Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5543 results(220 / 222)
Schools, Children, and Gardening: The Results of a Children's Garden Competition among Florida Elementary Schools
1998Sonja M. Skelly, Jennifer Bradley · HortScience · United States (Florida)
In Spring 1998, the University of Florida hosted a children's garden competition for approximately 100 elementary schools across Florida. The competition required schools to establish or use an existing garden and for teachers to integrate it into classroom instruction. A random sample of 500 students from participating schools completed an environmental attitude survey at the beginning and end of the competition, and teachers also completed a survey on garden use and its effect on students.
Food educationCommunityReport on a visit to South Africa to facilitate a participatory workshop for an urban agriculture project in Sobantu Village, KwaZulu-Natal, as part of the DfID funded project: "Support to the Institute of Natural Resources for institutional development in South Africa"
1998Adrienne Martin, B. Pound · · South Africa
This report describes a visit to South Africa to facilitate a participatory workshop for an urban agriculture project in Sobantu Village, KwaZulu-Natal. The visit's objectives were to identify organizational, social, technical, and financial issues and necessary activities to initiate an urban agriculture project with the Sobantu community, the Institute for Natural Resources (INR), and Department of Agriculture staff. Discussions also included a draft manual on FSR/FPR being prepared by NRI/INR.
CommunityFood educationWelfarePrinciples and practical implementation of farming systems research and farmer participatory research. Including Vulindlela District and Sobantu Village case studies
1998B. Pound, Adrienne Martin, Mark Thomas, B. J. Njokwe · · South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal)
This publication integrates theory and practical work from Farming Systems and Farmer Participatory Research courses held at the Institute of Natural Resources and associated institutions in KwaZulu-Natal during 1996 and 1997. Its objectives are to provide reference material for FSR/FPR, demonstrate how its principles and methods can be applied to real situations, and record the situation, suggestions, and priorities of rural and peri-urban families in Vulindlela District. It also presents the Urban Agriculture workshop in Sobantu Village as a case study of participatory workshop methods.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceThe significance and praxis of community‐based sustainability projects: Community gardens in western Australia
1998Laura Stocker, Kate Barnett · Local Environment · Australia (Western Australia)
This paper reviews the types and roles of community gardens, which are managed by community members and contribute to Local Agenda 21 planning and sustainable communities. It presents a case study of a community garden in Western Australia, analyzing lessons learned and the potential contributions of such gardens to physical, ecological, sociocultural, and economic sustainability. Community gardens produce fresh organic food, create community spaces, and disseminate community science.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleEconomicsThe Potential for Recreational Use of Farmland by Urban Residents
1998Ren Azuma · Journal of Rural Problems · Japan; Europe
This paper examines the potential for recreational use of farmland by comparing dual land use policies between Japan and Europe (mainly the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands). While Europe has not considered allotment gardens as dual farmland use, Japan is promoting them for both recreation and agricultural production through new legislative measures. Additionally, small-scale caravan sites using farmland are exempt from strict planning controls in many European countries to promote recreational use, but Japan lacks an equivalent. In conclusion, the paper suggests that Japan needs to introduce or further expand dual farmland use policies for recreation and agricultural production in these three policy areas.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageStudying Children's Perceptions of Garden Benefits Using the Internet
1998Tina M. Waliczek, R. Daniel Lineberger, J.M. Zajicek · HortScience · Global
An online survey was conducted on the KinderGARDEN Web page to investigate children's perceptions of gardening benefits. Children responded via email, reporting on their gardening experiences, learning, and perceived advantages. Results indicated that children positively valued gardening for recreation, and also mentioned educational, environmental, aesthetic, social, and economic benefits. Specifically, 81% felt they learned about the environment, 54% about plants, 31% cited recreation/fun, and 15% mentioned socialization with friends and family.
Food educationCommunityHealthEconomicsThe performance and support of food gardens in some townships of the Cape Metropolitan Area: An evaluation of Abalimi Bezekhaya
1998ASM Karaan, Nabilaa Mohamed · Development Southern Africa · South Africa
This article presents recommendations and policy directives for urban agricultural initiatives, based on an evaluation of Abalimi Bezekhaya's gardening promotion activities in Cape Metropolitan Area townships. Field research used participatory methodologies with gardeners to understand their motivations, constraints, and opinions on Abalimi Bezekhaya's services. The evaluation suggested improvements for the organization's services and highlighted urban agriculture's potential as an entrepreneurial activity, provided policy, agricultural development, land reform, and livelihood creation issues are addressed.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCaries preventive effect of wild tea (tsaang-gubat) among school children.
1998Parajas Il · PubMed · Global
A 3-year study in two elementary schools investigated the caries preventive effect of wild tea (tsaang-gubat) among schoolchildren. The experimental group drank one cup of tea daily for 17 months, prepared from fresh school garden leaves. Results indicated that wild tea is an effective caries preventive agent, showing a 75.67% decrease in caries incidence, though an increase in the third year was attributed to irregular consumption and reduced tea fluoride content.
Food educationHealthCommunityFactors Influencing the Decision to Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm
1997Jane Kolodinsky, Leslie L. Pelch · Journal of Sustainable Agriculture · United States (Vermont)
This study estimated the probability of becoming a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) member using a binomial logit regression model, based on data collected through phone interviews with members, ex-members, and non-members of three CSA farms in Vermont. Results indicated that price, productivity shifters, consumer beliefs, and awareness impact the probability of membership.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityThe View of "Permaculture-City" Considered from the Permaculture Theory and Practices
1997Koji ITONAGA · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Global
This paper describes alternative urban designs, including permaculture, eco-village movements, cohousing, community gardens, and city farms. Based on data gathered from international conferences and research in Australia, America, and Europe, the author proposes "Permaculture-City" as a restructured city model. This model integrates habitation with food production areas and eco-villages.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageLocational Character of Allotment Gardens and Landowners' Attitudes. A Case of Ichinomiya City in Aichi Pref.
1997Yasunari Miyake, Yasuo Matsumoto · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan (Ichinomiya City)
This study examined the future of allotment gardens in Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, by interviewing 20 landowners regarding land ownership and land use. Allotment distribution expanded into marginal urban regions, with new allotments concentrating in frontier areas. While most landowners were satisfied and intended to maintain allotments, those in urbanization promotion areas faced financial difficulties due to high taxes and motivation for land use conversion, indicating that allotment management will fail in these areas.
Economic viabilityCommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUniversity–Elementary School Partnerships: Using Landscape Design and Construction Classes to Create School Teaching Gardens
1997N.K. Lownds · HortScience · Global
This article describes a case where a university landscape horticulture professor, a landscape design class, a landscape construction class, elementary school teachers, and a principal collaborated to create school teaching gardens. University students engaged in a problem-solving project from the perspective of elementary school children, deepening their own understanding by explaining horticulture. This process was a genuine learning experience for all university students, elementary teachers, and students, with dynamic idea sharing throughout the design and construction.
Food educationCommunityUrban Agriculture: Ethnicity, Cattle Raising and Some Environmental Implications in the City of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
1997M. R. S. Mlozi · African Studies Review · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This article by Malongo R. S. Mlozi, published in African Studies Review in 1997, examines urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It specifically addresses the aspects of ethnicity, cattle raising, and their environmental implications within the city.
CommunityEconomicsAnalysis of the User Radius and Attitudes of Allotment Gardens for the Aged.
1997Yasunari Miyake, Yasuo Matsumoto · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan (Gifu)
This study investigated the user radius and attitudes of allotment garden users for the aged in Gifu City, Japan. The average user radius was 1,280m, with 10 out of 19 gardens having a radius of 1,000m or less. A significant negative correlation was found between user radius and residential density within 1km, and the absence of gardens in the city center led to an expansive user radius. Over 90% of users continued to use the gardens with high satisfaction, but distance significantly affected usage frequency and time spent, with assessments declining dramatically beyond 1,500m.
ElderlyCommunityPolicy1997 construction & design survey.
1997Carlos Alberto Schettini Pinto · PubMed · United States
A 1997 survey on healthcare construction and design in the United States notes that managed care, despite appearances, creates opportunities for architectural and design firms. An example of this trend is the 1995 west campus expansion of East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, which included a nine-story medical office building featuring artwork and rooftop gardens.
CommunityHealthRutgers Urban Gardening: A Case Study in Urban Agriculture
1996Ishwarbhai C. Patel · Journal of Agricultural & Food Information · United States (Newark)
The Rutgers Urban Gardening (RUG) program in Newark, New Jersey, transformed 30 acres of wasteland into 1,900 food gardens in 1994, engaging 6,500 residents. This initiative produced over $915,000 worth of food and recycled nearly 4,000 tons of city leaves, saving participants approximately $4 million over five years. The program also fostered social interaction, improved diets for 44% of participants, and enhanced neighborhoods.
CommunityHealthEconomicsCompostCOMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: FILLING A NICHE MARKET
1996Richard L. Farnsworth, Saråhelen Thompson, Kathleen A. Drury, Richard E. Warner, Farnsworth, Richard L., Thompson, Sarahelen R., Drury, Kathleen A., Warner, Richard E. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This research suggests that social objectives primarily drive CSA shareholders' decisions to join, with economic and "club-related" objectives being secondary. While the CSA movement is expected to grow, its emphasis on social objectives, inability to supply food year-round, and the development of size-neutral organic technologies will likely prevent it from becoming a major market channel in the next century.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsURBAN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND WOMEN'S STRATEGIES IN SUSTAINING FAMILY LIVELIHOODS IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE
1996Godfrey D. Mudimu · Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study examines the role of women in urban agriculture and perceptions of urban space use for agriculture in Harare, Zimbabwe. Despite its utility in meeting household food needs, urban agriculture is not planned for or supported by urban planners and managers as a legitimate urban land use. The activities of women, who are the main participants in urban agriculture, directly conflict with planning provisions for urban space. The study offers empirical insight on perceptions of space use for agriculture in an urban tropical environment, where conflicts can arise from different perceptions and alternative uses.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyCommunitySchool garden projects: A qualitative research project
1996Serr, Elisabeth N · CommonKnowledge Research Repository (Pacific University Oregon) · United States (Eugene)
This qualitative research project focused on school garden projects in the Eugene, Oregon area, exploring how teachers integrate classroom curriculum in the garden. Information was gathered through interviews, primarily with elementary teachers, and visits to school gardens. The research aims to answer questions regarding the pervasiveness of gardening projects, how schools can collaborate with communities to form garden projects, and how teachers can integrate a garden project with class curriculum.
Food educationCommunityBenefits of Community Gardening on Quality-of-Life Issues
1996Tina M. Waliczek, Richard H. Mattson, Jayne M. Zajicek · Journal of Environmental Horticulture · United States
A nationwide survey of community gardeners in the United States investigated the relationship between community gardens and quality-of-life perceptions, based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The study found that race, gender, and city size influenced perceptions, with significant differences observed across racial/ethnic divisions and between gardeners in Los Angeles and New York. Community gardens were particularly important to African-American and Hispanic gardeners, and while men and women rated overall benefits similarly, women valued saving money and garden beauty more highly.
CommunityHealthPolicyUrban Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition in Low Income Areas of the City of Nairobi, Kenya
1996A. Mboganie-Mwangi, Dick Foeken · Leiden Repository (Leiden University) · Kenya (Nairobi)
A 1996 study in Nairobi, Kenya, compared the food security and nutritional status of low-income households engaged in urban agriculture with those not farming. It found that urban farmers primarily produced for home consumption and faced theft as a major problem. While the Undugu Society Urban Agriculture Project (USUAP) group showed better food situations and higher energy and protein intakes than other groups, all three groups had inadequate energy intake on average. The long-term beneficial effect of urban agriculture on nutritional status was negligible.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareCommunityThe Effect of School Gardens on Self-Esteem, Interpersonal Relationships, Attitude toward School, and Environmental Attitude in Populations of Children
1996Tina M. Waliczek, J.M. Zajicek · HortScience · United States
This study initiated an environmental education garden program, "The Green Classroom," in eight schools across the Midwest and Texas, involving approximately 1000 third- through eighth-grade students. The program aimed to integrate garden activities into classroom lessons to reinforce curriculum. Researchers administered pre- and post-tests, including a psychological inventory and an environmental attitude survey, to examine the relationship between garden program participation and students' self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, attitude toward school, and environmental attitudes.
Food educationCommunityHealthUrban Community Gardens as Contested Space
1995Karen Schmelzkopf · Geographical Review · United States (New York City)
This article examines community gardens in Loisaida, a high-crime, poverty-stricken area of Manhattan's Lower East Side in New York City. The gardens provide social and economic functions, serving as safe open spaces for socialization and sources of food. A major problem identified is the competition for these sites between gardening and housing development.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture in Zimbabwe: Implications for Urban Management and Poverty
1995Beacon Mbiba · · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This paper addresses the implications of urban agriculture for urban management and poverty in Zimbabwe, covering various aspects such as off-plot cultivation in Harare, urban cultivation at home, urban maize markets, and institutional responses to uncontrolled urban cultivation. Evidence from Harare suggests that urban agriculture can be a counterproductive activity, highlighting challenges and conflicts in urban management.
Governance failureCommunityWelfarePolicyHealthMetals in urban gardens ‐ effect of lime and sludge
1995James R. Preer, Ahmed N. Abdi, Harkewal S. Sekhon, George B. Murchison · Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A Environmental Science and Engineering and Toxicology · Global
This study investigated cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in vegetables grown in community gardens on different urban soils. Vegetables from a low-pH urban soil without contamination history showed higher Cd and Zn levels than those from a reclaimed landfill with digested sewage sludge, and also higher than a low-metal, neutral-pH site. Liming on the low-pH site reduced Cd and Zn concentrations in beet, lettuce, radish, and Swiss chard leaves, reaching background levels after four years. The findings indicate that soil pH is more important than total soil Cd and Zn in determining vegetable metal availability.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityOrganic cycle