Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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11393 results(267 / 456)
Providence productivity framework : ideas for a network of sites rethinking productivity in Providence
2018Patricia Noto · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · United States (Providence)
This thesis investigated the role of designers in creating or enhancing productive systems in cities, focusing on Providence, Rhode Island. It proposed rethinking the function of public and quasi-public spaces and expanding the definition of urban productivity beyond community gardens to include a network of agroforestry sites and remediated lands. The study examined a series of diverse sites along the Woonasquatucket River, noting their suitability due to the river's industrial history, varied conditions, and existing community organization connections.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkage12. Green Library of the Neighbourhood
2018Anja Seifert, Stefan Rogge · · Germany (Berlin)
The Bibliothek Tiergarten Sud, a library in central Berlin, has been transforming since 2013 with neighborhood volunteers focusing on a DIY philosophy, including urban gardening, after overcoming financial struggles. With EU funding, the library is establishing itself as a community center, offering diverse activities like a Repair Cafe and gardening information sessions. It also features Germany's first "Leih-Samerei" in a public library, allowing patrons to borrow home-grown seeds from local gardens.
CommunityDIYFood educationSemear para educar: potenciar o empoderamento e a cidadania com um projeto de educação não-formal de adultos
2018A. Silva, Clara Costa Oliveira · RepositóriUM (Universidade do Minho) · Portugal
A community intervention process "Semear para Educar" was implemented with adults, predominantly of Roma ethnicity, within an existing community garden project at a non-governmental institution in northern Portugal. This project utilized participatory action research methodology, aiming to contribute to the integral formation of individuals in this garden and consequently improve their quality of life through non-formal education.
CommunityFood educationMaking Local Food Work: The Challenges and Opportunities of Today’s Small Farmers by Brandi Janssen
2018Timothy J. Kidd · Great Plains research · United States (Iowa)
Based on qualitative research conducted from 2008 to 2012 in Iowa, this book illustrates the complexities and challenges faced by small farms producing local foods in a commodity-driven state. It provides case studies on the difficulties in balancing small farm profitability and social impacts for those involved in community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets, and farm-to-school produce. The research also reveals that popular assumptions about local food, including consumers becoming informed advocates for sustainable agriculture, are oversimplifications.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHorta escolar com práticas agroecológicas no município de Serra- ES
2018Fernanda Emanuele Silva Costa, Natália Sant’Anna de Medeiros, Iana de Oliveira Carneiro · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This project, implemented in 2016 at EEEFM Professora Juraci Machado in Serra, Brazil, established a school garden with agroecological practices. With the help of students, teachers, and the local community, the project cultivated four species of unconventional food plants, four medicinal plants, and two fruit trees, plus two leguminous species for nitrogen fixation. The initiative aims to promote agroecological experiences and has already shown improvements in students' teamwork, cooperation, and appreciation for school spaces.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleHealthWhat Prohibit CSA Membership Renewals? Identifying Barriers of CSA Participation
2018Jun‐Hong Chen, Zhifeng Gao, Lisha Zhang, Chen, Junhong, Gao, Zhifeng, Zhang, Lisha · 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida · United States
This study applied quantitative methods to identify barriers that prohibit CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) participation or factors affecting unsubscribe from CSA membership. Based on 780 responses collected from a national consumer survey, only 6% of the total sample were current CSA members. The top two reasons for unsubscribing from CSA membership were preferring farmer's markets and not cooking at home. On the other hand, the top two important factors for participation in CSA were supporting local and family farms.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityDiseño de una herramienta virtual de aprendizaje sobre agricultura urbana: una propuesta de educación ambiental vinculada al programa de Servicio Social Ambiental (SSA) del Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis
2018Galvis Rivera, Andrea Natalia · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This paper proposes the development of a virtual educational tool to promote urban agriculture practices among students participating in the Environmental Social Service (SSA) program at the Bogotá Botanical Garden. The proposal follows a diagnostic instrument to characterize students' prior knowledge of urban agriculture, which has been a focus of Bogotá's development plans since 2004 to ensure food security and promote sustainable agriculture. The Botanical Garden leads environmental education processes with community actors and social service students.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityTRABALHO DO PRODUTOR AGRÍCOLA URBANO E PERIURBANO: HORTICULTORES DO CENTRO-SUL PIAUIENSE
2018Marttem Costa de Santana, Everardo de Sousa Luz, Maurício Ribeiro da Silva, Maclóvia Corrêa da Silva, Eloy Fassi Casagrande · Sociedade e Território · Brazil
This qualitative field study in two cities in Piauí, Brazil, evaluated whether working conditions of urban and peri-urban agricultural producers contribute to food production. It concluded that public authorities' participation is necessary to address failures in the small-scale agricultural production system and improve working conditions for urban horticulturists.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyPLANEJAMENTO DE UMA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA NO ASILO LAR FRATERNO IRMÃ SHEILA: UMA ALTERNATIVA DE PROMOÇÃO DA SAÚDE E BEM-ESTAR SOCIAL
2018Érich Vinícius Nogueira Gonçalo, Rysley Fernandes de Souza, Hernandes Rufino dos Santos, José Lucas da Silva Neto, Antonio Monteiro de Morais, Cláudia Araújo Marco · · Brazil (Juazeiro do Norte)
This project involves students from the NUPEH group at UFCA Campus Crato-CE developing a community garden at the Lar Fraterno Irma Sheila nursing home in Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil. The students received theoretical and practical training, then presented a methodology and garden layout to the nursing home's director and coordinators. Selected elderly residents and staff will receive one month of weekly theoretical and practical training from NUPEH members, after which the garden will be implemented, with irrigation handled by the elderly residents twice daily. Project evaluation will use questionnaires for beneficiaries regarding training quality and achieved objectives.
CommunityElderlyHealthPEDAGOGICAL EXPECTANCES FROM THE PLAYGROUNDS IN THE SCHOOL GARDENS IN CLASSROOM TEACHERS
2018Fikret ALINCAK, Mehmet Ali Öztürk, Tuğba TURAK · The Online Journal of Recreation and Sport · Turkey (Gaziantep)
This study investigated the pedagogical expectations of 25 classroom teachers in Gaziantep, Turkey, regarding playgrounds in school gardens, using open-ended questions and content analysis. The findings revealed that teachers perceived school gardens as inadequate and unsuitable for students' levels, and considered the areas unreliable. Teachers concluded that playgrounds should be wide, have diverse game tools, be educational, and have corrected ground for student safety to support children's development.
Limited or null effectFood educationComparing urban food systems between temperate regions and tropical regions introducing urban agroforestry in temperate climates through the case of Budapest
2018Paloma Gonzalez de Linares · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Hungary (Budapest)
This paper aimed to assess factors contributing to more successful integration of urban agriculture in some cities and to introduce agro-ecology practices in public green spaces and community gardens through landscape assessment and map-based comparison. A key problem identified was the lack of motivation among planners to integrate urban agriculture into urban plans, preventing these green structures from becoming part of the city's landscape and dynamics. The sustainability of food systems was concluded to depend on the city's planning strategy and governance policies.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityClimate changeDiagnóstico de las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria de la población vulnerable del barrio Loma Linda (Altos de Cazucá) y sus estrategias de sostenibilidad
2018Palomino Forero, Pedro António · · Colombia (Soacha)
This project, led by students from Universidad Santo Tomas, focused on urban agriculture development in the Loma Linda neighborhood of Soacha, Colombia, to address food insecurity and malnutrition among displaced populations. It aimed to improve food security conditions through a diagnostic approach and by promoting community participation in urban agriculture. The project demonstrated that households could achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables, foster social networks, and reduce daily expenses, providing a first step towards resolving malnutrition and food insecurity in the community.
WelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWho Cares? The Importance of Emotional Connections with Nature to Ensure Food Security and Wellbeing in Cities
2018Kora Uhlmann, Brenda B. Lin, Helen Ross · Sustainability · Global
This paper reviews existing literature on foodscape and biophilia to highlight the need for inter-disciplinary research combining urban agriculture and food literacy. The review suggests that emotional connection with nature benefits human wellbeing and predicts pro-environmental behaviors, and that urban agriculture can improve wellbeing and food security if the next generation has this connection and necessary life skills.
HealthFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceLivability in Salt Lake City
2018Holly Linda Lopez, Ralph S. Becker · · United States (Salt Lake City)
Salt Lake City government, since Mayor Becker's 2012 State of the City Address, has identified livability as a framework for policies and discussions. Mayor Becker's administration focused on elements such as social equality, public safety, access to natural areas, ease of mobility, efficient use of taxpayer money, urban agricultural opportunities, education systems, healthy downtowns and neighborhoods, and diverse arts and culture. This chapter intends to identify these policies, their success metrics, and review the progress made in Salt Lake City during the Becker administration.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban Agriculture in Bogotá’s informal settlements
2018Jaime Hernández García, Sandra Caquimbo-Salazar · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Bogotá, Colombia, over 50% of the city has developed through informal practices, with approximately four million people residing in areas of urban or housing informality. This chapter explores the transformation and appropriation of urban spaces in the barrios through urban agriculture initiatives, using examples of food growing spaces in Bogotá. It discusses agricultural practices in the city's informal settlements, highlighting social characteristics and spatial particulars, and advocates for open spaces as potential productive landscapes where spatial transformations can contribute to social, cultural, and nutritional practices.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban–rural linkageHealthThe Components of Social Dimension for Community Gardens in Housing Residential
2018Shafa Marzidah Abdullah Ayeop, Halmi Zainol, Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain · Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal · Global
Community gardens are spaces for cultivating vegetables and fruits in urban neighborhoods, offering various social benefits. This paper aims to enhance understanding of the relationship between the social dimension and community gardens. It analyzes established references from previous articles and theses to identify social dimension elements of sustainable development and explore the benefits of community garden implementation for the social dimension.
CommunityHealth4. Collaborative Urban Farming Networks in Bangkok. Promoting Collective Gardens and Alternative Markets as Theatres of Social Action
2018Piyapong Boossabong · Amsterdam University Press eBooks · Thailand (Bangkok)
In Bangkok, most vegetables consumed in the city are transported from remote rural areas and contaminated with chemicals. Governmental policies have failed to control chemical use, while monopolistic food corporations constrain the sustainability of local food systems. This chapter highlights the collaboration of urban farming networks in Bangkok that aim to produce alternative food sources and create alternative markets, arguing that these networks can construct alternative urban spaces for social action.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAgriculture urbaine à Ziguinchor (Sénégal) : des pratiques d’autoconsommation favorables à l’essor de filières d’approvisionnement urbaines durables
2018Sécou Omar Diédhiou, Oumar Sy, Christine Margétic · Espace populations sociétés · Senegal (Ziguinchor)
A study in Ziguinchor, Senegal, surveyed 248 farmers and 130 vegetable vendors in 2016 and 2017 to examine the role of urban agriculture. Urban expansion has led to shrinking agricultural land and land-use conflicts, while increasing food demand. Women play a central role from production to commercialization, farming in multiple locations for self-consumption and income, but the sustainability of these practices requires integration into proactive urban development policies.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyCharacteristics of Users Affecting Edible Plant Demand in Urban Parks
2018Emrah Yalçınalp, Özgür Demirci · Türk Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi · Turkey (Trabzon)
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the edible plant potentials of three different urban parks in Trabzon, Turkey, by questioning users' approaches. Introducing edible landscapes in urban parks is believed to help urban residents feel closer to nature and contribute to their awareness of ecology and environmental conservation.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageBiodiversitySolidarity: a Key Element in Alternative Food Networks
2018Laura Carlsona, Vera Bitsch, Carlsona, Laura, Bitsch, Vera · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Germany
This study used a grounded theory approach to examine the importance of solidarity in four alternative food network (AFN) projects in former East Germany, including two community supported agriculture projects, one cooperative grocery, and one urban agriculture project. Data were collected through document analysis and participant observation. Results indicate that although solidarity is explicitly mentioned by actors and in official documents, its conception and implementation vary across initiatives, influenced by individuals, local conditions, and external institutions.
CommunityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceA Primer on Local Food Systems
2018Amber Heckelman · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This book consolidates decades of research on the local food movement in the U.S. Midwest and Appalachia regions. It analyzes the diverse capacities and limitations of enterprises such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), and food hubs, and offers a framework for assessing local food initiatives. The book aims to support the cultivation and expansion of local food systems by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and leverage points.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFrom field to plate: discussion on transfer of metals in food chain
2018Zane Vincēviča–Gaile, William Hogland, Māra Stapkēviča, Juris Burlakovs · Linnaeus Eco-Tech · Latvia
This study investigates the transfer of metallic elements in the soil-plant segment of the food chain through laboratory and field experiments. It also includes a quantitative analysis of food samples from Latvia, including fruits and vegetables from Riga city allotment gardens, to identify element composition and potential contamination risks from urban pollution. Results of experiments and analyses revealed the influence of factors such as seasonality, botanical origin, site-specific factors, agricultural practice, and food processing on element transfer.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityEffect of youth engagement in vegetable farming on household well-being in Kakamega Town, Kenya
2018A. B. Juma Edwin, Omondi Paul, W. Kareri Raphael · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Kenya (Kakamega Town)
This study collected data from 159 urban youth farmers in Kakamega Town, Kenya, to investigate the effect of youth engagement in vegetable production on household well-being. A significant association was found between time spent on the farm and the size of the vegetable plot, with 90.5% of respondents reporting they would continue vegetable production. 34.0% reported vegetable production was 'more than adequate' and 28.9% 'adequate', and urban farming was found to contribute to the greening of the city.
CommunityWelfareFood educationEconomicsDes jardins partagés dans les quartiers d'habitat social : un moyen de repenser les pratiques alimentaires ?
2018Nicole Darmon, Pauline Martin, Pascale Scheromm, Florence Ghestem, Paul Marchand, Jean-Noël Consalès, Darmon, Nicole, Martin, Pauline, Scheromm, Pascale, Ghestem, Florence, Marchand, Paul, Consalès, Jean-Noël · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · France
This multidisciplinary study in poor neighborhoods of Marseille, France, investigated whether community gardeners had a larger supply of healthy food, particularly fruits and vegetables, than non-gardeners. Among 21 women gardeners, only eleven harvested during the study month, with an average of 53 g of produce per household member per day. The study found that gardener households purchased significantly more fruit and vegetables (369 g/d per person) than non-gardener households (211 g/d per person), but this difference was due to purchases, not higher quantities produced.
CommunityHealthWelfareEconomicsManagement initiatives in support of the soil quality of urban allotment gardens: Examples from Nantes (France)
2018Cécile Le Guern, Liliane Jean‐Soro, Béatrice Bechet, Thierry Lebeau, Dorine Bouquet · Land Degradation and Development · France
Urban allotment gardens in Nantes, France, were found to have soil contamination, with lead (Pb) levels ranging from 100–400 mg kg−1, posing health risks. Local actors collaborated to characterize soil, evaluate sanitary risks, and discuss management options. The most frequent solution was replacing polluted soils with clean soils, while other strategies included on-site management of excavated soil, non-accumulative cropping, or changing land use.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycle