Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2066 results(20 / 83)
Black intimacies with food sovereignty and land in the midst of gentrification in Saint Paul’s historic Rondo
2022Parvathy Binoy · Human Geography · United States (Saint Paul)
Drawing on ethnographic and visual documentation of the Aurora Saint Anthony Peace Garden in Saint Paul's historic Black neighborhood of Rondo, this article argues that the elder-led Urban Farmer Garden Alliance and its community garden sustain an intimacy of Black food sovereignty amid gentrification. It contends the gardens work to restore collective Black connection to land and food disrupted by urban renewal and a lack of affordable food access.
CommunityPolicyGardens in a postsuburb: Community garden governance and ethos in Orange County
2022Eiji Toda, Edward Lowe · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States (Orange County, California)
This study reports six case studies of community gardens in southern Orange County, California, asking how garden governance and an overarching garden ethos are elaborated. It finds gardens manifest one of three governance approaches—anarchic, democratic, or corporate—and two value frameworks (a community-oriented ethos and an individualistic ethos), arguing postsuburban gardens may address perceived shortcomings of postsuburban regions.
CommunityPolicyCommunity Supported Agriculture, Human Capital, and Community Health
2022Celina L. Martinez, Daisy Rosero, Tammy Thomas, Francisco Soto Mas · Health Promotion Practice · United States (New Mexico)
This qualitative study assessed how community-supported agriculture (CSA) contributes to human capital and addresses social determinants of health in central and northern New Mexico, using questionnaires with 13 purposively sampled CSAs (8 responded). The responding CSAs reported activities such as training, job creation, education, access to healthy food, food security, health education, social connections, and food justice. The authors argue public health should support CSA and generate evidence on its health and social benefits.
CommunityHealthEconomicsDesign, construction, and application of a low-cost solar dryer: A kinetic study of Araticum pulp drying
2022· Journal of Food Processing and Preservation · Brazil
Designs, constructs, and applies a low-cost solar dryer, studying the drying kinetics of araticum fruit pulp. Demonstrates a self-built, inexpensive dryer for preserving and adding value to produce.
DIYFood lossEconomicsAn underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture
2022· SOIL · United States
Describes an underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system using LoRa to monitor soil oxygen, temperature, and moisture; the logging, power, and communication components cost about USD 150, much cheaper than commercial solutions.
DIYEconomicsOpen-source electronics for plant phenotyping and irrigation in controlled environment
2022Kim J.Y., Abdel-Haleem H., Luo Z., Szczepanek A. · Smart Agricultural Technology · United States
Develops a portable high-throughput phenotyping system using a microcontroller and a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, extended with soil moisture monitoring and water-pump control for automated irrigation using open-source electronics.
DIYEconomicsPhysically apart but socially connected: Lessons in social resilience from community gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic
2022· Landscape and Urban Planning · Canada (Edmonton)
A survey of 90 Edmonton community gardens; gardeners missed social events like pot-lucks and harvest fests yet reported that gardens provided social resilience during the pandemic.
CommunityHealthEcosystem services of urban agriculture and prospects for scaling up production: A study of Detroit
2022Joshua Newell, Alec Foster, Mariel Borgman, Sara Meerow · Cities · United States (Detroit)
A study in Detroit's Lower Eastside (~15 sq. miles) examined the spatial extent, characteristics, and residents' perceptions of urban gardens using spatial analysis and interviews. Gardens covered less than 1% of vacant land and were often ephemeral. Primary obstacles to scaling up urban agriculture in Detroit include uncertainty over land tenure, environmental pollutants, potential ecosystem disservices, and a lack of government support and capital investment.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeHealthOptimizing the co-benefits of food desert and urban heat mitigation through community garden planning
2022Yujia Zhang, Jordan P. Smith, Daoqin Tong, B. L. Turner · Landscape and Urban Planning · United States (Phoenix)
A model was developed to optimize the co-benefits of food desert and urban heat mitigation through community garden planning, applied to over 5,000 vacant parcels in the Phoenix metro-area, USA. The study found that the optimal number and locations of community gardens needed for different mitigation goals can vary significantly. The existing 76 community gardens were mostly clustered around urban cores, leaving two-thirds of the metro-area underserved, but spatially optimized siting could double the co-benefits gained and cover more high-need neighborhoods.
CommunityHealthClimate changePolicyHortas urbanas – História, Classificação, Benefícios e Perspectivas.
2022Marc François Richter, Luiza Vigne Bennedetti, Bruna Raquel Rodrigues Teixeira, Maico Ismael Klein, Angélica Gomes Florczak dos Santos · Confins · Brazil
This study mapped the concepts and benefits of urban gardens globally and in Brazil, presenting the history of urban agriculture and its modalities. A systematic literature review via Portal periódicos da CAPES corroborated various social, environmental, and economic advantages. In recent decades, Brazil has implemented federal, state, and municipal policies to support community garden projects, aiming to reduce poverty and ensure food security.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceSeeds and the city: a review of municipal home food gardening programs in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022Janet Music, Lisa Mullins, Sylvain Charlebois, Charlotte Large, Kydra Mayhew · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Canada
This study compared 19 municipal urban home food gardening programs in Canada in 2020, which provided free gardening supplies and instructions. It found a complicated relationship between municipalities, gardening programs, and food security, and determined that gardening somewhat alleviated social and emotional challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, municipalities are limited in their policy capacities to adequately address food insecurity in Canada.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthHow community capacity building in urban agriculture can improve food access in predominantly Black communities
2022Saria Lofton, Marjorie Kersten, Nanyombi Lubimbi, Angela Odoms‐Young · Journal of Community Practice · United States
This study used Chaskin’s relational framework to describe community capacity-building efforts to enhance urban agriculture in predominantly Black communities. Strategies identified for community capacity building in urban agriculture included building on existing resources, community engagement, expanding organizational capacity, identifying threats, and identifying ideal solutions. These strategies were identified by urban farmers, gardeners, and advocates to strengthen local control of the food environment through sustainable urban agriculture.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthGreening the Virtual Smart City: Accelerating Peer-to-Peer Learning in Urban Agriculture With Virtual Reality Environments
2022Tapan S. Parikh, Sara Perl Egendorf, Isaiah Murray, Ali Jamali, Bryan Yee, Sammi Lin, Kendra Cooper-Smith, Brendan Parker, Koron Smiley, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · United States
This study described the development of virtual reality (VR) platforms to support farmer knowledge transfer and innovation in urban agriculture in the U.S. The platform features a VR model of an organic farm in New York City, detailing farm operations and offering opportunities to integrate educational materials and personal narratives. VR has the potential to accelerate innovations in food justice by transcending the physical constraints of traditional agricultural extension.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceDo Students Gain Scientific Inquiry Knowledge and Practices by Participating in a School Garden Inquiry Unit?
2022Carmen Carrión · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States
This dissertation explored school gardens as an out-of-classroom setting for students to learn and develop their understanding of scientific inquiry and practices. The study found that school gardens can foster learners' abilities to construct real-life associations with science content through engagement, free exploration, and scientific investigation. This research also created curriculum and assessment tools for use in conjunction with school garden settings.
Food educationCommunityCommercial Urban Agriculture in Florida: Needs, Opportunities, and Barriers
2022Catherine Campbell, Jorge Ruiz‐Menjivar, Alia DeLong · HortTechnology · United States (Florida)
This research characterized commercial urban agriculture (CUA) operations in Florida, United States, and explored urban farmers' perceptions of needs, barriers, and opportunities for CUA development. A cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of urban farmers with differing perceptions of barriers, opportunities, and informational needs. The study notes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture does not report data on CUA operations, limiting knowledge about their status, including barriers to business operations and profitability.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyCommunityEdible Landscapes and Landscaping
2022Avi Friedman · · Canada (Montreal)
This chapter explores how food production can initiate change at the neighborhood level and how using native flora in landscaping decreases water consumption and benefits local biodiversity. The Benny Farm Project in Montreal, Canada, is presented as an example of a highly productive urban agriculture undertaking.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageEnablers and Barriers of Community Garden Use in New Orleans, Louisiana: An Environmental Assessment and Qualitative Analysis
2022Julie Cornfield, Harmonii Odinga, Jaleh Kermani, Katherine P. Theall, M. Pia Chaparro · American Journal of Health Promotion · United States (New Orleans)
An environmental assessment of 10 community gardens and interviews with 20 community members and administrators in New Orleans, Louisiana, explored factors affecting garden use. Gardens scored high in design and cleanliness but low in accessibility and information availability. While community members perceived gardens could increase fresh food access, administrators believed gardens could not produce enough food for community-wide impact, emphasizing social benefits instead.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationWelfareIndividuals in Collaborative Governance for Environmental Management
2022Julio C. Zambrano-Gutiérrez, Laura Silvia Valente de Macedo, Marc Eric Barda Picavet, José A. Puppim de Oliveira · Environmental Management · Brazil (Florianópolis)
This study used pattern matching to contrast identity theory with original data from 7 individuals participating in waste management and urban agriculture collaboration in Florianópolis, Brazil. Findings showed that as the collaboration evolved, individual participants in municipal government transitioned between roles, affecting their influence based on "integrator" or "segmenter" styles. The success of the collaboration after institutionalization depended on individual transition style and the power of municipal agents to influence it.
CommunityPolicyCommunityMulching Herbs, Vegetables and Fruit Trees in The Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape
2022Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Saracino, Jacqlyn Rivas, Esen Momol · EDIS · United States (Florida)
This 7-page publication from the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department serves as a guide for homeowners and professionals on best practices for mulching. Mulching involves spreading material around the base of a plant to protect it, conserve moisture, or suppress weeds. The guide discusses mulch sources, application techniques, and management practices, clarifying the mulch needs of fruit trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables to promote plant health.
DIYIs a vegetable garden essential? Toronto gardens as culinary infrastructure
2022Sarah Elton, Donald C. Cole · Food Culture & Society · Canada (Toronto)
This paper analyzes mixed methods data from Toronto, Canada, generated pre-pandemic, to understand the role of urban agriculture in gardeners' lives. It found that gardening supported health and wellbeing and provided an important, often culturally significant, food source for participants. The study argues that gardens are essential and should be viewed as part of culinary infrastructure, prompting policy decisions that support nonmarket food sources during crises.
CommunityHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justice“Connecting With Good People and Good Plants”: Community Gardener Experiences in New York State During the COVID-19 Pandemic
2022Tomasz B. Falkowski, Bethany Jorgensen, Donald A. Rakow, Ashmita Das, Stewart A.W. Diemont, Theresa Selfa, Austin B. Arrington · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
A study in four New York cities analyzed the benefits and challenges of community gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic through surveys and semi-structured interviews with community gardeners. Gardeners experienced benefits such as connection, mental and physical well-being, and a safe refuge, but the biggest challenge was limited socializing due to personal behavioral changes and garden rules. This research suggests that while community gardens can be resilient sites of reprieve during crises, the pandemic also exposed their vulnerabilities.
Governance failureCommunityHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justicemultifuncionalidad de los huertos urbanos en la Ciudad de México
2022Nehiby Alcántara Nieves, Rosa María Larroa Torres · Espiral estudios sobre Estado y sociedad · Mexico (Mexico City)
This article investigates the functions of urban gardens in Mexico City two years after the implementation of the Food Sustainability System and the Urban Garden Law. A qualitative study found that public officials tend to prioritize the environmental functions of urban gardens, while for users, the sociocultural functions are the most relevant. The research suggests that urban gardens possess environmental, economic, and sociocultural multifunctionality.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsBiodiversityThe Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children
2022Mona Khalil, Carolyn Bolton‐Moore · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States
This study investigated whether a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) program increased skin carotenoid scores, a measure of vegetable consumption, in 30 diverse, low-income children aged 6–13 at two Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston in fall 2021. While individual skin carotenoid scores increased in 43% of participants and group averages showed an upward trend, these changes were not statistically significant. Height and weight increased significantly, and 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested.
Food educationHealthWelfareSocial capital in urban agriculture initiatives
2022Luíza Costa Caldas, Tania Pereira Christopoulos · Revista de Gestão · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigated urban agriculture in São Paulo, Brazil, from the perspective of social capital, using a literature review and semi-structured interviews with participants in urban agriculture initiatives. It identified sources, effects, and challenges of social capital formation in this context. Findings include that social capital generates human capital, citizenship, engagement, resource access, and information access, but faces challenges related to homophily and the perception of benefits.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyGrowing Opportunities for Equitable, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Food Systems Education: A Review of Food Systems Education at Land-Grant Institutions and Development of Open-Access Materials
2022Emily H. Belarmino, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah C. Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared T. McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
In response to critiques regarding the narrowness of food systems education at US land-grant institutions, this study developed four evidence-informed, interdisciplinary, equity-oriented, open-access teaching modules. These modules were created based on a multi-site, multi-year investigation of subsidized community supported agriculture and a survey of 66 instructors at land-grant institutions about instructional material needs. Instructors reported case studies, lesson plans with active learning, and reference lists of peer-reviewed publications as most helpful.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiWelfareCommunity