Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
7626 results(289 / 306)
‘Dig In’ to Social Capital: Community Gardens as Mechanisms for Growing Urban Social Connectedness
2006Jonathan Kingsley, Mardie Townsend · Urban Policy and Research · Australia (Melbourne)
A small qualitative study of members of the 'Dig In' community garden in Melbourne, Australia, explored the social capital benefits of urban community gardens. The study found that garden membership offers benefits such as increased social cohesion, social support, and social connections. However, these benefits do not necessarily extend beyond the garden setting, especially in the early stages of development.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthCities farming for the future : urban agriculture for green and productive cities
2006R. van Veenhuizen · Issue Lab (Candid) · Global
This publication defines urban agriculture as growing plants and raising animals for food within and around cities, along with related processing and marketing. It notes increased attention from development organizations and authorities in developing countries due to urban agriculture's role in poverty alleviation, food security, waste management, and greening. The work presents the "state of the art" of sustainable urban agriculture development, indicating progress since earlier major publications.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeThe No. 1 Ladies' Poultry Farm: A feminist political ecology of urban agriculture in Botswana
2006Alice J. Hovorka · Gender Place & Culture · Botswana
This research draws on a feminist political ecology perspective to demonstrate that agrarian restructuring and rural-urban transformation in Botswana offer women opportunities to renegotiate their marginalized positionality within the commercial urban agricultural sector in Greater Gaborone. Men and women participate in equal numbers, and both perceive this sector as offering new and accessible avenues for economic and social advancement. Although there is continuity of women's social and economic disadvantage relative to men from rural to urban contexts, women are actively making claims on land and capitalizing on their traditional roles and responsibilities associated with poultry production.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceReview of 'Food + the City'
2006Paul Knox Clarke · Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University) · Global
This is a review of the AD special edition focusing on the relationship between food, the city, and urbanism. It discusses concepts such as markets, community gardens, Asian cities, food mapping, and historical precedents.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsAgricultura urbana en Ciego de Ávila. El caso del municipio montañoso de Florencia
2006Ángela Borroto, Águeda C. Arencibia, J.L. López, Liliam J. Leyva, Carlos Mazorra, Gladys E. Dopico, R. Maurelo, A. Caraballoso · Pastos y forrajes · Cuba (Florencia)
This two-year study characterized animal production in urban agriculture in Florencia municipality, Cuba, by examining 32 randomly selected household backyards across two popular councils. Findings showed that 85% of households involved family members of all ages, with backyard animal rearing serving as a supplementary activity rather than a primary livelihood. Traditional management methods and local resources predominated in feeding practices, contributing 18% to the municipal family basket's protein needs and over 1 kg of protein per capita annually, thus potentially enhancing food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsGendering the Urban Agriculture Agenda 1
2006Alice J. Hovorka, Damell Smith, R. van Veenhuizen · · Global
This article argues that a gendered perspective on urban food security is essential to understand dynamics shaping food production and marketing in urban centers. It highlights that failing to explore women's distinct roles risks leaving gender inequities and food supply hindrances unaddressed, countering the invisibility of women's work often assumed as automatic domestic duties. The article emphasizes women's significant role in domestic food supply, even in societies with minimal household food production, citing examples like Latin American women organizing to address urban hunger.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareMalaria Prevention in Kigali Community Gardens: A Case Study of Community Health Volunteers
2006Kigumure Buhindwa · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Rwanda (Kigali)
This study investigated malaria prevention activities in Kigali community gardens, Rwanda, through Community Health Volunteers (CHVs). A mixed-method approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, collected data on CHV activities and health outcomes. CHVs conducted weekly health screenings, reaching approximately 80% of the targeted population, and malaria prevalence dropped by 25% after six months. However, challenges included limited resources and inadequate training for CHVs, indicating that sustained support and additional training are necessary for long-term impact.
Governance failureHealthCommunityUso de las aguas residuales para el riegode cultivos agrícolas, en la agricultura urbana
2006Astrid Mendez, Paulo Cseri Ricardo, P Jeny Pérez, Callejas Hernández, Osvaldo Campos · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba
This introductory study in Arroyo Naranjo municipality, Cuba, examined the use of Luyanó effluent wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. The wastewater was classified as low contamination based on BOD5 and COD values and posed no toxic contamination risk to soil or environment. However, it should not be used without prior treatment for direct consumption crops due to its microbial load. Experimental plots with carrot, radish, and marigold showed high agricultural yields, and radish harvests had no bacterial contamination.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthCommunityThe role of collaborative community supported agriculture: Lessons from Iowa
2006Corene M. Bregendahl, Cornelia Butler Flora · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States
In Iowa communities, collaborative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) serves as a business incubator for new growers and helps existing growers expand and diversify. This model offers various benefits to the communities it serves.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsAgricultura urbana e peri-urbana em Campinas/SP : analise do Programa de Hortas Comunitarias como subsidio para politicas publicas
2006Juliana Arruda, Nilson Antonio Modesto Arraes · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Campinas)
A 2005 study in Campinas, Brazil, analyzed the city's Community Garden Program (PHC) to support the formulation of new urban and peri-urban agriculture policies. Analysis of PHC management revealed an almost total disengagement between the program and sectoral policies such as education, health, and social action. However, individual actions were found to be important for project implementation and success, and the projects were significant in the lives of beneficiaries.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood educationHealthStudent and New Farmer Education to Support the Growth of Organic Farming
2006John A. Biernbaum · Crop Management · United States
This presentation was part of a USDA conference session exploring the expansion of education infrastructure in organic agriculture. The student-oriented presentation described target student audiences, outlined example curricular content for organic farming, identified K-12 education programs benefiting from organic farming content, listed sources of organic farming information, and detailed university student farming programs, specifically the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm (MSU-SOF) CSA program.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiCommunityOrganic cycleDevelopment, Power and Movements: A Comparative Case Study of Communities and Empowerment
2006Lisa Patterson · Scholarly Commons (University of Pennsylvania) · United States
This comparative case study uses ethnographic fieldwork to analyze the Urban Nutrition Initiative and a community-supported agricultural garden in the United States. It describes the organizational foundations of development agencies within a public policy framework and discusses power relationships between advocates and clientele in social service networks. The study demonstrates that power transitions in development schemes indicate social movements, which are defined as markers of successful strategies through a community empowerment model.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceSustaining Urban Agriculture Requires the Involvement of Multiple Stakeholders 1
2006Marielle Dubbeling, Gunther Merzthal, R. van Veenhuizen · · Global
Urban agriculture is a dynamic concept encompassing diverse production, processing, and marketing systems for food and non-food products. It operates within varied resource situations, including both scarce and abundant land or water, and under policy environments that can either hinder or support its development.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityRevisión bibliográfica. La agricultura urbana y caracterización de sus sistemas productivos y sociales, como vía para la seguridad alimentaria en nuestras ciudades
2006Loracnis Hernández · Cultivos Tropicales · Cuba
This study reviews the emergence and development of urban agriculture worldwide and in Cuba, aiming to solve problems related to increasing quality of life and food security in growing cities. It also delves into participatory methodologies to characterize and train rural communities on topics related to the technological management of their productive systems and how to enhance the use of agricultural biodiversity.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageCurrent Situation and Development of Urban Gardening Plant in Nanyang
2006Pang Zhen-ling · Anhui nongye kexue · China (Nanyang)
This paper investigates the resources of urban gardening plants in Nanyang, China. It summarizes the current situation of these plant resources and proposes reasonable suggestions for the further design of greening spaces in Nanyang.
CommunityBiodiversityPolicyIntegration and Coordination: Keys to Success in California Farm to School Programs
2006Rainbow A. Vogt, Lucía Kaiser, Robert B. Rucker · The FASEB Journal · United States (California)
A study involving 28 school food service directors and 20 stakeholders in California explored interest in purchasing local produce. Directors were motivated by fresher food, supporting the local economy, and aiding California farms, but faced barriers such as lack of producers, seasonal availability, budget, convenience, facilities, and transportation. The study concluded that program expansion and long-term viability depend on a coordinated produce distribution network between farms and schools, and the integration of nutrition education and school gardens into the core curriculum.
Food educationCommunityPeri-urban agricultureEconomics도시농업의 인식 및 가치평가에 관한 연구
2006장동헌, 소순열, 유찬주 · 지역사회연구 · Global
This study investigated urban residents' perceptions of urban agriculture and their willingness to pay for its conservation. Residents prioritized urban agriculture's value as a landscape green zone and for intergenerational inheritance. Regarding conservation, more respondents favored using urban agriculture for other purposes through external expansion, preferring environmentally friendly development via experience programs. The willingness to pay a fund for urban agriculture conservation was 39.6%, with an estimated monthly average of 2,623 won per household.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood educationDiabetes on the Navajo nation: what role can gardening and agriculture extension play to reduce it?
2006Kevin Lombard, Sue Forster-Cox, Dan Smeal, M. K. O’Neill · Rural and Remote Health · United States
This article reviews the development of diabetes on the Navajo Nation, a serious health problem correlated with income, poor diet, and limited physical exercise. It explores the potential role of home and community gardening in diabetes reduction, building on the Navajo tradition of farming. The benefits identified include locally grown nutritious food, physical activity from gardening, income savings or sales, and positive mental outlook. The article proposes a multidisciplinary approach involving public health officials, nutritionists, and horticultural extension agents.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceLa Gestión del Hábitat Articulada a Iniciativas Productivas para los Sectores de Bajos Recursos en Rosario (Argentina).
2006Marcelo Salgado, Sabrina Cáceres, Marta Basuino, Nora Gancedo, Claudio Vizia, Sebastián Rodríguez, Laura Gurría · Revista INVI · Argentina (Rosario)
This paper focuses on social housing projects connected with productive undertakings for low-income sectors in Rosario, Argentina, developed through the articulation of various social actors. Productive initiatives, supported by municipal organisms, emerged to alleviate unemployment due to the past decade's crisis and poverty in slums. The research is oriented to formulate recommendations for the participating management of social housing and its articulation with productive undertakings.
WelfareEconomicsPolicyCommunityA COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMMUNITY GARDEN SYSTEMS IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR ROLE IN CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
2006James T Larson · Arboricultural Journal · Global
This comparative study explores the benefits and key features of German allotment gardens and American community gardens, with a view to their possible implementation into inner city derelict and brownfield regeneration in the UK and other countries. The study considers whether community gardens have a role in helping to create sustainable communities that positively impact the negative social, economic, and environmental issues associated with derelict sites in inner city neighborhoods.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageGrowing a Garden of Access, Opportunity and Healing: The Voices of Eugene’s Community Gardens
2006Eleanor Gordon · · United States (Eugene)
This abstract poetically describes the Willamette River as central to the community of Eugene, defining its development and serving as a place for people to gather, reflect, and connect with nature. It emphasizes the importance of oral history and community engagement, including working in community gardens, as a common good. The river is portrayed as a collective memory, reflecting its historical and current significance to people.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceCenso de agricultores urbanos de la zona metropolitana de Montevideo: desafíos para los programas de la Universidad de la República y del Municipio de Montevideo
2006M. García de Souza, J. Álvarez, J. P. Dieste, M. Rachetti · Agrociencia · Uruguay (Montevideo)
The first census of urban gardens in the Montevideo metropolitan area was conducted in early 2004, revealing that residents initiated gardens in response to economic and social crises. The findings indicated that most ventures were family-organized, triggered by the 2002 crisis, and primarily aimed at self-consumption. Community ventures by non-family groups were also identified, and while productive practices showed strengths like high biodiversity and self-produced seeds/organic fertilizer use, unresolved issues included poor equipment, precarious land tenure, and lack of irrigation water sources.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareNourishing with drip irrigation : drip irrigation
2006Carol Posthumus · SA Irrigation = SA Besproeiing · South Africa
An Agricultural Research Council (ARC) project focuses on bringing lower cost and water-saving alternative irrigation technologies to smallholder farmers and community gardens. The initiative aims to establish and describe best management and operation practices for these technologies to reduce costs and conserve water. This research targets areas with water scarcity but existing irrigation access.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justice공동체 정원 활성화를 위한 교육프로그램
2006최영애, Deamim Oh, Youjin Jang, 윤수희, 허북구 · · Global
This study aimed to develop a leader training program for activating community gardens, which are seen as an alternative to contemporary societal issues. While community gardens have been successfully utilized in Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.A., attempts at settlement in Korea have failed. The developed program focuses on horticultural information and practical experience, recognizing participation and conversation as key factors for success.
CommunityFood educationPolicyFarmers’ and Consumers’ Beliefs About Community-Supported Agriculture in Australia: A Qualitative Study
2006Emma Lea, Jodi Phillips, Madeleine Ward, Anthony Worsley · Ecology of Food and Nutrition · Australia (Victoria)
This qualitative study interviewed 20 consumers and 12 farmers in Victoria, Australia, to examine their knowledge, perceived benefits, and barriers regarding Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The study found that knowledge of CSA was limited among both groups. Consumers perceived fresh food as a benefit but cited lack of produce choice as a barrier, while farmers saw financial benefits but were concerned about risk-sharing.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomics