Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2066 results(25 / 83)
Assessing sense of community at farmers markets: A systematic review
2021Russomanno J., Jabson Tree J. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · USA
A PRISMA-guided systematic review of how sense of community (belonging) at farmers markets shapes customer engagement, and how markets relate to food access for low-income shoppers.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareUrban Agriculture Education and Youth Civic Engagement in the U.S.: A Scoping Review
2021· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · USA
A scoping review of how urban agriculture education programs foster youth civic engagement, leadership, and understanding of social justice in the United States.
Food educationCommunityPolicyCultivating Community Resilience With Agency and Sociality in Gardens for Health and Healing
2021· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · USA
A study of how agency and sociality within gardens designed for health and healing cultivate participant wellbeing and community resilience.
HealthCommunityWelfareHealthy Garden Plots? Harvesting Stories of Social Connectedness from Community Gardens
2021Glover T. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · USA
A qualitative study of a Midwestern U.S. community garden, examining stories of social connectedness produced through shared garden participation and their public-health significance.
CommunityHealthA Conceptual Framework for Incorporation of Composting in Closed-Loop Urban Controlled Environment Agriculture
2021Dsouza A., Price G., Dixon M., Graham T. · Sustainability · Canada
Presents a conceptual framework for incorporating composting into closed-loop urban controlled environment agriculture to recycle nutrients from organic waste streams.
CompostFood lossOrganic cycleAre heavy metals in urban garden soils linked to vulnerable populations? A case study from Guelph, Canada
2021· Scientific Reports · Guelph, Canada
Analyzing heavy metals in urban garden soils in Guelph, the study examines links between contamination and vulnerable populations, raising environmental-justice concerns that soil contamination in urban gardens may impose unequal health risks.
HealthCommunityPublic action and policy implementation: a comparative analysis of Urban Agriculture in three regions of São Paulo
2021Alves Mário Aquino, de Oliveira Lya Cynthia Porto · Local Environment · Brazil (São Paulo)
Compares municipal urban-agriculture policy implementation across three São Paulo regions. Despite policy on the books, implementation is carried out 'timidly'—strong in the south, weak in the east, and almost nonexistent in the north—driven by uneven land access and NGO presence.
PolicyAdvancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government
2021Berglund E., Hassanein N., Lachapelle P., Stephens C. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · USA
Interviews 11 municipal and county food-policy staff to assess dedicated government food-policy positions. Finds their impact is constrained by limited authority, resources, and institutional standing, documenting the practical limits of embedding food policy in local government.
Policy258. Contexto general de la Agricultura Urbana en México durante la pandemia: uso de aplicaciones de Google para el análisis social
2021Miranda Gómez, Omar, Aguilar-Gómez, Carlos Rubén · Revistes Científiques de la University of Barcelona (University of Barcelona) · Mexico
This article proposes a methodological route for data analysis using Google applications to study urban agriculture (AU) in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information was collected from Facebook groups dedicated to AU in various Mexican states. Findings indicate that AU in Mexico offers social benefits, while the use of these technological tools for social research presents both advantages and disadvantages.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsBuilding communal ties in the Arranjo Local da Penha
2021Mariana Portilho, Camila Gonçalves de Oliveira Rodrigues , Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study presents the formation of Arranjo Local da Penha, a community territorial network established in 2016 in the Penha favela complex in Rio de Janeiro. Primarily led by women and focused on promoting urban agriculture based on agroecology, this network fostered women's protagonism and built emotional ties between them and the place, mainly by enabling access to "real food" in the favela.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareServiços e Desserviços Ambientais Associados à Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana no Município de São Paulo
2021Bruno do Nascimento Macedo, Fernanda Nogueira Comas, Amarílis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo Gallardo · Journal of Urban Technology and Sustainability · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study discussed the main environmental services and disservices associated with urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in São Paulo, Brazil, using a systematic literature review and spatial analysis. It identified 12 environmental services and 5 disservices, mapping 197 UPA initiatives. The research concluded that UPA has the potential to offer environmental benefits, but can also exert negative pressures on the environment, including in areas that should be protected.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyOrganization of a Community Garden Program through Utah State University Food $ense and Master Gardener Extension Programs for Low-Income Families in Logan, Utah
2021Jackie Hendrickson · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)
Utah State University's Food $ense and Master Gardener programs partnered to create the "Create Farm Fresh Gardens" community gardening program, targeting low-income families in Cache Valley, Utah. Piloted during the 2018 growing season, the program aimed to improve food security by increasing access to fresh vegetables and enhancing participants' self-efficacy in gardening and nutrition. Participants provided supportive feedback, and the program was slated for statewide implementation in Utah during the 2019 growing season.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthPode a agricultura urbana contribuir para o desenvolvimento de cidades e comunidades sustentáveis?
2021Moisés Savian, Pedro Boff, Mari Inês Caríssimi Boff · Research Society and Development · Brazil
This study analyzed the contribution of urban agriculture to sustainable development in Brazilian cities and communities by reviewing 40 scientific articles published between 2009 and 2019. The findings indicate that urban agriculture is practiced across all regions of Brazil, exhibits diverse multifunctional characteristics, plays a significant role in maintaining agrobiodiversity, and supports food and nutritional security. It also contributes to economic, social, and ecological aspects of cities, potentially benefiting urban spaces, promoting health, and aiding educational processes.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityEconomicsO DESENVOLVIMENTO SÓCIO-ESPACIAL DA AGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA (AUP) NA CIDADE DE FORTALEZA, CEARÁ
2021Gabriela de Azevedo Marques, Iara Rafaela Gomes · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Brazil
This empirical study analyzed the socio-spatial development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, examining both spontaneous agricultural activities and municipal institutional actions. While AUP holds significant relevance in the city, particularly in peripheral areas, governmental initiatives were found to be sporadic and discontinuous, lacking a broader institutional agenda. The study concluded that despite recent municipal efforts, legal and institutional support for AUP remains weak, leading to the rapid disappearance of productive spaces and indicating that institutional actions have not effectively fostered the socio-spatial development of spontaneous initiatives.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageCocoon: a series
2021Mia Arvizu · Ethnic studies review · United States
This paper introduces "Cocoon: a series" by independent artist Mia Arvizu. This initial series challenges white supremacy culture and assimilation, serving as a stepping stone to spark conversations that spread resistance against patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. Arvizu is currently working in a fellowship with the National Park Service (NPS) and Groundwork, USA, focusing on communications for community-based projects such as community gardens.
CommunityClimate changePolicyWelfareErvaterapia: Horta comunitária com ervas medicinais.
2021Tatiane Sueli Coutinho, Adrian José Ramos, Eric Schwamberger, Kassia Kathellyn Barboza, Eduarda Nunes, Roberta Hoepers Mascarenhas, Vinícius Verwiebe, Gabriela Santos Patriarca, Rossie Katherine dos Santos, Alicia Weber, Giovana Schwamberger, Jamily Assini, Samuel Carvalho de Matos-Filho, Isadora Bombassaro, Vitor Gomes Pinheiro · Extensão em Foco · Brazil
The Ervaterapia extension program, established in 2018 in Brusque, Brazil, aimed to create medicinal herb gardens and integrate students with the community. Activities included distributing approximately 300 seedlings, lectures, workshops, and creating school gardens, alongside a "Super Ervas" comic book. The project observed increased community awareness of medicinal herbs, leading to greater demand for natural products to alleviate symptoms and reduced consumption of allopathic medicines, as well as children's understanding of plant care.
CommunityFood educationHealthAssessment of the Effect of Urban Agriculture on Achieving a Localized Food System Centered on Chicago, IL Using Robust Optimization
2021Christine Costello, Zeynab Oveysi, Bayram Dündar, Ronald G. McGarvey · Environmental Science & Technology · United States (Chicago)
This study used optimization techniques to assess the land area and radius needed around Chicago, Illinois, to meet nutritional needs. It found that no mix of food items could satisfy vitamin D, B12, and calcium needs within a 650 km radius. While urban agriculture reduced the required radius by 10-15 km, significant nutrient fortification or supplementation was still necessary to localize the food system.
Limited or null effectHealthUrban–rural linkageEconomicsEvaluation of the effect of a school garden as an educational didactic tool in vegetable and fruit consumption in teenagers
2021Diana Gabriela Figueroa-Piña, Jorge Luis Chávez‐Servín, Karina de la Torre‐Carbot, María del Carmen Caamaño, Gabriela Lucas-Deecke, Patricia Roitman Genoud, Laura Regina Ojeda-Navarro · Nutrition Research and Practice · Mexico (Queretaro)
A 3-arm controlled comparative impact study was conducted with 126 teenagers aged 12-18 at a private middle/high school in Queretaro, Mexico, to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention with a school garden (FE+SG) versus food education only (FE) and a control group (CG) on vegetable and fruit consumption. Both the FE+SG and FE groups significantly increased the frequency and daily intake of vegetables and fruits compared to the CG. The FE+SG group showed greater understanding, reflection, analysis of information, and willingness to include these in their daily diet. It was concluded that FE accompanied by a school garden is more effective than education alone or control in promoting vegetable and fruit consumption in middle-upper income teenagers.
Food educationHealthEducation From a Gardener’s Perspective
2021Stephanie C. Boddie · Social Work & Christianity · United States
In Fall 2018, a social work professor in the United States designed a course for graduate students across social work, education, and seminary schools, based on permaculture design principles. Students addressed community challenges like food insecurity and K-12 student disengagement by supporting a local school garden. This pedagogy aimed to foster holistic and relevant learning experiences.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceNullius no more? Valorising vacancy through urban agriculture in the settler-colonial ‘green city’
2021Nathan McClintock · Policy Press eBooks · Canada (Montreal)
In Montreal's Mile-Ex neighborhood, Canada, urban agriculture initiatives are transforming vacant lots into green spaces. Participants planted basil and threw "seed bombs" in a vacant lot as part of an effort to "reclaim the city." The practice of greening vacant lots is common in North American cities, and the relationship between vacancy and urban agriculture is historical, with city dwellers traditionally gardening in "wastelands."
CommunityDIYFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana no município de São Paulo: considerações sobre produção e comercialização
2021André Ruoppolo Biazoti, Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão, Rafael Junqueira Buralli, Thaís Mauad · Estudos Avançados · Brazil (São Paulo)
Agricultural production and distribution in São Paulo, Brazil, were evaluated using official databases and seven semi-structured interviews with farmers conducted between 2018 and 2020. The findings indicate growth in agricultural practices and access to a wide variety of commercialization channels within the municipality. The opening of new markets, the development of public policies, and public recognition were essential for this growth.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyExamining Food Security, Choices and Barriers among Community Supported Agriculture Participants during COVID- 19 in Kentucky
2021Martha Biddle, JungHee Kang, Julie C. Derringer, Anna M. Rose, D. Brewer, Misook L. Chung, Terry A. Lennie, Gia Mudd‐Martin, Timothy A. Woods · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States (Kentucky)
A study examined the relationships among food security status, eating patterns, and perceived barriers to food choices among 209 shareholders in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in Kentucky during COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions. The food insecure group (n=33) reported lower consumption of fruits/vegetables and whole grains, greater consumption of fast foods, and more barriers to food choices compared to the food secure group. A low food insecure proportion (16%) among CSA participants suggests a potential role for CSA programs in preventing food insecurity.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityFood pedagogy for transformative social change
2021Chelsea Klinke, Gertrude Korkor Samar · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Calgary)
This paper argues for an academic paradigm shift in food studies to bridge the gap between scholarship and community-based transformative engagement, supporting social justice frameworks. Through a case study of urban farming in Calgary, it explores place-based learning and participatory approaches that integrate Indigenous ways of knowing. The paper provides strategies for supporting local food systems through activist scholarship and capacity building in urban farming.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPerspectives of integrated pest management in CDMX urban agriculture and impacts of SARS-CoV-2 health emergency
2021Jessica Cuevas-Castilleja, Armando Martínez-Luz, Marcelo Adán López-Arzate, Itzel Arlette Ramírez-García, Gustavo Mora‐Aguilera, Norma Ávila-Alistac · Revista mexicana de fitopatología(en línea)/Revista mexicana de fitopatología · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on productive activities and the level of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) application among 108 urban agriculture farmers and extensionists in six areas of Mexico City. A digital survey in 2020 revealed that the sanitary emergency reduced extension services, though they continued with digital technologies. During the peak of COVID-19, 14% of farmers declined to sow the summer-fall season, and up to 75% reported 20% losses due to the epidemic. The main pest control strategies were mechanical (67%) and chemical (52%), indicating an intuitive understanding of IPM benefits despite farmers being unaware of its principles.
Economic viabilityHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCaracterização da Agricultura Urbana (AU) em Ibatiba (Espírito Santo)
2021Bárbara de Oliveira Falce, Breno Dalcolmo de Almeida Leão, Arnaldo Henrique de Oliveira Carvalho · Meio Ambiente (Brasil) · Brazil (Ibatiba)
This study characterized urban agriculture in Ibatiba, Brazil, by analyzing 22 production units across 10 neighborhoods through spatial distribution mapping and farmer interviews. Positive aspects included a wide variety of foods, considerable independence from external inputs for seeds, fertilizers, and animal feed, and efforts towards environmental education. However, concerns were noted regarding the continued use of pesticides and issues with water origin and utilization, such as spring water capture and limited irrigation.
DIYOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justice