Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1074 results(29 / 43)
Community and home gardens increase vegetable intake and food security of residents in San Jose, California
2016Algert S., Diekmann L., Renvall M., Gray L. · California Agriculture 70(2):77-82 · United States
Survey of 85 community and 50 home gardeners in San Jose, mostly low-income. Gardeners roughly doubled their vegetable intake to meet dietary guideline servings, with improved household food security.
WelfareHealthGardening Activities and Physical Health Among Older Adults: A Review of the Evidence
2016Nicklett E.J., Anderson L.A., Yen I.H. · Journal of Applied Gerontology, 35(6):678-690 · Global
A scoping review of studies published 2000–2013 examining links between planned gardening activities and older adults' physical health. Of eight eligible studies, four assessed energy expenditure and four assessed physical functioning, indicating gardening can contribute to older adults' physical activity and functional maintenance. It grounds the case for urban gardens and community plots as sites for older adults' health promotion.
ElderlyHealthWelfareCommunity Gardens for Refugee and Immigrant Communities as a Means of Health Promotion
2016· Journal of Community Health · United States
A mixed-method evaluation of a church-hosted refugee gardening project serving primarily Karen and Bhutanese populations, using early- and late-season surveys and seven end-of-season focus groups.
WelfareHealthCommunityIntegrating Spatial Technologies in Urban Environments for Food Security
2016Edwin Joseph, Elizabeth O'Dea · Advances in environmental engineering and green technologies book series · United States (South Bend)
This chapter examines South Bend, Indiana, a city facing urban decay and food insecurity among its poor, similar to some developing countries. It reviews the city's history, economic strategies, and efforts by various organizations to alleviate poverty and hunger. The chapter advocates for integrating spatial technologies, such as GIS, to promote collaboration and sustainable urban agriculture among diverse stakeholders to address poverty and malnutrition.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureWelfareMitigating Stress and Supporting Health in Deprived Urban Communities: The Importance of Green Space and the Social Environment
2016Catharine Ward Thompson, Peter J. Aspinall, Jenny Roe, Lynette Robertson, David Miller · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United Kingdom
A cross-sectional survey of 406 adults in four deprived urban communities in Scotland, UK, investigated the relationship between green space access and health outcomes. While the amount of neighborhood green space and access to a garden or allotment were significant predictors of stress, social isolation and place belonging were found to be the strongest predictors of stress in three communities and of poor general health in the least healthy community. Physical activity, winter green space visits, and home views also predicted general health.
Limited or null effectHealthCommunityWelfarePerceptions and attitudes of participants toward urban gardening. A case study of nutrition gardens in Mucheke town, Masvingo
2016Florence Chimbwanda · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Zimbabwe (Masvingo)
This study investigated participants' attitudes and perceptions toward urban gardening in Mucheke town, Masvingo, Zimbabwe, using questionnaires, focus group discussions, and field observations with a sample of 40 participants. It found that urban gardening is important for the community and income generation, with participants reporting benefits like additional income, family consumption, and socialization. However, participants identified challenges including theft, dilapidated canals, a single water point, and limited market access.
Governance failureCommunityHealthWelfareEconomicsFood, aid, and education in East Africa: repackaging the conversation
2016Amy Stambach · Cambridge Journal of Education · Africa
This paper examines students' food perspectives across three East African contexts: a university in Kigali, Rwanda; a school garden and canteen in Nairobi, Kenya; and a fast-food restaurant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It contrasts these perspectives with the work of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in these countries. The study suggests that WFP could engage with food more complexly by building upon students' existing astute and complex food perspectives.
Food educationWelfareCommunityImproving Living Conditions in Informal Settlements The Case of El-Arab, Hurghada
2016Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed Attia Khalil, Amr Abd El-Aal, Natacha Quintero, Hazem Aayash, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Mohamed R. Ibrahim, Kamal Marei · Procedia Environmental Sciences · Africa
This study focused on an urban upgrading project in El-Arab, an informal settlement in Hurghada, conducted by Master's students from the Urban Development department at Technische Universität Berlin Campus El-Gouna. The project proposed an integrative approach involving physical upgrading, solid waste management, and urban agriculture as three interconnected components to improve living conditions and livelihoods in El-Arab.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsNepali Bhutanese Refugees Reap Support Through Community Gardening
2016Mónica M. Gerber, Jennifer L. Callahan, Danielle N. Moyer, Melissa L. Connally, Pamela M. Holtz, Beth M. Janis · International Perspectives in Psychology · United States
This exploratory mixed-methods study investigated the perspectives on community gardening among Nepali Bhutanese refugees (N=50; 62% female) in the United States, comparing gardeners (n=22) and non-gardeners (n=28). Quantitative results showed no significant differences between groups regarding symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, or adjustment to life in the US. However, community gardening was significantly positively associated with social support, a finding further supported by qualitative data.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthWelfareAgricultura urbana e recursos hídricos: compreendendo o uso da água nas hortas comunitárias da região do barreiro, Belo Horizonte - MG
2016Caio Vieira Vasconcelos · · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This study presents a case study on water use in urban agriculture in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, focusing on community gardens in the Barreiro region (Vila Pinho and Jardim Produtivo gardens). It describes the physical structure and irrigation operations, and analyzes 2015 water consumption data in comparison with climatic variables. The research identified limitations, threats, positive aspects, opportunities, and potential solutions related to water use in these community gardens.
CommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeWelfareFood Inequities, Urban Agriculture, and the Remaking of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2016Margaret Pettygrove · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States (Milwaukee)
This case study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, examines food procurement patterns among low-income residents and how local governance and political economic processes shape food environments. It uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, drawing on spatial analytical and political ecological perspectives. The research critiques the "obesogenic environment thesis" by emphasizing other dimensions of food access beyond proximity to retail sources.
HealthWelfareCommunityThe Palliative Role of Green Space for Somali Bantu Women Refugees in Displacement and Resettlement
2016Reed Coughlan, Sarah E. Hermes · Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies · United States (New York State)
This article investigates place attachments among Somali Bantu women refugees resettled in New York State, USA, using photo-elicitation and narrative interviews. The study explored their recollections of farms in Somalia, gardens in Kenyan refugee camps, and community gardens in New York. Green spaces were found to be important in all three locations, particularly for their therapeutic, restorative, and spiritual capacities in the gardens of both the camps and resettlement areas, serving various palliative functions.
CommunityHealthWelfareThe Potential of Urban Vacant Land For Producing Fresh Vegetables in the City of Maribyrnong, Victoria, Australia.
2016Sri Tuntung Pandangwati, Ole Fryd · · Australia (Melbourne)
A study in Maribyrnong, Australia, used secondary data and GIS to assess the potential of urban vacant land for vegetable production in three suburbs: Maribyrnong, Footscray, and Seddon. Maribyrnong and Footscray could meet annual local vegetable demand using less than half their vacant spaces. Seddon could potentially produce 93% of local demand by utilizing all existing vacant spaces.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyWelfareGreen inclusion: biophilia as a necessity
2016Alexandros Stavrianos · British Journal of Special Education · Global
This article argues for a strong link between inclusive pedagogy and environmental education, suggesting that environmental programs can promote inclusion. Transforming schoolyards into school gardens is presented as an example. Outdoor education experiences are proposed to facilitate positive development of self-esteem, peer socialization, teacher-student relationships, and a positive attitude towards school.
Food educationCommunityWelfareAgricultura urbana e gestão territorial em Recife/PE/Brasil: qual o lugar da agricultura urbana no planejamento da cidade?
2016Rúbio José Ferreira, Cláudio Jorge Moura de Castilho · Ateliê Geográfico · Brazil (Recife)
This text examines the place of urban agriculture and its practitioners in the urban planning process in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The main results indicate that urban agriculture and urban farmers are not effectively considered by Recife's urban planning technicians. This may be due to urban agriculture being a social practice used by people from the "lowest layers" of society in a marginal area of the local urban economy.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsWelfareBancos del Tiempo y Huertos Urbanos como herramientas para el Trabajo Social en la intervención gerontológica
2016Laura Pacheco Montero · Documentos de trabajo social: Revista de trabajo y acción social · Global
This article assesses the utility of Time Banks and Urban Gardens as social work tools for gerontological intervention. The study analyzes these initiatives, their benefits, and the possibility of promoting quality of life in Social Work practice.
ElderlyCommunityWelfareImpact of school-based vegetable garden and physical activity coordinated health interventions on weight status and weight-related behaviors of ethnically diverse, low-income students: Study design and baseline data of the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) cluster-randomized controlled trial
2016Anita Evans, Nalini Ranjit, Deanna M. Hoelscher, Christine Jovanovic, Michael López, Andrew M. McIntosh, Marcia G. Ory, Lisa Whittlesey, Lisako McKyer, A. Kirk, Caitlin A. Smith, Catherine Walton, Natalia I. Heredia, Judith L. Warren · BMC Public Health · United States (Texas)
The Texas Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) study is a five-year factorial group randomized controlled trial involving 28 schools, assessing the impact of gardening, nutrition, and physical activity interventions on low-income elementary students. Baseline data from 1369 students and 1206 parents, primarily Hispanic and African American, showed that students did not meet national guidelines for vegetable consumption or physical activity. At baseline, no statistical differences were observed among the four treatment groups.
Food educationHealthWelfareFrom sanctuaries to prefigurative social change: Creating health-enabling spaces in East London community gardens
2016Madeleine A. Guerlain, Catherine Campbell · Journal of Social and Political Psychology · United Kingdom (East London)
This qualitative research explored the impact of community gardens on the psycho-social well-being of marginalized groups in East London, UK, and their role in prefigurative social change. Through interviews, Photovoice, and participant observation with 28 gardeners from four groups, findings suggest that participation is driven by the shared practice of gardening, leading to unintended benefits addressing personal adversities. Community gardens create "health-enabling social spaces" and offer an alternative understanding of prefiguration based on participants' lived experiences.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana a "pequeña" escala
2016Lorena Meneses Medina · Universitas Científica · Colombia
An urban children's garden was created between July and December 2015 at the Fundación Hogar el Divino Niño (FHDN) in Colombia, which feeds approximately 100 vulnerable children daily. Led by Nelson Enrique Casas Leal, the project aimed to build an organic farm with the support of children and youth interested in urban agriculture production practices. The garden cultivated tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, cilantro, squash, oregano, thyme, and medicinal plants, and became a life and survival option for the participating children and their families.
Food educationCommunityWelfareOrganic cycleGender, Ethnicity, And Poverty
2016Michael Carolan · · Global
This chapter examines how gender, race, and ethnicity are theorized and studied within agri-food scholarship. It notes that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes and farmers' markets, even when intended for low-income minority groups, often serve affluent, educated European American consumers. Additionally, women in rural Ethiopia face significant problems in food security due to their social status and higher dependence on agriculture for survival compared to men.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareCOMMUNITY GARDENS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS AND NURSING HOME COMMUNITIES, APARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH STUDY
2016Mary Ellen Mitchell-Rosen · NSUWorks (Nova Southeastern University) · United States
This participatory action research study in Broward County, Florida, investigated the experiences of geriatric populations and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities participating in a garden project with health professions students. The project aimed to address obesity, autism, mental health, and elderly services by providing healthy nutrition interventions and group garden activities. Data collection via focus group interviews is complete, and analysis is ongoing, but stakeholders have reported positive changes in nutritional choices and improved mental status among clients.
CommunityHealthWelfareElderlyFood educationLong-Term Outcomes of an Urban Farming Internship Program
2016Nancy F. Sonti, Lindsay K. Campbell, Michelle Johnson, Sarita Daftary-Steel · Journal of Experiential Education · United States (New York City)
Long-term impacts of an urban farming youth internship were evaluated in Brooklyn, New York. Alumni surveyed 1 to 9 years after program completion were enrolled in college or graduate school at higher rates than their peers and reported connections to the environment and healthy eating. Participants reported learning job skills through the internship, including farming practices, time and money management, teamwork, and public speaking.
Food educationCommunityHealthWelfareURBAN AGRICULTURE ACTIVITY AND ITS POTENTIALS TO ERADICATE URBAN POVERTY IN JAKARTA
2016Galuh Syahbana Indraprahasta, Imas Agustina · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This study aimed to identify the potentials of urban agriculture development in Jakarta by learning from best practices in other countries. It employed qualitative descriptive analysis, considering physical, institutional, and socio-economic factors. It was concluded from many cases that urban agriculture in Jakarta has direct or indirect impacts on people's livelihoods.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAGRICULTURA URBANA COMO ESTRATÉGIA DE PROMOÇÃO DA ALIMENTAÇÃO ADEQUADA E SAUDÁVEL
2016Laisa Stefani da Silva Neves, Juliana Pereira Casemiro, Thalita Magdalena dos Santos, Cláudia Valéria Cardim da Silva · 12º Congresso Internacional da Rede Unida · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This qualitative study, conducted with Community Health Agents and a Residents' Association in a Rio de Janeiro metropolitan municipality, presents an experience of implementing a community garden as an urban agriculture strategy for promoting adequate and healthy food (PAAS). The area lacked markets for fruits and vegetables, making healthy eating difficult. Through home visits and discussions, the revitalization of a community garden was identified, enabling poor urban families to produce for self-consumption, strengthen community organization, and generate income.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareAgricultura urbana y resiliencia
2016Claudia Patricia Osorio Doncel · INGENIO · Colombia (Palmira)
At the "Fundacion Hogar Divino Nino" in Palmira, Colombia, educational and practical workshops are provided for underprivileged youth. A boy named 'El Doc de la granja', who attended the foundation, enjoyed planting and cultivating various green species, including beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, chard, cilantro, bell peppers, and some medicinal and aromatic plants. These crops were used to feed all the children at the foundation.
Food educationWelfareCommunityFood sovereignty & justice