Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
886 results(23 / 36)
Knowledge and Experience Related to Community Supported Agriculture and Local Foods among Nutrition Educators
2018Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler, Jared T. McGuirt, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jennifer Garner, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This qualitative study examined nutrition educators' (n=20 in telephone interviews, n=17 in focus groups) experiences, knowledge, and beliefs about local foods. Most educators identified as local food advocates, but few had direct experience with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Variability across seasons, financial issues, and risk of spoilage were identified as challenges of using seasonal, local foods within programming.
CSA & TeikeiFood educationCommunityHealthProhibitive property practices: The impact of restrictive covenants on the built food environment
2018Sugandhi del Canto, Rachel Engler‐Stringer · Policy Press eBooks · Global
Restrictive covenants, a corporate real estate practice, are identified as a significant barrier to establishing new food stores in older neighborhoods globally. These covenants place conditions on land use, such as prohibiting food sales or grocery store development, making it harder to address existing nutrition deserts. Government support is needed to limit these covenants and develop alternative food channels, including urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthGlobal scale arsenic pollution : increase the scientific knowledge to reduce human exposure
2018Muhammad Shahid, Camille Dumat, Nabeel Khan Niazi, Sana Khalid, Natasha Natasha · VertigO · Global
Arsenic concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limit (10 μg/L) have been frequently found in groundwater in several countries globally, exposing millions to arsenic. This study synthesizes recent interdisciplinary knowledge on arsenic, particularly for urban gardeners and farmers who may face contamination in well water or produced vegetables. Geogenic arsenic poses a major health threat in many countries, especially in Asia, and advice is proposed to avoid and reduce human exposure to arsenic in urban agriculture contexts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthParadigm of Eco-Urban-Agriculture for the Sustainable City: Integrating the Concept for Urban Dhaka
2018Ayasha Siddiqua · Nakhara Journal of Environmental Design and Planning · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
This paper explores the concept of eco-urban-agriculture for sustainable cities, focusing on its integration into urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. It discusses the theoretical background of urban agriculture and practiced models globally, aiming to demonstrate how a city can generate food, improve health, and utilize waste. The study seeks to develop an understanding of this concept within Dhaka's dense urban fabric.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthOrganic cycleClimate changeImpacts of Urban Agriculture on the Determinants of Health: Scoping Review Protocol
2018Pierre Paul Audate, Melissa Anne Fernandez, Geneviève Cloutier, Alexandre Lebel · JMIR Research Protocols · Global
This protocol outlines a research strategy for a scoping review to characterize the beneficial and adverse impacts of urban agriculture (UA) on health and its determinants across various disciplines. The method involves a systematic search of seven electronic databases, followed by a three-step screening by two independent reviewers, and data extraction on bibliography, participants, study type, results, and countries. The findings are expected to identify research and knowledge gaps for future UA research.
HealthFood sovereignty & justiceGeostatistical Analysis Of Contamination Of Soils In An Urban Area In Ghana
2018Simon Kojo Appiah, Eric Nimako Aidoo, Derrick Asamoah Owusu, M. W. Nuonabuor · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana (Kumasi)
This paper assesses the spatial distribution of heavy metals and potential ingestion risks in Kumasi, Ghana, using geostatistical techniques on topsoil samples. Results from univariate and multivariate semivariogram models showed strong spatial dependence with autocorrelations ranging from 100 to 300 meters. The produced risk maps indicate strong spatial heterogeneity for most soil heavy metals, with extremely high contamination risk found near commercial areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageTrends of Garden Based Learning Approach: Example of School Garden Applications (2000-2015)
2018Mustafa Ürey · DergiPark (Istanbul University) · Global
A descriptive content analysis of 162 articles published between 2000 and 2015 in 21 journals examined trends in school gardening practices. The analysis found that school garden practices aim to develop academic performance and healthy living skills, primarily involving pre-school and primary school students. These practices were found to positively affect academic performance, healthy living skills, and individual and social skills development.
Food educationCommunityHealthGovernance in urban agriculture: challenges and opportunities
2018Isabel de Felipe · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global
This paper describes urban agriculture as an activity gaining new support but facing difficulties due to inadequate governance. The research identified eight instruments for sustainable urban agriculture, including food security and economic development. It concludes that each city requires specific governance to achieve synergies.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsHealthCommunityForest School is for everyone
2018Hannah Powell · Educating Young Children: Learning and Teaching in the Early Childhood Years · Australia
Kurilpa Community Child Care in West End operates a multi-age forest school program weekly at a local community garden's wild-space native plants area. This initiative enables children from a highly urbanized area to develop meaningful relationships with the environment and benefit from ongoing exposure to local green spaces.
CommunityFood educationHealthContribuição da horta comunitária para alimentação saudável dos agricultores e suas famílias
2018Natália Peres Almeida · · Global
This research aimed to identify the contribution of community gardens to healthy food for farmers and their families, with objectives of Food and Nutrition Security, Human Right to Adequate Food, and Food Sovereignty. Interviews were conducted with the president and farmers in the community garden, randomly addressed during their activities. It was concluded that the community garden significantly contributed to the healthy eating of farmers and their families through the production of in natura food of vegetal origin, of sufficient quality and quantity.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityUrban landscapes and public health
2018Timothy Beatley, Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the role of urban landscapes in public health, addressing environmental health concerns arising from urbanization, such as physical inactivity. It promotes a socioecological approach, providing examples of how urban landscapes, including urban agriculture and community gardening, contribute to improved public health. The chapter introduces concepts like green urbanism and biophilic urbanism, offering suggestions for planning health-promoting urban landscapes.
HealthCommunityPolicyCommunity gardens as multipurpose, technological systems
2018David Hallberg · Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology · Global
This paper introduces community gardens as multipurpose, technological systems with dynamic boundaries. It also aims to revise the notions of food security and health in relation to these systems.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthUrban Agriculture as a Productive Green Infrastructure for Environmental and Social Well-Being
2017Brenda B. Lin, Stacy M. Philpott, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere · Greening Cities (Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements), Springer, 155-179 · Global
A book chapter framing urban agriculture—community farms, rooftop gardens, edible landscaping and urban orchards—as 'productive green infrastructure' supplying high biodiversity and diverse ecosystem services. It synthesizes both ecosystem services (pollination, biological pest control) and social benefits (food and nutrition, cultural and recreational value) that this green infrastructure delivers to cities.
BiodiversityCommunityHealthEconomicsA chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor
2017Tieman D., Zhu G., Resende M.F.R., Lin T., Nguyen C., Bies D., Rambla J.L., Beltran K.S.O., Taylor M., Zhang B., Ikeda H., Liu Z., Fisher J., Zemach I., Monforte A., Zamir D., Granell A., Kirst M., Huang S., Klee H. · Science 355(6323):391-394 · Global
Quantified flavor chemicals across 398 modern, heirloom, and wild tomato accessions and linked them to consumer liking. Shows modern cultivars lost allelic diversity governing sugars, acids, and volatiles, explaining reduced flavor versus heirlooms.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthGardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis
2017Soga M., Gaston K. J., Yamaura Y. · Preventive Medicine Reports · Global
Meta-analysis demonstrating that gardening yields wide-ranging health benefits, reductions in depression and anxiety and gains in life satisfaction and physical activity, underpinning the health rationale for workplace and community garden programs.
HealthWelfareCommunityCopper Oxide Nanoparticle Foliar Uptake, Phytotoxicity, and Consequences for Sustainable Urban Agriculture
2017Tiantian Xiong, Camille Dumat, V. Dappe, Hervé Vezin, Eva Schreck, Muhammad Shahid, Antoine Pierart, S. Sobanska · Environmental Science & Technology · Global
This study assessed the phytotoxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) in lettuce and cabbage, exposing them via leaves for up to 15 days to various CuO-NP concentrations. High foliar Cu uptake occurred, leading to decreased plant weight, net photosynthesis, water content, and necrotic Cu-rich areas. The findings highlighted a potential health risk associated with consuming vegetables contaminated with CuO-NPs.
Contamination & food safetyHealthThe Importance of Edible Landscape in the Cities
2017Filiz Çelik · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Global
This study explains the emergence, design, maintenance, and importance of edible landscapes in urban environments. Edible landscaping integrates food plants as design features for both aesthetic value and consumption, aiming to reconnect people with local food systems. It encompasses a variety of garden types and scales but does not include food items produced for sale.
CommunityHealthDIYUrban–rural linkageGood gardeners and bad plants: Governing health in community gardens
2017Virginia Webb · New Zealand sociology · New Zealand (Palmerston North)
This research in a Palmerston North, New Zealand community garden examined the struggle over norms and power relations, specifically regarding tobacco cultivation. It found that the garden hierarchy's reluctance to accommodate alternative perspectives on tobacco cultivation revealed a troubling politics of race and class. This reluctance meant the garden's potential to disrupt social hierarchies was unrealized, highlighting how health notions can become a basis for social control.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyGrowing Green: Urban Gardening
2017Emilee Bell · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global
Carol Hand’s book "Growing Green: Urban Gardening" weaves a history of gardening with practical application, inviting readers of all ages to introduce gardens into their lifestyles. The book explains global gardening traditions and future trends, emphasizing the many benefits of gardening, new vocabulary, and do-it-yourself methods. It discusses community, school, home, and personal garden options, as well as strategies for combating challenges urban dwellers might face, such as pollution, space, and vandals.
DIYFood educationCommunityHealthExamining the Relationship Between Level of Participation in Community Gardens and their Multiple Functions
2017Jaime M. Booth, Darren Chapman, Mary L. Ohmer, Kai Wei · Journal of Community Practice · Global
This study surveyed 115 regular, occasional, and non-community garden participants in a disadvantaged neighborhood to examine the relationship between participation levels and health behaviors, psychological well-being, and community perceptions. Regular and occasional participants reported better mental health. Occasional participants reported higher vegetable intake, while regular participants reported a stronger sense of community.
CommunityHealthFood educationSchool gardening in Bhutan: Evaluating outcomes and impact
2017Pepijn Schreinemachers, Bal Bdr, Desang Dorji, Hsiao-pu Chen, Thinley Dukpa, Namgay Thinley, Passang Lhamo Sherpa, Ray-Yu Yang · Food Security · Bhutan
A study in Bhutan investigated the combined effect of school gardens, complementary lessons, and promotional activities on the eating behavior and nutritional status of 468 schoolchildren aged 9-15. Data from 9 control and 9 treatment schools using a randomized controlled trial design showed that the intervention significantly increased children's awareness of vegetables, knowledge of sustainable agriculture, and preferences for healthier foods. There was an 11.7-percentage point increase in the probability of children including vegetables in their meals, but no change in the number of different fruits or vegetables consumed.
Food educationHealthCommunityAssessing the role and effectiveness of kitchen gardening toward food security in Punjab, Pakistan: a case of district Bahawalpur
2017Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Mushahid Anwar, Farrukh Jamal, Fahad Ajmal, Juergen Breuste · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Pakistan
This investigation in Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan, explored the benefits and perceptions of a government-initiated kitchen gardening project. A mobile phone survey found that most growers used seed kits for home consumption, were satisfied with the quality and price, and certified the project's efficiency in providing fresh vegetables. The project was deemed successful and continues to benefit residents and encourage urban agriculture.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthSchool Gardens: A Qualitative Study on Implementation Practices
2017Nele Huys, Katrien De Cocker, Marieke De Craemer, Marleen Roesbeke, Greet Cardon, Sara De Lepeleere · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Belgium (Ghent)
In four primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, twelve interviews with 14 key members and five focus groups with 38 children (fifth to sixth grade, 10-13 years old) were conducted to investigate school garden implementation practices and perceptions. School gardens were primarily initiated to involve children in nature, not to improve vegetable consumption. Participants were positive about school gardens but also experienced various barriers, including difficulties with startup, maintenance during summer holidays, and integration into the school curriculum.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealthWastewater for Urban Agriculture: A Significant Factor in Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance
2017Blaise Pascal Bougnom, Laura J. V. Piddock · Environmental Science & Technology · Global
This global perspective highlights the significant role of wastewater in urban agriculture as a factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Approximately 50-90% of antibiotics are excreted and end up in water ecosystems, particularly in low and middle-income countries with high antibiotic consumption. The aquatic environment acts as a reservoir and channel for the spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance traits.
Contamination & food safetyHealthChanging children's eating behaviour - A review of experimental research
2017Patricia DeCosta, Per Møller, Michael Bom Frøst, Annemarie Olsen · Appetite · Global
This review of 120 experimental studies on children's eating behaviors found that controlling strategies for positive change appear counterproductive. Hands-on approaches like gardening and cooking programs may encourage greater vegetable consumption more effectively than nutrition education. Providing children with free, accessible fruits and vegetables was experimentally shown to positively affect long-term eating behavior.
Food educationHealth