Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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El conuco como estrategia pedagógica para contribuir al rescate de las tradiciones ancestrales en la comunidad indígena Achagua (resguardo Umapo) municipio de Puerto López, Colombia
2026Monica del Pilar Rodriguez Rodriguez, Jorge Luis Triana Riveros, NEWTON NARCISO GOMES · Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo · Colombia
This study investigated "conuco" (traditional food production) as a pedagogical strategy to rescue ancestral traditions in the Achagua indigenous community of Umapo reserve, Puerto López, Colombia. Facing a historical loss of customs due to settler companies and communities, an ethnographic methodology was implemented, involving intergenerational dialogue between elders and youth, and the creation of a school garden cultivating traditional foods. This agricultural intervention was concluded to be a fundamental educational strategy against acculturation, revitalizing at-risk eating habits, promoting the effective rescue of ancestral traditions, and consolidating the cultural identity of new Achagua generations.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceTides of Change
2026Teesa Sindhu P. Thomas · · Global
This paper discusses four transformative strategies—biogas production, algae-based fertilizers, hydroponics, and community gardens—to enhance the resilience of coastal communities worldwide against climate change impacts. The findings highlight the potential of these sustainable practices to transform coastal communities into resilient, economically stable, and ecologically sustainable hubs.
CommunityClimate changeURBAN SUSTAINABILITY, GREEN SPACES, AND ECO-CITY PLANNING
2026Meenakshi Bisht, Amisha Bisht, Sanjay Kumar, Subhash Chandra · · Global
This chapter explores the interrelationship between urban sustainability, green spaces, and eco-city planning, highlighting key concepts, strategies, benefits, challenges, and policy frameworks. Urban sustainability aims to balance economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social well-being, while green spaces enhance environmental quality and mitigate climate change impacts. Eco-city planning integrates ecological principles and sustainable technologies to create environmentally responsible and climate-resilient cities.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeHealthPolicyLegacy contamination in Chicago urban park soils: Spatial patterns, socioeconomic disparities, and implications for urban agriculture
2026Jenkins E. M., Heafner H., Montgomery J., Soumano V., Paltseva A. A. · iScience · 米国・シカゴ
Portable X-ray fluorescence measurement of seven trace elements in 233 topsoil samples from five Chicago parks. Lead, arsenic, copper, zinc and chromium exceeded Illinois background levels in 89–100% of samples; arsenic exceeded EPA screening levels in 94% of samples and lead in 7%. Contamination was higher at parks farther from the city centre — Douglass and Humboldt parks, in predominantly minority, lower-income neighbourhoods — than at Cottontail, Grant and Webster. Principal-component analysis identified an anthropogenic signature (PC1, 51.7%) driven by Pb, Zn, Cu and As and a geogenic signature (PC2, 17.0%) associated with Mn and Ni. Areas of Douglass and Humboldt parks were classified as not safe for gardening in native soil; Webster as safe with minor restrictions. The authors conclude that park-soil contamination follows socioeconomic gradients, reflecting environmental injustice and a need for targeted remediation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyCommunityPerceptions of a community-gardening program: Insights from the TRIOWell pilot with low-active, middle-aged African American women
2026Canton I., Harris S., Jakachira V., Aguinaga S. · Journal of Health Psychology · 米国
A qualitative study of 11 low-active, middle-aged African American women who took part in an eight-week culturally tailored community-gardening intervention, interviewed afterwards. The intervention included a "Black History Knowledge" (BHK) component intended to make it more salient, and its acceptability was examined. Inductive coding produced three themes: preparing for and actively making behaviour changes; a newfound opportunity for community engagement and camaraderie; and opportunities to reconstruct and enrich the intervention's components. The authors argue community gardening may support health-behaviour change among Black women, with relationships central, and discuss scaling up. The sample is small (n = 11) and the findings are qualitative and at pilot stage.
HealthWelfareCommunityThe Community-Environment-Health Nexus: Connecting Community-Led Climate Action to Health Co-Benefits
2026Wendelboe-Nelson C., Lyon K., Alex E., Malden S., Williams A. J., Thompson C. W. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 英国・スコットランド・エディンバラ
A retrospective analysis of 32 community-led climate action projects funded through the Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network (ECCAN) and its GreenLight programme (2024–2025), spanning energy, transport, food, circular economy and green space, none with a formal health evaluation framework. Data extracted from final reports covered 3,195 direct participants. Although health was not an objective, 21 of the 32 projects (66%) reported secondary health and wellbeing outcomes. Projects with direct nature contact showed the strongest co-benefits: nine of ten high-nature-contact projects reported health benefits, against two of eight low-contact projects. Following community-garden workshops, 94% of participants reported increased willingness to engage in future community activities and 76% reported improved mental wellbeing. The authors propose a "Community-Environment-Health Nexus" (CEHN) framework for how community-led environmental action generates synergistic health co-benefits.
HealthCommunityClimate changePolicyFood Sharing in Athens
2026Jennifer Lyons, Anna Davies · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Greece (Athens)
The CULTIVATE project developed "The Toolshed," an assessment tool to document and understand the sustainability impacts of food sharing initiatives (FSIs). This report provides estimated sustainability impacts for Athens, combining insights from CULTIVATE’s automated Food Sharing Map and sustainability impact assessment (SIA) data submitted by FSIs. These estimations span environmental, economic, and social pillars of sustainability, noting that the presented impact indicators are only a subset of the total impacts these initiatives create.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomics<b>HORTA ESCOLAR COMO INSTRUMENTO DE EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL: UMA ANÁLISE DOS FUNDAMENTOS PEDAGÓGICOS E DIMENSÕES FORMATIVAS</b>
2026Thiago Correia · INTERNATIONAL INTEGRALIZE SCIENTIFIC · Global
This qualitative bibliographic research investigates the school garden as a pedagogical tool for ecological knowledge and critical individual formation within environmental education. It analyzes theoretical-methodological foundations, discussing school gardens as spaces for non-formal and experiential learning, their interface with the curriculum, and contributions to ecological sensitivity. The research indicates that school gardens serve as fertile pedagogical territories for interdisciplinarity, care, and transforming human-nature relationships.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityImpact Study of the Community Project in Purok 21, Barangay Mintal, Davao City
2026Matias Jr. Mercado, Glessie Jean Langtad, Martin Corador · International Journal of Sustainability and Advanced Integrated Research · Philippines (Davao City)
This study evaluated the perceived impact and overall success of the Holy Cross of Mintal (HCM, Inc.) community extension program in Purok 21, Mintal, Davao City, Philippines. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design, utilizing surveys from 150 respondents and in-depth interviews with 15 participants, was employed. Findings revealed a very high level of perceived program impact (M = 4.66) and overall success (M = 4.65) across five program dimensions: Education, Livelihood, Feeding, Urban Gardening, and Catechism. All dimensions significantly predicted success, with the Feeding program being particularly impactful, and qualitative results highlighted themes such as spiritual strengthening, improved health, knowledge development, environmental awareness, and economic empowerment.
CommunityFood educationWelfareSchool Gardens in Vanuatu—Promoting Local Traditional Knowledge and Agricultural Resilience
2026Matthias Kowasch, Pierre Metsan, Adeline Mweleul, Helena Tischler · Geo Geography and Environment · Vanuatu
This paper investigates how school gardening contributes to the re-valorization of local knowledge and the decolonization of the educational system in Vanuatu. An empirical study in five secondary schools on Efate and Tanna islands, combined with curriculum analysis and participatory observation, revealed that most students regularly work in school gardens, cultivating various crops using mixed cropping and fallow land. Students are familiar with the yam seasonal calendar, but while sustainability topics are in curricula, discussions of traditional worldviews are lacking. School gardening enhances agricultural resilience, connection to land, kastom, and food sovereignty, leading to recommendations for stronger inclusion of local knowledge, field trips, and collaboration with kastom schools.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeVertebrate Diversity in School Gardens
2026Ina Schanz, Martin Remmele · International explorations in outdoor and environmental education · Global
This chapter addresses the initiation of scientific skills while experiencing vertebrates in school gardens and provides concrete suggestions for proactive action to protect the vertebrate fauna. School gardens offer important refuges for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish in urban environments, thus promoting the development of species literacy. Species literacy is considered a key predictor for the development of positive attitudes towards nature and nature conservation in the sense of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 “Life on Land”. Learners develop scientific skills by identifying birds through observation, recording amphibian development at a pond, or experimenting with nesting aids. They can also take a protective role by improving habitats for reptiles when planting hedges or creating cairns.
BiodiversityFood educationCommunityCoaching in urban spaces
2026James Farrell, Jackee Holder · · Global
This chapter explores how urban environments influence coaching practices, identifying both challenges like noise and safety, and opportunities for enhancing wellbeing and creativity. It proposes a typology of urban coaching spaces based on greenery levels, each offering distinct affordances. The chapter also addresses ethical and practical considerations, arguing that urban coaching can strengthen place attachment, support mental health, and encourage pro-environmental behaviors.
CommunityHealthConceptualizing indigenous food sovereignty in Aotearoa New Zealand
2026Nikki Renall, L. Te Morenga · Global Perspectives on Nutrition · New Zealand
This study, guided by Kaupapa Māori research principles, explored how the revitalization of mahinga kai practices (traditional foodways) in Aotearoa New Zealand can advance wellbeing, socioeconomic equity, and food sovereignty for Māori. Conducted in two phases, the research identified three themes explaining how mahinga kai enhances Māori wellbeing: reclaiming mātauranga, reconnecting to ancestral whenua, and restoring Papatūānuku. Food sovereignty was understood as an adaptive system where cultural meaning lies in how food is produced, shared, and sustained within Māori values and knowledge systems, leading to the development of "The Mahinga Kai Framework: Enacting Food Sovereignty."
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthWelfareScalable biochar-enriched agriculture model assessing financial viability of the sustainable temporary use for brownfields: the Špitálka case
2026Ladislava Grochová, Marek Litzman, Veronika Solilová, Helena Dvořáčková · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Czechia
This study used a simulation model to assess the financial viability of temporary urban agricultural projects on brownfield sites, specifically social farming and community garden models, at the Špitálka brownfield site in Brno, Czechia. The analysis found that carbon offsets were economically marginal, but a strategic combination of labor and establishment subsidies was crucial for financial survival. The Community Garden model showed higher self-sustainability potential (BCR > 1.0), while the Social Farming model required nearly 100% subsidy to break even (NPV = 0).
EconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeImpact of homestead gardening on dietary diversity in Tongan adults
2026E. Mitchell, S. Patolo, T. Tukia, L. Pomana, B. Dixson, S. Underhill, S. Burkhart · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · Tonga
A survey in October 2024 of 363 Tongan adults involved in homestead gardening across four islands investigated dietary diversity. While 79% of participants achieved a dietary diversity score of 5 or higher, a negative significant association was found between dietary diversity and both garden participation length and knowledge of nutrient composition for iron and vitamin C. No statistical significance was found between dietary diversity and garden location by island, but an effect by district location was observed.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceO contato com a natureza como elemento do desenvolvimento infantil: reflexões sobre o papel da escola na contemporaneidade
2026Cássia Rocha Santos, Eliene Gomes Pires da Silva, João Ricardo Costa Rocha, Fabiano Euclides Mendes · Revista fisio&terapia. · Global
This article analyzes the importance of children's contact with nature for their holistic development, emphasizing the school's role as a mediator. Based on bibliographic and documentary research, it discusses how urbanization and other social changes have reduced children's natural experiences, limiting physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. The study concludes that school-facilitated contact with nature, through practices like school gardens, significantly contributes to holistic child development.
Food educationCommunityHealthAporte de la implementación de huertos urbanos en el cantón Babahoyo, provincia de los Ríos
2026Daniela Elizabeth Vera Ochoa, María Paulina Brito Ochoa · INNOVA Research Journal · Ecuador
This study in Babahoyo canton, Los Ríos province, Ecuador, evaluated the contribution of urban garden implementation to food security, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion using a mixed-methods approach. Results showed that 72% of households increased food variety and 65% reduced food expenses. Additionally, 38% of producers sold surpluses for complementary income, 61% practiced composting, and 58% used effective irrigation methods.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthAn assessment of participation in climate smart agricultural practices among urban women farmers in Mbarara city Western Uganda
2026Kidist Abebe Mersha, David Osiru, Wycliffe Tumwesigye, Rebecca Kalibwani · Discover Sustainability · Uganda (Mbarara City)
This study assessed the participation in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices among urban women farmers in Mbarara City, Western Uganda, and the factors influencing it. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 150 women farmers and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Multivariate Probit model. Results indicated that 74.15% of women farmers had adopted at least one CSA practice, with most being low or medium adopters. Age, membership in social groups, farming experience, farm size, income, access to credit, access to weather information, and marital status positively influenced participation, while family size had a negative effect.
Climate changeCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsEl docente como promotor de una cultura productiva en el marco del PTMS para la escuela del futuro
2026Yenis Katiuska Pereira, Romelia Rodríguez · Revista Multidisciplinar Ciencia y Descubrimiento · Global
This study addressed the limited development of agroecological practices and weak productive culture at Argelia Laya Primary School. Its objective was to analyze the role of teachers as promoters of a productive culture through the implementation of the All Hands to the Soil Program (PTMS). Using a qualitative approach with Transformative Participatory Action Research, findings revealed that teacher leadership fostered agroecological awareness, participatory organization, the establishment of a school garden, and strengthened school–family–community relationships. The study concludes that PTMS is an effective pedagogical strategy for strengthening school productive culture and consolidating the teacher's role in sustainable development.
Food educationCommunityGrowing gardens of belonging in the city: insights from Copenhagen
2026Anne Madsbjerg, Gertrud Jørgensen, Trine Agervig Carstensen · Local Environment · Denmark (Copenhagen)
Two years of anthropological fieldwork in an urban community garden in central Copenhagen, Denmark, investigated permaculture-inspired practices. The study explored how gardeners enact the ethical principles of permaculture (People Care, Earth Care, and Fair Share) and how these practices relate to experiences of belonging. Findings indicated that small, situated acts of care, emerging through mutual attention, co-creation, and improvisation, fostered connections among gardeners, the garden's ecology, and wider systems of resource governance. Experiences of belonging were contingent, fluctuating, and sometimes fragile, and the study emphasized the limits and vulnerabilities of such connections.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthUrban mushroom farming for future foods: safety considerations and nutritional benefits
2026Malsha Samarasiri, Wei Ning Chen · Sustainable Microbiology · Global
This review discusses advances in urban mushroom farming, its integration with computer-based technologies, safety considerations, and the potential of mushrooms and mycelium-based foods as future foods. Key safety considerations for urban mushroom farming systems include biological hazards, mycotoxins, heavy metal accumulation, and potential allergenicity. Macrofungal mycelium-based foods may be regarded as novel foods and require evaluation under novel food safety regulations.
Contamination & food safetyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityDigital agricultureUrban Food Forests: From Theory to Empirical Research
2026Francesco Ferrini, Antonella Gori, Ermes Lo Piccolo · Urban Science · Global
Urban Food Forests (UFFs) are perennial, polyculture systems integrating urban agriculture, forestry, and agroforestry. However, inconsistent definitions, limited design guidelines, and the scarcity of applied research hinder their implementation. Only by addressing these challenges can UFFs be better integrated into urban planning, enhancing their ecological and socio-economic contributions to sustainable and resilient cities.
BiodiversityCommunityHealthPolicyRewilding the animal who lives with the city: belonging through growing
2026Andy Harrod · Urban Eidos · Global
This creative-relational inquiry explores how community gardens can address the declining sense of belonging and increasing loneliness in Western cities, attributed to hyper-individualism. It argues that community gardens, as growing third places, offer affective environments that support participants' wellbeing, belonging, and interconnectivity. The inquiry emphasizes the need to co-create free, accessible, and available affective environments to counter loneliness.
CommunityHealthWelfareFrom practice to heritage
2026Dalma Dani-Ördög · Belvedere Meridionale · Global
This paper explores the transformation of peasant work culture in contemporary educational contexts using the theoretical framework of folklorism and heritage-making. Based on qualitative fieldwork at the Gyermekliget Alternative School, it analyzes how agricultural practices are re-contextualized within the institutional setting of a school garden. The findings show that practices originally associated with subsistence farming acquire new pedagogical meanings, particularly in terms of embodied knowledge, sensory experience, and community collaboration. The school garden functions as a mediating space where past practices are reorganized through everyday action rather than being reconstructed.
Food educationCommunityHeirloom & landraceCultivating Dietary Literacy: A Perspective on School Gardens and Nutritional Knowledge in Malawian Primary Education
2026Chikondi Banda, Grace Chisale, Tawonga Mwale, Kondwani Phiri · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Malawi
This perspective piece proposes a conceptual framework for integrating school gardens into the Malawian primary education curriculum to enhance dietary literacy. It argues that a curriculum embedding practical gardening with lessons on local, nutrient-dense crops can foster a more profound understanding of nutrition than classroom instruction alone.
Food educationHealthCommunity