Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1074 results(27 / 43)
Low-income adults’ perceptions of farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture programmes
2017Elizabeth W. Cotter, Carla Teixeira, Annessa Bontrager, Kasharena Horton, Deyanira Soriano · Public Health Nutrition · United States (Washington, DC)
This study conducted focus groups with 28 adults in three affordable housing communities in Washington, D.C., USA, to understand low-income adults' attitudes towards participating in farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and nutrition education programming. The results revealed that adults living in urban, affordable housing communities desire access to healthy foods but are limited by cost. Programs could have a higher likelihood of success if they accept benefits like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), are heavily marketed, and incorporate culturally relevant nutrition education components.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareEconomicsCommunityFood educationRegreening Kibera: how urban agriculture changed the physical and social environment of a large slum in Kenya.
2017Courtney M. Gallaher · CABI eBooks · Kenya
This chapter considers the effects of landscape greening, including small urban farms and sack gardening, on residents' perceptions of the environment in Kenya's Kibera slum over the last 10 years. It examines what environmental issues residents perceive as most serious, who they believe is responsible for addressing these problems, and to what extent they believe sack gardening is changing Kibera's physical and social environment.
CommunityWelfareClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCorrelating the urban agricultural and academic success. A research project to examine effects of agriculture-based youth programs on high school academic performance
2017Geneva Rawlins · · United States (Gary, Indianapolis)
This study aimed to examine how three urban agriculture programs in Gary and Indianapolis, United States, impact high school students' academic performance and future goals. Questionnaires were used to collect qualitative data from program leaders, organizational partners, and upper-class students. Due to low participant levels, there was insufficient data to draw definitive conclusions regarding academic performance. However, the study captured a snapshot of positive attitudes among student participants and identified commonalities among the programs.
Food educationCommunityWelfareFarm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK): An innovative community supported agriculture intervention to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies
2017Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler, Emily H. Morgan, Karla L. Hanson, Alice S. Ammerman, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Florence Becot, Leah M. Connor, Jennifer Garner, Jared T. McGuirt · BMC Public Health · United States
Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) is a community-based, randomized intervention trial designed to assess the impact of subsidized community supported agriculture (CSA) coupled with nutrition education to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies. Conducted in New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington, the study targets low-income families with children aged 2-12 years. Primary outcomes include children's intake of fruits and vegetables, sugar and fat, and diet quality, with data collected over three years.
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareEconomicsFood educationImportancia de los productos agrícolas del grupo hortofrutícola en la alimentación de poblaciones vulnerables
2017Blanca Rosa Restrepo de Peña, José Elvis Sierra Borras, Nubia Esperanza Suárez Suárez · CITAS · Colombia
This descriptive and interpretive study, using Participatory Action Research with 62 randomly sampled families in Loma Linda neighborhood, Soacha, Colombia, investigated urban agriculture's role in addressing food needs and improving family income. The study identified an extremely poor population with an average family income of 252,000 pesos, 49.9% aged 60+, 70% with primary education, and 30% illiteracy. Analysis showed that 50% of basic fruit and vegetable needs could be met through rudimentary but efficient community urban agriculture, leading to the production of family consumption products and commercializable surpluses.
WelfareEconomicsFood educationCommunityFor the Love of Land and People: An Evaluation of The Food Project as an Empowering Youth Development Program
2017Emily Walls · DigitalCommons-Macalester (Macalester College) · United States (Boston)
The Food Project, a youth development and urban agriculture organization in the Greater Boston area, demonstrates effective empowerment by successfully creating safe spaces, engaging youth in meaningful work, and providing them with confidence and skills to effect change. This study analyzed program structures through youth experiences to evaluate empowerment and personal growth.
Food educationCommunityWelfare“ECOBLUE”:KONSEP KOMBINASI IMPLEMENTASI RUANG TERBUKA BIRU (RTB) DAN URBAN FARMING BERBASIS KESEJAHTERAAN, PENDIDIKAN DAN KESEHATAN MASYARAKAT KAMPUNG CODE
2017Nur Faizah Marwan, Bagas Setiono, Nur Indah · Jurnal Ilmiah Penalaran dan Penelitian Mahasiswa · Indonesia
Code Village in Indonesia faces severe river pollution, with heavy metal levels at 6-9 mg/l, exceeding the 3 mg/l standard. This paper proposes the "ECOBLUE" concept, which combines Blue Open Space (BOS) optimization with urban farming, prioritizing waste management to improve living standards. The concept involves managing organic waste for fertilizer and recycling plastic for vertical gardens, aiming to enhance health, education, and prosperity in Code Village.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareCompostOrganic cycleAdditional file 3: of Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK): An innovative community supported agriculture intervention to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies
2017Rebecca Seguin, Emily Morgan, Karla Hanson, Alice Ammerman, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Florence Becot, Leah Connor, Jennifer Garner, Jared McGuirt · Figshare · Global
This document compiles publication, presentation, and dissemination guidelines for an innovative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) cost-offset intervention aimed at preventing childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthening local agricultural economies.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsWelfareBarriers and facilitators to healthy eating and disease self-management among older adults residing in subsidized housing
2017Katherine Frances Petroka, Rania Campbell-Bussiere, Dan Dychtwald, Brandy‐Joe Milliron · Nutrition and Health · United States (Philadelphia)
This 2017 qualitative study in Philadelphia, USA, investigated barriers and facilitators to healthy eating among 24 low-income seniors (65-75 years old) in subsidized housing, which included a community garden and food pantry. Personal barriers included food cost, physical limitations, and low self-efficacy, while external barriers involved lack of transportation and market distance. Facilitators focused on food preparation, and participants expressed interest in community nutrition programming.
HealthElderlyCommunityWelfareImpact of Urban Expansion on the Livelihood of Peri- Urban Agricultural Community: Case of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia
2017Paulos Lukas · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Ethiopia
This study investigated the effects of urban expansion on the livelihood of 100 dislocated farming households in Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia, using household surveys, group discussions, and interviews. The findings indicate that the implemented expansion program was not participatory, marginalized the farming community, and excluded youth and women from compensation schemes. The dislocation program was not rehabilitative and negatively affected the livelihood of the dislocated farming community.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsWelfarePengembangan Urban Farming Berdasarkan Preferensi Masyarakat Kecamatan Semampir Kota Surabaya
2017Nadia Belinda, Dian Rahmawati · Jurnal Teknik ITS · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This study in Semampir District, Surabaya City, Indonesia, aimed to develop urban farming based on community preferences. It identified potentials and problems using theoretical descriptive techniques, identified community preferences using confirmatory factor analysis, and formulated development directions using qualitative descriptive analysis. The study found that urban farming activities in Semampir District had not developed optimally due to the suboptimal role of the community and local institutions.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareRelying on urban gardens for survival within the building of a modern city in Colombia.
2017Colleen Hammelman · CABI eBooks · Colombia
In Medellín, Colombia, displaced women utilize urban gardens as a survival strategy amidst food insecurity and tenuous support from local government. Urban planning permits these gardens under the guise of supporting displaced families, but also for preserving open space and halting the growth of informal settlements. This chapter provides a clear example of how urban planning impacts the critical survival strategy of growing food.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityPolicySocial Impact through Design: Experiments in Urban Agriculture
2017Sallie Hambright-Belue, Martin J. Holland · The Plan Journal · United States (South Carolina)
Students from Clemson University's School of Architecture and Department of Landscape Architecture collaborated with the local non-profit "Feed & Seed" in West Greenville, South Carolina, to develop urban agriculture solutions. Addressing issues in a "Food Desert" (an area without access to fresh foods), students focused on food hubs, food cycles, education, and social cohesion to promote economic equity, community building, and social justice. This work explored the role of designers in creating solutions for fractured neighborhoods, cities, and regions.
CommunityFood educationWelfareEconomicsThe contribution of smallholder irrigated urban agriculture towards household food security in Harare, Zimbabwe.
2017Never Mujere · CABI eBooks · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This case study in Harare City, Zimbabwe, examined an urban irrigated agriculture project's contribution to household food security and poverty alleviation, including crop types, productivity, and farmer challenges. It found that while urban irrigated smallholder agriculture contributes to livelihoods, numerous socio-economic factors impede greater participation. Furthermore, some participants withdrew due to security threats from perceived political affiliations.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsPolicyCultivating belonging: refugees, urban gardens, and placemaking in the Midwest, U.S.A.
2017Christopher Strunk, Margaret Richardson · Social & Cultural Geography · United States (Midwest)
This paper explores how refugee gardeners and local officials in a small Midwestern U.S. city use and experience urban gardens, identifying three aspects: the material garden, the imagined garden, and the community’s garden. It argues that refugee agricultural practices challenge traditional understandings of nature and urban planning, promoting inclusive understandings of agriculture, cities, and sustainability.
CommunityWelfarePolicyPERAN URBAN FARMING RUMAH ZAKAT DALAM PEMBERDAYAAN EKONOMI MASYARAKAT DI KAMPUNG SAYURAN ORGANIK NGEMPLAK SUTAN KOTA SURAKARTA
2017Rifa Dianmurti, Lathoif Ghozali · el-Qist Journal of Islamic Economics and Business (JIEB) · Indonesia (Surakarta)
This study analyzed the role of Rumah Zakat's urban farming in community economic empowerment in Ngemplak Sutan Organic Vegetable Village, Surakarta City, Indonesia, using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data was collected through observation, documentation, and direct interviews with empowerment facilitators from Rumah Zakat and the head of the community self-help group. The urban farming activities resulted in the formation of the Organic Vegetable Village program through independent nutritional gardens, the establishment of the Kahuripan vegetable seed cooperative, the formation of women farmer groups, and waste bank management by village residents.
CommunityEconomicsOrganic cycleWelfarePrinciple-Centred Therapy (PCT): The Future for Therapeutic Interventions?
2017Muzammil H. Syed, Umair Majid, Reda Siddiqui · · Global
This paper proposes that community garden ventures could offer a solution for vulnerable populations struggling with mental well-being in isolation. Through gardening and acquiring agricultural techniques, participants would engage in Principle-Centred Therapy, aiming to guide individuals from dependence to independence and interdependence. Agricultural output would be sold in markets, contributing to community resilience by integrating isolated members and enhancing overall economic vitality.
CommunityHealthWelfareEconomicsViele Orte überall: Care-Logik in alternativen Projekten und Potentiale von Gegenmacht
2017Christa Wichterich · Feministische Studien · Global
This essay explores the transformative potential of caring and commoning in alternative projects such as community agriculture and urban gardening. While these self-organized experiments develop caring practices towards nature and humans, their transformative impact on society is limited. This limitation stems from unintended mechanisms of social or racist exclusion, or from appropriation by the municipality or the state.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyAgricultura urbana: espacio de encuentro entre procesos de educación no formales y la comunicación para el cambio social (CPCS)
2017Lorena Meneses · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia (Palmira)
In 2015, Pontificia Bolivariana University implemented the 'Environmental Education' project in Palmira, Colombia. This project aimed to offer an alternative means of food acquisition for children at Fundación Hogar Divino Niño and identify plants usable on the land to minimize negative environmental impact and promote food sovereignty. Although conceived from an agricultural perspective, it became a participatory scenario where non-formal education and communication for social change played a role in uniting a community around a common good.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunity Gardens as Health Promoters: Effects on Mental and Physical Stress Levels in Adults with and without Mental Disabilities
2017Nugrahaning Sani Dewi, Masakazu Komatsuzaki, Yuriko Yamakawa, Hiromi Takahashi, Shibanuma Saori, Takeshi Yasue, Tsuyoshi Okayama, Atsushi Toyoda, Hikari Shimonishi, Sei‐Ichi Sasaki · Sustainability · Global
This study investigated the psychological and physical effects of stress from various intensity community garden activities on adults with and without mental disabilities (n=42 for psychological analysis, n=13 for physical assessment). After activities, the group with mental disabilities showed decreased salivary α-amylase levels while the control group showed increased levels, but both groups exhibited lower stress response scale (SRS-18) results. The group with mental disabilities had a significantly lower increase in heart rate ratio during low-intensity work but a significantly higher increase during high-intensity work, and experienced significantly higher fatigue during high-intensity work.
CommunityHealthWelfareCultivating an Alternative Paradigm in Urban Areas to Achieve Greater Food Certainty in The United States
2017Owen Beatty · ScholarsArchive at Johnson & Wales University (Johnson & Wales University) · United States
This study analyzed food insecurity in the United States, focusing on populations below the poverty threshold. It found that large-scale agricultural production has led to "food deserts" isolated from affordable, quality food. Urban agriculture, by localizing production, was identified as a viable resource and potential solution for individuals experiencing hunger and those in food deserts.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsPolicyUrban agriculture, dietary diversity and child health in a sample of Tanzanian town folk
2017Natascha Wagner, Luca Tasciotti · Canadian Journal of Development Studies/Revue canadienne d études du développement · Tanzania
This study explores the link between urban agriculture, dietary diversity, and child health in urban Tanzania, using weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores. Utilizing two rounds of observational data for urban Tanzania and an instrumental variables estimation approach, the research shows that practicing urban agriculture leads to the consumption of a greater variety of food items, and the health status of urban children living in households practicing urban agriculture significantly improves in both the short and long term.
HealthWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAdults and Children in Low-Income Households that Participate in Cost-Offset Community Supported Agriculture Have High Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
2017Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Weiwei Wang, Emily H. Morgan, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Alice S. Ammerman, Marilyn Sitaker, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Nutrients · United States
This study surveyed 41 adults and children (2-12 years) in August 2015 and 23 in February 2016 from low-income households participating in a 50% subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in the United States. Participants' fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) was higher than US averages, and they more frequently met vegetable recommendations. While some seasonal produce was consumed more often when locally in-season, causality between CO-CSA participation and FVI could not be inferred due to potential self-selection bias.
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justice‘La doble condición’: landmine victims, forced displacement, and disability in Colombia’s Magdalena Medio
2017Max Counter · Social & Cultural Geography · Colombia (Magdalena Medio)
Based on fieldwork with internally displaced landmine victims in Colombia's Magdalena Medio region, this research highlights how the intersection between physical impairment and forced displacement produces disabling spatial imaginaries of fear and painfully embodied rhythms of daily life. The paper draws attention to urban agricultural projects' enabling potential to produce grounding rhythms of labor for landmine victims.
WelfareCommunityHealthSchool Children’s Intestinal Parasite and Nutritional Status One Year after Complementary School Garden, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions in Burkina Faso
2017Séverine Erismann, Serge Diagbouga, Christian Schindler, Peter Odermatt, Astrid M. Knoblauch, Jana Gerold, Andrea Leuenberger, Akina Shrestha, Grissoum Tarnagda, Jürg Utzinger, Guéladio Cissé · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · Burkina Faso
A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso, involving 360 children aged 8-15, assessed the impact of school garden, nutrition, and WASH interventions on intestinal parasites and nutritional status. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections significantly decreased in intervention schools compared to control schools (OR = 0.2), and safe handwashing and latrine use improved. However, indices of undernutrition and water quality parameters did not decrease or change in intervention schools.
Food educationHealthWelfare