Research & reports

John Diaz, Sue Webb, Laura A. Warner, Paul Monoghan · HortTechnology · Global

This study demonstrated the use of a Delphi approach with a diverse panel of community garden stakeholders to reach consensus about program outcomes for community garden programs. The panel successfully reached consensus on a variety of short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. The study aimed to provide a framework for program development and evaluation that stakeholders can adopt to show program outcomes, addressing the difficulty of learning lessons from geographically specific community garden studies.

Izquierdo Acosta, Daniel Francisco · · Colombia (Bogotá)

This study examined five urban agriculture experiences in Bogotá, Colombia, focusing on productivity (species richness and market prices), resource use and management (water, energy, land, waste), and human organizational forms. The research aims to make these contexts known to farmers and academia, providing insights for better implementation of urban agriculture.

Neil Taylor, Abdulla Ambusaidi, Rashid Al‐Yahyai, Subhashni Taylor · Eurasia Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education · Oman

A pilot school gardening project in Oman, using a mixed-method quasi-experimental design with Grade 7 classes, investigated its impact. Quantitative findings tentatively suggest improved learning outcomes in science skill development. Qualitative findings indicated a positive impact on students' affective domain and, in some cases, encouraged healthier eating habits.

Dorothy Kass · · Australia

This chapter examines sources related to teaching nature study in schools. A few years before the 1904 syllabus introduction in New South Wales, most teachers were unfamiliar with nature study, and inspectors were skeptical about elementary science in state schools. Richmond Public School offers an example of nature study in practice, though its situation was unique.

Stephanie Ritchie · Metropolitan Universities · Global

This selected bibliography compiles recently published books relevant to higher education institutions concerning food, agriculture, and sustainability efforts. It addresses the increasing interest in food production, distribution, consumption, and disposal, and how universities are integrating these concerns into curricula and sustainability initiatives.

Ana María Botella Nicolás, Amparo Hurtado Soler, José Cantó Doménech · Vivat Academia · Global

The school garden is an educational resource that allows students to approach the natural environment by designing interdisciplinary experiences that contribute to the development of basic skills. At the university level, it facilitates collaborative learning and the acquisition of socio-environmental skills. The L'Hort 2.0 project aims to create a virtual environment based on the school garden for ICT content management, linking outside-the-classroom activities with teaching guide content. This project was conducted using an active and collaborative methodology in three phases: preparation and design of the web environment in six areas, development of educational materials, and evaluation of their usefulness in the classroom and effectiveness in the student learning process. The results show high student involvement in the learning process and improved assessment results that better reflect the skills attained.

Suzanne Smith, K. Anne Wright, Lauren Hrncirik, Mary Katherine Deen · Journal of Extension · Burundi

University faculty and Extension educators implemented the "Cultivating Learning with School Gardens" curriculum in Burundi, Africa, to address food insecurity, youth development, and experiential learning. Washington State University personnel trained Burundian NGO staff via videoconferencing, who then trained teachers in pilot programs at four Burundian schools. First harvests occurred in May 2016, with support from an agricultural consultant.

Andile Mji · Commonwealth Youth and Development · Global

This study reports on a program where 118 learners (56.8% female), aged 16-18, participated in starting and tending school gardens. The aim was to determine how an empowering environment built learners' competencies and what lessons they learned, and if their utterances reflected positive youth development attributes. Qualitative data from open-ended interviews revealed that learners changed, learned to share, understood the meaning of working with others, and their utterances were consistent with positive youth development competencies.

Hyun‐Kyung Kang, Seung Jun Back · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

This study investigated the effect of an urban agriculture experience program on the mental health of seniors over 65, comparing a group participating for over six months with a control group. Using t-tests on stress and depression indices, and physiological disparity, the experiment group showed statistically significantly lower stress scores related to loneliness and health, and much lower depression levels than the control group. Autonomic nervous system analysis also indicated lower stress and normal pulse diversity for the experiment group, suggesting urban agriculture stabilizes sympathetic nerves and activates parasympathetic nerves, increasing stress resistance.

Villarraga Cordoba, María Fernanda · · Colombia

This 8-month project at Gimnasio Real de Colombia implemented urban agriculture and micro-garden planting with third-grade primary students. The aim was to strengthen environmental awareness and generate communication strategies through "Earth Art" processes, including pre-ritual games and performance actions. The report details the process and results of this pedagogical work.

Pulido Barbosa, Cindy Gillary · · Global

This report details the results of the "Guardians of Nature" environmental project, which aimed to raise student awareness of environmental care through building a school garden and making compost. The project utilized recycled materials like plastic bottles for planting various vegetables and provided workshops to the entire educational community on environmental topics. This initiative led to changes in students' cognitive and procedural skills, fostering critical reflection and problem-solving, culminating in the successful construction and maintenance of a school garden.

Daniela Artunduaga Arboleda, Laura Michelle Bayona Ruiz, Juan Camilo Gómez, Laura Marcela González Vargas, Lady Jhoana Leiton Peña, María Fernanda Pardo Pachón, Daniela Alejandra Quintero Bautista, Möritz Velásquez Riaño · Revista de Tecnología · Colombia (Bogotá)

This descriptive study in a kindergarten in Santa Bárbara, Bogotá, addressed food security for 14 children, who received 16,693.6 g of vegetables/month, significantly less than the FAO-recommended 42,000 g. To mitigate this deficit, urban agriculture workshops were held for parents. The implemented proposal covered 65% of the vegetable supply deficit, equivalent to cultivating 140 plants, and 100% of participants showed interest in continuing the project.

Praptiningsih Gamawati Adinurani · · Global

Massive urbanization without adequate human resources support will cause problems, including the provision of food. Urban farming activities by urban communities, utilizing yards or abandoned land, can address food needs. Increased knowledge and skills of urban farming practitioners can be achieved through counseling, discussion, and training in various agricultural techniques such as verticulture, hydroponics, and polybag systems. After participating in training, urban agriculture practitioners can produce vegetables and fruits for their consumption and for sale, produce seeds and fertilizer, and model various farming practices.

Ellen Burke · Landscape Research · Global

This paper is a transdisciplinary literature review addressing how to measure the performance of food production landscapes in urban, suburban, campus and other design contexts. Noting that such performance is currently most often measured by the weight and value of harvest alone, it aims to identify expanded methods and metrics, particularly for health and well-being benefits. Through the review it presents evidence for mental well-being, physical activity, and human nutrition benefits, and catalogs performance metrics and evaluation methods.

Anna Grichting · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Global

Set against the backdrop of food and water security in Qatar, and recognizing that rapid urbanization not integrated with ecological landscape design is driving urban sprawl, fragmented landscapes and biodiversity loss, this paper presents research on edible landscapes at Qatar University's architecture department, framed around its regenerative-cities concept, aimed at contributing to campus food supply while promoting biodiversity. Drawing on examples from edible campuses worldwide and literature on permaculture and food urbanism, an analysis of existing and future campus buildings and landscapes identified intervention types: retrofitting existing buildings with green roofs, green walls and biodiversity habitats; transforming existing landscapes; using empty land for food production; and integrating food gardens into the design of future buildings. The vision also includes water recycling and treatment, organic waste recycling, renewable energy, citizen participation and awareness campaigns, and collecting quantitative data on food miles.

Siebler, Kay · Texas ScholarWorks (Texas Digital Library) · Global

Describes a case narrative of a mobile "writing center without walls" that brings English-language-learner tutoring to non-traditional venues, including a community garden where vegetables are grown alongside the teaching. The abstract does not report a study design, participant numbers, or measured outcomes; it is presented as the story of one such writing center.

Debra Flanders Cushing, Harriot Beazley, Lisa Law · · Australia

A book chapter synthesizes research on food practices, urban food landscapes, and childhood obesity in (sub)tropical Queensland, Australia, examining two community garden examples with a focus on access to healthy food. It cites the WHO position that no single intervention strategy prevents childhood obesity, and that solutions must draw on three areas: governmental structures, population-wide policies, and community-based interventions. Key barriers to children's healthy diets identified are food availability, convenience, taste preferences, peer pressure, and lack of parental or school support, with increased knowledge of fruits and vegetables shown to directly increase children's consumption of them. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research on urban green spaces and obesity.

Leitgeb F., Schneider S., Vogl C.R. · Agriculture and Human Values · Cuba (Havana)

Using semi-structured interviews with 15 urban farmers in Havana, this study examines how Cuba's 2008 land reform and 2011 Lineamientos policy created conditions for food sovereignty while generating new marketing opportunities, though reducing subsidies raised consumer prices.

Victoria Egli, Melody Oliver, El‐Shadan Tautolo · Preventive Medicine Reports · New Zealand (Auckland)

From April to August 2015, a model illustrating the many wellbeing benefits of community garden participation was developed based on a global, critical literature review. This model grouped the benefits into factors influencing the nutritional health environment and factors influencing the social environment. In October 2015, the model was presented to a diverse group of community members in the Tāmaki region of Auckland, New Zealand, to test its comprehension and gather feedback.

Tina Marie Waliczek, Jayne M. Zajicek · · Global

This document presents sections such as the history of school gardens and gardens for education, the need for youth gardens, ways to garden with youth, and the benefits of gardening with youth. No specific research content or findings are provided.

Irama Flores · Razón y Palabra · Venezuela

This work reflects on the relationship between media communication and the promotion of urban agriculture, and the creation of a new agricultural culture in Venezuelan cities. The essay focuses on the rescue of values rooted in planting, against a backdrop where reduced production of staple items and black market premium sales, coupled with high inflation, violate food access. It also considers how urban dwellers with an oil culture are now motivated to use their yards or residential areas as nurseries to grow their own food to ensure food security during scarcity.

Valentina Plaka, Constantina Skanavis · International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development · Greece

A survey of 27 Greek schools with high interest in environmental education programs investigated the perceived value and feasibility of school gardens. Teachers in schools with gardens confirmed that participating students gained benefits and showed strong environmental consciousness. Interviewed teachers stressed that school gardens are feasible educational tools for promoting positive behavioral results and enforcing environmental knowledge. Teachers in schools without gardens cited lack of in-service training and funding as their main difficulties.

Alexandros Stavrianos · British Journal of Special Education · Global

This article argues for a strong link between inclusive pedagogy and environmental education, suggesting that environmental programs can promote inclusion. Transforming schoolyards into school gardens is presented as an example. Outdoor education experiences are proposed to facilitate positive development of self-esteem, peer socialization, teacher-student relationships, and a positive attitude towards school.

Elin Karud · · Sweden (Malmö)

This thesis project resulted in Malmököket, a vibrant food center in the Nyhamnen district of Malmö, Sweden. The facility includes a People’s Kitchen and Diner, a wine bar, urban farming facilities, and food markets. The project aims to create a space for people to gather around food, fostering cooperative and social living, and promoting democracy and fellowship.

Sarah Selmer, Keri Duncan Valentine, Melissa J. Luna, Sarah Rummel, James Rye · Australian primary mathematics classroom/Australian primary mathematics classroom (Online) · Australia

This article describes students' mathematical journey as they design their own garden beds, using Garden Based Learning (GBL) as an integrated mathematics and science unit. Students engaged in practical learning while exploring the concepts of area and perimeter.