Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9077 results(298 / 364)
Municipal commonage in South Africa: a critique of artificial dichotomies in policy debates on agriculture
2013Doreen Atkinson · African Journal of Range and Forage Science · South Africa
This paper critiques the assertion that commercialization of smallholder agriculture poses dangers for sustainable rangeland management in South Africa. It argues that a range of policy options are required, including commercialization and subsistence farming, large-scale and smallholder farming, various land tenure options, rural and peri-urban farming, and part-time farming. The case of municipal commonage land is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of flexible policy options regarding land ownership, farming scale, and the social nature of farming, but it is noted that effective institutional development is a key requirement in all cases.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageHarvesting More Than Vegetables: The Potential Weight Control Benefits of Community Gardening
2013Cathleen D. Zick, Ken R. Smith, Lori Kowaleski‐Jones, Claire Uno, Brittany J. Merrill · American Journal of Public Health · United States
This study in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, examined the association between community gardening and healthy body weight, comparing BMI data from 198 gardeners to control groups of neighbors, siblings, and spouses. Both women and men community gardeners had significantly lower BMIs than their neighbors, with estimated reductions of -1.84 for women and -2.36 for men. Gardeners also showed lower odds of being overweight or obese compared to their neighbors.
CommunityHealthChallenges in Vertical Farming and Controlled Environments Agriculture
2013Michael R. Hoadley · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · Global
A talk by Michael Hoadley, founder of Chicago firm Fewzion, discussed challenges in vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture. The presentation emphasized the importance of framing discussions within the context of economically self-sustainable models, free of dependence on policy subsidy and philanthropy. This highlights concerns about policymakers' over-zealous view of urban agriculture as a panacea for social ills.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyClimate changeExploration of Architectural Style for Modern Urban Agriculture Park
2013Zhang Qiu-lin · Modern Agricultural Science and Technology · Global
This study summarized the design features of modern urban agriculture park architecture by analyzing specific examples. The aim was to explore architectural forms that better align with the style and features of agricultural parks.
CommunityPolicyMapping and Theorising the Spatiality, Scale and Functionality of Urban Agriculture in Ghana
2013Heather Mackay Niittylä · · Ghana
This thesis mapped and investigated the form and function of urban agriculture in two intermediate-sized cities in Ghana. It examined the contribution to farming households' food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsScholar garden: Educational strategy for life
2013Benito Rodríguez Haros, Enriqueta Tello García, Salvador Aguilar Californias · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Mexico
This paper describes "Un pasito en grande," an agroenvironmental vegetable garden established five years ago at Colegio Ateneo nursery school in Tezoyuca, Mexico, where agrochemicals are forbidden. The garden, involving children and parents, aims to address the erosion of knowledge related to food production and safety. It has become a space for ecological and environmental awareness, spreading to other educational settings and operating on principles of ethics and permaculture.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleFresh Squeezed: The Dilemma of Local Food Production Along Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor
2013Amanda Jessie Weaver · Digital Commons - DU (University of Denver) · United States (Colorado)
This project combined U.S. Agricultural Census data with a survey of local producers in Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor to examine the competition between urban development and food production. The study found that urban development is increasingly encroaching on rich agricultural lands, which are also desirable for housing. Consequently, Colorado faces increasing competition for land, potentially driving local food prices up and displacing producers to peripheral areas or out of food production entirely.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyClimate change`On the Wrong Side of the Track? East London and the Post Olympics` by P. Cohen
2013Ben Kochan, Marie Howland · Journal of urban regeneration and renewal · United States (New York City)
This record compiles book reviews for "On the Wrong Side of the Track? East London and the Post Olympics" by P. Cohen, "London 2012: How was it for us?" edited by Mark Perryman, and "From the Ground Up, Community Gardens in New York and the Politics of Spatial Transformation" by Efrat Eizenberg. Each book is reviewed by either Ben Kochan or Marie Howland.
CommunityPolicy基于“田园城市”的开发区建设思路研究
2013冉淑青, 周潮 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China
This study explores the guiding significance of the "Garden City" theory for the development and construction of new development zones in China. Addressing issues of sprawling urban expansion and urban-rural separation, it discusses the ideal composition of development zones guided by the Garden City concept. This includes urban clusters, urban complexes, urban green space systems and urban agriculture, rapid transportation systems, and development strategies for urban construction, industrial development, urban-rural integration, social management, and policy formulation.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageHomem Ocidental - Homem Oriental: Community Supported agriculture como escultura social
2013Hermann Pohlmann · Palíndromo · Global
This abstract considers the possibility of transforming the space depicted by 19th-century landscape painters in a plastic-social way, making it a global work of art that can be experienced. It aims not for a space to escape urban centers, but to achieve a true global work of art.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityRHS Yorkshire in Bloom launches £100,000 fund | Harrogate-News
2013Tim Cook · · United Kingdom (Yorkshire)
The gardening charity RHS Yorkshire in Bloom launched a £100,000 fund to offer more support for community gardeners. For the first time, people across Yorkshire and the Humber can apply for these funds.
CommunityPolicyEl cultivo de setas: del huerto urbano al uso multifuncional del bosque
2013Esteban Sinde Stompel · Navarra forestal: revista de la Asociación Forestal de Navarra · Global
Mushroom cultivation is being introduced into urban garden design and as a real silvicultural alternative to be implemented on forest land. In the latter case, the production of saprophytic fungi on valueless wood waste offers a notable environmental advantage by recycling biomass and providing a highly nutritious ecological food.
DIYOrganic cycleBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceThe Raw and the Processed
2013Shelly Errington · Gastronomica The Journal of Food and Culture · United States (California)
This research article is by Shelly Errington, focusing on visible and audible aspects of culture. The author is in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California at Santa Cruz and uses her kitchen garden and edible landscape to imagine being part of the farm-to-table crowd.
DIYImpact of illegal urban agricultural activities on bio-diversity of Emakhandeni high density suburb of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2013Patrick F. Banga · · Zimbabwe
Unsanctioned urban agricultural activities in Emakhandeni High Density Suburb of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, negatively impact biodiversity. Researchers interviewed 100 people and conducted field visits, finding that the majority of cultivators operate outside existing laws and guidelines. This leads to progressive land degradation, massive deforestation, soil erosion, dried wetlands, lowered water table, and compromised groundwater quality due to pesticides and inorganic fertilizers.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityPolicyClimate changeHazon CSA Community: Comprehensive Program Promotion
2013Lauren Sara Wasserman · The Open Repository - Binghamton (Binghamton University) · Global
This research study examined how Hazon could better promote its comprehensive programming to its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) site communities. As of 2012, Hazon had 58 CSA site locations, each with coordinators acting as liaisons. The study aimed to explore ways for Hazon to improve its program promotion.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityОценка состояния зеленых насаждений общего пользования г. Волгограда
2013С Н Кириллов, Ю. С. Половинкина · CyberLeninK (CyberLeninka) · Russia
This article presents the results of an environmental assessment of Volgograd's public green spaces. Integrated environmental assessment coefficients were calculated for the main green areas, and recommendations for optimizing urban gardening were provided.
CommunityPolicyPromoting Environmental Stewardship through gardens: A case study of children’s views of an urban school garden
2013Рена Упитис, Scott Hughes, Anna C. Peterson · Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies · Canada
An 8-month qualitative study was conducted at a school garden program in one public elementary school in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Data collected from eight students through observations, semi-structured interviews, and student photographs identified five themes enhancing environmental stewardship (including connecting with nature, caretaking, and harvesting) and three themes explaining the program's long-term success (including parental involvement and community connections). The study highlighted benefits of the school garden program, as well as some difficulties associated with the program and limitations of the study.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityBiodiversityTransferring international commitments to the local level: the case of integrated urban wastewater management in Hanoi, Vietnam
2013Jaap Evers · · Vietnam (Hanoi)
This paper discusses the transfer of international commitments on green sustainable growth to local levels, focusing on integrated urban wastewater management in Hanoi, Vietnam. It highlights the substantial potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture to reuse urban wastewater for nutrient recovery and to serve as environmental service providers within urban sanitation systems. However, it notes that many local policymakers are unaware of the significance and opportunities of this practice.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cyclePolicyClimate changeShould It Really Matter
2013Marshall A. Baker · The Agricultural education magazine · United States (New Mexico)
This article describes two agricultural education programs in New Mexico, USA: one established in 1935 in a rural community connected to the dairy industry and the Ogallala Aquifer, and another established in 2009 in an urban area focused on sustainability and environmental issues. Both programs are successful in advancing agricultural education by connecting to local community issues. The article suggests that a program's connection to its local community and its concerns is more important than the size of the city.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeUrban Agricultures: Spatial, Social and Environmental Transformations in Rome
2013Giovanni Attili · IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) · Italy (Rome)
This study focused on community gardens in Rome, Italy, which largely result from informal appropriation practices. While these gardens can enhance environmental and social quality of life, they require institutional support and present a crucial challenge for urban planning. The study highlights the need to explore tensions between social practices and institutional powers, and questions how public policy can legitimize these self-guiding societal expressions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityHealthCommercialization of Urban Farming: The Case of Vegetable Farmers in Southwest Nigeria
2013Roseline J. Akinlade, Olubunmi Lawrence Balogun, Adekemi A. Obisesan, Akinlade, Roseline J., Balogun, Olubunmi L., Obisesan, Adekemi A. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Nigeria
This study analyzed the determinants of commercialization among 230 urban vegetable farmers in Oyo and Lagos states, southwest Nigeria, using primary survey data and a Tobit model. It found that farmers' participation in domestic and regional markets remains low due to various constraints, notably poor market access. The average farm size was 0.05ha, and the average market participation index was 0.73. Factors influencing commercialization included age, farm size, association membership, education, distance to market, and input costs. The study concluded that social capital significantly affects market participation, and recommended proactive support from governments and NGOs to facilitate farmer organizations and market linkages.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceLa agricultura urbana como proceso de desarrollo a escala humana. Los huertos urbanos en zonas degradadas de São Paulo
2013Glenda Dimuro, Esteban de Manuel Jeréz · POLI-RED (Revistas Digitales Politécnicas) (La Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This paper presents the 'Cidades sem fome' project, a citizen initiative in São Paulo's degraded areas. Through urban agriculture, this project enables residents to satisfy basic needs, regain control over their lives, and challenge market-driven growth processes. It aims to reduce hunger and unemployment, foster social mobilization, and rehabilitate degraded urban areas, offering an alternative to current urban production and management models.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsHarmony of Interests
2013Max Pearlstein · · Cameroon
Rachel Gilbert, Grace Lange, and Sarah Wright, alumni of Dickinson, founded Cameroonian Roots. This program disseminates microfinance opportunities and education in urban agriculture and women's empowerment.
Urban–rural linkageWelfareFood educationSalt intake in children 10–12 years old and its modification by active working practices in a school garden
2013Jorge Cotter, Maria J. Cotter, Pedro Oliveira, Pedro Cunha, Jorge Polónia · Journal of Hypertension · Portugal
A 6-month study in northern Portugal evaluated the impact of three interventions on salt intake and blood pressure in 155 children aged 10-12. Interventions included a control, theoretical lessons on high salt intake, and theoretical lessons combined with practical school garden activities (planting, collecting herbs for salt substitution). Only the practical group showed a significant reduction in salt intake (1.1 g/day), with 50.9% of children reducing intake by at least 1g/day, suggesting that combined theoretical and practical education is more effective.
Food educationHealthCommunityEffect of Experience-based School Learning Gardens Professional Development Program Workshop on Teachers' Attitudes towards Sustainability Education
2013Jan Ray, Koh Ming Wei, Diane M. Barrett · · United States (Hawaiʻi Island)
This study examined the effect of a week-long teacher training workshop, part of a year-long School Learning Gardens Professional Development Program, on 29 classroom and school learning garden teachers in Hawaiʻi. Teachers' attitudes toward sustainability education were measured before and after the workshop. Findings showed a statistically significant increase in teachers' overall attitudes toward sustainability education, including aspects related to productivity and comfort.
Food educationClimate changeCommunity