Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1626 results(23 / 66)
Knitting Together Communities - Designing the Heart of Six Corners and Old Hill
2020Samantha Bowman, Ankur Choudhary, Alexandria Connell, Megan G. Davey, Katina Decoulos, Richard Duhamel, Brooklyn Feng, Ian Finn, Doreen Guan, Sophia Liquori, Connor Moloney, Claudia Namaroff, Emily J. Noonan, Hunter Proulx, Stephen Rezendes, Maura Robitaille, Vincent Shu, Jaques Skriletz · Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · United States (Springfield)
The Senior Urban Design Studio 2019 developed six proposals for a transformative urban district in Springfield, MA, focusing on enhancing aesthetic quality and resident well-being. The study analyzed district assets and engaged residents through site visits, interviews, and workshops. It aimed to create a framework for a strong identity and coherence in the Six Corners and Old Hill neighborhoods, which feature active urban agriculture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicySEMEADURAS: UMA CARTOGRAFIA NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA EM SAÚDE
2020Vatsi Meneghel Danilevicz · Psicologia & Sociedade · Brazil (Bahia)
This experience report details the journey of a community garden at a Family Health Unit (USF) in southern Bahia, Brazil, aiming to revive local knowledge and create visibility. Using a cartographic methodology, the study analyzed the garden's effects on participants' health and the bond between health workers and service users. The garden, primarily involving around ten poor, elderly Black women residents, proved to be a powerful tool for therapeutic support, relationship building, cultivation of medicinal plants, reduction in allopathic medication use, and production of vegetables and fruits for participants' consumption.
CommunityHealthElderlyWelfareO reflexo da ausência de políticas de incentivo à agricultura urbana orgânica: um estudo de caso em duas cidades no Brasil
2020Larissa Maas, Rosane Malvestiti, Leila Amaral Gontijo · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · Brazil
This study assessed the main difficulties faced by seven urban organic farmers in two Brazilian cities without policies encouraging urban farming, through semi-structured interviews conducted from July to December 2018. The research revealed challenges such as a lack of trained labor, inadequate machinery and equipment for small areas, and insufficient financing, indicating that the absence of policies hinders the development of urban organic farming.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity“Sow, Grow, Know, and Show”: The Impact of School Gardens on Student Self-Perception in the Mississippi Delta
2020Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Wesley James, Karen Matthews · Ecology of Food and Nutrition · United States (Mississippi Delta)
This research evaluated the impact of school garden programs on fifth-grade students' garden knowledge, self-perception, and standardized test scores in the Mississippi Delta. The study found no effect on standardized test scores, but students showed increased garden knowledge and reported positive feelings about their future, teamwork, and leadership ability, supported by observations of joy and confidence.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityUnearthing the entangled roots of urban agriculture
2020Jonathan London, Bethany B. Cutts, Kirsten Schwarz, Li Schmidt, Mary L. Cadenasso · Agriculture and Human Values · United States (California)
This study, based on 24 interviews with urban agriculture (UA) leaders in Sacramento, California, identifies three "taproots" of UA projects: justice, health, and market. The analysis reveals how these roots interact differently with racial capitalism, creating disparities in their growth trajectories. Specifically, UA projects associated with the justice taproot are historically underrepresented and undervalued.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justiceMapping the interrelationships between community assets
2020Matthew Q. McPherson, Daniel Friesner, Carl S. Bozman · International Journal of Social Economics · United States
This study conducted a retrospective analysis of secondary data from the 2015–2016 Gonzaga University Logan Neighborhood Asset Mapping Project in the United States. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical cluster analyses were used to establish interrelationships between the perceived importance of various community assets. Findings revealed intuitive clustering, with farmers’ markets, community gardens, and meeting spaces clustered closely together.
