Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9077 results(286 / 364)
Let it grow: urban gardens and food access in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2014Katherine Luke · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) · United States (Pittsburgh)
This study used a door-to-door survey in six Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhoods to measure the impact of community gardens on residents' perceptions of food access. It found that many gardeners do not consider gardening to improve their personal food security, and despite geographic proximity and expressed interest, community garden participation rates were low. Social and emotional barriers, including lack of gardening knowledge and racial prejudice, appeared to prevent residents from becoming active participants.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfare도시농업 공간 확보를 위한 도시계획관련 제도 개선 방안
2014최정석 · 환경정책 · South Korea
This research from South Korea identifies legal and institutional problems in securing space for urban agriculture, noting that the 2013 Urban Agriculture Promotion and Support Act has not boosted urban agriculture due to a lack of space. The study focuses on urban planning regulations, parks, green areas, the Urban Agriculture Promotion and Support Act, and other related policies to suggest solutions for these issues.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityRecreational use and health functions of allotments gardens in the Katowice conurbation, Poland
2014Edward Duś · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Poland
This analysis examines the recreational use of allotment gardens in the industrial Katowice conurbation, Silesia, southern Poland, considering their historical development. Allotment gardens serve as a primary base for recreation for their owners, offering both physical activities and passive leisure. Recreational use is seasonal and varies daily, influenced by weather and available free time, with socio-economic changes impacting utilization methods and types of recreational use.
CommunityHealthPolicyDoes Organic Command a Premium When the Food is Already Local?
2014Cristina Connolly, H. Allen Klaiber · American Journal of Agricultural Economics · United States
This study used a hedonic model with firm-level prices and CSA characteristics from 453 CSA farms in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania during the summer 2012 growing season to value CSA attributes. Results showed a price premium of approximately 7% for USDA organic certification, though this varied by state, but no premium for competing certified naturally grown programs. CSA farms exhibited little market power and appeared to act competitively.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDecentralised Sanitation and Energy Reuse in the Built Environment
2014Guang Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global
This paper presents a concept for building-integrated decentralized technologies for wastewater and organic waste treatment with energy and nutrient recovery, termed a "sustainable implant," for deep green housing districts. It explores the potentials of integrating solutions for energy and sanitation flows near their origin, linking sanitation to energy and food production. The system layout and dimensioning are explained, noting scale limitations and its application in a unique intentional community, with no other similar urban district-scale projects found worldwide.
Organic cycleCompostClimate changeEizenberg, Efrat. 2013. From the ground up: community gardens in New York City and the politics of spatial transformation. Farnham: Ashgate. Reviewed by Matt W. Murray
2014Matt Murray · Journal of Political Ecology · United States (New York City)
Efrat Eizenberg's book "From the Ground Up" explores New York City's community gardens as spaces that resist the commodification of land. The book details the history of these gardens, including their emergence during the 1970s economic crisis when primarily Black and Hispanic residents transformed vacant land into communal green spaces. As the real estate market recovered in the 1980s, land values increased, and many gardens were threatened by gentrification pressures. Eizenberg analyzes these transformations at individual, collective, and institutional levels, highlighting how gardeners create common spaces, solidify interpersonal ties, and organize to defend their gardens.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsResearch-informed gardening activism: steering the public food and land agenda
2014Chiara Tornaghi, Barbara Van Dyck · Local Environment · United Kingdom
This paper explores the "spheres of influence" and contradictions that shaped the trajectory of the Edible Public Space project in Leeds, UK, drawing on the authors' personal experience. It analyzes the dynamics and contradictions at play in the formation of an urban gardening group stemming from scholarly and committed action ambitions. The study focuses on the role of spatial interventions in fostering social innovation in the public food and land agenda, aiming to capture learning elements for scholarly activism, political gardening, and radical urbanism.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrbane Landwirtschaft in Buenos Aires (Argentinien)
2014Christina Jochum · · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
This study examined the social inclusion potential of urban agriculture, focusing on six community gardens in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It analyzed how urban community gardens can promote social inclusion and identified limiting factors. The research found that urban community gardens in Buenos Aires remain an informal strategy, unrecognized by political authorities. The positive impacts of communal gardening on participants and the community are limited by this lack of recognition and often by associated lack of land use rights.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareMinnesota’s Community Supported Agriculture
2014Alexandra Jeanne Hiniker · Digital Commons - Hamline (Hamline University) · United States
This study surveyed Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Minnesota, asking farm owners and operators about demographics, farm specifics, and marketing practices. Results indicate that Minnesota's CSA community is robust and diverse in its offerings. It was found that face-to-face communication is preferred above all else to support farm activities.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunity supported agriculture in Romania: Is it driven by economy or solidarity?
2014Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Romania
This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania, focusing on costs and benefits for both farmers and consumers in three pioneering CSA groups offering organic vegetables to contracted consumers in the western part of the country. It found that consumers are typically urban dwellers with higher education and income, prioritizing organic-quality fresh products over solidarity, which is a value aspired by the initiating NGO. Farmers' main motivation for CSA involvement is the need for a stable market with fair prices, indicating that both parties use CSA to compensate for market failures.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityHealthAbordagem Complexa e Desenvolvimento Local por meio do Turismo Solidário: o caso da rede “Brasilidade Solidária”
2014Rafael Ângelo Fortunato, Elza Neffa · Revista Turismo em Análise · Brazil
This article reflects on the potential of solidarity tourism for local development, analyzing the "Horta Comunitária do Morro da Coroa" community garden in Brazil. Based on a literature review, phenomenology, and one year of participant observation, the study identified the potential of the "6Vs" of solidarity tourism as pillars for a new concept. It also found that network formation, as proposed, is an important instrument for political action aimed at strengthening local development initiatives.
CommunityEconomicsTowards the Revitalization of Farmer's Markets in Marseille. Wen Citizens Advocate for a Greener City
2014Jean Lagane · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · France
This paper examines the challenges of food provisioning in Marseille due to global food networks and environmental issues like global warming and metropolization. A three-year ethnographic study of the "Marche du Cours Julien" in Marseille explored how citizens revived local farmers' markets and promoted bottom-up ecologization. The study also analyzed the links between the Cours Julien farmers' market, which hosts a French Community-supported agriculture (CSA), and the development of Alternative Food Networks and Short Food Supply Chains.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsResearch on Pre-control Mechanism for Water-saving Irrigation Cost of Coastal Urban Agriculture in Tianjin:A Perspective of Engineering Design Innovation
2014Meng Fan-ru · Jieshui guan'gai · China (Tianjin)
This paper investigates the pre-control mechanism for water-saving irrigation costs in coastal urban agriculture in Tianjin, China, from an engineering design innovation perspective. It analyzes the operational and maintenance cost trends of water-saving facilities and the complexity of water-saving irrigation requirements. The study identifies engineering design innovation as key to cost pre-control and discusses obstacle factors, governance approaches, and the impact of investment and financing models on both fund shortages and cost pre-control.
EconomicsClimate changeSchool food gardens: fertile ground for education
2014Moira Beery, Rachel Adatia, Orsola Segantin, Chantal-Fleur Skaer · Health Education · South Africa (Johannesburg)
This paper examines the role of organic permaculture food gardens established at two schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, over one year, in addressing food insecurity and environmental sustainability. A nutrition study with 68 children found that these gardens can contribute to children's physical, mental, and emotional health, serving as a resource for teachers and learners. The study notes that practical and cultural challenges must be addressed for sustainability, and its findings, based on a one-year assessment at only two sites, may not be universally applicable.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityEvaluation of water conservation service on urban agriculture in Xi’an
2014Chen Shan-sha · Ganhanqu dili · China (Xi'an)
This paper evaluated the water conservation service of Xi'an urban agriculture in 2011, using socioeconomic and geographical data. The total water conserved by urban agriculture was 16.6×10^8m^3, with a monetary value of 1.05×10^8 yuan. Water conservation capacity varied by district, with cropland providing a large proportion of the total value and orchards having the largest per unit area value. The spatial pattern of urban agriculture's water conservation was opposite to that of the urban district, suggesting that urbanization could negatively impact urban agriculture development.
Climate changeEconomicsUrban Agriculture & The Co-Development of Environment, Culture, and Community
2014Heidi Thomas · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · Global
This paper discusses how urban agriculture can repair environmental and sociocultural divisions within urban communities, which often manifest as racial and class barriers. It posits that the convergence of environment and foodways through urban agriculture fosters a culturally democratic co-development process. This process, involving the growing and sharing of food, can sustain existing cultural communities and inspire new forms of community aligned with sustainability.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate change학교폭력 대처를 위한 도시농업 적용방안
2014장진, 오충현 · · South Korea
This study examined the application of urban agriculture's therapeutic properties as a measure against school violence in South Korea. A 2014 survey of 77 middle school students in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, found that 68.8% had plant cultivation experience. Reasons for participating in urban agriculture activities included learning about the value of life and plant cultivation, finding peace and achievement, and socializing with friends. The most needed experiential activities were cognitive (41.6%), emotional (40.3%), and behavioral (36.4%).
Food educationHealthCommunityCommunity Gardens in Zagreb, Croatia: Old/new practices for the local sustainability
2014Lana Slavuj Borčić, Cvitanović Marin, Aleksandar Lukić · · Croatia (Zagreb)
Community gardens have long existed in Zagreb, Croatia, where residents have transformed underused public urban areas into gardens. While these activities largely occurred outside formal government frameworks, the "City Gardens" policy was adopted in 2012 to allocate urban public parcels to interested citizens. This policy increased participation in community gardening, and previous research indicates that community gardens offer multiple benefits and positive impacts on individuals, local communities, and urban spaces.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthBuilding a Better Office of Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Change and Educational Outreach at WKU
2014Andrew Salman · TopSCHOLAR (Western Kentucky University) · United States (Bowling Green)
This research documented the transformation of a house in Bowling Green, KY, into a model sustainability home by the WKU Office of Sustainability as a case study. Using LEED Core Concepts, the study assessed the benefits of weatherization, solar energy array installation, and the conversion of the backyard into an edible landscape and community garden to mitigate stormwater flooding. Procedural and institutional barriers to sustainability initiatives were analyzed, and exceptional results, such as the collaborative community gardening organization Project Grow, were described as a model for other institutions.
CommunityClimate changeFood educationWater Quality and Crop Contamination in Peri-Urban Agriculture
2014Suarau Odutola Oshunsanya, Tolafe Olayinka Adeniran · Agricultura tropica et subtropica · Nigeria (Ibadan)
A field experiment in Ibadan investigated the quality of irrigation water used for dry season vegetable cultivation along Ona-stream. Water samples from five isolated ponds and one locally dug well were analyzed for heavy metal status. Results showed high concentrations of Pb, Cr, and Co in soil from five farms (A-E) near the stream, and isolated pond water also contained Cr, Co, and Pb exceeding safe consumption thresholds. All vegetables irrigated with untreated isolated ponds contained Cd, Pb, and Ni concentrations above maximum permissible standards, posing potential risks to human health.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureAnalysis of Urban Agriculture Development and Carbon Emissions Decoupling Relationship Based on the theory of Decoupling about Tapio Elastic Analysis
2014Zhang Yu-me · Jingji wenti · China (Beijing)
This study analyzed the decoupling relationship between urban agriculture development and carbon emissions in Beijing, China, using the Tapio elastic method. Findings indicate that Beijing maintained agricultural self-sufficiency while carbon emissions decreased annually. The relationship between agricultural economic growth and carbon emissions shifted from recession decoupling to strong decoupling. Livestock, particularly cattle, swine, and poultry, were major carbon sources, suggesting the need for scientific feeding and improved feed conversion rates for sustainable urban agriculture.
Climate changeEconomicsOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageAn undergraduate's experience in interdisciplinary research
2014David R. Koenig · BIOS · United States (Sacramento)
This research project, conducted at the University of California, Davis, aims to understand how elevated soil lead levels may affect urban gardening activities in Sacramento, CA. The study investigates the distribution of soil lead levels in the city and how knowledge of this information impacts the local community. Elevated soil lead levels are identified as a potential barrier to urban gardening.
Contamination & food safetyHealthDIYThe meanwhile lease: enabling temporary community use of vacant property
2013Meanwhile Foundation · Meanwhile Foundation (UK) · Global
The 'meanwhile lease' lets landlords grant short-term use to voluntary groups while keeping ownership and the right to recover the site; an intermediary provides standard contracts and insurance to make interim use legal and smooth.
PolicyCommunitySeed exchange networks for agrobiodiversity conservation. A review
2013Pautasso M., Aistara G., Barnaud A., Caillon S., Clouvel P., Coomes O.T. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global
Reviews concepts, methods, and challenges for understanding farmer seed exchange networks, central to conserving landraces and sustaining agrobiodiversity through informal social and ecological seed systems worldwide.
Heirloom & landraceCommunityBiodiversityGlobal ex-situ crop diversity conservation and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault: assessing the current status
2013Westengen O.T., Jeppson S., Guarino L. · PLOS ONE · Global
Assesses the completeness of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault's safety-duplication collection against the world's ex-situ holdings, quantifying global backup of crop genetic diversity across 156 crop genera.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityPolicy