Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2058 results(30 / 83)
Community solutions to food apartheid: A spatial analysis of community food-growing spaces and neighborhood demographics in Philadelphia
2022Ashley Gripper, Rachel C. Nethery, Tori L. Cowger, Monica M. White, Ichiro Kawachi, Gary Adamkiewicz · Social Science & Medicine · United States (Philadelphia)
This descriptive epidemiologic study in Philadelphia used spatial regression to analyze associations between Black neighborhoods, poverty, food access, and urban agriculture. Fully adjusted spatial models showed significant associations between Black neighborhoods and urban agriculture (RR: 1.28) and between poverty and urban agriculture (RR: 1.27). Neighborhoods with higher proportions of Black residents and lower incomes tended to have more community gardens and urban farms, with the association between low food access and urban agriculture generally increased in Black neighborhoods.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthAddressing Community Food Security Through Gardening: A Review
2022Felix Buabeng, Erasmus Kabu Aduteye · International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development Studies · Global
This literature review examines the contributions and positive impacts of community and home gardens in addressing food insecurity and the overall well-being of household members. As many residents struggle with access to fresh produce and face food insecurity, community gardens can serve as a strategy to alleviate these challenges and help families reduce pandemic-related economic losses by supplementing their diets with nutritious foods. This paper also determines the types of gardening people practice and common crops grown.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsIntroduction of Integrated Pest Management Practices in Urban Farming in Mataram City During the Covid-19 Pandemic
2022Muhammad Sarjan, M. Taufik Fauzi, Ruth Stella P. Thei · Unram Journal of Community Service · Indonesia (Mataram City)
This action research in Mataram City during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to urban farming groups. Group discussions revealed that while participants were interested in developing fresh vegetables and fruits and found benefits in meeting family food needs, most members were unfamiliar with environmentally friendly cultivation techniques, particularly IPM.
Environmental trade-offsFood educationHealthOrganic cycleCommunityPerceptions of landlords to trees in built-up urban areas in Ghana
2022Jones Abrefa Danquah · Arboricultural Journal · Ghana
A study surveyed 600 landlords in three major Ghanaian cities regarding their perceptions of trees in urban areas. Landlords highly valued trees for providing edible fruits and nuts, improved health, shade, oxygen production, and wind protection. However, negative perceptions included structural damage from roots, trees acting as hosts for insects and pests, and leaf litter and slippery fruits being a nuisance.
HealthCommunityAllotment gardens: Psychosocial benefits and conflictual community aspects
2022Arnaud Sapin, Philippe Bodénan, Thierry Lebeau, Ghozlane Fleury‐Bahi · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · France
A qualitative study in Nantes, France, interviewed 28 allotment garden users to examine psychosocial impacts. While highlighting benefits like psychological well-being, physical health, self-development, and social bonding, the study found these were balanced by various conflicts reported by participants. Lexicometric analysis confirmed that positive and negative social aspects are significantly associated and must be considered jointly.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyFirst report demonstrating the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs on vegetables grown in community gardens in Europe
2022Sara R. Healy, Eric R. Morgan, Joaquín M. Prada, Martha Betson · Food and Waterborne Parasitology · United Kingdom
This proof-of-concept study investigated the presence of Toxocara spp. eggs on 82 'ready-to-eat' vegetable samples (lettuce, spinach, spring onion, celery) from 16 community gardens in southern England. Two lettuce samples tested positive for Toxocara spp. eggs, showing an overall prevalence of 2.4% for vegetable samples and 6.5% specifically for lettuce. This study is the first to demonstrate Toxocara spp. eggs on vegetables grown in community gardens in the UK and Europe, highlighting biosecurity and zoonotic risks.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthGroup Randomized Trial of Healthy Eating and Gardening Intervention in Navajo Elementary Schools (Yéego!)
2022Shirley A.A. Beresford, India J. Ornelas, Mark Bauer, Geraldine A Garrity, Sonia Bishop, Brandon Francis, Eileen Rillamas‐Sun, Linda Garcia, Filiberto S A Vecenti, Kevin Lombard · AJPM Focus · United States
The Yéego! Healthy Eating and Gardening Study was a group-randomized controlled trial in 6 elementary schools in the Navajo Nation to evaluate a school-based healthy eating and gardening intervention over one school year. Students in intervention schools showed 0.22 points greater self-efficacy for eating fruits and vegetables compared to comparison schools. While self-efficacy to grow fruits and vegetables increased in intervention schools, it did not increase significantly more than in comparison schools.
Food educationCommunityHealthComparing happiness associated with household and community gardening: Implications for food action planning
2022Graham Ambrose, Kirti Das, Yingling Fan, Anu Ramaswami · Landscape and Urban Planning · United States (Minneapolis-St. Paul)
An exploratory study in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, USA, directly compared happiness (net affect, average happiness, and meaningfulness) associated with household versus community agricultural gardening, surveying 118 household and 55 community gardeners. For both groups, gardening's net affect ranked among the top five daily activities. Community gardeners reported statistically higher net affect and peak meaningfulness while gardening compared to household gardeners. Community gardeners' net affect correlated negatively with family-companionship and positively with neighbor-companionship. Female and low-income household gardeners reported higher gardening net affect than their counterparts.
CommunityHealthPolicyValuing the Benefits and Enhancing Access: Community and Allotment Gardens in Urban Melbourne, Australia
2022Aisling Bailey, Jonathan Kingsley · Land · Australia (Melbourne)
This qualitative study explored perceptions of benefits and challenges in six urban community and allotment gardens in Melbourne, Australia, through semi-structured interviews with 23 participants. Findings identified perceived benefits and demographic patterns, but also highlighted challenges to participation due to insecurity around ongoing land access. The gardens were perceived to contribute to social and environmental wellbeing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsSource Apportionment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban-Agricultural-Aquacultural Soils near the Bohai Bay Coast, Using Land-Use Classification and Google Satellite Tracing
2022Ling Zeng, Shan Jiang, Linhai Jing, Yuan Xue · Remote Sensing · China
Heavy metal concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Hg were investigated in 86 soil samples from Jinzhou near China's Bohai Bay coast. The study showed that Cu and As contaminations in parts of this area were over the natural level but not polluted, while Cr contamination was omnipresent over the natural level and reached polluted levels in some parts. As and Cu contamination were linked to agricultural planting and aquacultural activities, and Cr contamination was potentially due to vehicle emissions and steel manufacturing or geochemical factories.
Contamination & food safetyHealthA szociális farmok helyzete és elméleti keretei
2022István Bazsik · Studia Mundi - Economica · Hungary
A study examined the situation and theoretical frameworks of social farms in Hungary. The social farm system in the country is in its infancy, with fewer than 50 farms, many of which are not necessarily farms. Initiatives often focus exclusively on specific target groups and prioritize social functions over agricultural production, which limits successful inclusion and integration.
WelfareHealthCommunityFood educationElderlyCharacterization of Wastewater Irrigated Soils of District Kota of Rajasthan
2022Subhash Aswal, Harshal Purohit, P. K. Gupta, K. K. Yadav, Laxman Jat, Shipra Jaiswal, R. A. Kaushik · International Journal of Plant & Soil Science · India (Kota)
A quarterly survey in Kota district, Rajasthan, India, characterized wastewater-irrigated soils by comparing them with tube well water-irrigated soils from ten urban sites. The study found decreased sand content, pH, and dehydrogenase activity, while porosity, EC, BOD, COD, OC, available-NPK, SO4, Cl, and heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr) increased. Some parameters exceeded Indian standard permission limits, indicating contamination, with highest values observed in summer.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureExpelled from the garden? Understanding the dynamics of green gentrification in Vancouver, British Columbia
2022Daniel Sax, Lorien Nesbitt, Shannon Hagerman · Environment and Planning E Nature and Space · Canada (Vancouver)
A case study of an urban farm in Vancouver, Canada, facing displacement due to redevelopment, revealed that urban residents engaged in urban greening can be both implicated in and impacted by green gentrification processes. The study highlighted the power dynamics farm members navigate to preserve land access and found that the farm's identity was co-opted by development agents as a branding tool. This research contributes to understanding the limitations of development processes in accounting for green gentrification risks.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsHealthLegacy Lead in Urban Garden Soils: Communicating Risk and Limiting Exposure
2022Anna Paltseva, Zhongqi Cheng, Murray B. McBride, Maha Deeb, Sara Perl Egendorf, Peter M. Groffman · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · Global
This synthesis paper summarizes current scientific knowledge on lead (Pb) contamination in urban garden soils and provides clear recommendations for assessing actual health risks and limiting exposure. Urban garden soils often contain elevated levels of Pb, mainly from legacy sources, which is a main barrier for urban gardening. Amendments are noted as unreliable for treating contaminated soils to reduce risk, as they do not always make contaminants less harmful.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityFlat Rooftops as Productive Landscapes in Birmingham
2022Yangzixian Yang · Journal of Architectural Research and Development · United Kingdom (Birmingham)
This paper aims to assess Birmingham's suitability for flat rooftop farming in the United Kingdom. It explores two examples of rooftop farms, Brooklyn Grange in New York and Thammasat University, the largest rooftop farm in Asia, and proposes converting the tops of buildings at Birmingham City University into a flat roof farm.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthProject Learning Garden: A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of the Evaluation Techniques on School Gardens
2022Kasey Kavanaugh · Digital Archive @ GSU · Global
This systematic review examined eight peer-reviewed articles assessing the impact of school gardens on elementary and middle school students. All eight papers reviewed showed a positive change in children's health and behaviors as a result of having access to a school gardening and additional nutritional education. However, three papers showed no change in the consumption of fruit and vegetables, and one paper showed no major differences in fruit and vegetable knowledge. All studies used surveys, with some also employing food diaries, 24-hour recall, or lunchroom observations as evaluation tools.
Food educationHealthDevelopment of a Process for Domestic Wastewater Treatment Using Moringa oleifera for Pathogens and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Inhibition under Tropical Conditions
2022Nini Sané, Malick Mbengué, Amandine Laffite, Serge Stoll, John Poté, Philippe Le Coustumer · Water · Global
This study developed a wastewater treatment plant prototype coupled with Moringa oleifera seeds to reduce fecal indicator bacteria and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in domestic wastewater. The prototype alone reduced bacteria by 99.34%. The addition of Moringa oleifera seeds achieved high removal rates for E. coli (36.6–78.8%), fecal coliform (28.3–84.6%), Vibrio cholera (35.3–95.6%), and total flora (32.1–92.4%). For antibiotic-resistant bacteria, removal rates were up to 98% for E. coli and fecal coliform, 100% for Vibrio cholera, and 91.96% for total flora.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleThe Important Roles of Urban Agriculture
2022Francesco Orsini, Michele D’Ostuni · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global
Urban agriculture, which involves growing food in cities, promotes local and sustainable food systems to address global challenges such as growing urban populations, climate change, and natural resource scarcity. Farming in cities positively impacts the environment, ecosystem, and climate, while also bringing communities together and improving citizens' health.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthRooftop gardening in the globe: advantages and challenges
2022Md. Abdul Quddus · Horticulture International Journal · Global
This review study investigated the scenario, advantages, and challenges of rooftop farming in urban communities. Rooftop gardening provides fresh, nutrition-rich food for urban dwellers, serves as an alternative land use, improves the urban atmosphere, and offers household recreation. Previous research indicates that insight and consciousness of roof gardening enrich wellbeing, social value, and enjoyable farming for building residents.
DIYCommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justicePotensi dan Kendala Pengembangan Urban Farming di Sempadan Rel Kereta Api Kelurahan Bangetayu Wetan Kecamatan Genuk Kota Semarang
2022Ro'fatul Maulaa, Niken Kusumarini, Dian Triastari Armanda · BIOLOGICA SAMUDRA · Indonesia (Semarang)
The potential and constraints of urban farming development on the railroad border in Bangetayu Wetan Village, Genuk District, Semarang City, Indonesia, were investigated through observation, interviews, and documentation. The approximately 1 to 2-hectare area cultivated crops such as corn, cassava, and sugarcane, with yield predictions sufficient to meet food needs. However, the presence of pests, diseases, and weeds were identified as constraints, indicating challenges for urban farming development.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityHealthWhat Works to Improve Nutrition and Food Sustainability across the First 2000 Days of Life: A Rapid Review
2022Rachel Laws, Megan Adam, Emma Esdaile, Penelope Love, Karen Campbell · Nutrients · Global
This rapid review synthesized evidence on what works to improve nutrition and food sustainability across the first 2000 days of life. Most systematic reviews (n=60) and grey literature (n=27) focused on interventions targeting the behavior of parents and caregivers, with no reviews focusing on food supply-chain activities. Most reviews were rated as critically low (n=28, 47%) or low (n=21, 35%) quality using AMSTAR 2.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceParticipation in cost-offset community-supported agriculture by low-income households in the USA is associated with community characteristics and operational practices
2022Karla L Hanson, Lynn Xu, Grace A Marshall, Marilyn Sitaker, Stephanie B Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, April Bennett, Salem Carriker, Diane Smith, Alice S Ammerman, Rebecca A Seguin-Fowler · Public Health Nutrition · United States
This study analyzed factors associated with participation in cost-offset community-supported agriculture (CO-CSA) among low-income households with children in ten communities across New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington states. Participation rates varied significantly (33% to 89% of weeks picked up) across communities. Offering multiple share sizes was associated with higher participation (76.8% vs. 57.7% of weeks), while offering community pick-up locations was associated with lower participation (64.7% vs. 78.2% of weeks).
CSA & TeikeiWelfareHealthCommunityThe wellbeing paradox in Hungarian local sustainable agriculture: a health psychology approach
2022Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Imre Fertő, Ágnes Neulinger, József Rácz, Attila Oláh · BMC Public Health · Hungary
This study examined situational and engagement-related work difficulties for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers in Hungary, using interpretive phenomenology and semi-structured interviews. The research found that new modes of consumer-producer connectivity create novel issues for farmers, leading to three experiential themes: conflicted autonomy, the pressure of boxes, and social overload. These difficulties are rooted in the economic characteristics of alternative agriculture and structural conditions that require conflicting farmer roles. The study highlights the health and wellbeing costs of sustainable farming, noting that farmers often lack the time, experience, or skills for new producer-consumer connections.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareCommunityThe invisible crisis: the determinants of local food insecurity in Gauteng municipalities, South Africa
2022Adrino Mazenda, Nonkosazana Molepo, Tinashe Mushayanyama, Saul Ngarava · British Food Journal · South Africa (Gauteng)
This quantitative cross-section study estimated the determinants of household food insecurity in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa, using binary logistic regression on 13,616 observations from the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life 2020/2021 data. The main findings highlight unemployment, health status, education, household size, indigency, and income as the primary determinants of food insecurity. Further studies are needed for an in-depth assessment of household coping mechanisms, the influence of government social grants, and access to credit.
HealthPolicyEconomicsWelfareEthnic vegetables for urban nutrition
2022R V S K Reddy, J. Omprasad, T. Janakiram · Current Horticulture · India
In India, indigenous ethnic vegetables are underestimated for their nutritional and economic value and are underutilized, despite their potential to improve human nutrition. Urban populations often prefer less nutritious exotic vegetables due to the greater availability of ethnic vegetables in rural areas. The study suggests increasing the cultivation of these nutrient-dense vegetables in urban and peri-urban areas through home gardening and urban farming to enhance supply for urban residents.
HealthFood educationUrban–rural linkageEconomics