Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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724 results(22 / 29)
Utilization Analysis on Participants of Functional Vegetable Garden Model for Urban Agriculture
2016Eun‐Hee Park, Eunha Yoo, Kyungsook Han, Yoonah Jang, Sunjin Jeong, Dongkeum Park · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study analyzed the utilization of a functional vegetable garden model by its users, examining aspects such as product types, quantities, ratios, and existing issues. Many participants reported no prior experience with vegetable garden education, yet found cultivation education helpful for their activities. Vegetables were the main type of plant grown in family gardens, with participants independently determining planting times and methods. The current amount of flowers and herbs in the functional vegetable garden model was deemed appropriate, and a crop ratio of 60.5% vegetables, 21.2% medicinal plants, and 18.3% flowers/herbs was considered moderate.
DIYFood educationCommunityEvaluation of a Nutrition Intervention through a School-Based Food Garden to Improve Dietary Consumption, Habits and Practices in Children from the Third to Fifth Grade in Chile
2016Diego Vinueza, Lydia Lera, Judith Salinas, Carmen Gloria González, Lorena Barrios, Fernando Vío · Food and Nutrition Sciences · Chile (Santiago de Chile)
This study conducted a six-month quasi-experimental intervention in two public schools in Santiago de Chile (intervention and control schools) to evaluate the improvement of healthy dietary consumption, habits, and practices among third to fifth-grade children using a school-based food garden. The intervention school showed significant improvements in dietary habits, such as peeling and slicing fruit, and increased use of the school garden, but no significant changes were observed in food consumption or nutritional status.
Food educationHealthCommunityThe Green School: a sustainable approach towards environmental education: Case study
2016Lalieta Somwaru · Brazilian Journal of Science and Technology · Suriname
In Suriname, "The Green School" project, initiated in October 2013, is being implemented in all primary schools nationwide. This project aims to positively influence children's environmental behavior through practical activities, focusing on biodiversity (including school gardens), waste, water, and energy. Of the 333 primary schools in Suriname, 286 have been officially designated "Green Schools," and monitoring has shown improvements in classroom and schoolyard cleanliness and sustainable water and energy usage.
Food educationBiodiversityDIYTips for young professionals
2016Annalisa Metta · Iris (Roma Tre University) · Global
This publication compiles visions from 50 architects, landscape architects, designers, and environmental leaders from 15 countries on sustainability, sustainable design, urbanism, and architecture. Through articles, interviews, and project presentations, they share insights from their work, including community gardens and environmental education. Annalisa Metta contributes 10 tips for young designers on responsibility and sustainability in open space design.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityComplementary school garden, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to improve children’s nutrition and health status in Burkina Faso and Nepal: a study protocol
2016Séverine Erismann, Akina Shrestha, Serge Diagbouga, Astrid M. Knoblauch, Jana Gerold, Ramona Herz, Subodh Sharma, Christian Schindler, Peter Odermatt, Axel Drescher, Ray-Yu Yang, Jürg Utzinger, Guéladio Cissé · BMC Public Health · Burkina Faso; Nepal
This study protocol aims to describe the health status of schoolchildren in Burkina Faso and Nepal and provide an evidence-base for program decisions on the relevance of complementary school garden, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. The studies will be conducted in 24 schools among 1144 children aged 8-14 years in the Centre Ouest and Plateau Central regions of Burkina Faso and the Dolakha and Ramechhap districts of Nepal. Data will be collected at baseline and a 1-year follow-up, including parasitological examinations, anthropometric and hemoglobin measurements, and questionnaire surveys to assess nutritional status, intestinal parasitic infections, and WASH conditions.
Food educationHealthWelfareDeveloping food literacy through food production
2016Heather Yeatman · Research Online (University of Wollongong) · Global
This chapter focuses on how food literacy is developed through experiences with food production in different settings, including agriculture, urban food production, and home and school gardens.
Food educationDIYCommunityCommunity garden: A bridging program between formal and informal learning
2016Ranjan Datta · Cogent Education · Global
Community garden activities play a significant role in bridging formal and informal learning, especially in urban children's science and environmental education, by promoting relational methods that integrate food security, social interactions, community development, environmental activism, and cultural integration. An auto-ethnographic study revealed that community garden-based practices adhere to forms of agency such as embracing diversity, sharing power, and trust building as part of everyday learning.
CommunityFood educationHealthFood sovereignty & justiceTeaching STEM through Horticulture: Implementing an Edible Plant Curriculum at a STEM-centric Elementary School
2016Leila A. Graves, Harrison Hughes, Meena M. Balgopal · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global
This case study examined the implementation of a horticulture-based curriculum by two 3rd grade teachers and two STEM coordinators. While one STEM coordinator found the curriculum addressed academic science standards and provided relevant inquiry activities, the other STEM coordinator and teachers believed garden plants did not address science standards and only supported enrichment. This highlights a divergence in perception regarding the curriculum's alignment with academic standards.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityUsing Community-Based Participatory Research to Explore Backyard Gardening Practices and Soil Lead Concentrations in Urban Neighborhoods
2016Sheri L. Johnson, Dalila Cardona, J. H. C. Davis, Benjamin Gramling, Chelsea Hamilton, Ray G. Hoffmann, Sabrina J. Ruis, Douglas J. Soldat, Steve Ventura, Yan Ke · Progress in community health partnerships · Global
This study used community-based participatory research to explore backyard gardening practices and soil lead concentrations in urban neighborhoods. Interviews with 20 adult gardeners revealed perceived benefits but few initial concerns about lead exposure, despite children's active involvement. Soil lead concentrations from 17 residential properties ranged from 7 to 3,234 mg kg-1, significantly higher than commercial soils (6 to 13 mg kg-1), indicating a contamination risk.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFood educationThe Role of Re-Appropriation in Open Design: A Case Study on How Openness in Higher Education for Industrial Design Engineering Can Trigger Global Discussions on the Theme of Urban Gardening
2016Francesca Ostuzzi, Peter Conradie, Lieven De Couvreur, Jan Detand, Jelle Saldien · The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning · Global
This case study explored opportunities for 47 Industrial Design Engineering students to share open-ended urban gardening design solutions during a two-week intensive course, using Instructables.com. Open sharing of local solutions triggered global discussions and reported instances of re-appropriation. However, the study also showed difficulty in keeping students engaged in global discussions, with online activity dropping to near silence after a few weeks, and challenges in tracking re-appropriation cycles.
DIYFood educationCommunityGrüt: A Gardening Sensor Kit for Children
2016Fabrizio Valpreda, Ilaria Zonda · Sensors · Global
This study presents Grüt, a gardening sensor kit for children, aiming to change children's attitudes towards food and reduce waste by increasing their knowledge about food production and consumption. The project combines real and virtual reality, connecting plants to the Internet of Things via sensors and an app. User testing was executed with Dutch children in Amsterdam.
Food educationDIYDigital agricultureGarden-based nutrition education programs: a review of impact and evaluation methods
2016Hollis J. Laird · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) · Global
This paper reviews the effects and evaluation methods of garden-based nutrition education programs, noting their positive impacts on children, including increased knowledge, preference, and consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increased self-efficacy. It identifies a lack of standardized evaluation methods for these programs as a limitation. The paper also describes the evaluation of the Enright Community Garden's nutrition education component for children.
Food educationHealthCommunityFamily Urban Agriculture in Russia: Lessons and Prospects
2015Boukharaeva L.M., Marloie M. · Springer (Urban Agriculture Series) · Russia
A Springer monograph documenting research since 1999 on urban gardening collectives in Russia, analysing the social, cultural, and food-security roles of family urban agriculture and its prospects.
CommunityEconomicsFood educationWelfareUrban agriculture, civil interfaces and moving beyond difference: the experiences of plot holders in Dublin and Belfast
2015Corcoran M.P., Kettle P.C. · Local Environment · Ireland (Dublin)
This comparative study of plot holders in Dublin and Belfast shows that allotment gardens can act as 'spaces of potential' where shared gardening dissolves social differences and fosters intergenerational knowledge exchange. The authors argue that urban agriculture sites function as civic interfaces bridging community divides.
CommunityHealthFood educationThe effect of women's home gardens on vegetable production and consumption in Bangladesh
2015Schreinemachers P., Patalagsa M.A., Islam M.R., Uddin M.N., Ahmad S., Biswas S.C., Ahmed M.T., Yang R.Y., Hanson P., Begum S., Takagi C. · Food Security · Bangladesh
A study of 582 poor rural Bangladeshi women found home garden training increased per-capita vegetable production by 86% and significantly improved dietary diversity and nutrient supply including iron (+284%) and vitamin A (+189%).
HealthFood educationEconomicsSustenance and sustainability: maximizing the impact of school gardens on health outcomes
2015Jaimie N. Davis, Mackenzie R Spaniol, Shawn Somerset · Public Health Nutrition · Global
A review of thirteen school garden programs for children (kindergarten to 8th grade) found methodological limitations: three studies lacked control groups, and none were randomized. While six of eleven programs showed increased vegetable intake and seven of eight showed increased preference for vegetables, four programs had no effect on intake. More research is needed to understand long-term dietary improvements.
Methodological critiqueFood educationHealthOgrody szkolne we współczesnej szkole. Znak edukacyjnego zacofania, a może jednak postępu?
2015R. Kowalski, Edward Grott · Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae · Global
This article examines the importance of school gardens in environmental education for children and young people at all school levels. The authors argue strongly for retaining school gardens as essential and fundamental educational tools for teaching biology and nature sciences, asserting they will never lose their relevance. They also suggest redefining school gardens to include any natural environment used for teaching, regardless of urban or rural location.
Food educationCommunityThe Impact of an Environmental Educational Program of a School Garden on Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities—A Comparative Approach
2015Alexandros Stavrianos, Alexia Spanoudaki · Open Journal of Social Sciences · Greece
This research investigated the impact of a school garden environmental education program on 10 pupils diagnosed with mild to moderate intellectual disability in two Special Education Primary Schools in Greece. Using semi-structured interviews and descriptive statistical analysis to compare two groups of pupils, the study found that students who participated in the program were more familiar with environmental concepts and possessed skills directly linked to Environmental Education than their non-participating peers. Additionally, participating pupils perceived outdoor activities as part of the formal learning process, unlike their peers.
Food educationCommunityHealthNutrition Education Influences Vitamin A-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Child Caregivers Towards the Production of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato in Uganda
2015Josephine Nabugoomu · Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences · Uganda (Kampala)
This controlled cohort intervention study in Kampala, Uganda, assessed the effect of nutrition education on orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) production and vitamin A-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 457 child caregivers. Respondents who received nutrition education had better knowledge of vitamin A and OFSP as a source of vitamin A, and more positive attitudes towards health and child health practices (p<0.05). They also showed significantly higher consumption of vitamin A-rich foods.
Food educationHealthPeri-urban agricultureCommunityParticipation level of lower income community towards urban agriculture
2015Nurul Ain, Mohamad Ariff Fahmi Ahmad Zawawi · · Malaysia
A quantitative study conducted with 100 respondents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia, aimed to identify the main influence on lower-income communities' participation in urban agriculture. The results showed that knowledge was the most influential factor, followed by perception, and then acceptance.
CommunityWelfareFood educationSINIF ÖĞRETMENLERİNİN OKUL BAHÇELERİ HAKKINDAKİ PEDAGOJİK BEKLENTİLERİ
2015Nida Bayındır · Route Educational and Social Science Journal · Global
This research investigated primary school teachers' pedagogical expectations regarding school gardens. The study found that 60.7% of primary school teachers considered their school gardens pedagogically insufficient. Teachers primarily identified a need for more pedagogical equipment in school gardens, and desired features like Atatürk busts, flags, mini activity corners, floor games, and functional sports fields.
Limited or null effectFood educationCoalition Building for Health: A Community Garden Pilot Project with Apartment Dwelling Refugees
2015Lynne Eggert, Jane Blood‐Siegfried, Mary T. Champagne, Maha Al-Jumaily, Donna J. Biederman · Journal of Community Health Nursing · Global
This study reports on a pilot project that formed a coalition, guided by the Community Coalition Action Theory, to implement a community garden for apartment-dwelling refugees. Outcomes included successful coalition formation, the establishment of a community garden, reported satisfaction from all gardeners with increased vegetable intake, access to culturally meaningful foods, and evidence of increased community engagement. The project demonstrated the opportunity for community health nurses to convene a coalition to positively impact refugee health.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationEnseñanza del desarrollo sostenible y la agricultura orgánica por medio de una huerta escolar
2015Óscar Moreno Flogia, Andrea Navarrete, Fernando Rodríguez Cortés · · Colombia
This article presents research results on how to approach the concept of "sustainable development" by teaching organic agriculture principles in a school garden at Liceo Campestre Bosque Andino in Sibate, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Constructivism and meaningful learning served as the pedagogical framework, with concept maps and the Likert scale used as assessment tools.
Food educationOrganic cycleCommunityClimate changeAssessing the Residents’ Preference of Awareness Regarding Urban Agriculture at Rooftop Garden
2015Neda Jafari, Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunos, Md Azree Othuman Mydin, Osman Mohd Tahir · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Malaysia
This quantitative survey research examined residents' awareness and preferences regarding urban agriculture at rooftop gardens in The Heritage condominium in Selangor and Sri Putramas 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The survey results indicated that residents who participated agreed with the awareness of urban agriculture at rooftop gardens. The study aims to promote sustainable building and the use of urban agriculture in residential rooftop gardening.
DIYCommunityFood educationFortalecimiento cultural desde la agricultura en el cabildo indigena Ambiká -Pijao, a través de la casa de pensamiento semillas Ambiká
2015Jenny Morales Sánchez, Paola Aguilera Rocha · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Usme locality, Bogotá, Colombia, the Ambiká-Pijao indigenous community, displaced from Tolima, undertook an initiative through the "Ambiká Seeds House of Thought" to recognize ancestral agricultural traditions. This non-conventional education facility hosts children aged 2 months to 5 years to maintain and strengthen their customs and ancestral knowledge. Maize, a native and sacred plant, was planted in soda bottles as an urban agriculture strategy for limited spaces, allowing children to connect with their customs and understand planting as a sacred act in their worldview.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceHeirloom & landrace