CommunityEconomicsHealthAgricultura Urbana y Periurbana Agroecológica: conexiones entre experiencias del Semiárido Brasileiro y el AMBA/Argentina
2020Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Maximiliano Pérez, Carolina Baldini, Cristiane Moraes Marinho, Pablo Arístide, Denes Dantas Vieira, Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Elson de Oliveira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil; Argentina
This study analyzes urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) experiences in the Sertão de São Francisco Pernambucano/Bahiano (Brazil) and the southern Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA, Argentina). Using an action-research methodology from 2017 to December 2019, it aimed to understand UPA dynamics and improve sustainable agri-food systems. The analysis shows various contributions to territorial processes in promoting agroecology and UPA security among diverse stakeholders.
Food sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyClimate changeObservations and suggestions during COVID-19: Harnessing pre-existing elements to increase food security
2020Neil Cox, Zoe Beynon-MacKinnon · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada
This article presents observations and suggestions from the operations of Lettuce Harvest Foundation (LHF), a grassroots urban agriculture nonprofit in Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2019. LHF's programming was designed to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that short-term emergency food relief is insufficient, and propose harnessing pre-existing industry elements as a method for grassroots organizations to mitigate food system strains during crises.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareClimate changePROJETO HORTA COMUNITÁRIA NO BAIRRO NHAPINDAZAL IRATI-PR
2020Carolina Ferreira dos Santos, Bruno Hosrt, Daniele Ukan · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil
In the Nhapindazal neighborhood of Irati-PR, Brazil, a community garden project was implemented by the PET – Engenharias Group in partnership with "pastoral da criança." The project aimed to supplement food conditions and improve dietary habits for socially vulnerable families. Through a community meeting with representatives, plans for the garden's construction, maintenance, materials, and plant species were discussed. Academic students actively participated in the installation, and the community organized to maintain the garden, resulting in improved and diversified diets for those consuming its produce.
CommunityWelfareFood educationHealthUrban agriculture and food security: a case study in Maringá, PR, Brazil
2020Paulo de Oliveira Neto, Andréa Rossi Scalco, Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani, Sandra Cristina de Oliveira · Ciência e Natura · Brazil
This study analyzed the impact of urban agriculture on food security in community gardens in the city of Maringá, Brazil. The research was carried out using the EBIA method, with descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression procedures. The results indicate that the activity did not contribute to the food security of people who depend on the resources generated, whether for consumption or income.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsLand, Language, and Food Literacy: Co-Creating a Curriculum at Lach Klan School with Gitxaała Nation
2020Ada P. Smith · Collaborative anthropologies · Canada
In Canada's Gitxaała Nation, the potential of the Gitxaała community garden and the summer reading program at Lach Klan School as a "food literacy" learning platform for achieving food security and food sovereignty was explored. This research suggests that hands-on learning activities integrating local Indigenous language and knowledge have the potential to contribute to food sovereignty goals by better equipping students to shape their food system.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationHealthWelfareAGROECOLOGIA E AGRICULTURA URBANA NA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO: MOVIMENTOS SOCIOESPACIAIS E SOCIOTERRITORIAIS/ Agroecology and urban agriculture in Sao Paulo city: sociospacial and socioterritorial movements/ Agroecología y agricultura urbana en la ciudad de Sao Paulo: movimientos socioespaciales y socioterritoriales
2020Marcelo Gomes Justo · REVISTA NERA · Brazil (São Paulo)
This article presents data and analyses on organic and agroecological production in São Paulo city, Brazil, using secondary data surveys and interviews. It maps the combined action of socio-spatial and socio-territorial movements for agroecology in São Paulo and its Metropolitan Region. The study discusses concepts of agroecology, urban and peri-urban agriculture, and socio-spatial/socio-territorial movements as analytical tools, concluding that combined action is necessary for agroecology's expansion.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageRacial capitalism and a tentative commons
2020Rachael Baker · · United States (Detroit)
Farming on Detroit's vacant land has been used for blight reduction and food cultivation since the 1970s, supported by initiatives like Farm-a-Lot. However, in 2015, the mayor’s office directly transferred 40 acres of city-owned land to a for-profit urban agriculture business in Detroit’s east Poletown, raising concerns about equitable resource distribution.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePROJETO HORTA ESCOLAR NA BAHIA
2020Cassia Silva Santos Góes · Revista Integrativa de Inovações Tecnológicas nas Ciências da Saúde · Brazil
This paper documents the presentation of the “School Garden Project in Bahia” at the International Congress on Technological Innovation in Health Sciences, held from November 15 to 18, 2017, at IFBA SAJ. The presentation highlighted the school's experiences with a social community garden, including resistances, advancements, garden care outside school hours, and the teaching of composting and natural fertilizers using organic compounds.
Food educationCommunityCompostOrganic cycleUma experiência com pessoas com deficiência através do Projeto Cultivando Cidadania de Agricultura Urbana em Aracaju-SE
2020Ivan Siqueira Barreto, Danilo França Bomfim, Jessica Rayane de Oliveira Melo, Mariane Marques · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
In Aracaju, Brazil, the "Cultivating Citizenship Urban Agriculture Project" pioneers the establishment of vegetable gardens in community spaces. This initiative aims to generate income and promote financial autonomy for 100 low-income beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program, including persons with disabilities. The project seeks to foster social and productive inclusion for vulnerable populations.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsPolicyRemediation Strategies to Reduce Heavy Metal Uptake in Lettuce Grown in Contaminated Urban Soil
2020R. Holm Thomas · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States (Lincoln)
This study investigated remediation strategies to reduce heavy metal uptake in soil from a potential community garden lot near a railroad in Lincoln, NE, where elevated concentrations of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) were detected. In a greenhouse experiment, romaine lettuce was grown. Biochar amendment resulted in the lowest concentrations of Pb and As in lettuce leaves and stems, whereas coffee grounds amendment led to the highest concentrations across all tested plant parts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityUne ferme urbaine multifonctionnelle : maîtrise foncière publique pour un projet d’agriculture innovant à Rovéréaz, Lausanne.
2020Françoise Jarrige, Cyril Mumenthaler, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · IRIS · Switzerland (Lausanne)
This chapter described and analyzed the implementation of a new agricultural project on a domain in Lausanne, Switzerland. The innovative process was built through confrontation between stakeholder strategies, with negotiations and adjustments. It appeared that powerful economic and legal constraints limited some expected innovations, particularly regarding land contracts. Ultimately, the anticipated multifunctional agricultural project was implemented through three coordinated structures: an association, a cooperative, and an agricultural enterprise.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityHorta and composting project: solid waste treatment in public school in UrutaÃ
2020A. V. Silva, Jamerson Fábio Silva Filho, Dalcimar Regina Batista Wangen, M. L. C. Souza, E. L. Silva · Scientific Electronic Archives · Brazil (Urutaí)
This project at Maria Cândida de Jesus Municipal School in Urutaí, Brazil, engaged elementary students and staff in composting and school gardening to raise awareness about waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Participants learned about environmental issues, practiced composting with Californian worms, and used the resulting compost to fertilize vegetables in a newly built school garden. The initiative successfully demonstrated student enthusiasm for selective waste collection, composting monitoring, and garden implementation.
Food educationCompostCommunityCaracterização socioeconômica dos sistemas de Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana adotados no Município de Irituia, Pará, Brasil
2020Cinthia de Oliveira Rodrigues, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Rosália do Socorro da Silva Corrêa · Research Society and Development · Brazil (Irituia, Pará)
A quantitative and qualitative study using 40 semi-structured questionnaires was conducted with urban and peri-urban farmers in Irituia, Pará, Brazil, to identify the socioeconomic profile and productive dynamics of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) systems. The study identified three distinct categories of farmers: 42.5% for whom AUP is the main source of income, 32.5% who are public servants, and 25.0% who are small traders. Although no effective public policies for AUP promotion were evident in Irituia, spontaneous initiatives and significant growth potential were observed due to the municipality's rural nature.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCommunityDevelopment and Implementation of a Longitudinal School-Based Community Garden Curriculum by Pediatric Residents
2020Lydia Maleknia, Vanessa Boshuizen, Deepika Parmar, Mengyou Wu, Catherine Pourdavoud · PEDIATRICS · United States
The REACH program of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California pediatrics residency aimed to develop a school-based gardening program for middle-school students to promote nutritional education. A needs assessment of 278 students revealed 33% experienced food insecurity and 51% consumed more than one sugary drink daily. After only three classes, 12 participating students reported improvements in eating at least five vegetables daily (from 58% to 66%) and in nutrition knowledge (from 20% to 50% accuracy in completing a "healthy plate").
Food educationCommunityHealthWelfareCommodification & countermovement : community-supported agriculture (CSA) : a case study in Minas Gerais, Brazil
2020Daniele Eckert Matzembacher, Fábio Bittencourt Meira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Minas Gerais)
This case study in Minas Gerais, Brazil, examined Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a countermovement to the commodification of agriculture, using Karl Polanyi's theoretical framework. Analyzing the CSA Alfa case, the study found a coexistence of market exchange and reciprocity, where economic activity is intertwined with social aspects like friendship and commitment. CSA appears to manifest a countermovement by enhancing individuals' relative autonomy and increasing social cohesion among participating groups.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityMemory, waterways, and ecocultural identity
2020Jeffrey Alan Hoffmann · · United States
Hoffmann examined oral histories and interviews (1995-1996, 2014, 2017) with elders of multiple ethnicities in a working-class urban agricultural neighborhood in the U.S. Southwest. The study found that while ecocultural memory fosters trust in shared water relationships, historical anxieties stemming from urban development violence can impede communities' ability to organize to protect and restore ancestral waterways.
Equity & displacementCommunityUrban–rural linkageHeirloom & landraceIs gardening associated with greater happiness of urban residents? A multi-activity, dynamic assessment in the Twin-Cities region, USA
2020Graham Ambrose, Kirti Das, Yingling Fan, Anu Ramaswami · Landscape and Urban Planning · United States (Minneapolis-St. Paul Area)
Emotional well-being (EWB) during household gardening and other activities was measured in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, USA, using an app-based Day Reconstruction Method. Among 370 participants, 118 (32%) reported engaging in household gardening. Gardening EWB ranked among the top 5 out of 15 activities for three average EWB measures and was not statistically different from biking, walking, and eating out. Average net affect of gardening was significantly higher for vegetable gardeners, low-income gardeners, and women, while companionship, race/ethnicity, and urban versus suburban location showed no significant difference.
HealthCommunityDIYUM OLHAR GEOGRÁFICO A PARTIR DA HORTA ESCOLAR: EDUCAÇÃO SOCIOAMBIENTAL E SOBERANIA ALIMENTAR
2020Stéfanny da Cruz Nóbrega, Lara Cristine Gomes Ferreira · OKARA Geografia em debate · Brazil (Goiânia)
This article presents results from a university extension project between the Federal University of Goiás and elementary school students in Goiânia, Brazil. The project focused on socio-environmental education through an agroecological school garden, integrating theory and practice with didactic sequences on agrarian geography topics like food consumption awareness, socio-biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and soil management. Activities included workshops on vertical gardens and composting, a soil workshop, and field trips, aiming to exchange knowledge on agricultural production forms, agroecology, and food sovereignty, valuing family farming.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCompostHeat Treatment Reduces Bacterial Contamination of Medicinal Plants Grown in A Community Garden
2020Cleusa Fernandes Ramos, Andréia Assunção Soares, Isabela Carvalho dos Santos, F. Ramos, Odair Alberton, Luciana Kazue Otutumi, Lidiane Nunes Barbosa, Ricardo de Melo Germano, Daniela Dib Gonçalves, Luiz Sérgio Merlini · Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology · Brazil
This 2020 study in Brazil evaluated the bacteriological quality of six medicinal plants from community gardens, including Cymbopogon citratus and Aloysia citriodora. Analysis of cold extracts revealed bacterial contamination, with Plectranthus barbalus showing the highest aerobic mesophile count and Aloysia citriodora the highest coliform count at 45°C. However, the study concluded that heat treatment (boiling for teas) can significantly reduce or eliminate this bacteriological contamination, making the plants safe for consumption.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthFood education