Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1627 results(33 / 66)
Cultivating People-Plant Relationships in Community and Cultural Heritage Gardens San Jose, California (1977–1992)
2018John Dotter · · United States (California)
This paper documents people-plant relationships in San Jose, California's ethnically diverse Community and Cultural Heritage Gardens from 1977 to 1992. Unpublished university research, magazine articles, and newspaper stories show how partnerships with grassroots community groups contributed to the gardens' sustainability. Preliminary findings suggest greater utilization of non-English speaking skilled horticulturalists, and case studies illustrate how cooperative development of San Jose gardens produced benefits like neighborhood beautification, stimulated social interaction, and nutritious food production.
CommunityFood educationHealthPor uma Geografia significativa: leituras sobre a Agricultura Urbana e a importância do trabalho de campo para a pesquisa e o Ensino de Geografia
2018Leandro Matias dos Santos, Michelle Emanuelle Silva, Cirlene Jeane Santos e Santos · Diversitas Journal · Brazil
This article is based on fieldwork conducted by NUAGRARIO researchers and Agrarian Geography students from the Federal University of Alagoas in Maceió-AL, Brazil, focusing on urban agriculture. The fieldwork aimed to verify if virtually selected areas contained urban agriculture practices. The article's main objective is to demonstrate the importance of fieldwork in social formation through understanding, observation, and recognition of reality, highlighting geographic contents that can be approached through this methodology.
Food educationCommunityListening local: Community perceptions of fresh food resources in Greater Little Rock
2018Stacy C. Moak, Caitlin P. S. McAteer, Heather A. Rossi, Merrill J. Schmidt · Journal of Community Psychology · United States (Little Rock)
This study investigated community perceptions of fresh food access in two target neighborhoods in Greater Little Rock, Arkansas. Through interviews at food pantries, online surveys with local experts, and asset mapping of healthy food resources, findings revealed that cost and transportation are barriers to fresh food access. Residents supported mobile markets and community gardens as viable options for increasing fresh food access.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCaracterización de huertos urbanos y periurbanos de Xalapa de Enríquez, Veracruz
2018Saúl Ortiz Riveros, Nancy Domínguez González, Noel Reyes Pérez, Marycruz Abato Zárate, Carlos Roberto Cerdán Cabrera, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Josè Armando Lozada-García · Revista Biológico Agropecuaria Tuxpan · Mexico (Xalapa)
This study characterized urban and peri-urban gardens within the Xalapa Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Network (RAUPX) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, based on garden size, diversity, arthropod presence, and phytosanitary management practices. Findings indicated that producers' phytosanitary practices are corrective rather than preventive and are moderately related to the presence of pests.
CommunityBiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureFood access, food security and community gardens in Rockford, IL
2018Walter W. Furness, Courtney M. Gallaher · Local Environment · United States (Rockford)
A study in Rockford, Illinois, examined community gardens to assess their contribution to residents' access to fresh produce and other social benefits. Data was collected through interviews with gardeners, focus groups, and surveys of food pantry users. The findings indicate that while non-gardening community members benefit from increased produce provided by the gardens, they do not receive all the social and communal benefits associated with active garden participation.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthColorful Gardens and Empowerment: Black Resistance and Self-Determination through Urban Farming
2018Joakim Ethan Cohen · · United States
This thesis explores Black food justice organizations in Oakland and Detroit addressing food security in low-income communities of color. It argues that food deserts result from discrimination and marginalization perpetuated by racist laws and policies. The thesis explains how urban gardening enables Black people to regain control of the food system and promotes empowerment and self-determination.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareGrowing Syracuse: The Architect's Role in Improving Syracuse, NY's Food Environment
2018Stephanie Wagner · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States (Syracuse)
This project explores Syracuse, NY's food environment and socio-economic issues pertaining to lack of food accessibility. It examines the existing network of Syracuse Grows community gardens, how architecture can intervene within it, and the architect's role in improving the local food environment. The goal of architectural interventions is to provide the community with a platform to kick start a larger change in the urban and socioeconomic fabrics of the city.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceReducing Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawai'i Through a Collaborative Partnership With K-12 School Garden and Agriculture Projects
2018Kathleen Howe, Jenny Bach, Myles DeCoito, Shari Frias, Rebecca Hatch, Susan I. Jarvi · Frontiers in Public Health · United States (Hawai'i)
A collaborative project with five Hawaiʻi Island schools developed an integrated pest management plan to control slugs and snails, intermediate hosts of rat lungworm disease (Angiostrongylus cantonensis). Curricula for grades 5-8 were created, and students trialed five shelter materials, removing over 4,000 invasive slugs and snails while collecting data. This initiative aimed to reduce human cases of the disease and restore public trust in local agriculture through education and pest control.
Food educationHealthCommunityAgricoltura urbana come strumento di sviluppo sostenibile. Uno studio di caso: gli orti urbani a São Paulo (Brasile)
2018Giulia Giacchè, Wania Rezende Silva · ARCHIVIO DI STUDI URBANI E REGIONALI · Brazil (São Paulo)
This article investigates the role of urban agriculture (UA) in reconfiguring urban spaces and promoting sustainable cities. A survey conducted in two urban gardens in São Paulo, Brazil, found that UA's individual and collective practices contribute to sustainable urban development by reducing social, economic, and environmental inequalities.
CommunityEconomicsClimate changeAvanços e desafios das hortas comunitárias urbanas de base agroecológica: uma análise do município de Sete Lagoas
2018Daniel Calbino, I. Borges, Luis Antonio Andrade Rosas, C.T. Abreu, Fernanda Anziliero Gonçalves · COLÓQUIO - Revista do Desenvolvimento Regional · Brazil
This case study in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, discusses the advances and challenges of agroecological urban community gardens, which have a history of approximately 33 years. Research findings indicate that public policy enables income generation for producers, increased supply, and food security in the region. However, the study highlights the need for greater support to address producers' limited technical knowledge and the importance of more supportive interpersonal relationships.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCiência experiência: o papel da troca de saberes a partir do protagonismo dos agricultores e organizações na formação acadêmica no sertão do são francisco - PE/BA
2018Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Suellen Bispo Coelho, Vashtir Ramalho dos Santos Braga, Diego Cesar Alves Lima Verde, Cristiane Moraes Marinho, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio · · Brazil
This work analyzed knowledge exchange processes promoted by the Center for Research and Studies Sertao Agroecological, focusing on the experiences of farmers and organizations in the Sertao do Sao Francisco Baiano and Pernambucano Territories. Through extension projects and teaching activities, students and teachers interacted with agroecology, organic production, and urban and peri-urban agriculture experiences. These interactions fostered closer ties between farmers and the university community, enabling dialogical exchanges and strengthening perspectives in teaching, research, and university extension.
Food educationCommunityUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureHorta escolar agroecológica no colégio estadual sinésio costa (Riacho de Santana – BA)
2018Antônio Domingos Moreira, Aurélio José Antunes de Carvalho, Márcio Harrison dos Santos Ferreira · Revista Macambira · Brazil
This study describes a project implemented since September 2015 at Sinésio Costa State College in Riacho de Santana, Brazil, using theoretical-practical and participatory methodologies. The project is guided by agroecological and organic systems, recently integrated into the school's Pedagogical Political Project, enabling greater school community participation. Its aim is to propose sustainable alternatives for providing healthy food produced in small spaces.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureDescriptive Census Survey of Community Gardens Supported by The Big Garden
2018Abigail R Hughes · Graduate Medical Education Research Journal · United States (Omaha)
This project aimed to provide The Big Garden, an Omaha, NE-based nonprofit, with survey data on the growth, needs, and capacity of its supported community gardens over five years. A census survey was distributed to all gardens in their network to collect data on characteristics, production practices, support needed, community involvement, programming, barriers, facilitators, impact, and capacity. The collected data, analyzed using descriptive statistics, is intended to inform the organization's future planning.
CommunityEconomicsUrban Gardens and Nutrition in Sioux Falls, SD
2018Austin Brynjulson · Open PRAIRIE (South Dakota State University) · United States (Sioux Falls)
This research explored the role of urban gardens in Sioux Falls, SD, as a tool to combat food insecurity. It examined gardeners' experiences and how gardens affect perceptions of food security and eating behaviors. Additionally, the study investigated the nutritional quality of urban garden produce compared to store-bought equivalents, aiming to understand how urban gardens affect access to and consumption of nutritional food for the surrounding community.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceDesafios das práticas agroecológicas no contexto do associativismo em hortas comunitárias no município de Sete Lagoas – MG
2018Angelina Moreira Melo, Daniel Calbino, Yuri Gomes Figueiredo, Fabiola Paulino da Silva, E. R. de O. Carvalho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This empirical work, based on participatory research, analyzed the social relations between producers of the Vapabucu community garden in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, and municipal public support organs. Research results indicate that while agroecological knowledge has advanced significantly in the technical dimension of agronomic production, the social relations among producers still show contradictions inherent to agroecological assumptions.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleUrban Farming in Philadelphia
2018Kaitlyn Lawrence · Digital Commons - Ursinus (Ursinus College) · United States (Philadelphia)
This study aims to understand urban farming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by investigating who farms as a business, what they grow, their methods, and reasons for involvement. Recognizing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not track urban farmers, the research intends to develop an understanding of the collective identity of Philadelphia's urban farmers to help them better serve their communities.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceA AGRICULTURA URBANA E SUAS FUNCIONALIDADES EM MONTES CLAROS, MG: PROPOSTAS DE EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA MULTIDISCIPLINAR
2018Cristh Ellen Ferreira Pinheiro, Hélder dos Anjos Augusto, Cledinado Aparecido Dias, Fábio da Silva Gonçalves, Marcelo Oliveira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study in Montes Claros, MG, Brazil, investigated the reality of urban farmers commercializing vegetable production to propose multidisciplinary extension and research actions. It identified agricultural production regions, the main functions of urban agriculture from the farmers' perspective, and the difficulties faced by these producers. The analysis highlighted the need for multidisciplinary approaches due to the identified demands, implying challenges in economic viability.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood educationCommunityHortas escolares em Vancouver, Canadá como parte da “segunda geração” da soberania alimentar
2018Estevan Leopoldo de Freitas Coca, Ricardo Barbosa · Ateliê Geográfico · Canada (Vancouver)
This paper qualitatively analyzed the implementation of school gardens in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the "second generation" of food sovereignty. It highlighted that while these initiatives are implemented in public schools, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are primarily responsible for developing projects that promote local agriculture and food literacy.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGardening Club has a "flipping" good time
2018David Broyles · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States (Virginia)
On November 17, 2018, the Carroll News reported on the 4-H Gardening Club in Carroll County, Virginia, which planted peanuts as an experimental crop in their school garden. The report covered their harvesting methods and the success of growing peanuts in Southwest Virginia.
Food educationCommunityScience in the Garden: A Qualitative Analysis of School-based Agricultural Educators’ Strategies
2018Sarah M. Cross, Sami Kahn · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States
This collective case study investigated how two Ohio school-based agricultural educators use school gardens to teach science, including socioscientific issues (SSI). Qualitative data from semistructured interviews revealed that both teachers utilized applied science teaching methods and expressed frustrations regarding the difficulty of meeting mandated science learning standards. Although controversial topics were often integrated, fidelity to the SSI framework did not appear to be utilized.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeUrban Agriculture, Uneven Development, and Gentrification in Portland, Oregon
2018Brian Elliott · Environmental Ethics · United States
This paper argues that Portland, Oregon's thriving urban agriculture scene, despite its reputation for sustainability, should be viewed as an adjunct to advanced neoliberal urban governance rather than a resistance movement against it. It critiques recent case studies that suggest the social sustainability of urban agriculture remains an open question, asserting that this view lacks a critical urban geography perspective. The study concludes that urban agriculture in Portland, on the whole, contributes to uneven development and gentrification.
Equity & displacementCommunityCSA & TeikeiPolicyEconomicsAnálise da necessidade de escolarização de jovens, adultos e idosos: O estudo de caso na Horta Comunitária Girassol – São Sebastião/DF
2018Tallyrand Moreira Jorcelino, Getúlio Francisco Silva, Jorge Alfredo Cerqueira Streit · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (São Sebastião/DF)
A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research was conducted at the Girassol Community Garden in São Sebastião/DF, Brazil. The study aimed to collect educational data from garden members through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis, intending to contribute to public policy formulation. Main results showed that 62.5% of Girassol Community Garden members had incomplete elementary school, 25% had completed high school, and 12.5% had incomplete high school. The conclusions identified a necessity for access to schooling in youth and adult education segments, and for knowledge relevant to environmental education and the work they develop in the garden.
CommunityFood educationPolicyWelfareThe socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees: A Montreal case-study
2018Juliette Colinas, Paula Louise Bush, Kevin Manaugh · Urban forestry & urban greening · Canada (Montreal)
A study in Montreal, Quebec, investigated the socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees, using a public urban orchard as a case study. Semi-structured interviews with users revealed positive impacts on social capital, place attachment, and food knowledge, but no evidence of impact on environmental knowledge. The findings suggest that public, unrestricted-access urban agriculture can have diverse socio-environmental impacts.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthHorta Universitária: Plantando Ciência E Reduzindo Desigualdades
2018Livia Marques Brandolt, Vitória Aparecida Porto Lima, Josimar Rodrigues Oliveira, Flaviana Tavares Vieira Teixeira · Revista UFG · Brazil (Diamantina)
In Diamantina, Brazil, the "University Garden: planting science and reducing inequalities" project was implemented at the Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM). The project aimed to create a more sustainable university environment through a community garden, involving undergraduate students to reduce retention and dropout rates. Approximately 87.5% of the project team members improved their Academic Performance Coefficient (CRA), suggesting that participation in university projects positively contributes to maintaining or improving academic performance.
CommunityFood educationWelfareProvidence productivity framework : ideas for a network of sites rethinking productivity in Providence
2018Patricia Noto · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · United States (Providence)
This thesis investigated the role of designers in creating or enhancing productive systems in cities, focusing on Providence, Rhode Island. It proposed rethinking the function of public and quasi-public spaces and expanding the definition of urban productivity beyond community gardens to include a network of agroforestry sites and remediated lands. The study examined a series of diverse sites along the Woonasquatucket River, noting their suitability due to the river's industrial history, varied conditions, and existing community organization connections.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkage