Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9074 results(307 / 363)
Community Gardens and Urban Food Security in Dakar Housing Projects: An Action Research Study
2012Djola Diop, Wally Ndiaye, Cheick Mbaye · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal (Dakar)
Urban food security is a critical issue in Dakar's housing projects, where limited access to fresh produce exacerbates poverty and malnutrition. This action research study conducted qualitative interviews with 50 participants from four housing projects in Dakar to understand their gardening practices and perceptions of food security. Residents reported a significant 34% increase in fresh produce consumption due to community gardens, leading to improved health outcomes. Community gardens have successfully contributed to urban food security by fostering local nutrition and improving residents' well-being.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthPolicySchool Gardens: Ripe with STEM and Experiential Learning; Fertile Soil for Agricultural Program Growth
2012Shannon Lawrence, John Rayfield · The Agricultural education magazine · United States
This article discusses the merits and potential of incorporating school gardens into agricultural education programs in the United States. It notes that school gardens, a national movement since 1891, offer opportunities for agricultural literacy, community outreach, and STEM integration. The ideas presented are based on conversations with agriculture teachers, observations, experiences, and reflections.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiPromoción de una alimentación saludable: experiencia en Tunja, colombia Promoção duma alimentação saudável: experiência em Tunja, Colombia Healthy food promotion: experience in Tunja, Colombia
2012Sandra Lorena Herrera Giraldo, Adriana Panader Torres, Luz Mery Cárdenas Cárdenas, Nancy Aurora Agudelo Cely · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Tunja, Colombia, an intervention strategy to increase vegetable availability in a community was implemented through a qualitative study applying five principles of community-based research. The strategy included educational and urban agriculture components, involving seven participatory educational sessions and the implementation of eight home gardens and one community garden. The intervention increased vegetable availability, empowered the community, created social networks, and highlighted the role of nursing professionals in leading community actions for healthy lifestyles. The consumption of five portions of fruit/vegetables daily was insufficient in Tunja's 15-44 age group.
HealthFood educationCommunityThe Learning Gardens Laboratory: Teaching Sustainability and Developing Sustainable Food Systems Through Unique Partnerships
2012Heather Burns, Weston Miller · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Portland)
The Learning Gardens Laboratory (LGL) in Portland, Oregon, a partnership between Portland State University and Oregon State University, develops garden-based education programs to advance sustainable food systems and sustainability education. LGL's pedagogical principles, drawn from permaculture and ecological design, include interdisciplinary and place-based learning. The paper discusses these principles in relation to LGL's educational programs, highlighting the Beginning Urban Farming Apprenticeship and Lane Middle School Garden-Based Education programs.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeProspect of domestic horticulture and the industry development in China
2012Li D · Chinese Horticulture Abstracts · China
With rapid urbanization in China, urban environments face increasing threats, making horticultural plants a choice to improve and beautify living spaces. This study analyzed the connotation, industry orientation, realistic meaning, and development prospects of the domestic horticulture industry in China, based on the current state of urban horticulture.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsThe Consideration of Progressive Urban Park and The Possibility of Urban Agricultural Park
2012Hee-Jeong Yun, Mi-Kyoung Cho · Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning · South Korea
This study critically considers the new paradigm of urban parks, noting that despite progress, urban parks face increased criticism. Criticisms include long development periods for tree growth, limitations in general and cultural ecology, and a lack of economic validity. The study proposes urban agricultural parks as an alternative, connecting them to sustainable regional development and low-carbon society.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageLes défis et les perspectives de l’agriculture urbaine. Liminaire
2012Stefan Reyburn · · Global
This special issue compiles eight texts on urban agriculture initiatives, highlighting their diverse forms and contexts. It notes that urban agriculture research intersects multiple disciplines and that social science research on this topic is still in its early, exploratory, and descriptive stages.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsReturning to the Roots: Urban Farming and Environmentalism in Detroit
2012Kevin Wonch · Hope College Digital Commons (Hope College) · United States (Detroit)
This study examines urban farming in Detroit, a city experiencing rapid decline with a population under a million, limited access to fresh food stores, and extensive vacant land. While arguing for modern urban farming as a foundation for sustainable practices and positive development, it notes that some political and business analysts question its ability to make a significant impact on the city’s future.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeCommunitySlum politics
2012Martijn Koster, Pieter A. de Vries · Focaal · Brazil (Recife)
This article examined slum dwellers' politics in Recife, Brazil, as a realm of possibility where care and recognition are central. A community leader's urban agriculture project, which from an outsider's perspective might be considered non-viable, provided slum dwellers with possibilities to strive for community solidarity and personal recognition. The article concludes that slum politics is about claiming the right to be counted and recognized, and about the care for the other.
Economic viabilityCommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceResearch on three small-scale agricultural ecological-economic systems in Shenzhen City based on emergy analysis
2012杨卓翔 YANG Zhuoxiang, 高阳 GAO Yang, Zhao Zhi, 李双成 LI Shuangcheng · Acta Ecologica Sinica · China (Shenzhen)
An emergy analysis compared the emergy input structure, production efficiency, environmental load, and sustainability of three farms (Biling Modern Agricultural Technology Park, Xili Orchard, and Shanhai Farm) in Shenzhen, China. Xili Orchard showed a high reliance on renewable resources, the lowest environmental load ratio, and the highest emergy indices for sustainable development. Shanhai Farm had a low reliance on renewable resources, the highest environmental load ratio, and was assessed as having the lowest sustainable development capacity.
EconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleDigital agricultureBirch Tree Apartment Complex rehabilitation project
2012· · United States
The Birch Tree Project is a rehabilitation initiative for a 56-unit apartment complex designed to house low-to moderate-income families and offer supportive services. These services include a Head Start facility, Life Skills classes, Case Management, Asset Building and Credit Repair, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, a Community Garden, and a Summer Feeding site. Given Farmington City's growth in minimum-wage service industry jobs, which leads many families to spend a disproportionate amount of income on housing, this project aims to create safe, affordable housing opportunities for marginalized families.
CommunityWelfare2012 LAND GRANT AND SEA GRANT NATIONAL WATER CONFERENCE Portland, OR Poster Abstract Stormwater management education and best management practice (BMP) implementation in the City of Newark
2012Jillian Thompson, Christopher C. Obropta · · United States (Newark)
In 2009, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, implemented stormwater management education and best management practices (BMPs) in Newark, New Jersey. The initiative aimed to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges. Through this effort, a formerly vacant lot was transformed into a community garden featuring a 1,550-gallon cistern and a rain garden, with educational training provided to ex-offenders and sixth-grade students.
CommunityClimate changeOrganic cycleCommunity gardens for social capital: a site suitability analysis in Akron, Ohio
2012Allison Oulton · · United States
This study tested social capital as a measurable indicator for community garden planning in Akron, Ohio, by identifying vacant parcels in areas with fewer civic engagement hubs. Using an adapted methodology that introduced spatial components to social capital at the neighborhood scale, it identified sites with a greater need for social capital. A limitation was that the principal hubs of civic engagement identified were churches, suggesting further fieldwork is needed to identify site-specific social hubs.
CommunityHealthPolicyEconomicsEstrategias administrativas y contables de economía solidaria para fortalecer las asociaciones urbanas de agricultores
2012Marcela Galindo Molina, Liliana Patricia Gutiérrez Castro, Luviany Andrea Trujillo Nieto, Marcela Galindo Molina, Liliana Patricia Gutiérrez Castro, Luviany Andrea Trujillo Nieto, Marcela Galindo Molina, Liliana Patricia Gutiérrez Castro, Luviany Andrea Trujillo Nieto · Ciencia Unisalle (Universidad de La Salle) · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study analyzed the case of Cooperativa Multiactiva Sur Oriental, a solidarity association centered on urban agriculture in Bogotá, Colombia. Despite being strengthened with agricultural expertise, this association lacks an administrative scheme for proper resource management to generate surpluses and social development benefits for its members. Through participatory action research, the study aims to strengthen the cooperative's administrative and accounting processes to improve its urban agriculture business.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityTime and Self-Valorization Freedom from Work Thr ough Work, an EJ Perspective on Work, Capital, and the Environment
2012Sjsu ScholarWorks, Gabriel R. Valle · · United States
This paper explores the self-valorization of work in community gardens as a path to environmental justice, arguing that community gardens disrupt capital's system by removing food as a commodity and revaluing time outside market-driven speed. The Chicano community, being susceptible to workplace inequalities, has a particular stake in this self-valorization, as these inequalities are reflected in unhealthy communities, economies, and environments. The study suggests that self-valorization through work creates natural wealth, reconstructing time, oppression, and communities.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthLa agricultura urbana como estrategia para la sostenibilidad en la ciudad contemporánea
2012Raúl Puente-Asuero · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This chapter provides a critical and propositional analysis of the integration of agricultural production into contemporary urban metabolism. It positions urban agriculture as a strategic green infrastructure capable of mitigating the dysfunctions of the diffuse city model. The text analyzes how urban agriculture acts as a mechanism for urban resilience, allowing the city to recover lost ecosystem functions, improve social cohesion, and reduce its ecological footprint through food sovereignty and on-site organic waste management.
Food sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityClimate changePolicyMaking Local Planning Work for Urban Agriculture in the North American Context
2012Joël Thibert · Journal of Planning Education and Research · North America
A literature review and an analysis of urban agriculture (UA) in Detroit, Toronto, and Montreal, based on interviews with practitioners, were conducted in North America. The study suggests that UA practices vary significantly and face cultural, legal, and technical challenges. These findings support the view that UA belongs within planning and that municipalities have an important role in facilitating its development.
PolicyCommunityImpact of the Use of Produce Grown in an Elementary School Garden on Consumption of Vegetables at School Lunch
2012Nancy Cotugna, Carolyn K. Manning, James DiDomenico · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States
This study investigated the impact of offering produce grown in an elementary school garden at school lunch on children's vegetable consumption, using a quasi-experimental design and cafeteria observations. The results showed that providing garden produce at school lunch had a small positive impact on children's food choices.
Food educationHealthComparative study of domestic and foreign advanced experience about urban agricultural development
2012Dehui Wu · Journal of Xinyang Agricultural College · Global
This article presents advanced experiences in urban agricultural development from both domestic and international contexts. It also discusses the developing trends in urban agriculture.
PolicyEconomicsA STUDY ON USER CHARACTERISTIC AND EFFECT OF ALLOTMENT GARDEN
2012Akira Yuzawa · Journal of Architecture and Planning (Transactions of AIJ) · Japan
This study examined user characteristics and effects of allotment gardens, focusing on "the community farm YUI" in Japan. It found that the main applicants were men aged 50 or older, and key factors in choosing an allotment garden were use charge, distance from home, and agricultural guidance. The identified effects of allotment gardens included providing a purpose for living, fostering agricultural understanding, and promoting exchange among participants.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsEducating for Environmental Literacy in America's Public Schools
2012Annie L Stoller-Patterson · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States
This paper explores how education for environmental literacy can be integrated into America's public school system. It investigates the benefits of environmental education and how green school buildings, sustainable cafeterias, school gardens, and environmental education curriculum can be used to teach for environmental literacy at all grade levels. A sample lesson plan is included.
Food educationCommunity黄岛 依托资源优势 发展都市农业
2012刘喜高, 李一 · 农村工作通讯 · China (Qingdao)
Huangdao District in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, has accelerated agricultural transformation and structural adjustment in recent years, following principles of "planning first, government guidance, enterprise as主体, and social participation." Leveraging its resource advantages of mountains, sea, water, forests, and land, Huangdao District is vigorously developing tourism-oriented and eco-tourism modern urban agricultural parks, promoting the upgrade of the agricultural structure. This has driven increased agricultural production and efficiency, and sustained income growth for farmers.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityAgricultura urbana e periurbana em Dom Pedrito: Associação Pedritense dos Produtores de Hortifrutigranjeiros (APPH)
2012Luciano Deiques Minozzo · · Brazil
This study characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture practiced by nine producers belonging to the Associação Pedritense dos Produtores de Hortifrutigranjeiros (APPH) in Dom Pedrito/RS, Brazil, between September 2011 and March 2012. Findings showed that 67% of producers practiced peri-urban agriculture (10-26 km from the city), while three practiced urban agriculture. Producers had low schooling (78% incomplete elementary education) and 55% earned 2.5 to 4 minimum wages. Family labor accounted for 88% of the workforce, and personal satisfaction was the main motivation. Water availability and quality were identified as limiting factors for production.
EconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureCommunityAnnual change and temporal change of fertilizer component in rooftop garden thin substratum light soil
2012Takanori Kuronuma, Saori Hashimoto, Ryuta CHIMURA, Haruaki YOKOKAWA, Kazunori Sakamoto, Hitoshi Watanabe · Journal of the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology · Japan
This study investigated the annual changes in lightweight soil in a thin substratum rooftop garden planted with Zoysia grass. No annual changes were observed in grass growth or soil physical properties. Soil organic matter tended to increase after construction, and nutrient salt content was comparable to golf course green soil diagnostic standards. However, nutrient salt levels in unused lightweight soil were significantly higher than after construction and decreased annually. No difference in nutrient salt content was confirmed with or without additional fertilization, suggesting the need for fertilization management tailored to the unique rooftop environment.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeMarseille et ses natures: permeabilites spatiales, segmentations sociales Marseille e suas naturezas: permeabilidades espaciais, segmentações sociais Marseille and its Natures: Spacial Permeabilities, Social Segmentations
2012Cécilia Claeys, Jean-Noël Consalès, Carole Barthélémy · · France (Marseille)
This paper re-examines the question of nature in the city through emerging environmental paradigms, using Marseille, a French Mediterranean city, as a case study. An interdisciplinary analysis combining sociology and geography revealed that new modes of urban and suburban nature management (e.g., National Park, greenways, community gardens) question spatial boundaries between wild and artificial. However, the uses of these spaces are still marked by persistent social segmentations.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkage