Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
886 results(29 / 36)
Study of the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of Balantidium coli cysts in an urban aquatic system in Cameroon
2014Gideon Aghaindum Ajeagah, Yaka Diane Armelle Moussima · Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment · Cameroon
A study in an urban stream in Yaoundé, Cameroon, characterized Balantidium coli cysts and evaluated environmental factors influencing their dispersal. Round (825 ± 610 cysts/L) and oval (246 ± 300 cysts/L) cysts were found. High abundances of cysts were observed in stations along a piggery effluent near a major market, with higher densities recorded during the short rainy season. The lowest cyst densities were found upstream and downstream.
Contamination & food safetyHealthLocal Food Futures and Healthy Communities: Role of Sustainable Practices
2014Dilip Ghosh, Debasis Bagchi, Tetsuya Konishi · · Global
This study highlights the importance of local food movements and urban agriculture, citing Havana, Cuba, as an example of self-reliance achieved through food growing in urban spaces. In 1999, allotment gardens in London produced 232,000 tons of fruits and vegetables, supplying 18% of the population's daily intake. Urban food growing spaces encompass diverse typologies, varying in their production potential and health contributions.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageUrban Farming and Transition Towns Initiatives: Practices and Paths of Urban Regeneration
2014Maurizio Bergamaschi, Marco Castrignanò, Alessandra Landi · Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research · Global
This paper examines community vegetable gardens and Transition Towns initiatives. It finds that these experiences contribute to sustainable urban development, improve environmental health and quality of life, reshape urban image and morphology, and enhance cities as forms of social cohesion.
CommunityClimate changeHealthFood Purchasing From Farmers’ Markets and Community-Supported Agriculture Is Associated With Reduced Weight and Better Diets in a Population-Based Sample
2014Leia Minaker, Kim D. Raine, Pat Fisher, Mary E. Thompson, Josh van Loon, Lawrence D. Frank · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This study examined associations between local food purchasing and diet-related outcomes using surveys from a population-based sample of 2228 households (4902 individuals). Multilevel linear regressions showed that higher frequency of shopping at farmers’ markets and CSAs predicted lower body mass index and waist circumference. Additionally, CSA use predicted better diet quality, after controlling for demographic factors.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsSchool Gardens: Situating Students within a Global Context
2014Thomas DeVere Wolsey, Diane Lapp · Journal of Education · Global
This article proposes a pedagogical framework for school gardens, highlighting their role in promoting healthier eating habits, sustainable local practices, and community service. It suggests that school gardens can integrate knowledge of cultures, resources, and sustainable food sources, potentially leading to increased care for the community and the planet. The article also notes that school gardens can provide opportunities for students to contribute to the availability of fresh, healthy foods in socioeconomically challenged areas.
Food educationCommunityHealthEconomicsWelfarePlace Remaking through Environmental Recovery and Revitalization
2014Isabelle Anguelovski · The MIT Press eBooks · Global
In Dudley, Casc Antic, and CayoHueso, residents feel strongly attached to their places of living and working, and to the relationships they have built. This attachment has motivated engagement in environmental revitalization initiatives, where activists repair community spaces, build parks, and develop urban farms to address trauma and fear of erasure. These environmental projects contribute to healing the community, achieving environmental recovery, and creating a sense of rootedness and home.
CommunityHealthWelfareDecolonizing Methodology in an Arnhem Land Garden
2014Michael Christie · · Australia
This study describes a government consultancy into the feasibility of a remote Aboriginal community garden in Galiwin'ku, Arnhem Land, Australia. Researchers collaborated with Yolgu knowledge-authorities to develop a "transdisciplinary research methodology" that integrates academic and Aboriginal knowledge practices. The project aimed to establish a garden with a non-Indigenous gardener to address high unemployment and food prices, but faced challenges in communicating with the government without compromising Yolgu methodologies.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthFood security and environmental health
2014Karen Rideout · Environmental Health Review · Global
The NCCEH (National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health) has conducted presentations and workshops since 2008 to explain the concept of food security within the context of public and environmental health practice. They have illustrated the relevance of food security to public health, explored ways to identify and mitigate potential health risks of food security projects like urban agriculture, and identified intersections between food security advocacy and public health protection.
HealthFood sovereignty & justicePolicySocial LCA Scenarios: Engaging producers and consumers in new domestic oyster value chains in Denmark
2014Arne Wangel · · Denmark (Copenhagen)
This paper discusses efforts to develop a Social LCA methodology to account for social impacts in the life cycle of existing products. It specifically shifts focus to the design phase of products and services yet to be constructed by start-ups and community groups. A maritime gardening project concerning the growing, harvesting, and eating of native oysters in the harbor of Copenhagen is presented as an example of urban farming initiatives.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFinancial and economic aspects of urban vegetable farming
2014George Danso, Lesley Hope, Pay Drechsel, Danso, G., Hope, L., Drechsel, Pay · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ghana
This chapter explored the financial and economic aspects of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Ghana. It conducted cost-benefit analysis comparisons of farm finances across common rural, peri-urban, and urban farming systems. Substudies also attempted to quantify societal benefits and cost externalities related to soil nutrient depletion, pesticide use, and urban malaria.
EconomicsPeri-urban agricultureHealthEffects of Horticultural Activities Program Focusing on Four-season Ornamental Rooftop Garden to be Released on Preschoolers’ Creative Thinking
2014Myungil Jeong, EuSook Jea, Sang Mi Lee, BuYoung Yi · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study investigated the effect of a 15-week horticultural activity program using a four-season ornamental rooftop garden on the mental development and intelligence quotient (IQ) of 47 preschoolers (26 experimental, 21 control) from May to September 2013. Both groups showed significant improvement in mental development, with the experimental group showing greater improvement. While IQ also improved in both groups, the change was not statistically significant, possibly due to the study's duration.
Food educationHealthCity pig farm
2014Ulf Hackauf · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · Global
This paper explores urban pig farming as a specific form of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). It uses a design-based research strategy, drawing on the 'City Pig' study (2009) from Delft University of Technology, to identify the potential benefits of urban pig farming and assess how un-built design projects can inform future real projects. A significant limitation is that the study concerns virtual, un-built design proposals.
Urban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCommunityHealthCombining Realism with Rigour: An Evaluation of a National Kitchen Garden Program in Australian Primary Schools
2014Heather Yeatman, Karen Quinsey, James Dawber, Wendy Nielsen, Deanne Condon‐Paoloni, Simon Eckermann, Darcy Morris, Pam Grootemaat, David L Fildes · Evaluation Journal of Australasia · Australia
An evaluation of a national kitchen garden program in Australian primary schools was conducted across 28 initiative and 14 comparison schools. The program achieved overall improvements in students' food choices (t=2.26, p=0.024) and kitchen lifestyle behaviours (t=2.35, p=0.019). Female students and those from provincial schools showed statistically greater improvements in food choices, with girls scoring higher than boys (t=6.19, p<0.001).
Food educationHealthCommunity-supported agriculture from the perspective of health and leisure
2014Bernadett Kis · Annals of Leisure Research · Hungary
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a relatively new concept in Hungary, with only five or six "share CSAs" established. This paper presents how the French variation of CSA (AMAP) was adopted in Szeged, Hungary, and how this vegetable community functions, along with its leisure and health impacts on the author. The author's CSA membership is interpreted from a health and leisure perspective, connecting it to health promotion and Blackshaw's 'liquid leisure' concept.
CSA & TeikeiHealthCommunityA Scoping Review of Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Market Vegetables and Biomarker Evidence of Consumer Exposure in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: An African Perspective, 2014
2014Abdirahman Osman Warsame, Fadumo Abdi Mohamud, Ahmed Hassan Ali · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)
This scoping review synthesized evidence on the association between heavy metal contamination in vegetables sold in Kinshasa's urban markets, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and human biomarkers of consumer exposure. Available evidence consistently showed that vegetables, particularly leafy greens, from Kinshasa markets contained elevated levels of lead and cadmium, often exceeding international safety limits. However, studies directly linking vegetable contamination with human biomarkers are notably scarce, suggesting a potential exposure pathway but not establishing definitive causation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageMore Livable Urban Space for Children: Practices around the World
2014Okşan Tandoğan · MEGARON / Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Architecture E-Journal · Global
This study compiles a literature review on global efforts to create more livable physical environments for children, focusing on urban open spaces like home surroundings, school gardens, and playgrounds. It emphasizes the importance of these spaces for child development, socialization, and behavior formation. The review includes Child Friendly City initiatives and other practices related to streets, school gardens, playgrounds, and children's transportation.
Food educationCommunityHealthGrowing Roots: Gardening as a means to mitigate urban poverty and its symptoms
2014Maeve Bassett · Fordham Research Commons (Fordham University) · Global
Urban gardens are advertised as a solution to limited food access in impoverished areas, but they are not productive enough to globally affect food production and the environment. However, for surrounding communities, urban gardens are cheap and effective solutions for many problems associated with poverty and food deserts, such as obesity, education, social interactions, income supplementation, health issues, dangerous neighborhoods, and refugee assimilation.
Limited or null effectWelfareHealthCommunityEconomicsRefugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening
2014Neil Harris, Fiona Nicole Rowe Minniss, Shawn Somerset · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
A cross-sectional study conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve African humanitarian migrants participating in a campus-based community food garden. The study explored how involvement in the garden supported their connectedness with their new country. Thematic analysis revealed three important benefits: land tenure, reconnecting with agriculture, and community belonging.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity 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 & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityHealthCommunity 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 & justiceHealthBackyard and Community Gardening in the Urban Philippines: A Case Study from Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
2013Matejowsky T. · Locale: The Australasian-Pacific Journal of Regional Food Studies · Philippines (Urdaneta City, Pangasinan)
This ethnographic case study examines Urdaneta City's backyard and community gardening program launched in 2009 to address food insecurity and household self-sufficiency in a provincial Philippine city. It analyzes the interplay between municipal government objectives and citizens' subsistence and economic needs.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationUrban Gardening: Managing the Risks of Contaminated Soil
2013Rebecca Kessler · Environmental Health Perspectives · Global
As interest in urban agriculture grows, researchers are working to manage the risks of contaminated urban soils. The focus is on maximizing the benefits of urban gardening while minimizing the potential hazards associated with soil contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Wakuru Magigi · Journal of Environmental Protection · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This paper explores Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, demonstrating that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The study highlights the interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services, and climate change, which influence land governance and productivity. It suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to enhance food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsCommunity“BIOPOLIS”: Biopolicy for Greener and More Livable Cities
2013“Biopolis” Biopolicy for Greener and More Livable Cities · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This article proposes a "biopolis" model, supported by biopolicy principles, for sustainable urban management. It suggests that this model can lead to coordinated actions that limit emissions, expand green spaces, protect waterways, and encourage urban farming. The biopolis model aims to enhance cultural development, create green jobs, and promote educational opportunities, contributing to healthier and more livable cities.
PolicyClimate changeHealthEconomicsSchool Gardens: Reconnecting Children with Nature and Food
2013Alyssa M Boyle · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · Global
This thesis discusses the importance of school gardens, highlighting the industrialized food system and "Nature Deficit Disorder" in children as two environmental and societal problems. School gardens are presented as an effective tool to address these issues. A how-to manual for implementing such projects in schools and sample lesson plans for use with the garden across the curriculum are also provided.
Food educationCommunityHealth