Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1627 results(29 / 66)
Planting Seeds: Fostering Preschool Children’s Interactions with Nature and Enhancing Intergenerational Relationships in a Campus Community Garden
2019Judy Gleeson · Journal of Childhood Studies · Canada
The "Planting Seeds" intergenerational community gardening initiative in western Canada has involved children aged 3–6 years from a university campus childcare centre since 2015. This project has fostered intergenerational relationships, increased children's understanding of food origins, and enhanced their knowledge of planting, nurturing, growing, and consuming plants.
CommunityFood educationPelo direito à cidade: Políticas públicas e hortas urbanas em Florianópolis
2019Giovana Callado Ferreira · História Unicap · Brazil (Florianópolis)
This article analyzes movements surrounding urban agriculture practices and public policies in Florianópolis, Brazil, as ways to construct diversified and democratic urban land uses. Political articulations led to the creation of the Rede Semear urban agriculture network, the election of a councilman advocating agroecology, and the establishment of municipal urban agriculture programs. Community and institutional gardens, such as the Pacuca Community and Pedagogical Garden, were highlighted in this movement.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageWe Will Not Perish; We Will Flourish
2019Ashanté M. Reese · University of North Carolina Press eBooks · United States
This chapter examines self-reliance as a framework for contemporary efforts to increase food access, featuring a community garden at a public housing community in the United States. It focuses on the methods gardeners used to build community, maintain the garden to meet food needs, and develop youth programs. The chapter also explores how this garden operated within a broader context of precarity, specifically addressing how gardening persisted despite displacement.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareFood educationMaking “The Garden City of the South”: Beautification, Preservation, and Downtown Planning in Augusta, Georgia
2019J. Mark Souther · Journal of Planning History · United States
This article examines how civic leaders, particularly women, in Augusta, Georgia, collaborated with municipal administrations from the 1900s to the 1950s to beautify the city, known for its wide streets and urban horticulture tradition. These efforts led to a convergence of urban beautification, historic preservation, and downtown revitalization in the 1960s. This activity reshaped Augusta's cityscape, exacerbated racial tensions, and embedded principles of the City Beautiful, Garden City, and parks movements, influencing later planning work.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageOficina de horta comunitária do projeto DIST Shopping Park como aliada na geração de renda, segurança alimentar e educação ambiental para a comunidade
2019Lais Abreu Tedde, Geovana Rodrigues de Lima, Giovana Velloso Galante · Revista Em Extensão · Brazil (Uberlândia)
In Uberlândia, Brazil, the "DIST – Shopping Park" project established a community garden workshop aimed at providing income and social reintegration opportunities for at-risk individuals. A key activity was the installation of a mandala garden at the Maria Euvira Sabbag Municipal School. Through the garden's establishment and subsequent production, educational activities were conducted to connect early childhood education students with organic food production, enhancing their knowledge of farming and garden management.
CommunityFood educationWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceOn the Path to a Resilient Urban Food System in a Rural State: A Mixed-Method Needs Assessment of Urban Producers and County Extension Agents in Arkansas
2019Catherine Dobbins · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States (Arkansas)
This mixed-method needs assessment in Arkansas investigated urban agriculture, using interviews with 16 urban farmers and a quantitative survey of County Extension Agents (CEAs) with a 57% response rate. Farmers expressed varied needs, and while they viewed the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) positively, CES lacked specific resources for small-scale sustainable farming. The survey revealed that 70.2% of CEAs reported low or nonexistent concentrations of urban farming in their counties, indicating potential barriers for agents to work with urban farmers.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageUrban family agriculture
2019Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez, Almir Cezar Baptista Filho · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article describes the obstacles to implementing public policy for family agriculture in urban areas of Brazil. Representations associated with rural-agricultural concepts have shaped the classification criteria of rural technical assistance technicians, limiting the policy's application in urban settings. Social movements in Rio de Janeiro highlighted the lack of access for urban family farmers to agrarian policies, leading to the recognition of urban family agriculture as a public problem.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageInterpreting the Ursinus Food Forest: Visualizing, Designing, and Realizing Signage at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS)
2019Sarah Becker · Digital Commons - Ursinus (Ursinus College) · United States
This project developed an interpretive signage protocol for the Ursinus Food Forest at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS), a two-acre agricultural field. The protocol includes a conceptual framework for the food forest, an inventory of signage topics and their placement, and design parameters for textual and visual clarity. Finished signage models accompany the protocol to illustrate these goals.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationFrom cotton mill to co-op: the rise of a local food culture in Carrboro, North Carolina
2019Whitney Elizabeth Brown · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States (North Carolina)
In Carrboro, North Carolina, a group of citizens with progressive values has created a thriving market community for locally produced food over the last thirty years, leading to the rise of a local food culture. Farmers' markets, cooperative groceries, home and community gardens, urban chickens, and locally-focused restaurants play a vital role in the community's identity and its social, political, and economic activities. This project illuminates the complex ties (urban/rural, liberal/conservative, etc.) that facilitated the local food segment of Carrboro's broader economy and investigates local definitions of place, group, taste, and tradition.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceMaterial and social relations in a coastal community garden assemblage
2019Lindsay K. Campbell, Erika S. Svendsen, Renae Reynolds, Victoria Marshall · Social & Cultural Geography · United States (Rockaway, NY)
This study used Actor Network Theory to explore the material and social dynamics of a coastal community garden on public housing grounds in Rockaway, NY, after Hurricane Sandy. Three assemblages with different governance arrangements—tidal shore, garden plots, and treed lawn—were identified. However, "unruly" actors and actants, including people, saltwater, poison ivy, dogs, and trash, were found to spark controversy and resist governing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeNOVO OLHAR DA PRODUÇÃO E DO CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS: UMA EXPERIÊNCIA DE HORTA URBANA NO LAR DOS IDOSOS E SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR (NEW LOOK AT FOOD PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION: AN URBAN HORTICULTURE EXPERIENCE AT THE MIDDLE EAST AND FOOD SAFETY)
2019Maria Lúcia da Silva Sodré, Ubirani Oliveira Santos, Altemar S. Dias · Revista GeoNordeste · Brazil
This study demonstrated the experience of vegetable production and consumption at an elderly home in Cruz das Almas, BA, Brazil. Field research, including semi-structured interviews, was conducted after the vegetable garden was built. The main results indicated that the produced food provided access to agrochemical-free consumption, ensuring food and nutritional security. It also portrayed the inmates' life histories, family memories, and recollections of past agricultural activities, leveraging their cultural background in the urban territory.
ElderlyFood educationHealthCommunityThe school garden: possibilities for working with literacy students of the 5th year of a public school in the municipality of Parintins - Am.
2019Cristiane Socorro Okamura de Farias, Edinelza Macedo Ribeiro · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This study investigated the possibilities of working with literacy practices through a "School Garden Project" for 5th-year elementary students in a public school in Parintins, Am. A qualitative field study was conducted using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with the project monitor, one Portuguese language teacher, and four students from the observed class. The investigative path demonstrated that despite the challenges the institution still faces in developing possibilities for working with literacy in the "School Garden Project," this is an expectation that can become a reality if the school is willing to invest seriously in this proposal.
Food educationCommunityProducing urban agroecology in the East Bay: from soil health to community empowerment
2019Alana Bowen Siegner, Charisma Acey, Jennifer Sowerwine · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · United States (California)
This paper analyzed survey responses from 35 East Bay urban farms through an agroecology lens. The analysis documented how these diverse farms form part of a fragile system that produces important spaces of food, community, health, and culture. It is noted that public investment for urban agriculture in U.S. cities remains both inequitable and inadequate, resulting in uneven and ad hoc outcomes for urban agriculture initiatives.
CommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsA feminist political ecology of food justice in Iowa
2019Carrie Chennault · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States
This three-year feminist ethnographic study examined the Growing Together Iowa community donation gardening and food rescue program, focusing on its institutional and community partners. The research aimed to understand how solutions to food insecurity emerge from social relations and socio-historical contexts. Findings demonstrated that uneven power relations permeate even well-intended efforts to address food insecurity within such initiatives.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyEconomicsNature, Technology, & the Pursuit of Justice: Urban Agriculture Networks in San Diego County
2019Blaire O’Neal · · United States (San Diego County)
This research investigates the significance of soil in distinguishing urban agriculture forms in San Diego County and examines how soil-based and soilless growing methods relate to justice. The results illustrate that while the way food is grown is important for urban agriculture organizations' identity and practices, it is only one of many factors influencing justice, such as socio-spatial context. Justice is an ongoing process that evolves as urban agriculture commodities travel through their circuits and interact with placed networks filled with intentions, actions, discourses, objects, actors, and forces.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureGrowing Citizens: Students’ Social Emotional Learning via School Gardens
2019Kathryn Markham-Petro · Scholarship@Western (Western University) · Canada
This qualitative study explored the social and emotional practices of primary grade students (kindergarten through grade five) in urban elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, through gardening experiences. Data was collected from 14 educators across six schools. Findings indicated that gardening experiences benefited most students, especially those with diverse needs, and increased social and emotional skills related to collaboration and conflict resolution.
Food educationHealthCommunityFood Deserts, Libraries, and Urban Communities: What Is the Connection?
2019Tracey Overbey · Public Library Quarterly · United States (Cleveland, Ohio)
The Cleveland Public Library addressed food security issues in Cleveland, Ohio, by collaborating with local organizations like The Ohio State University Extension and the Cuyahoga County Land Bank. This paper describes how public libraries are changing their services in disadvantaged communities and provides a step-by-step approach to starting a community garden at a local public library or community property.
CommunityFood educationWelfareO Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar como promotor de ações de Educação Alimentar e Nutricional nas escolas do Brasil: DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20194302374389
2019Isabela Cicaroni Ottoni, Bruno Miguel Paz Mendes de Oliveira, Daniel Henrique Bandoni · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This cross-sectional observational study, using 2010 data from 749 Brazilian municipalities, evaluated Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) actions within the National School Feeding Program (NSFP). Binary logistic regression showed that the presence of FNE in school curricula was the most significant predictor of running school gardens (OR=2.406), followed by using food from family farms (OR=2.049) and culinary workshops (OR=2.032). The study concluded that FNE in the school curriculum is positively associated with growing vegetable gardens.
Food educationPolicyCommunityLa cara oculta de la seguridad alimentaria - Estudio de caso del sur del Estado de Jalisco, Occidente de México
2019Peter R. W. Gerritsen, Víctor Sanchez Bernal, Georgina Torres Rodríguez · Brazilian Journal of Development · Mexico
This study analyzed food security in two medium-sized cities in Western Mexico using secondary data and field research. It found that while these highly globalized cities had a low degree of food security, extensive domestic backyard agricultural activities significantly raised family-level food security. A critical finding is that this potential for urban food security is not valued by governmental institutions.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageEden Gardens Farm: A Series of Lessons on Aquaponics
2019Ashley Pritchard · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · United States
Eden Gardens Farm, a 120-acre farm of the nonprofit Glodev in Jacksonville, Florida, uses aquaponics and other sustainable agriculture to produce food for its community. Currently featuring two greenhouses, a garden, and an orchard, future plans include seven more greenhouses, a community garden, and a farmers market. This study aims to develop an educational curriculum assessing Eden Gardens' mission and priorities, focusing on environmental and outdoor education with aquaponics, to connect Jacksonville's youth with skills in science, sustainability, food production, and social values.
CommunityFood educationCSA & TeikeiHorta Comunitária: Novos Caminhos e Saberes
2019Valéria . Calipo, Tassiane Boreli Pinato, Sartori Aparecida Marcia, Zambone Maria Sabatine Alessandra, Santi Eduardo Santi Carlos · · Brazil (Diadema)
This work proposes the "Community Garden: New Paths and Knowledge" project, aiming to involve university students in paid internships and volunteer work at the Diadema Municipal Government and Methodist University of São Paulo. The project seeks to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the region and reduce vulnerable communities. Students from various courses will visit community gardens weekly, with some also participating in daily paid internships.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsClimate changeFrom vacant to verdant: a look at the feasibility of urban agriculture in Orange and Durham counties
2019Emily N. Ander · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States (Orange and Durham counties)
This 2019 paper from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explores the concept of urban agriculture, defining it as an industry located within or on the fringe of urban areas that grows, raises, processes, and distributes food and non-food products. It notes that community gardening is the most well-known and common form of urban agriculture in the United States. The paper aims to define the research question and identify key principles for the success of urban agriculture, particularly in the context of community gardening.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityGardening as More than Urban Agriculture: Perspectives from Smaller Midwestern Cities on Urban Gardening Policies and Practices
2019Christopher Strunk, Ursula Lang · Case Studies in the Environment · United States
This case study examines urban gardening policies and practices in two smaller Midwestern cities, arguing that green space management extends beyond narrow urban agriculture definitions. It highlights the significance of gardening on privately owned land, such as front and back yards, alongside public land. The study demonstrates that urban gardening occurs across public/private property distinctions, involves a broader range of actors, and fosters neighborhood connections for sustainability.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePráticas de agricultura urbana: uma análise do cultivo de hortaliças em telhados verdes
2019Adriane Cordoni Savi, Ormy Leocádio Hutner Júnior, Fernanda Cardoso Faria, Isaura Marques Souza Uhmann · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil
This article demonstrates urban and peri-urban agricultural practices in small backyards, remnant residential garden areas, and green roofs. These practices aim to produce food for self-consumption and to foster farming among neighbors for subsistence or as a source of supplementary family income.
DIYCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceThe experience of natural insecticide in the school garden as a contribution to the teaching of geography
2019Cristiane e Castro Feitosa Melo · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Fortaleza)
This qualitative ethnographic case study in a public school in Fortaleza, Brazil, analyzed the contribution of producing and using natural insecticide in a school garden to geography learning for 8th-9th graders. The experiment focused on fighting leafy ants (Saúvas) and linked environmentalism, geography, and societal comparisons. The study concluded that this educational experiment enhanced training and human actions related to geography and environmental education.
Food educationCommunity