Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1074 results(31 / 43)
Investigating the association between urban agriculture and food security, dietary diversity, and nutritional status: A systematic literature review
2015Warren E., Hawkesworth S., Knai C. · Food Policy · Global
A systematic review of studies quantifying urban agriculture's link to food security, dietary diversity, and nutrition finds the evidence base weak and inconsistent, showing that empirical support for its effectiveness in easing food-security challenges remains limited.
HealthWelfarePolicyTowards an Expansion of the Salt City Harvest Farm: Exploring a Community Farm’s Impact, Challenges, and the Agricultural Ways and Aspirations of its New American Farmers
2015Rose Tardiff · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States
The Salt City Harvest Farm (SCHF) in Kirkville, NY, is an all-volunteer project with limited capacity and concerns about long-term sustainability, despite providing benefits to New American participants. Research identified challenges and suggested organizational improvements, including clearly defining roles and integrating New Americans into decision-making. The study found that the SCHF would best suit participants' interests by remaining a place for growing their own food rather than transitioning to an incubator model.
Economic viabilityCommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsSchool Gardens as Sites for Forging Progressive Socioecological Futures
2015Sarah A. Moore, Jeffrey R. Wilson, Sarah Kelly, Sallie A. Marston · Annals of the Association of American Geographers · United States (Tucson)
This article examines school gardens in two underresourced schools in poor neighborhoods of Tucson, Arizona, as sites for socioecological change. It argues that for some children, these gardens help overcome the alienating aspects of neoliberal school reform in the United States. The gardens foster connections with classmates, university students, plants, and animals, promoting sustainable and socially just practices.
Food educationCommunityWelfareFighting insecurity: Experiments in urban agriculture in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro
2015Lea Rekow · · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This paper describes key initiatives in urban agriculture within Rio de Janeiro's favela communities, which are experiencing displacement and destabilization due to rapid urbanization policies. These initiatives aim to create resilient and productive spaces, particularly addressing food and nutrition security amidst socio-economic and security landscape changes.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareParticipation level of lower income community towards urban agriculture
2015Nurul Ain, Mohamad Ariff Fahmi Ahmad Zawawi · · Malaysia
A quantitative study conducted with 100 respondents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia, aimed to identify the main influence on lower-income communities' participation in urban agriculture. The results showed that knowledge was the most influential factor, followed by perception, and then acceptance.
CommunityWelfareFood educationResearch Trend Analysis on Characteristics and Social Condition of Domestic Homeless for Self-supportive Community Garden Programs
2015Sook Mee Lee, In Ho Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea
This study analyzed research trends concerning the characteristics and social conditions of domestic homeless populations in South Korea, focusing on community garden programs for self-support. It suggests that integrating community gardens into supportive housing could offer comprehensive services to the homeless, including physical and mental health care, improved sociality, job training, and communication spaces for rehabilitation.
CommunityWelfareHealthGoing, Doing, Gardening: School Gardens in the Underrepresented Communities of Lake Worth, Palm Springs, and Greenacres, Florida
2015Amy Wagenfeld, Erica Whitfield · Children Youth and Environments · United States (Florida)
In January 2010, the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, received a grant to install school/community gardens to reduce obesity and increase access to fresh produce among minority communities, primarily Hispanic children and families. A 42-item survey measured the gardens' usability, curricular integration, movement/exercise capacities, and health benefits. Findings indicated that participating in garden programs positively influenced students' and teachers' lives.
Food educationHealthCommunityWelfareGrowing Together: Poverty Alleviation, Community Building, and Environmental Justice through Home Gardens in Pacoima, Los Angeles
2015Bhavna Shamasunder, R Mason, Luke Ippoliti, Laura Robledo · Environmental Justice · United States (Los Angeles)
A community-based research project in Pacoima, Los Angeles, examined 36 families who received home gardens, training, and support in 2013. Following families through one planting cycle, data showed the potential for home gardens to contribute to household food budgets, increase home pride, motivate community involvement, and provide green spaces. This project aims to address the research gap on home gardens' benefits and challenges.
CommunityWelfareHealthFood educationCultivating dreams: examining community involvement and satisfaction in Fayetteville farms
2015Donna Freeman · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States (Fayetteville)
This study in Fayetteville, United States, utilized data triangulation from site analysis, policy analysis, and surveys to explore how urban farms could be improved in areas like visibility and worker comfort. The research aimed to determine what workers and volunteers value in urban farms. It developed general physical and procedural templates for farms to enhance relationships with workers and surrounding communities.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageWelfare"What We Eat Matters": Perspectives on Food and Health in the Mexican Im/migrant Farmworker Communities in Indian River County, Florida
2015Hugo Puerto · Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research · United States (Florida)
This ethnographic study in Indian River County, Florida, investigated challenges in engaging Mexican im/migrant farmworkers in community-based health solutions, specifically community gardens. Despite efforts by farmworker leaders and the health department to promote community gardens for health and economic benefits, little engagement was observed within the farmworker community. The research, based on participant observation, surveys, and interviews, analyzed barriers to healthy eating and the limited role of grassroots initiatives in improving health outcomes.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationWelfareThe Resilience of Urban Agriculture in the Face of Adversity from the City Authorities: The Case of Mkoba
2015Nyasha Chaminuka, Peter Makaye · Global Journal of Human-Social Science · Africa
This paper analyzes urban agriculture in Mkoba, Gweru, as a survival strategy for residents facing food insecurity and poverty, despite opposition from city authorities. It argues that urban agriculture is a resilient practice that has become a significant feature of urban livelihoods, often increasing the burden on women. The paper suggests that city authorities are losing the contest over urban spaces and should reform legislation to accommodate urban agriculture.
Governance failureWelfarePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCoalition Building for Health: A Community Garden Pilot Project with Apartment Dwelling Refugees
2015Lynne Eggert, Jane Blood‐Siegfried, Mary T. Champagne, Maha Al-Jumaily, Donna J. Biederman · Journal of Community Health Nursing · Global
This study reports on a pilot project that formed a coalition, guided by the Community Coalition Action Theory, to implement a community garden for apartment-dwelling refugees. Outcomes included successful coalition formation, the establishment of a community garden, reported satisfaction from all gardeners with increased vegetable intake, access to culturally meaningful foods, and evidence of increased community engagement. The project demonstrated the opportunity for community health nurses to convene a coalition to positively impact refugee health.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationInformation Needs of Youths involved in Urban Agriculture as Strategy for Checking Unemployment in Epe Lga of Lagos State, Nigeria
2015C.O. Edeoghon, DU Okoedo-Okojie · Journal of applied science and environmental management · Nigeria (Lagos State)
This study assessed the information needs of 140 youths involved in urban agriculture in Epe LGA, Lagos State, Nigeria, using structured questionnaires. Most respondents (71.4% unemployed) needed information on crop production (54.3%) and perceived urban agriculture as a solace for unemployment. Major agricultural tasks included vegetable, maize, cassava, and fish production. Unemployment was attributed to laziness, lack of knowledge, and god-fatherism, and perceived information needs were significantly associated with education level and primary occupation.
WelfareFood educationEconomicsCommunityHealthy Foods Healthy Lives Project Sweetie Pie-Camden Greenhouse Project
2015Virajita Singh, Alexander Thill, Daniel Handeen · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Minneapolis)
Project Sweetie Pie (PSP) is a non-profit organization in North Minneapolis, United States, that addresses food insecurity by establishing community gardens. To date, PSP has started over 25 gardens, providing fresh produce to citizens. The Camden Greenhouse planning project engaged the community to understand needs and generate ideas for creating a food hub in Camden and North Minneapolis.
CommunityFood educationWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceA política brasileira de segurança alimentar e nutricional: concepção e resultados
2015Walter Belik · Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional · Brazil
This article discusses the use of the Food and Nutritional Security concept in Brazil's Fome Zero Project and its implementation through various programs initiated in the past decade. It concludes by calling attention to the need to improve programs related to supply, food and nutritional education, and urban agriculture to enable the functioning of an integrated Food and Nutritional Security system.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareFood educationImplementasi Program Urban Farming Sebagai Strategi Pembangunan Ketahanan Pangan Perkotaan (Studi Di Kelurahan Made, Kecamatan Sambikerep, Kota Surabaya)
2015Mima Kurniasih · Jurnal Administrasi Publik Public Administration Journal · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This study described and analyzed the implementation of an Urban Farming program in Made Village, Sambikerep District, Surabaya City, Indonesia, and assessed its contribution to food security for poor communities. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the research found that the Urban Farming program's implementation was successful, improving food security through increased food stock and reduced food expenses. However, further improvement is needed, particularly regarding stakeholder participation.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityPolicy저소득층을 위한 복지형 체재가능 주말농장 모형개발을 위한 수요 설문조사
2015조성, 최정민 · 한국주거학회 학술발표대회 논문집 · South Korea (Seoul)
This study surveyed 102 low-income respondents in Seoul's Shin-nae 10th apartment complex from July 1st to August 15th to inform the development of a new Welfare Community Garden model. Findings indicated that most low-income families preferred such a garden, desired nearby facilities with educational programs, and were willing to pay using a munhwa nuri card.
WelfareCommunityFood educationInstitutionalizing Urban Agriculture Can Provide More Than Hope for Poor San Franciscans: An analysis of the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Act (UAIZ)
2015Rania Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed · USF Scholarship Repository (University of San Francisco) · United States (San Francisco)
This research analyzes San Francisco's 2014 Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone (UAIZ) Act, a tax incentive for using undeveloped private properties for urban agriculture. It employs GIS analysis to examine urban agriculture on private lands in relation to low-income populations, producing a vacant land inventory. Findings reveal opportunities and challenges, but the UAIZ is in its very beginning phase of implementation.
PolicyEconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEffect of urban household farming on food security status in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria
2015Sulaiman Yusuf, Olubunmi Lawrence Balogun, Olanike Falegbe · Journal of Agricultural Sciences Belgrade · Nigeria (Ibadan)
This study investigated the effect of urban household farming on food security status in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria, using primary data from 110 urban farming households. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke, and probit regression. Results showed that sex, years of schooling, marital status, household size, access to extension agents, hired labor, and type of farming enterprises are determinants of food security.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe functions of Market gardening in the socio-economic context of Lubumbashi in DR Congo
2015Tshomba Kalumbu John, Nyembo Mugalu Leopold, Ntumba Ndaye François, Mushagalusa Balasha Arsène, Muyambo Musaya Emmanuel, Nkulu Mwine Fyama Jules · International journal of innovation and applied studies · DR Congo (Lubumbashi)
This study, conducted in the Kilobelobe vegetable growing area of Lubumbashi, DR Congo, from January to March 2014, surveyed 50 vegetable growers. It aimed to analyze the contribution of the vegetable sector to poverty reduction through its impact on growers' income. Results indicate that producers benefit from multiple socio-economic functions of gardening, contributing to unemployment reduction, income generation, healthcare, food security, and waste management.
EconomicsWelfareHealthPeri-urban agricultureThe Importance of Urban Agriculture in Defeating Food Deserts
2015Taina Tremblay · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · United States
This research outlines the intent to examine the correlation between access to healthy, organic food and poverty, and the increasing problem of food insecurity in the United States. Urban agriculture and urban gardening are considered as solutions to food instabilities in poverty-stricken areas. The study aims to uncover reasons for the lack of access to healthy food and to discover solutions for promoting better food access and eating habits.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthEconomicsURBAN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF ELDORET MUNICIPALITY, KENYA
2015Salome C.R. Korir, Jacob Rotich, Pacifica Mining · · Kenya (Eldoret)
This paper investigated the contribution of Urban Agriculture to the food security of residents of Eldoret Municipality, Kenya. The study aimed to lay the foundation for future policy formulation for Urban Agriculture in Kenya.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsUrban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture and Food Security in the Low Income Households of Mwiki Location, Nairobi County
2015Nkirigacha, Imungi, J. K Cheminngwa · Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture & Health Sciences · Kenya (Nairobi)
This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the contribution of urban agriculture to food security among 260 low-income households in Mwiki Location, Nairobi County, using semi-structured questionnaires. Findings showed 24% of respondents were farmers, 80% obtained food through purchases, and 17% from own production, with 72% having enough food. Despite indicating food security, urban agriculture practice in the area remains low.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsRole of urban agriculture in disasters and emergencies
2015Andrew Adam‐Bradford, R. van Veenhuizen · Pure (Coventry University) · Global
This chapter explores the linkages between urban agriculture and disasters and emergencies by broadly illustrating the potential role urban agriculture can play in disaster risk management. Disaster risk management is an overarching term covering all aspects of disaster management, including pre-disaster activities like disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs aimed at building resilience, and post-disaster activities such as working with refugees in camps or urban areas, linking relief, rehabilitation, and development (LRRD).
CommunityWelfareClimate changeThe effect of education plus access on perceived fruit and vegetable consumption in a rural African American community intervention
2015Ellen Barnidge, Elizabeth A. Baker, Mario Schootman, Freda Motton, Marjorie Sawicki, Frank Rose · Health Education Research · United States
This quasi-experimental study in rural Missouri evaluated an intervention providing nutrition education and community garden access to African Americans to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. At mid-intervention, the intervention county showed lower hypertension and BMI. Both nutrition education participation and community garden access were independently associated with perceived fruit and vegetable consumption, with the strongest effect when combined. However, individuals with access but without education had a reduced likelihood of consuming recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfare