Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
9077 results(210 / 364)
Colby‐Sawyer's Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls
2018Jennifer White · Sustainability The Journal of Record · United States
The Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls is a long-term partnership between Colby-Sawyer College and PermaCityLife in Franklin, New Hampshire. To date, 265 students have participated, engaging in experiential learning to develop sustainable solutions for community needs. Students have assisted with projects including permaculture/edible landscaping, contributing to a grassroots effort to revitalize the community.
CommunityFood educationClimate changeESTUDIO COMPARATIVO DEL PORCENTAJE DE GERMINACIÓN PARA VARIEDADES LACTUCA SATIVA: HUERTOS SUSTENTABLES EN ENTORNOS URBANOS
2018Laura Isabel Bedoya Corrales, David Alberto García Arango, Jovany Sepúlveda-Aguirre, Camilo Andrés Echeverri Gutiérrez, Leidy Catalina Acosta Agudelo · Producción + Limpia · Global
Urban agriculture promotes vegetable cultivation in cities, but it requires germinating seeds to obtain seedlings in order to initiate this practice in a sustainable and practical manner.
DIYThe Biofaçade as a Vertical Edible Landscape in High-Rise Buildings: A Review
2018Rani Prihatmanti, Nooriati Taib · Arab world geographer · Global
This paper reviews the potential of biofaçades as Vertical Greenery Systems for urban food security, optimizing them as 'Vertical Edible Landscapes' on high-rise buildings. The review identifies key factors for growing edible plants on high-rises, including plant type, climatic conditions, maintenance, and pest control. Findings suggest edible biofaçades could increase vegetable consumption, lower transport emissions, minimize pesticide use, and reduce local produce expenditures.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthCommunityGlasgow in crescita: un community garden presso il Govan Graving Docks = Growing Glasgow: a community garden at the Govan Graving Docks
2018Villarino Hernandez, Diana Carolina · · United Kingdom (Glasgow)
This thesis proposes a redevelopment project for the Govan Graving Docks in Glasgow, Scotland. The project aims to make the port complex, abandoned since 1988, safer, more sustainable, and integrated with the existing urban environment by incorporating vertical farming and sustainable organic agriculture technologies. Vertical farming is positioned as a key element for developing new markets, shops, galleries, and a residential building.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyWhat Gardens Grow: Outcomes from Home and Community Gardens Supported by Community-based Food Justice Organizations
2018Christine Porter · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Wyoming)
This mixed-methods study, conducted over five years with five food justice Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the U.S., including quantifying harvests from 33 gardeners in Laramie, Wyoming, and surveying 20 of them, documented benefits of home and community gardening. Four categories of benefits were identified: improving health, producing quality food in nutritionally meaningful quantities, providing cultural services, and fostering healing and transformation. The findings illustrate a range of health, food, cultural ecosystem services, and social change outcomes from gardening.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareDecreased Landscape Ecological Security of Peri-Urban Cultivated Land Following Rapid Urbanization: An Impediment to Sustainable Agriculture
2018Dan Yu, Dongyan Wang, Wenbo Li, Shuhan Liu, Yuanli Zhu, Wenjun Wu, Yongheng Zhou · Sustainability · China (Changchun)
This paper assessed the landscape ecological security (LES) of peri-urban cultivated land in Changchun City, China, at three time points, considering both cultivated and surrounding landscapes. Results showed that urbanization affected the peri-urban cultivated landscape, with metrics like patch density and edge density progressively increasing for cultivated land within 20 km of the urban center. This indicated elevated fragmentation and vulnerability, and the study concluded that decreased LES of cultivated land impedes sustainable peri-urban agriculture.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityGender and Racial Disparities in a Youth Urban Agriculture Workshop
2018Kamran Zendehdel, Lorraine Clarke, Xiaochu Hu, Richard Hess · Journal of Extension · United States (Washington, DC)
A 2015 youth urban agriculture workshop for students from underserved areas in Washington, DC, revealed gender and racial differences in perceived knowledge gain and intended behavior change. Female students and Black students reported about half-grade higher (0.43–0.63 points) scores for knowledge change, while only female students showed an increase in intent to change behavior. These results suggest that female students may learn at a faster rate than males and that experiential learning aids Black students in gaining knowledge.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityANALISIS USAHATANI UNIT BISNIS TANAMAN MUSIMAN DI KEBUN PERCOBAAN FAKULTAS PERTANIAN UNIVERSITAS UDAYANA TAHUN 2017
2018IDA AYU LISTIA DEWI, I KETUT RANTAU · JURNAL MANAJEMEN AGRIBISNIS (Journal Of Agribusiness Management) · Indonesia
This study analyzed the most profitable seasonal crop farming activities for urban agriculture at the Udayana University Faculty of Agriculture experimental garden in 2017. Using a Gross Margin approach, the research found that Golden Melon cultivation was the most profitable in both the first (February-June) and second (July-November) planting seasons, yielding gross margins of Rp 797,700 and Rp 881,117 per 100m2, respectively.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageThe Diversity We Are Given: Community Economies and the Promise of Bataille
2018Mitch Rose · Antipode · United States (Detroit)
This paper discusses the Detroit urban farming movement, conceptualizing the economy as an over-productive and wasteful system of energy exchange. It argues that the inefficient, redundant, and wasteful nature of urban farming in Detroit is an appropriation of potentialities within the general economy. The study highlights that diversity is not a result of positive relations but emerges from the prolific nature of the general economy.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice생태, 경관, 참여 측면의 도시농업 활성화 방안 모색 - 인구집단 특성과 개인의 주관적 인식 분석을 중심으로 -
2018장인수, 서동주, 김홍석 · 지역연구 · South Korea
This study in South Korea explored ways to revitalize urban agriculture based on empirical analysis of experience and subjective perceptions, defining its main functions as enhancing ecological, landscape, and participation values. Survey results showed that exposure to urban agriculture information was higher in large cities, and participation experience was higher with larger residential spaces. While positive responses were high for urban agriculture's functions, negative responses were high regarding perceptions of the surrounding residential environment.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyBiodiversityFood educationImpact of Urban Agriculture on the Species Distribution and Insecticide Resistance Profile of <i>Anopheles gambiae s.s.</i> and <i>Anopheles coluzzii</i> in Accra Metropolis, Ghana
2018Joseph Chabi, Miracle C. Eziefule, Rebecca Pwalia, Joannitta Joannides, Dorothy Obuobi, Godwin Amlalo, Charlotte Addae, Alidu Iddrisu, Dominic Acquah-Baidoo, Samuel Akporh, Sampson Gbagba, Kwadwo K. Frempong, Melinda P. Hadi, Helen Pates Jamet, Samuel Dadzie · Advances in Entomology · Ghana
This study in Accra Metropolis, Ghana, compared Anopheles gambiae s.l. species composition and insecticide resistance between two vegetable-growing and two non-vegetable growing areas. All A. gambiae s.l. populations tested were resistant to five insecticides, with lower mortalities observed in vegetable-growing areas (e.g., 2.6% and 12.5% for deltamethrin) compared to non-vegetable areas (36.2% and 38.9%). Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles coluzzii were dominant in vegetable-growing areas. The findings indicate that urban agriculture contributes to the development of insecticide resistance, which needs consideration in vector control strategies.
Environmental trade-offsHealthBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe Role and Significance of Coordinators for Community-Supported Agriculture
2018Kota OGUCHI · The Annals of Japan Association for Urban Sociology · Japan (Saitama City)
This article studies the impact of coordinators for Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, using the Kome Mame project in Saitama City, Japan, as a case study. The Kome Mame project is a collaborative effort involving organic farms, a for-profit company, and an NPO, where the NPO coordinates matchmaking between farmers and companies, builds mechanisms for distribution channel development, and facilitates human-resource exchanges and stakeholder relationships. The study suggests that the coordinator's role as a manager of the relationship between food and agriculture will become increasingly important, and the challenge is whether this role can be established as a socially recognized profession.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityUrban–rural linkageWater Use Efficiency in Urban Food Gardens: Insights from a Systematic Review and Case Study
2018Georgia Pollard, James Ward, Philip Roetman · Horticulturae · Australia (South Australia)
A systematic review of literature from 1975 to 2018 on urban agriculture yield research found that only 5 out of 25 articles actively collected water use data from the perspective of water use efficiency, all from purpose-built experimental gardens. Given the scarcity of literature on urban agriculture water use efficiency and measurement, a case study from South Australia demonstrated the diversity of water pricing, sources, and irrigation methods. Four equations for calculating urban agriculture water use efficiency (WUE) were proposed.
Climate changeEconomicsDIYNivel de Seguridad Alimentaria en beneficiarios de Comedores Comunitarios del programa Cruzada Nacional contra el Hambre (México)
2018Fabiola Bernal, Edith Yolanda Romero Hernández, Krystal Dennicé González Fajardo, Susana Sánchez Viveros, Rebeca Monroy‐Torres · Revista Espanola De Nutricion Comunitaria-spanish Journal of Community Nutrition · Mexico
This cross-sectional comparative study in Mexico compared food security levels among beneficiaries of community kitchens within the National Crusade against Hunger program, differentiating between those with and without a community orchard. The study involved three community kitchens: one with an orchard and two without. Results showed that the frequency of food security was 16.67% for kitchens with an orchard and 10.00% for those without. Furthermore, 48.93% of beneficiary households from kitchens with an orchard reported having a variety of foods, compared to 14.28% for those without.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthChildren's interest in school garden projects, environmental motivation and intention to act: A case study from a primary school of Cyprus
2018Anthi Christodoulou, Konstantinos Korfiatis · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Cyprus
This study investigated the interest of 17 elementary school children, aged 11–12, from an urban primary school in Cyprus, in school garden project activities, the reasons for their interest, and its correlation with environmental motivation and intention for environmental action. Using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical framework, findings suggested a correlation between participants' interest in activities, their motivation, and their intention to act. The satisfaction of psychological needs was concluded to be an important prerequisite for environmental motivation.
Food educationCommunityDepiction of Wild Food Foraging Practices in the Media: Impact of the Great Recession
2018Sonya Sachdeva, Marla R. Emery, Patrick T. Hurley · Society & Natural Resources · United States
This paper investigated how wild food foraging is framed in print and digital news media and how these depictions varied over a 15-year period including the Great Recession, using automated content analysis. Results showed that prevalent framings represented foraging as either a self-provisioning practice or a source of luxury commodities and experiences, with economic uncertainty appearing to affect the frequency of each framing by news media sources. These distinct framings may influence future regulatory landscapes of foraging.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityDiversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban farms in Ethiopia
2018Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Ethiopia
This study investigated the diversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) systems in three Ethiopian cities, using data from 425 households (Addis Ababa: 175, Adama: 126, Jimma: 124). It identified six farm types, including commercial livestock (cLS) and subsistence field crop (sFC) systems. The study found that cLS systems accumulated significant nutrients (450 kg N, 85 kg P, 260 kg K ha−1 year−1) with low use efficiency (26% N and P, 15% K), while sFC systems depleted nutrients (−30 kg N, −17 kg K ha−1 year−1) with high use efficiency.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceShort food supply chain
2018Agni Kalfagianni, Sophia Skordili · · Global
This book explores the potential of short food supply chains (SFSCs) to address environmental, social, and economic challenges in the global agri-food system. It demonstrates that SFSCs, including farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture, offer innovative forms of collective action for local sustainable transformations. The book concludes that alternatives to the dominant agri-food system are possible and thriving, but require concerted effort and collaboration to realize their full potential.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justiceCommercial Farms in Polish Metropolitan Areas: Changes in Production Factors
2018Tomasz Wojewodzic, Wojciech Sroka · Wieś i Rolnictwo · Poland
This study analyzed changes in production factors of 189 commercial farms in six Polish metropolitan areas from 2004 to 2016, using FADN data. Farms in inner metropolitan zones had larger average resources of land, labor, and capital in 2004, which largely equalized with outer zones by 2016, but remained larger than farms outside metropolitan areas. The largest percentage of farms reducing land, labor, and capital resources was in the inner zone, indicating barriers to development such as limited land supply and high labor opportunity cost.
EconomicsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyThe Effectiveness of Asian Bush Mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) Control Actions in Colonised Peri-urban Areas in the Netherlands
2018Adolfo Ibáñez‐Justicia, S. Teekema, Wietse Den Hartog, Frans Jacobs, M. Dik, Arjan Stroo · Journal of Medical Entomology · Netherlands
This study measured the effectiveness of a mosquito control campaign targeting the invasive Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) in eight allotment garden complexes in Lelystad, Netherlands, between 2015 and 2016. Control actions, combining source reduction and larvicide application, significantly reduced Ae. japonicus larval abundance across all treated gardens. Rain barrels were identified as the most frequent breeding sites.
BiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureAfecto y disidencia : re-configuración y alternativas de espacio público en los jardines comunitarios de Loisaida, Nueva York = Affect and Dissidence : The Re-Configuration of Public Space through Loisaida´s Community Gardens, New York
2018Natalia Matesanz Ventura · · United States (New York City)
This article examines over fifty self-managed community gardens in Loisaida, New York, which form an informal network combining "affection" and "dissidence" to create "affect-dent" spaces. These gardens, established since the 1960s, reconfigure public space by opposing administration, the real-estate market, media invasion, and the appropriation of public space by the private sector. The study highlights how these spaces challenge dominant power structures and serve as a reference in contemporary architecture of the common.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceFood on the Roof : Developing an IT platform to visualize and identify suitable locations for roof farming in cold climates
2018Agatino Rizzo, Marcus Sandberg, Tim Johansson, Johan Wenngren · Diva portal (Dalarna University Library) · Global
This project aimed to explore the smart integration of food production in cold urban environments and to sketch an intelligent platform to guide a comprehensive, city-wide approach to urban farming in winter cities. The challenge involved integrating large databases related to energy consumption, building performance and size, and solar radiation, to visualize data in an easily understandable manner for city stakeholders.
Digital agricultureEconomicsClimate changeFood educationPredictors of School Garden Integration: Factors Critical to Gardening Success in New York City
2018Kate Gardner Burt, Marissa Burgermaster, Raquel Jacquez · Health Education & Behavior · United States (New York City)
This study aimed to determine the level of integration of school gardens and identify factors predicting integration. 211 New York City schools in the United States completed a survey, and the average garden integration score was 34.1 out of 57 points. Operating budget had a significant influence on the integration score, and partner organizations, evaluation/feedback, planning the physical space, and characteristics of the physical space were positively and significantly related to budget.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsOCUPAÇÃO
2018Paola Brum · PIXO - Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade · Brazil (Pelotas)
The "Ocupação Canto de Conexão" is an occupied abandoned building in Pelotas, Brazil, near the Federal University. It provides student and popular housing, a community garden, and cultural activities for residents, students, and the homeless. For nearly two years, the space has been maintained by volunteers and community contributions, operating without public funding.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceArtes de la madre tierra, construyendo nuestro huerto vertical con los niños y las niñas de los cursos 401 (2017) y 503 (2018) del I.E.D. Julio Garavito Armero J.M.
2018María Angélica Flórez Trujillo, Catalina Andrea García Pinilla · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This report details an internship project conducted in 2017-2018 with 4th and 5th-grade students at I.E.D. Julio Garavito Armero J.M. in Bogotá, Colombia. The project, "Mother Earth Arts," aimed to foster environmental awareness and agricultural knowledge by addressing urban growth's environmental problems. Students created a vertical garden and learned about food security through planting organic aromatic and medicinal seeds.
Food educationDIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity