Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1627 results(32 / 66)
Building capacity through urban agriculture: report on the askîy project
2018Wanda Martin, Lindsey Vold · Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada · Canada (Saskatoon)
This qualitative case study examined how participation in the "askîy" urban agriculture project in Saskatoon, Canada, empowered young adults and built food-growing capacity. Seven interns (aged 19-29) participated in 2015, and their experiences were analyzed using a sustainable livelihoods framework. Findings indicated that collaborative engagement fostered connections, influenced grocery shopping habits towards more vegetables, and motivated interns to continue gardening and apply their knowledge in their home communities.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareLet’s Get Growing: Exploring How Teachers Use Expository Texts in Gardening Lessons for K-1 Students
2018Lindsey Elaine Thomas · Journal of international women's studies · United States
This honors thesis explored how kindergarten and first-grade teachers in the United States use expository texts in science lessons related to a garden project. The project involved creating a book set of nonfiction texts on gardening topics and observing teachers' use of these books. The goals were to research teachers’ use of expository texts in science lessons for a garden project and to find effective ways to incorporate Massachusetts reading standards with science in the classroom.
Food educationCommunityCompeting Discourses of Household Food Insecurity in Canada
2018Zsofia Mendly‐Zambo, Dennis Raphael · Social Policy and Society · Canada
Household food insecurity (HFI) affects over 1.7 million Canadian households, yet government action to address it has been remarkably limited. Non-governmental efforts like food banks and community gardens have depoliticized HFI, complicating solutions. The study argues that the critical materialist political economy discourse, which is least considered, best explains HFI in Canada and offers the most effective response.
Limited or null effectWelfareCommunityPolicyEconomicsHorta na Escola Estadual Lagoa Bonita no Município de Deodápolis-MS
2018Andreia Gerbaudo Gimenez, Cleidivaldo Siqueira Pereira, Gislania Nobres da Silva, Heloísa Alves Pereira, Hérica Ribeiro Fabro · · Brazil
This work proposal focuses on school gardens as a means to develop environmental education and food themes, connecting theoretical and practical concepts to aid interdisciplinary teaching and learning. It aims to foster students who value agricultural principles, noting advances in students' methodological conception of Field Education despite regional challenges from the agro-industrial sector.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCurso de agroecología en formación de un huerto comunitario en la unidad de salud de la familia Giserlando Biondi, Jequie-Bahia-Nrasil / Course of agroecology in the formation of a community garden in the health unit of the Giserlando Biondi family, Jequi
2018Leandro Nascimento Bertoldi, Pamela Johanna Menéndez Velásquez · Revista panorama/Panorama. Cuba y salud · Brazil
A course on Agroecology was conducted in Jequié, Bahia, Brazil, focusing on creating organic community gardens and training communities in health promotion, disease prevention, and food and environmental education. The project identified farmers who transitioned from using agrotoxins to biological control, resulting in increased local biodiversity and encouraging community gardening. The initiative also fostered social empowerment, increased self-esteem, and developed collective discussion and production practices within the SUS.
Food educationCommunityHealthBiodiversityIn the Ruins, a Garden
2018Sarah Lowndes · · United States (Detroit)
The extent of Detroit's economic problems was mired in secrecy prior to its bankruptcy declaration. Significant tensions persist regarding the city's future direction, exemplified by the ongoing saga of the half-built Wayne County jail. Simone DeSousa agreed that the growing significance of community gardens in Detroit has been an important part of residents re-imaging their city.
CommunityEconomicsModel Integrated Pest Management Program Delivery for Community Gardeners
2018E. C. Barrett, J.A. Kowalski · Journal of Extension · United States
In two urban counties in the United States, Extension educators developed an on-site program, including a demonstration kit and planning protocol, to address the integrated pest management (IPM) needs of community gardeners. This program provides practical, research-based information to community gardeners, allows Extension to maintain a presence in urban centers, and offers outreach to audiences who may not have historically used Extension resources.
CommunityFood educationRaíces Del Sur: Cultivating Ecofeminist Visions in Urban New Jersey
2018Renata Blumberg, Rosa Huitzitzilin, Claudia Urdanivia, Brian C. Lorio · Capitalism Nature Socialism · United States (New Jersey)
This article examines the challenges and possibilities of community gardening in small, peripheral cities with large immigrant populations, using concepts from feminist geography and food justice research. Focusing on the "Raíces Del Sur" community garden in Passaic, New Jersey, as a case study, it argues that these concepts provide a useful framework for enacting ecofeminist visions through community gardens. The study emphasizes the need for greater ecofeminist engagement with community gardening initiatives in cities throughout New Jersey.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban–rural linkageA Agroecologia: pesquisa e extensão por meio do NEPEA
2018Cláudio José Bertazzo · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Goiania)
NEPEA (Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Extension in Agroecology) in Goias, Brazil, was established to foster sustainable rural development. The center focuses on ecologically based farms in Southeast Goiania, conducting research on sustainable agriculture and tree arrangements for the rehabilitation of degraded areas. It also carries out extension activities in schools, promoting and implementing school gardens and pedagogical nurseries.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleCaregivers’ Perspectives on the Determinants of Dietary Decisions in Six First Nation Communities
2018Lorrilee McGregor, Pamela Toulouse, Marion Maar, Nancy L. Young · International Journal of Indigenous Health · Canada
A narrative analysis of eight focus groups with 33 caregivers in six First Nation communities in Canada explored determinants of dietary decisions. Caregivers identified changes in food systems due to factors like wage economy participation, low income, hunting/fishing regulations, and processed food availability. These factors have altered food systems and influenced dietary choices, leading communities to pursue initiatives such as community gardens, freezers, and hunting camps to regain food sovereignty.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthWelfareGrowing Gardens Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Strategic Expansion of Anchorage, Alaska’s Community Garden System
2018Shannon Donovan · Case Studies in the Environment · United States (Anchorage)
A multi-faceted needs assessment, including a community survey, stakeholder workshop, and key informant interviews, was conducted in Anchorage, Alaska, to explore the strategic expansion of its community garden system. The study found that demand for community gardens far outweighs supply. To sustainably meet diverse needs, expansion efforts should focus on accessible locations, gardener capacity building, and strengthening partnerships.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyProjeto Horta – uma experiência agroecológica no IFMG - Santa Luzia
2018Ana Carolina F. G. Araújo, João Paulo de Souza Moreira, Lorena Martins Costa, Tales Bedeschi Faria, Louise Rochebois Quintão, Aline Silva Santos · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
At IFMG – Santa Luzia campus, a community organic garden was established to develop agroecological awareness among teachers and students. This initiative, stemming from discussions during Environment Week, involved constructing flowerbeds and planting vegetables. It aimed to create spaces for knowledge construction and promote future extension projects for mapping small farmers and replicating the school garden.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleColby‐Sawyer's Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls
2018Jennifer White · Sustainability The Journal of Record · United States
The Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls is a long-term partnership between Colby-Sawyer College and PermaCityLife in Franklin, New Hampshire. To date, 265 students have participated, engaging in experiential learning to develop sustainable solutions for community needs. Students have assisted with projects including permaculture/edible landscaping, contributing to a grassroots effort to revitalize the community.
CommunityFood educationClimate changeWhat Gardens Grow: Outcomes from Home and Community Gardens Supported by Community-based Food Justice Organizations
2018Christine Porter · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Wyoming)
This mixed-methods study, conducted over five years with five food justice Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the U.S., including quantifying harvests from 33 gardeners in Laramie, Wyoming, and surveying 20 of them, documented benefits of home and community gardening. Four categories of benefits were identified: improving health, producing quality food in nutritionally meaningful quantities, providing cultural services, and fostering healing and transformation. The findings illustrate a range of health, food, cultural ecosystem services, and social change outcomes from gardening.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareGender and Racial Disparities in a Youth Urban Agriculture Workshop
2018Kamran Zendehdel, Lorraine Clarke, Xiaochu Hu, Richard Hess · Journal of Extension · United States (Washington, DC)
A 2015 youth urban agriculture workshop for students from underserved areas in Washington, DC, revealed gender and racial differences in perceived knowledge gain and intended behavior change. Female students and Black students reported about half-grade higher (0.43–0.63 points) scores for knowledge change, while only female students showed an increase in intent to change behavior. These results suggest that female students may learn at a faster rate than males and that experiential learning aids Black students in gaining knowledge.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityThe Diversity We Are Given: Community Economies and the Promise of Bataille
2018Mitch Rose · Antipode · United States (Detroit)
This paper discusses the Detroit urban farming movement, conceptualizing the economy as an over-productive and wasteful system of energy exchange. It argues that the inefficient, redundant, and wasteful nature of urban farming in Detroit is an appropriation of potentialities within the general economy. The study highlights that diversity is not a result of positive relations but emerges from the prolific nature of the general economy.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceNivel de Seguridad Alimentaria en beneficiarios de Comedores Comunitarios del programa Cruzada Nacional contra el Hambre (México)
2018Fabiola Bernal, Edith Yolanda Romero Hernández, Krystal Dennicé González Fajardo, Susana Sánchez Viveros, Rebeca Monroy‐Torres · Revista Espanola De Nutricion Comunitaria-spanish Journal of Community Nutrition · Mexico
This cross-sectional comparative study in Mexico compared food security levels among beneficiaries of community kitchens within the National Crusade against Hunger program, differentiating between those with and without a community orchard. The study involved three community kitchens: one with an orchard and two without. Results showed that the frequency of food security was 16.67% for kitchens with an orchard and 10.00% for those without. Furthermore, 48.93% of beneficiary households from kitchens with an orchard reported having a variety of foods, compared to 14.28% for those without.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthDepiction of Wild Food Foraging Practices in the Media: Impact of the Great Recession
2018Sonya Sachdeva, Marla R. Emery, Patrick T. Hurley · Society & Natural Resources · United States
This paper investigated how wild food foraging is framed in print and digital news media and how these depictions varied over a 15-year period including the Great Recession, using automated content analysis. Results showed that prevalent framings represented foraging as either a self-provisioning practice or a source of luxury commodities and experiences, with economic uncertainty appearing to affect the frequency of each framing by news media sources. These distinct framings may influence future regulatory landscapes of foraging.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityAfecto y disidencia : re-configuración y alternativas de espacio público en los jardines comunitarios de Loisaida, Nueva York = Affect and Dissidence : The Re-Configuration of Public Space through Loisaida´s Community Gardens, New York
2018Natalia Matesanz Ventura · · United States (New York City)
This article examines over fifty self-managed community gardens in Loisaida, New York, which form an informal network combining "affection" and "dissidence" to create "affect-dent" spaces. These gardens, established since the 1960s, reconfigure public space by opposing administration, the real-estate market, media invasion, and the appropriation of public space by the private sector. The study highlights how these spaces challenge dominant power structures and serve as a reference in contemporary architecture of the common.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePredictors of School Garden Integration: Factors Critical to Gardening Success in New York City
2018Kate Gardner Burt, Marissa Burgermaster, Raquel Jacquez · Health Education & Behavior · United States (New York City)
This study aimed to determine the level of integration of school gardens and identify factors predicting integration. 211 New York City schools in the United States completed a survey, and the average garden integration score was 34.1 out of 57 points. Operating budget had a significant influence on the integration score, and partner organizations, evaluation/feedback, planning the physical space, and characteristics of the physical space were positively and significantly related to budget.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsOCUPAÇÃO
2018Paola Brum · PIXO - Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade · Brazil (Pelotas)
The "Ocupação Canto de Conexão" is an occupied abandoned building in Pelotas, Brazil, near the Federal University. It provides student and popular housing, a community garden, and cultural activities for residents, students, and the homeless. For nearly two years, the space has been maintained by volunteers and community contributions, operating without public funding.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceWater Use Behavior, Learning, and Adaptation to Future Change in Urban Gardens
2018Monika Egerer, Brenda B. Lin, Stacy M. Philpott · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (California)
This citizen science study in the California Central Coast examined water use, vegetation, and soil management in urban gardens. Water use varied by gardener and was positively related to mulching and crop cover. Gardeners expressing high concern for drought and water conservation paradoxically tended to use more water, while those in gardens with more rules used less.
Climate changeCommunityDIYWhy Garden? Personal and Abiding Motivations for Community Gardening in New York City
2018Nancy F. Sonti, Erika S. Svendsen · Society & Natural Resources · United States (New York City)
Semi-structured interviews with community gardeners in New York City explored their motivations for gardening. Gardeners' motivations were found to be both personal and collective, with community gardens providing a space for reflection and a deep connection to nature for many. Joy and personal fulfillment consistently remained the most prevalent motivations over time, while the impulse to improve the community decreased, and food production and cultural identity connections became more common motivations.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareHORTA COMUNITÁRIA NA COMUNIDADE INDIGENA DO GUARIBA
2018Clétina Inês de Brito Rodrigues, Rafael Pereira Barros, Iraci Fideles, João Victor de Brito Rodrigues, Genilson Tabosa Wanderley, Glicia Luiza nunes · Fórum de Integração Ensino, Pesquisa, Extensão e Inovação Tecnológica do IFRR - e-ISSN 2447-1208 · Brazil
This project aimed to encourage the Guariba indigenous community in Brazil to produce vegetables through a community garden, promoting food access and security, work opportunities, and income generation. Activities included environmental and social education, entrepreneurship, and healthy eating practices. The project involved over 20 participants and resulted in the construction of a community garden and training for community members and student interns.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsFood educationOnde muitos chamam de lixo a gente chama de reciclagem
2018Janaina Henrique dos Santos, Júlio César Maestri · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This work presents the experience of reapplying the "Revolution of the Baldinhos" Social Technology, which involves managing organic residues and urban agriculture, in Macaiba-RN, Brazil. The project focuses on women collecting household organic waste to produce thermophilic static compost for urban food production and gardening. This method, originating from the UFSC Method, was applied through the Urban Housing Project with Social Technology (MUTS), supported by AACC/RN and Banco do Brasil Foundation, marking its first national application.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityDIY