Research & reports

Rini Fitri, Suryani Suryani · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This paper discusses urban agriculture as a solution for elderly individuals to engage in physical activity and reduce depression in limited yard spaces in DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. It highlights that urban farming activities, such as cultivating vegetables, secondary crops, and horticulture, are undertaken by housewives and the elderly. The practice of urban agriculture encourages seniors to express their capabilities, supporting their identity and autonomy, and aims to outline these activities for the elderly.

Robert M Schulman · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States (Virginia)

This study provides guidance for other institutions to establish community gardens for providing fresh, local, and healthy food to those in need, based on the experiences of a community garden established at a religious congregation in Sterling, Virginia. Entering its fourth year of operation, this case study also addresses the expansion of its mission beyond food to include an educational outreach aspect. Two forms of outreach are envisioned: publishing a newsletter to the congregation to increase interest and volunteerism, and instituting on-site workshops to educate interested members on how to establish a food garden.

Cecilia M. Tsu · Amerasia Journal · United States

This article examines community gardens established for refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the United States during the 1980s. It argues that refugee gardeners perceived a significant disconnect between their rural lives in Southeast Asia and the role of vegetable growing in the U.S., despite advocates emphasizing continuity with their past. The gardens provided a measure of economic empowerment, but highlighted the disjuncture in their resettlement experience.

Brian James Leech, Christopher Strunk · Food Culture & Society · United States (Rock Island)

This research explores the historical evolution of urban gardening in Rock Island, Illinois, a post-industrial city, from 1913 to 2018. It finds that while urban agriculture was prominent during 20th-century crises, it has maintained a constant presence, with initiatives like Victory Gardens and community gardens sharing common goals of addressing poverty and food access. However, gardening programs have often failed to acknowledge the underlying causes of food insecurity.

Jonnell Robinson, Sarah Brown, Rose Tardiff, Dennis Brady, Jen Pauley, Mable Wilson · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Syracuse)

Syracuse Grows is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization in Syracuse, New York, dedicated to food justice. The organization hosts an annual "Resource Drive" event each April, mobilizing community resources to support over 25 community gardens and 3 urban farms. During this event, compost, mulch, and manure are transported across the city, transforming previously vacant lots into spaces for nourishment and camaraderie.

Michele Hunt · · United States (Cleveland)

Rid-All Green Partnership was founded by three childhood friends, Damien Forshe, Keymah Durden, and Randy McShepard, who grew up in Cleveland’s Lee-Miles neighborhood. They provide training in urban farming and environmental stewardship, and Rid-All serves as a regional training center for the Milwaukee-based urban farm “Growing Power.” Alongside its educational programs, Rid-All offers art, entertainment, sports, and community engagement initiatives, and created “The Brink City 'Green in the Ghetto'” comic book to communicate the importance of environmental justice to non-traditional and hard-to-reach audiences, including urban youth.

Leonardo Negreiros Monteiro, Joelson de Araújo Delfino · · Brazil

The project “Promoting health and social well-being through healthy eating” was implemented at the Lar para Idosos Tia Angelina elderly home in Porto Nacional, Brazil. Its objective was to improve the quality of life for residents through healthy eating, achieved by implementing a vegetable garden. This initiative also provided Agronomy Engineering students from UNITINS with the opportunity to develop competencies in understanding the importance of quality food and contributed to forming healthier eating habits for the elderly residents.

In-Kyoung Hong, Hyung-Kwon Yun, Young-Bin Jung, Kang‐Sook Lee, Choon-soo Lee · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

This study reset evaluation indicators for school garden education services by surveying 20 experts using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and direct question (DQ) methods from October 12 to 19, 2020. AHP results showed education values were most important (0.544), while environmental (0.062) and economic (0.049) values were relatively low. The lowest sub-indicators were mitigating climate change (0.009) and increasing income (0.036).

Ratna Zulfarosda, Vita Fibriyani · JMM - Jurnal Masyarakat Merdeka · Indonesia (Jawa Timur)

This activity aimed to empower the community of Ngemplakrejo Village, Pasuruan, East Java, to practice hydroponic cultivation as a solution for food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. The process involved introducing cultivation techniques, demonstrating hydroponic planting, and community practice. The activity resulted in increased community understanding of plant cultivation and hydroponic techniques, and participants successfully practiced sowing.

Richard Kwasi Bannor, Mohit Sharma, Helena Oppong-Kyeremeh · International Journal of Social Economics · Ghana; India

This study interviewed 650 urban agriculture farmers in Ghana and India to assess household food security and the impact of urban agriculture participation. Ghanaian households were found to be mildly food insecure, while Indian households were moderately food insecure. Demographic, economic, institutional, and health factors influenced urban food security and urban agriculture differently, and the extent of urban agriculture participation positively influenced food security.

Marcelo Salgado, Sabrina Cáceres, Marta Basuino, Nora Gancedo, Claudio Vizia, Sebastián Rodríguez, Laura Gurría · · Argentina (Rosario)

This paper focuses on social housing projects linked with productive undertakings for low-income groups in Rosario, Argentina. It examines experiences such as the Urban Agriculture Program, Rosario Habitat Program, and Housing Cooperatives, which integrate habitat with productive initiatives. The research aims to formulate recommendations for the participatory management of social housing and its articulation with these undertakings, including the promotion of multidisciplinary teams through training workshops.

Solomon Wuyep, Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, AP Ifegbesan · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Nigeria (Jos)

This study assessed the role of urban vegetable production as a source of livelihood for 94 small-scale farmers in Jos, Nigeria, by randomly selecting 40% of urban vegetable farmers and using questionnaire-administered interviews with a mixed-method approach. Results indicated that vegetable farming provides 84% part-time and 5% full-time employment opportunities and reduces food insecurity among participants. However, lack of credit facilities, seasonal variations, and high costs of farm inputs and equipment were identified as serious problems, and small-scale urban farming also entailed negative environmental impacts that could undermine long-term sustainability.

Mariana Portilho, Camila Rodrigues, Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez · Cidades, comunidades e território/Cidades comunidades e territórios · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This study describes the formation of Arranjo Local da Penha, a community network created in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex, focused on urban agriculture and led by women. Through fieldwork and participant observation, the study analyzed themes of women and agroecology, health, and healthy eating. The network promoted women's empowerment and access to healthy food, but faced limits in the mobilization and development of urban agriculture.

Peter Gittins, Leigh Morland · The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation · United Kingdom

This case study explored the business model and growth challenges of 'Growing Better', a micro-social enterprise urban farming facility in the Leeds City Region, UK, which provides a supportive working environment for people with mental health issues. Findings suggested that the potential for growth lies with the social entrepreneur's ability to harness external stakeholder support. However, any venture development should also inform the effective utilization of resources through operations management.

Esteve Gaelle Giraud, Sara El-Sayed, Adenike Opejin · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)

This paper examines the potential of sustainable gardening to enhance Food Well-Being (FWB). It uses three studies of sustainable food gardeners in Arizona, USA, including children and teachers in school gardens, sustainable gardeners and farmers, and gardeners during the pandemic. Results indicate a connection between sustainable gardening and eudemonic well-being, impacting five FWB dimensions (physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social). However, the paper notes that without appropriate policies, funding, and infrastructure, the impact might remain minimal, volatile, and subject to tokenism.

Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Leah C. Volpe, Marilyn Sitaker, Emily H. Belarmino, Amari Sealey, Weiwei Wang, Florence Becot, Jared T. McGuirt, Alice S. Ammerman, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global

This study interviewed 24 CSA farmers and 20 full-pay CSA members about their perceptions and experiences with cost-offset Community-Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) models and specific cost-offset mechanisms, to understand the potential of CO-CSA for low-income households. Both farmers and members prioritized ensuring access to healthy food regardless of income level and generally favored member donations for funding CO-CSA. However, a commonly mentioned barrier was the potential time burden on CSA farmers for administering cost-offset programs, raising questions about economic viability.

Mawuna Donald Houessou, Annemijn Cassee, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld · Sustainability · Benin

A Rapid Food Security Appraisal was conducted among 240 rural and urban dwellers in southern Benin to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 ‘cordon sanitaire’ on food consumption. The pandemic affected food security pillars in both rural and urban areas, with the steepest decline observed among those inside the cordon sanitaire, particularly rural producers and urban inhabitants without allotment gardens. Increased food prices, logistics disruptions, and movement restrictions were cited as reasons, while access to allotment gardens effectively mitigated the crisis for households.

Juliana Ojochide Olori, Ogechi Cordelia Nwahia, F. Siewe · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Nigeria (Abuja)

A study analyzed savings mobilization for poverty alleviation among 185 peri-urban farming households in Kwali and Bwari Area Councils, Abuja, Nigeria, using cross-sectional primary data. The analysis revealed a poverty incidence of 49%, a poverty depth of 28%, and a poverty severity of 56% among the households. Findings indicated that primary occupation and education reduced the likelihood of not being poor but increased the likelihood of being very poor.

Sam Ramsden · Local Environment · United Kingdom (England)

This article analyzes a charity-led community gardening project in a disadvantaged northern English community, which operated for three years with external funding. While it successfully engaged marginalized people, leading to increased skills, confidence, reduced isolation, and improved wellbeing, the project faced significant challenges requiring professional management. Crucially, after the funding ended, the community garden's future was fragile, and the long-term sustainability of outcomes for marginalized participants was vulnerable due to economic viability issues.

Bethan R. Mead, Jessica Davies, Natalia Falagán, Sofia Kourmpetli, Lingxuan Liu, Charlotte A. Hardman · Emerald Open Research · United Kingdom

A cross-sectional online survey of 477 UK adults (March-April 2020) investigated the role of home food growing during the early COVID-19 lockdown. Participants engaged in home food growing reported lower perceived food insecurity and higher well-being than non-growers. There were no differences in opinions of urban agriculture compared to pre-pandemic data from a separate sample (N=583).

Sekolah Menengah Islam As-Syddiq, Simpang Renggam, Milah Zainal, M. Z. Rosmiza, Program Geografi, Pusat Kajian Pembangunan, Sosial dan Persekitaran, Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia · Malaysian Journal of Society and Space · Malaysia

This qualitative study explored human assets among 8 participants in community garden projects in Malaysia. While the government introduced community garden projects to improve urban residents' well-being, their success rate is reportedly low, with many projects expected to be unsuccessful. The study found that participants possessed human assets such as good health, physical strength, ability to seek agricultural inputs and information, strong religious practices, and resilience.

Jorinda Steenkamp, Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, Sarel S. Cilliers, Louis Lategan · Sustainability · Global

This paper proposes urban agriculture as an intervention for planners to support sustainable food production and supply chains, addressing the neglect of food security in planning. A multiple-case study analyzed four urban agriculture examples in the Global South. The findings indicate urban agriculture's potential to improve food security for at-risk populations and mitigate urban risks like unemployment, community decline, and food deserts through its multifunctionality.

Christy Gene Somsen · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)

Farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and community gardens, while aiming to help low-income families access fresh produce, often assist more middle-class families. In Utah, these programs could be improved, as the state does not utilize the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program or accept WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and has few Farm to School Programs.

Rahmi Winangsih, Rahmi Mulyasih, Marthalena, Rethorika Berthanilla, Ahmad Sururi · Bantenese - Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia (Cilegon)

This paper reports on an empowerment communication program within an urban farming initiative targeting women in Kampung Lukis Ramanuju, Cilegon City, Indonesia. The program aims to empower women to meet family and community food needs by cultivating high-economic-value crops like vegetables and fruits. As a result of the mentorship, the participating group became capable of producing crops for personal consumption.

Karen Besterman‐Dahan, Sarah Bradley, Nora B. Arriola, Kiersten Downs · Wellbeing Space and Society · United States

In collaboration with a local garden, an evaluation explored the perceived benefits of gardening for veterans from two Veterans Affairs (VA) programs in the United States. Using focus groups and photovoice methods, four main benefits of participation were revealed: supporting mental and emotional wellbeing, improving socialization and comradery, nurturing life and identity, and learning new skills.