Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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2067 results(34 / 83)
Community Gardens: A Tool for Health Promotion
2020Sarah DeSantis · · United States
This paper explored the association between community gardens and health promotion by reviewing twenty studies selected from two databases. The research found positive associations between community gardens and various health promotion outcomes across different populations. It concluded that community gardens are an effective tool for improving health promotion outcomes.
CommunityHealthAgricultura urbana no semiárido: produção de plantas medicinais no sertão baiano
2020Rosy Kátia Souza Gonçalves, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Braz José do Nascimento Júnior, Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Isabela Oliveira Leite, Amanda Santos Moura · · Brazil (Juazeiro)
This study mapped plant species cultivated and commercialized in the Community Garden of the Urban Social Center in Bairro Alto do Alencar, Juazeiro/BA, focusing on agroecological urban agriculture's role in medicinal plant production. Results showed that 61% of the 122 garden beds were occupied with medicinal herbs, regularly supplying basil, mallow, mastruz, holy leaf, and tanchagem, among others, to meet local demand. The cultivation of herbs, alongside vegetables, reflects a growing interest in health promotion through agroecological products.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceAGRICULTURA URBANA E SOBERANIA ALIMENTAR: UMA REFLEXÃO SOBRE A IMPORTÂNCIA DAS PRÁTICAS SOCIOAMBIENTAIS NA GRANDE GOIÂNIA (GO)
2020Lara Cristine Gomes Ferreira, Stéfanny da Cruz Nóbrega · Revista GeoNordeste · Brazil (Goiânia)
This study explores agroecological urban agriculture in the Greater Goiânia region of Brazil, aiming to qualify the debate on its current relevance, understand the role of socio-biodiversity and food sovereignty, and foster dialogue through socio-environmental education. The methodology included a theoretical-bibliographical review, secondary data collection, and action research at a public school in Goiânia. The findings suggest that agroecological urban agriculture is an alternative to reduce the negative effects of agribusiness and minimize socio-environmental problems, highlighting the importance of family farming and education for food sovereignty and social equality.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityImpact of a Gardening and Physical Activity Intervention in Title 1 Schools: The TGEG Study
2020Alexandra van den Berg, Judith L. Warren, Alex McIntosh, Deanna M. Hoelscher, Marcia G. Ory, Christine Jovanovic, Michael López, Lisa Whittlesey, A. Kirk, Caren Walton, Lisako McKyer, Nalini Ranjit · Childhood Obesity · United States (Texas)
The Texas!Grow!Eat!Go! (TGEG) study assessed the individual and combined effects of school-based gardening and physical activity (PA) interventions on children's eating and PA behaviors and obesity status in 28 low-income schools in Texas. Participants included 1326 third-grade students and parents, with data collected at the beginning and end of the school year. Children in schools receiving the gardening intervention showed significant increases in nutrition knowledge, vegetable preference, and vegetable tasted, while children in gardening or PA intervention schools significantly decreased BMI percentile.
Food educationHealthCommunityCollaborative research to support urban agriculture in the face of change: The case of the Sumida watercress farm on O‘ahu
2020Jennifer Engels, Sheree J. Watson, Henrietta Dulai, Kimberly Burnett, Christopher A. Wada, ‘Ano‘ilani Aga, Nathan DeMaagd, J. J. McHugh, Barbara Sumida, Leah L. Bremer · PLoS ONE · United States (O‘ahu)
A researcher-farmer collaboration on O‘ahu's Sumida watercress farm conducted a 25-year trend analysis and a year of intensive spring water sampling. Negative correlations were found between historical crop yields and increases in the Oceanic Niño Index, temperature thresholds, and pest outbreaks. Despite urbanization, on-farm water quality was very high, and microbial analyses suggested the farm provides nutrient retention services to downstream systems. The study demonstrates that challenges facing urban agricultural systems shift over time.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityClimate changeBiodiversityOrganic cycleFarm-to-School Grant Funding Increases Children’s Access to Local Fruits and Vegetables in Oregon
2020Kristen Giombi, Anupama Joshi, Caroline Rains, Jean L. Wiecha · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
To measure the reach of Oregon's farm-to-school grant program, descriptive analyses and t-tests were conducted between the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. Following the intervention, the number of nonwhite students in participating districts nearly doubled, and average local food purchases, especially fruits and vegetables, increased for low-income districts. These results suggest that the opt-in approach to the grant program facilitated greater participation from low-income districts.
Food educationWelfarePolicyCommunityPhysical activity and libraries
2020Noah Lenstra · · United States
An online questionnaire conducted in Spring 2017 among public libraries in the U.S. and Canada found that 1,157 libraries offered programs related to physical activity, including yoga classes and community gardens. Forty-one percent of these libraries reported developing such programs with partner institutions, with Parks and Recreation Departments being the most commonly noted partner.
CommunityHealthGrowing Food, Sharing Culture at the Rainbow Community Garden in Winnipeg, Canada
2020Laura Lucas, Fabiana Li · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Winnipeg)
The Rainbow Community Gardens in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a community project supporting immigrant and refugee families in growing their own food. This photo essay examines the role of food and community gardens in expressing cultural identity and their possible benefits for community building, skill learning, and growing culturally appropriate foods for health and food security. These benefits gained new relevance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood educationWelfareFighting childhood obesity in Brazil: a grassroots perspective
2020Gamel Nasser · European Journal of Public Health · Brazil
A Brazilian non-profit developed a nutrition education project from 2016 to 2018 to combat childhood obesity, incorporating school gardens and education. The program successfully integrated activities into school curricula, leading to healthier lunches. 76% of parents reported that school gardens increased their children's fruit and vegetable intake, and 33% of children changed their eating habits after the program.
Food educationHealthCommunityExcluded by design: informality versus tactical urbanism in the redevelopment of Detroit neighborhoods
2020Lisa Berglund · · United States (Detroit)
This paper analyzes media coverage of informal practices like street vending, murals, and urban agriculture in Detroit's redeveloping neighborhoods. It reveals that while these practices are appropriated by developers and new, affluent arrivals as entrepreneurial and necessary for redevelopment, they are treated fundamentally differently from the informal practices of long-standing, marginalized residents, which are often condemned as illegal. This inconsistency highlights how legal frameworks are manipulated to exclude long-standing residents from the city's "renaissance."
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyWelfareMAPEAMENTO DE ESPAÇOS URBANOS VAZIOS PARA POSSÍVEL ELABORAÇÃO DE HORTAS COMUNITÁRIAS EM BARBACENA/MG: DESAFIOS E PROPOSIÇÕES
2020Leonardo Mendes da Silva, Vanessa Dutra, Delton Francelino, Natália Oliveira Dias · Enciclopédia Biosfera · Brazil (Barbacena)
Research was conducted in Barbacena, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to identify empty urban spaces and wastelands suitable for community gardens. The study, carried out by the Center for Studies in Urban Ecology, aimed to map these spaces for potential community garden proposals to public and private entities. Ten locations were selected based on specific criteria, and general perceptions were presented to facilitate understanding and dissemination, though the study did not intend to establish planting projects or direct community contact.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyHolistic Pedagogies for Social Change: Reflections from an Urban Agroecology Farmer Training
2020Ana Galvis Martinez, Brooke A. Porter, Paul Rogé, Leah Atwood, Natalia Pinzón Jiménez · · United States (California)
The Bay Area Farmer Training (BAFT) program trained aspiring urban farming practitioners in agroecology, utilizing a pedagogy rooted in humanistic values, social justice, and decolonial and feminist frameworks. An analysis of BAFT from the perspectives of participants and founding educators led to recommendations for educators and program developers. These recommendations include training in restorative justice, cultivating cross-cultural dialogue, building trust, humanizing classrooms, preparing guest speakers, and designing values-centered curricula.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban farming as competitive resource in food services: an evaluation through the resource-based view theory
2020Naiane Modri Fuzinatto, Sílvio Santos · Turismo - Visão e Ação · Brazil
This qualitative case study evaluated the impact of urban agriculture (UA) on the competitiveness of a restaurant in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through documentary research, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation, then analyzed using the VRIO model. The findings suggest that UA can develop a competitive advantage when combined with conceptual and technological elements.
EconomicsCommunityA study of urban agriculture and its impact on food deserts
2020Jackson Green, Lauren Maunder, Kristina Gulczewski · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · United States
This project presents group research on urban agriculture as a tool for revitalizing urban food deserts, utilizing a website. The website provides definitions, explanations, and examples of food deserts, urban agriculture, and their combination. The project also includes an addendum to the Green New Deal, discussing government recognition of urban food deserts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityHealthAdaptability of Tree Species as Windbreaks for Urban Farms in the U.S. Intermountain West
2020Sheriden M. Hansen, JayDee Gunnell, Anthony Whaley, Xin Dai, Cole Harding, Brent Black · Horticulturae · United States
This study in the U.S. Intermountain West assessed eight tree species for their suitability as windbreaks for urban farms, focusing on initial establishment and use at the urban–agriculture interface. Standard poplar and 'Theves' columnar poplar were most effective for rapid establishment. However, species with moderate growth rates like aspen, juniper, and hackberry may offer lower long-term maintenance costs for the region's challenging environmental conditions.
Peri-urban agricultureClimate change13. Black Urban Growers and the Land Question in Cleveland: Externalities of Gentrification
2020Justine Lindemann · New York University Press eBooks · United States (Cleveland)
This chapter explores how gentrification in Cleveland, Ohio, impacts Black urban farmers' and gardeners' access to land in disinvested neighborhoods. It examines the ancillary effects of development on alternative land reuse efforts. The study highlights that despite a seemingly endless supply of vacant lots, gentrification negatively affects land access for these communities.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsA Participatory Action Research Study with One Emancipatory School Garden
2020Colleen Saxen · CORE Scholar (Wright State University) · United States
This participatory action research (PAR) explored a school garden program in a historically marginalized community during the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice protests. School staff and community partners co-created the garden, expressing meanings, values, and visions through photovoice, mapping, and gardening activities. Participants described experiences of love, empowerment, and justice, demonstrating the value of PAR for cultivating school gardens as sites for social justice and the role of an ethic of love in community building.
Food educationCommunityWelfarePolicyLandscape and local site variables differentially influence pollinators and pollination services in urban agricultural sites
2019Bennett A.B., Lovell S. · PLoS ONE, 14(2):e0212034 · United States (Chicago)
A study of 19 urban agricultural sites in Chicago examining how surrounding land cover (landscape scale) and on-site design (local scale) shape bees and pollination services. Bee responses varied by body size and nesting habit: increasing impervious cover lowered bee richness and reduced pollination services, while more local floral area boosted small soil-nesting bees. It recommends minimizing impervious cover at large scales and adding floral resources locally so urban agriculture can conserve pollinators in the surrounding ecosystem.
PollinatorsBiodiversityPolicyDecentralized community composting feasibility analysis for residential food waste: A Chicago case study
2019Pai S., Ai N., Zheng J. · Sustainable Cities and Society, 50:101683 · United States
Using Chicago as a case study, this analysis assesses the feasibility of decentralized community composting on portions of public parks in terms of cost and greenhouse gas emissions. It finds decentralized composting delivers outreach, landfill diversion and cost-saving benefits, with an estimated net benefit of about $100 per tonne, indicating the financial viability of a city-wide strategy to compost household food waste locally.
Food lossCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsUnderstanding Urban Food Producers’ Intention to Continue Farming in Urban Settings
2019Kumudu P.P. Kopiyawattage, Laura Warner, T. Grady Roberts · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Columbus)
This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to describe factors influencing the intention of urban food producers in Columbus, one U.S. city, to continue farming in urban settings. It found that perceived complexity can negatively influence attitude and hinder intention, while subjective norms shaped by peer growers and family members may heighten the intention to continue. The findings also revealed personal characteristics, such as education and access to resources, that may enhance perceived behavioral control.
CommunityEconomicsWhose Sustainability? An Analysis of a Community Farming Program's Food Justice and Environmental Sustainability Agenda
2019Sarah Grace Davenport, Joanna Mishtal · Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment · United States (Florida)
Based on 2017 ethnographic fieldwork, this paper critically examines the sustainability initiatives and practices of an urban farming program in Florida, exploring the extent to which they consider a community's race and socioeconomic class. The authors argue that the program's initiatives overlook food justice concerns and apply the same approach across disparate communities, focusing on environmental rather than community benefits. They call for incorporating social justice themes into sustainability agendas.
PolicyCommunityBuilding Gardens: Food Justice, Community Engagement, and Gardens for the Asian Pacific Islander Community in the San Gabriel Valley
2019Juily Phun, Elise Dang · AAPI Nexus Journal: Policy, Practice, and Community · United States (San Gabriel Valley)
This article focuses on a service-learning program at Cal State LA (Food Justice, the Body, and the Environment in the API Community) that partners with schools across the San Gabriel Valley to build culturally relevant produce gardens for students in a region with a large low-income Asian American population. The essay centers on the partnership process, noting that a lack of procedural transparency within university structures is one of the greatest barriers to community–university partnerships.
CommunityFood educationPolicyGardeners’ Past Gardening Experience and Its Moderating Effect on Community Garden Participation
2019Jae Ho Lee, David Matarrita-Cascante · Sustainability · United States (Austin)
Using a survey of gardeners at three plot-based community gardens in Austin, Texas, this study examined how past gardening experience moderates the motivations behind community garden participation. Results showed that greater gardening experience strengthened the effect of emotional motivations on participation, while it had no effect on the relationship between functional motivations and participation.
CommunityPerspectives on Heavy Metal Soil Testing Among Community Gardeners in the United States: A Mixed Methods Approach
2019Candis Hunter, Dana Williamson, Matthew Gribble, Halle Bradshaw, Melanie Pearson, Eri Saikawa, P. Ryan, Michelle Kegler · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United States
Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this mixed methods study examined community gardeners' beliefs about and intentions to conduct heavy metal soil testing. It combined five focus groups of garden leaders in Atlanta, Georgia with a questionnaire administered to 500 community gardeners across the United States, finding that soil testing intention was associated with attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
CommunityHealthWho Speaks for (and Feeds) the Community? Competing Definitions of “Community” in the Austin, TX, Urban Farm Debate
2019Rachel Romero, Deborah A. Harris · City & Community · United States (Austin, TX)
This study uses in-depth interviews with urban farmers and their supporters and with residents of gentrifying East Austin to examine competing definitions of "community" in the dispute over rewriting Austin, Texas's urban farm code. Drawing on the concept of "interpretive communities," it argues that when communities feel threatened they coalesce to defend their position, showing how class, race, and ethnicity remain tied to environmental justice.
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