Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2012 results(28 / 81)
The extinction of experience and (re-)cultivating wellbeing and sustainability through garden-based learning
2022Donald Gray · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
A 2022 paper examined the role of school gardens in addressing children and young people's decreasing experiences with natural environments, increasing mental health concerns, and growing worries about global environmental problems. Drawing on three initiatives from an original pilot school garden program, the paper presents evidence that garden-based learning can positively contribute to improved health and wellbeing, learning, and environmental awareness.
Food educationHealthBiodiversityCommunityThe Specter of Enclosure in School Gardens
2022Graham Slater, Robert G. Unzueta, Clayton Pierce · · Global
This chapter argues that much scholarly literature on school gardens is based on problematic assumptions or ignores histories of violence and dispossession. Without an ecocritical approach, school gardens risk replicating systems of domination, extraction, exploitation, and human supremacy. The authors propose integrating theoretical reflection into emancipatory action within a historical materialist framework to address colonization, land dispossession, labor exploitation, and anthropocentrism.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityPolicyGreening the Virtual Smart City: Accelerating Peer-to-Peer Learning in Urban Agriculture With Virtual Reality Environments
2022Tapan S. Parikh, Sara Perl Egendorf, Isaiah Murray, Ali Jamali, Bryan Yee, Sammi Lin, Kendra Cooper-Smith, Brendan Parker, Koron Smiley, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · United States
This study described the development of virtual reality (VR) platforms to support farmer knowledge transfer and innovation in urban agriculture in the U.S. The platform features a VR model of an organic farm in New York City, detailing farm operations and offering opportunities to integrate educational materials and personal narratives. VR has the potential to accelerate innovations in food justice by transcending the physical constraints of traditional agricultural extension.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceDo Students Gain Scientific Inquiry Knowledge and Practices by Participating in a School Garden Inquiry Unit?
2022Carmen Carrión · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States
This dissertation explored school gardens as an out-of-classroom setting for students to learn and develop their understanding of scientific inquiry and practices. The study found that school gardens can foster learners' abilities to construct real-life associations with science content through engagement, free exploration, and scientific investigation. This research also created curriculum and assessment tools for use in conjunction with school garden settings.
Food educationCommunity幼児は雪が積もった園庭のどこで活発に遊ぶのか？
2022厚 板谷, 大輔 野上, 公文 佐藤 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Asahikawa)
This study, involving 20 preschool children from one kindergarten in Asahikawa city, Japan, examined how diversifying snow surfaces in a school garden affected physical activity intensity during winter outdoor play. Five trials were conducted in December and January-February. Activity intensity in snowy mountains was more prominent in the December control trial (less snow) than in the January-February experimental trials, but various play promotions increased activity in rough snow.
Food educationHealthEnablers and Barriers of Community Garden Use in New Orleans, Louisiana: An Environmental Assessment and Qualitative Analysis
2022Julie Cornfield, Harmonii Odinga, Jaleh Kermani, Katherine P. Theall, M. Pia Chaparro · American Journal of Health Promotion · United States (New Orleans)
An environmental assessment of 10 community gardens and interviews with 20 community members and administrators in New Orleans, Louisiana, explored factors affecting garden use. Gardens scored high in design and cleanliness but low in accessibility and information availability. While community members perceived gardens could increase fresh food access, administrators believed gardens could not produce enough food for community-wide impact, emphasizing social benefits instead.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationWelfarePotensi Desa Pulutan
2022Stephani Rangga Larasati · Jurnal Atma Inovasia · Indonesia
The group service program 52 Period 79 identified Pulutan Village's potential in agricultural, processing industry, and natural tourism aspects, alongside a pocketbook program on cassava chips production and distribution. The program's outcomes, including e-books and videos, align with the village's mission to foster a competitive, advanced, independent, and prosperous society. This initiative aims to enhance citizen productivity, broaden insights, and support resident welfare through urban farming, agritourism, and processed food innovations.
CommunityWelfareFood educationImplementation of urban farming as a part of the national movement for mental revolution
2022Rayhan Ramadhani, Sarah Natalia, Faurica Nurul Syifa, Maulida Asha Sabilla, Arya Prayoga, Moch. Imron Rosyidi · Community Empowerment · Indonesia
In Bromo Hamlet, Kalinegoro Village, Indonesia, the KKN GNRM program on urban farming was held to maintain food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program aimed to provide knowledge, insight, and experience to boost organic vegetable production on narrow land through hydroponic training. The KKN GNRM increased public awareness of urban farming and hydroponics as a source of food security during the pandemic.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationDIYSystematization of the Environmental Educational Experience: The Home/School Garden as a Strategy to Address Food Security in the Post-COVID-19 Confinement School
2022Claudia Marcela Puerto Layton · Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education · Colombia
This article reports the systematization of an experience with home/school gardens in an educational institution in Bogotá, involving high school students (seventh and eighth grades) in face-to-face and remote modalities. Results include the reconstruction of the strategy and didactic process, highlighting aspects that affect or support the educational process in each modality. Reflections with students indicated that while home gardens can contribute to food security, pesticides can pose a risk to food security in Colombia.
Contamination & food safetyFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityPROGRAM PENGABDIAN MASYARAKAT SEKOLAH TANI MILENIAL DI SMA WIJAYA PUTRA KOTA SURABAYA
2022Dwiyana Anela Kurniasari, Siti Alimah, Didik Daryanto, Yusuf Baunsele, Summarningsih Summarningsih · Prosiding Konferensi Nasional Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dan Corporate Social Responsibility (PKM-CSR) · Indonesia (Surabaya)
To address declining millennial interest in agriculture at SMA WIJAYA PUTRA in Surabaya, a Millennial Farmer School program was implemented to provide education and guidance on hydroponic urban farming. The program utilized education, training, mentoring, and evaluation methods. Results showed that 80% of students developed an interest in hydroponic cultivation, and 84% acquired hydroponic cultivation skills.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureChildren’s Attentional Processes in Outdoor and Indoor Environments: The Role of Physiological Self-Regulation
2022Lucia Masón, Benedetta Zagni, Francesca Bacchin, Carlotta Frison, Sara Scrimin · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
This study investigated the effects of indoor (classroom) and outdoor (green school garden) environments on attentional processes in 42 third and fourth-grade children, considering emotion and physiological self-regulation (heart rate variability). Children were less distracted by negative emotional materials when presented with an outdoor background and showed greater selective and sustained attention in the green environment compared to the classroom. Sustained attention also varied in relation to physiological self-regulation, but only when performing the task indoors.
HealthFood educationThe Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children
2022Mona Khalil, Carolyn Bolton‐Moore · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States
This study investigated whether a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) program increased skin carotenoid scores, a measure of vegetable consumption, in 30 diverse, low-income children aged 6–13 at two Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston in fall 2021. While individual skin carotenoid scores increased in 43% of participants and group averages showed an upward trend, these changes were not statistically significant. Height and weight increased significantly, and 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested.
Food educationHealthWelfareGrowing Opportunities for Equitable, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Food Systems Education: A Review of Food Systems Education at Land-Grant Institutions and Development of Open-Access Materials
2022Emily H. Belarmino, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah C. Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared T. McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
In response to critiques regarding the narrowness of food systems education at US land-grant institutions, this study developed four evidence-informed, interdisciplinary, equity-oriented, open-access teaching modules. These modules were created based on a multi-site, multi-year investigation of subsidized community supported agriculture and a survey of 66 instructors at land-grant institutions about instructional material needs. Instructors reported case studies, lesson plans with active learning, and reference lists of peer-reviewed publications as most helpful.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiWelfareCommunityRedefining the role of young farmers: participatory action youth-led urban agriculture
2022Nicholas DeMarsh · International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy · Global
This research, conducted from a youth educator's perspective, used participatory action research (PAR) in youth urban agriculture education to illustrate the impact of young people shaping community-based programs. Findings showed that youth-led programming creates new processes and educational opportunities, strengthening program outcomes by engaging students in interesting ways. Practical implications include opportunities for social network bonding via farm stands and challenges in social network bridging through Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs).
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiWelfarePendampingan Pokdarwis Agrowidyawisata dalam Konsep Penataan Ruang Wisata Rajabasa Jaya, Kota Bandar Lampung
2022Yunita Kesuma, Citra Persada, M. Shubhi Yuda Wibawa · Jurnal Pengabdian Dharma Wacana · Indonesia (Bandar Lampung)
This community service activity provided assistance to the Agrowidyawisata Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) in Rajabasa Jaya, Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia, to address the underutilization of the Agrowidyawisata Sinar Harapan village as an urban agriculture educational tourism area, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods included interviews, questionnaires, site surveys, spatial analysis, and discussions with Pokdarwis to identify facility needs and define spatial arrangement concepts. The assistance enabled Pokdarwis to develop ideas for village arrangement based on thematic tourism potential, plan culinary markets, create tourist routes for small plots, and establish a communal space in a former workshop for gathering and marketing.
Food educationEconomicsCommunityA garden's place in critical food systems education
2022K. Michelle Glowa · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (California)
This paper reflects on the engagement between Mexican and Salvadorian farmers at the Beach Flats Garden in Santa Cruz, California, and local educational institutions. It discusses the garden's role in critical food system education, highlighting its function as a space of resistance to gentrification in a competitive land market. The garden provides examples of noncapitalist exchanges and decolonial foodways, emphasizing traditional agroecological knowledge.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsEvaluation of the implementation of Hydroponic Training in Order to Support the Urban Farming program in the City of Surabaya
2022Sri Tjondro Winarno · Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This study evaluated the effectiveness of hydroponic training implemented in Surabaya City, using descriptive qualitative analysis and a 5-point Likert scale survey for all participants. The evaluation results showed that 94.12% of the implementation met "good" criteria and 5.88% met "very good" criteria. It was concluded that this training is highly effective in supporting the urban farming program in Surabaya.
Food educationCommunityPolicyMathematical and Experimental Science Education from the School Garden: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice
2022Lidón Monferrer, Gil Lorenzo Valentín, María Santágueda Villanueva · Education Sciences · Global
This literature review analyzed 21 studies to explore the combination of curricular mathematics with experimental science content in school gardens. The review categorized studies by research tools, curricular content, impact, participant ages, project duration, and garden cultivation. The main finding was a lack of a clear research line linking school gardens, experimental sciences, and mathematics, with a scant presence of studies in this interdisciplinary context.
Food educationHealth"What we raise ourselves": Growing food sovereignty in the Mississippi Delta
2022Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Ryan Betz · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study used the concept of food sovereignty to assess the level of local control over food production, distribution, and consumption in the Mississippi Delta. Research involved site visits, participant observation, focus groups, and surveys of communities affiliated with the Delta EATS public school garden program. Findings demonstrated low levels of food sovereignty, though high levels of agency and ingenuity in accessing desired foods were observed.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationPolicyCommunity Gardens
2022Stephanie Ross · · Global
This paper explores various needs that community gardens seem poised to meet, such as education, community activism, individual growth, and enhancement, offering a balanced assessment of their likely success. It considers large-scale indoor hydroponic farming as a potential remedy for many of the social ills that community gardens address.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationWelfareUrban Farming Generasi Milenial Karang Taruna Dusun Walang Sukoharjo
2022Novian Wely Asmoro, Sri Hartati, Agustina Intan Niken Tari, Purwanto Purwanto, Muhammad Fathul Anwar · Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Sukoharjo)
In Dusun Walang, Sukoharjo, Indonesia, community service activities introduced urban farming to millennial generation members of a youth organization to increase their interest in agriculture. The activities involved counseling and practice on urban farming concepts, household waste management, and verticulture. Evaluation using pretest, posttest, and practice assessment showed 93% partner involvement and an 85% increase in understanding of urban farming cultivation, from an initial 54% to 100% after the activity.
Food educationDIYCompostCommunityDo Radishes and Carrots Grow in a Bunch? Students’ Knowledge about the Growth of Food Plants and Their Ideas of a School Garden Design
2022Felix Hellinger, Dorothee Benkowitz, Petra Lindemann‐Matthies · Education Sciences · Global
Students' knowledge about the growth of food plants and their ideas for school garden design were investigated among 2107 fifth and sixth graders (mean age 12.3 years). About 40% of students believed carrots and radishes grow in underground bunches, and nearly 50% thought kohlrabi also grows underground. Girls performed better than boys, and increasing age and gardening experience had a positive effect on answers.
Food educationClimate changeBiodiversityThe Implementation of the Project "Camp School-Garden" for Indigenous Peoples' Children of the North (Results of Monitoring in 2022)
2022Artur Amirovich Galyamov · Социодинамика · Russia
This article presents preliminary sociological monitoring results from 2022 for the "Camp School-garden" pilot project, aimed at primary education for indigenous children in remote areas of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. While positive indicators like satisfaction with educational services were noted, the study also identified less positive and negative indicators, including inconsistent internet quality and differing opinions on distance learning organization, which require consideration for future project implementation.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityWelfareFeeding the City and Making the Revolution: Women and Urban Agriculture in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)
2022Marta Camps‐Calvet, Santiago Gorostiza, David Saurı́ · Antipode · Spain (Barcelona)
This study examined social reproduction practices surrounding food in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. Core findings informed the role of women in food provision and production through individual subsistence agriculture, involvement in Barcelona’s anarcho-syndicalist agricultural collective, and participation in agriculture education and training programs. The research was based on original archival data, historical press, and interviews with witnesses of the war.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationWelfareSustainability Recommendations and Practices in School Feeding: A Systematic Review
2022Emanuele Batistela dos Santos, Dayanne da Costa Maynard, Renata Puppin Zandonadi, António Raposo, Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho · Foods · Global
This systematic review, including 50 studies, examined sustainability recommendations in school feeding policies and practices adopted in schools globally. Frequently cited practices included school gardens and sustainability education activities. Recommendations often focused on purchasing sustainable food, nutrition education, and reducing food waste, highlighting the need for managers to prioritize sustainability education in curricula.
Food educationCommunityPolicyClimate change