Research & reports

Elizabeth J. Pope, Sallie A. Marston, Moses Thompson, Scott A. Larson · Theory Into Practice · Global

A literature review explored how learning gardens foster well-being and development through purposeful play in early childhood and beyond. Drawing on frameworks from self-determination theory, cognitive psychology, and developmental psychology, school gardens were shown to provide opportunities for purposeful play, supporting children's well-being, cognitive and identity development, and positive emotional experiences. Reported benefits in the literature include satisfying basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, increased positive emotions, opportunities for cognitive and emotional renewal, and tangible evidence of student effort.

Małgorzata Burchard‐Dziubińska · Comparative Economic Research Central and Eastern Europe · Global

This study aimed to gather information on the practical experience of young urban residents using urban horticulture and agriculture products, determine their readiness to practice such production independently in the future, and identify environmental benefits (ecosystem services) related to urban horticulture and agriculture indicated by respondents. A comparative study was conducted with students from 29 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Poland, and seven EU countries. The collected data were used to compare approaches to urban horticulture and agriculture and their produce across different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Hanif, Nayudin · UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA) · Malaysia

An experimental study at the Indonesian School of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, introduced the "GREEN" urban gardening model to 34 high school students. The model, implemented through Project Based Learning, significantly improved students' knowledge scores from 64.85 to 76.77 and was found to effectively promote biodiversity, food, and learning experiences. Students perceived the model as engaging and user-friendly, contributing to enhanced activities and nutritional intake through fruits and vegetables.

Rushi Wang, Shigeto YANAI · Land · Japan

This study surveyed school garden managers at public elementary schools in an urban area of Japan to analyze school garden characteristics and influencing factors. Findings indicated that school gardens inside schools offer better safety but less community connection, while external school farms provide more agricultural experience space. Schools with both types showed stronger community ties but decreased safety, and a notable lack of budget, teachers, supportive policies, and manager motivation was observed in operating school gardens.

Arfiana Dita Arum Sari, Dita Atasa, Yana Yana, Asep Syaefuddin, Dewi Suryani, Rhomi Ardiansyah · Faedah Jurnal Hasil Kegiatan Pengabdian Masyarakat Indonesia · Global

The Sustainable Urban Agriculture Practitioner (PPB) division of SEAMEO BIOTROP's internship activities focused on Red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) cultivation using Yumina and Bumina techniques, suitable for urban areas. The activities encompassed seeding, maintenance, and treatment, aiming to provide knowledge, understanding, and skills for proper red tilapia cultivation to the community.

Dilafruz R. Williams · · United States (Portland)

This chapter describes how courses at Portland State University have integrated sustainability themes to engage students with marginalized communities affected by ecological injustices. The 10-acre Learning Gardens Laboratory provides hands-on experiences in food cultivation, nutrition, and composting, fostering garden-based education as a means to address ecological and human oppression.

Oto Prasadi, Andika Prastya, Muhammad Fauzi, Budi Nurochman · Society Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

The "compost school" (skula kompos) program, initiated in 2019 by PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk, Cilacap factory, focuses on educating communities about household organic waste management. This program, part of the Baruwani Program, aims to reduce waste, produce compost for urban farming, and support the use of waste as alternative fuel in cement production. The compost school serves as a platform for outreach and training in compost making.

Regina Indri Rembang, Alfonds Andrew Maramis, Fanny Nella Nanlohy · Jurnal Arjuna Publikasi Ilmu Pendidikan Bahasa dan Matematika · Indonesia

This experimental study investigated the impact of a problem-based learning model (PBM) on student learning outcomes in ecosystem content for class X students at SMA Negeri 2 Tondano, Indonesia. Using a pretest-posttest control group design, 60 students were randomly assigned to an experimental class (PBM) and a control class (traditional learning). The average learning outcome for the experimental class was 98.16, compared to 81.63 for the control class. The study concluded that the problem-based learning model can enhance student learning outcomes.

Michelle Fishburne · · Global

This abstract describes a personal reflection on the sudden shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began on a Friday the thirteenth. The speaker mentions feeling isolated and the need for children to be together. They describe a two-week period of no instruction, during which they helped their mother and visited the school garden. The abstract then recounts the announcement of online learning and a subsequent teacher-only trial week.

Eri Saikawa, Erin Lebow-Skelley, Rosario Hernandez, Faith Flack-Walker, Leann Bing, Candis M. Hunter · Journal of Public Health Management and Practice · United States (Atlanta)

In Atlanta, Georgia, in-person and virtual Soil Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnerships (soilSHOPs) were implemented through a community-engaged partnership to screen soils for lead. These soilSHOPs informed best practices for increasing awareness about lead exposure and led the US Environmental Protection Agency to identify a Superfund site, confirming soil lead contamination.

Hanum Isfaeni, Naufal Ma’arif, Muhammad Zaki Ananda, Sayyid Izzudin Muslimin, Reza Dino Mahardika, Galang Adi Fathriko · Jurnal Layanan Masyarakat (Journal of Public Services) · Global

This activity aimed to introduce aquaponics as an urban farming model to students, fostering knowledge about modern agriculture and animal husbandry in urban areas. It involved 18 students and 1 accompanying teacher. The activity was carried out through discussion and demonstration of an aquaponic system.

Benjamin Schrager, Hiroki Ikeda, Takahashi Yukitsugu · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Japan

This article explores Utsunomiya University’s Eco-programs, which combine a pesticide-free community garden with an educational series, using ethnographic data. Findings indicate tensions between the Eco-programs' agroecological goals and other institutional goals at the university. Despite these conflicts, the programs provide a space for agroecological gardening and serve as an example of an alternative agricultural initiative in Japan.

Hye-Ryung Kim · The Korean Association of General Education · South Korea

This study aims to explore the potential of a new university character education model based on "socio-horticulture," using the "SHARE Community Gardening" course at E-University in South Korea as a case. The research examines the course's background, development process, operational methods, and key educational content, seeking to evaluate its significance and value.

Irnanda Pratiwi, Muhni Pamuji, Nasir Nasir · IKRA-ITH ABDIMAS · Indonesia

This program in Sialang sub-district, Indonesia, aims to empower the community by educating them on urban farming and providing training in processing bitter melon and banana stems into economically valuable chips. It addresses the lack of comprehensive training in urban farming and utilizing home garden produce. The program reports that one banana midrib stem yields approximately 1.5 kg of chips, and 1 kg of bitter melon produces 200g of chips.

Abdul Salam, Bakhrani A. Rauf, Moh. Ahsan S. Mandra · International Journal of Innovative Research and Development · Indonesia (Makassar)

In Makassar City, Indonesia, challenges in urban agriculture development stem from a lack of understanding and community skills. This research and development (R&D) study aimed to enhance community skills through counseling using an urban agricultural education model. The OASIS module was developed, and its effectiveness was tested using a paired sample t-test with 20 respondents in an experimental group and 20 in a control group. The OASIS extension model proved valid, practical, and effective in improving participants' skills, with the experimental group showing a significant skill increase after receiving urban farming counseling.

Idfi Setyaningrum, Nur Achadijah, Kartini Kartini, Ramdan Hidayat · LOSARI Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A community service project in RT 02 RW 04, Penjaringansari Village, Surabaya City, Indonesia, supported vertical gardening of family medicinal plants (TOGA) in limited spaces. The activity provided information and assistance from planting media selection to harvesting, using an "Edu_DoIt" approach combining education with direct application. This resulted in educational vertical gardens, with harvested produce sold to the local community, generating sustainable economic value.

Adhellya Novia Putri, Elfi Indriani Puspitasari, Eric Andika Rahman, Elok Vilantika · Prosiding Seminar Hasil Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dan Kuliah Kerja Nyata · Indonesia

A microgreens cultivation training program was conducted for PKK women in Blimbing Village, Indonesia, to address challenges in utilizing limited land for agriculture. The program provided socialization and practical training on planting, caring for, and harvesting microgreens. Initial evaluation results indicated that participants increased their understanding of microgreens' potential in small spaces, fostered community collaboration, and improved family nutrition.

Imam Mukhlis, Magistyo Purboyo Priambodo, Ahmad Fawaiq Suwanan, Nila Cahayati, Davied Radhika Saputra, Elmira Mufliha Camila, Kuntum Kinanthi · JMM (Jurnal Masyarakat Mandiri) · Indonesia (Jawa Timur)

This community engagement activity aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of 40 Family Welfare Movement (PKK) members and 10 Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDEs) members in Jongbiru Village, East Java, in utilizing land for daily sustenance through hydroponic urban farming. Rapid urbanization and agricultural land conversion in Kediri Regency contribute to future food security vulnerability. The activity successfully transferred knowledge to PKK and BUMDEs collaborators, with all participants expressing interest in establishing hydroponic stations to ensure daily access to quality vegetables.

Amelia Nirmalawaty, Tiurma Wiliana Susanti Panjaitan, Dwi Agustiyah Rosida · Abdi Massa. · Indonesia (Surabaya)

Training and assistance for hydroponic vegetable cultivation were provided to PKK women in RT 02/RW 01, Tenggilis Mejoyo Village, Surabaya City. Previous NFT hydroponic training had suboptimal implementation due to limited yard space and insufficient understanding of hydroponic cultivation, particularly in plant nursery and nutrient solution concentration measurement. The current training and assistance successfully improved the participants' knowledge and skills, enabling optimal utilization of aid from the Food Security and Agriculture Office and maximizing the use of limited land for community nutritional needs.

Márcia Emília Moreira De Luca, Carlos Alfredo Franco Cardoso, Gabriel Schwambach Del Piero, Vinícius Feitoza Xavier · Revista da Jopic. · Brazil (Teresópolis)

This study implemented community medicinal gardens in two Basic Health Units and a nursing home in Teresópolis, Brazil, to promote health education and raise awareness about the risks of improper medicinal plant use. Five plants with therapeutic benefits were chosen, and seedlings were offered to patients alongside discussion groups. This initiative aimed to provide information on basic health, facilitate access to plants, reduce medication costs, and indirectly increase family income.

Timothy P. Holloway, Lisa Dalton, Roger Hughes, Sisitha Jayasinghe, Kira Patterson, Sandra Murray, Robert Soward, Nuala M. Byrne, Andrew P. Hills, Kdk Ahuja · Nutrients · Global

This systematic realist synthesis investigated how school gardens improve health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children, examining 24 school gardening interventions. Most interventions, primarily in primary schools with children in Grades 2-6, aimed to increase fruit and vegetable intake and prevent childhood obesity. Positive outcomes included increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber, and vitamins A and C, improved body mass index, and enhanced well-being, achieved through mechanisms like curriculum integration, experiential learning, and family engagement.

Yenny Díaz Domke · Revista de la Academia · Chile (Santiago)

This study integrated approaches from critical pedagogy, art education, and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) perspectives through a community experience in an urban garden in San Bernardo, Chile, from 2021 to 2023. The initiative contributed to the action and reflection of agroecological values by exploring methodologies for awareness, aesthetic sensibility, and creative action regarding technical and biological relationships. The introduction of a solar distillation artifact made from recycled material opened critical perspectives on technological intervention and fostered a collective understanding that technical solutions can also be developed at a local scale.

· Journal of Management · Lithuania (Klaipeda)

This research investigated the preconditions for implementing Farm-to-school programs in the Klaipeda region of Lithuania, based on interviews with municipality specialists. Findings indicated a commitment to regulatory compliance with Green Public Procurement rules and sourcing food within Lithuania. However, these programs face challenges related to quantity, cost, administrative hurdles, and procurement policies, with decision-making influenced by diverse stakeholders.

Risma Anisa, Nur Khafifah Rusni, Annisa Fitri Mustafa, Hayati Sari Hasibuan, Ahyahudin Sodri, Sri Setiawati Tumuyu, Analissa Huwaina, Muhammad Hasnan Habib · Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA · Indonesia (North Jakarta)

This social experiment in Kalibaru District, North Jakarta, analyzed the effectiveness of integrating rainwater harvesting (RWH) and urban farming to address stunting, clean water access, and food supply. Data was collected through field observations and surveys of 39 respondents across community education, RWH installation, and urban agriculture development. The results indicated an increase in public knowledge about RWH and urban farming benefits, with RWH effectively improving clean water availability and urban agriculture providing better access to nutrient-rich foods, potentially reducing stunting.

Patricia Mehner-Karam, C. Gutiérrez, Juan M. Casillas Pintor, Miranda Ori-Orlansino, D A Perez-DeLaMora, Mariana Ruiz-Morales, E. G. Hernández-Martínez · Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies · Mexico (Mexico City)

This study achieved the design and implementation of a raised bed urban garden to be tested in western neighborhoods of Mexico City. The project comprised four stages: design and development of the prototype garden, selection of a vegetable palette to promote immunonutrition, production of educational materials for planting and care, and validation. Urban gardens offering diverse plant species easy to grow in urban microclimates promote a sustainable culture by leveraging new technologies and virtual education, which help ensure their use and permanence.