animals and native and cultivated plant species was identified as a base for development, and the study proposed recommendations including a farm-to-fork culinary experience, expanded seasonal festival programming, and leveraging the farm's position as a rural site within a major city.

Zulma Lopez Reyes, Dalia Alshahrani, Jovana Čvorović, Mary May, Maged M. Saad · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global

An educational article on Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) describing how soil microbes act as natural fertilizers that improve soil quality and protect plants. The authors are researching how to use microbes to help plants grow in warmer climates, testing this work in school gardens where students learn about healthy soils and growing nutritious food using new technologies.

Mieke Lopes Cardozo, Bas van den Berg, Koen Rens Wessels · · Europe

A narrative account of involvement with FRIS, a community within the University of Amsterdam working on education innovation for a fair, resilient, and inclusive society. The speaker, Mieke, describes being invited to coordinate and supervise a round of thematic teaching-innovation scholarships—organized jointly by the university's Teaching and Learning Centre and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies as part of the university's strategic plan—and to help build a learning community oriented toward more regenerative ways of learning and working.

I Gede Fery Surya Tapa, I Kadek Angga Budi Astrawan · Community Development Journal Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

A community service report from SDN 3 Serangan, a public elementary school in the Serangan sub-district, Indonesia, describes a program to grow family medicinal plants (TOGA) on school grounds to raise environmental health awareness. Activities included site observation, plant species selection, land preparation, seedling procurement, and training and outreach to students. The program is reported to have increased use of school land for TOGA cultivation, expanded students' knowledge of TOGA, and encouraged active student participation in environmental health activities.

Angie Tatiana Ortega-Ramírez, Arley Lida Moreno, José Enrique Luna Correa, Miriam Reyes Tovar, Óscar Silva-Marrufo, Miriam América Caballero Olvera · Sustainability · Colombia (Bogotá)

A study designed and implemented a school garden at Carlos Albán Holguín school in Bogotá, Colombia, as a strategy to secure food for vulnerable communities and promote environmental education, structured in six stages including diagnosis, characterization, formulation and pilot validation. Surveys and checklists evaluated garden conditions and students' understanding of environmental practices. After implementation, 75% of students showed outstanding comprehension of sustainable agriculture and 80% effectively applied organic farming principles.

Yu Hang · Cities & Health · China

Because the widespread adoption and upkeep of edible campus landscapes remains limited in Chinese higher education, this case study at South China Agricultural University examined the factors shaping users' willingness to take part in such landscapes. Using a mixed-method approach grounded in an Extended Combination Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, it tested how subjective awareness, perceived benefits and costs, external support, and resource availability affect participation. A structural equation model based on 408 survey responses found that perceived benefits, external support, and awareness were key enablers of engagement, while maintenance costs, time burden, and limited institutional support remained critical barriers.

Samuel Oliveira Cunha, Diógenes José Gusmão Coutinho · Revista fisio&terapia. · Brazil

A qualitative, exploratory study of environmental education in Mato Grosso, Brazil combined literature review, document analysis and study of practices in municipal and state schools. Practices such as school gardens, recycling workshops, selective waste collection and digital tools were found effective for instilling socio-environmental values when integrated into the curriculum with community participation. The study also reports that insufficient teacher training, infrastructure limitations and project discontinuity still undermine the effectiveness of these actions.

Agung Gustiawan, Ade Cahya Kurniawan · Prospect Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat · Indonesia

This participatory action research study describes PT Pupuk Kujang's corporate social and environmental responsibility program in Indonesia through four initiatives: Kuwatan Sadesa, which raised coffee productivity from 1.2 toward a potential 3 tons/ha while conserving forest land; Kujang Wanita Tangguh (KUWAT), which had women produce at least two products from garment waste; Asa Warga Ternak Mandiri (Asatama), which developed a communal system of at least 16 sheep funded by crowdfunding and fed partly on pineapple waste; and Kujang Urban Farming (KURFA), which established one greenhouse, engaged at least 10 residents and generated derivative food products. The study reports these programs enhanced community welfare and social solidarity and promoted environmental sustainability.

Dinesh Kumar, Abhishek Ranjan, Mahendra Sharma, Sanoj Kumar, Vishnu Ji Awasthi, Anshu Kumari, Ramesh Kumar Sahni, Ananya Rai, Krishna Murari, Shilpi Kumari, S. Paswan, Kushwaha Abhijeet · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · India

A trial at the College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar, India (November 2024-March 2025) used a randomized block design with six replications to test drip irrigation on Indra capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) grown on a rooftop. Drip irrigation produced greater plant height, more leaves and flowers, an average of 21.3 fruits per plant, fruit length of 67.2 mm, fruit weight of 79.81 g and yield of 3.52 kg/plant, while saving about 75-80% of water compared with conventional irrigation at a water-use efficiency of 9.2 kg/m³, and yield increased 10-15% over yields typically observed with traditional irrigation methods.

Vitória Ângela Paim, Denise Wildner Theves · Quaestio revista de estudos em educação · Brazil

This paper reports on a Final Course Project (TCC) practice in which a group of early-elementary children from a school in Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, created a collective experiential map of a neighborhood community garden after visiting it. Aiming to understand how school-geography-mediated didactic proposals mobilize children's experience and authorship, the ethnographic study emphasized children's protagonism and authorship, finding that children's spatiality extends beyond the classroom, giving multiple meanings to geographic knowledge, and that the collective map-making translated their spatial experiences into their own geographic expression.