Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2067 results(35 / 83)
Factors Affecting the Dynamics of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Membership
2019Junhong Chen, Zhifeng Gao, Xuqi Chen, Lisha Zhang · Sustainability · United States
Drawing on a national U.S. survey of 795 respondents, this study analyzed how motivation, perceived barriers, and advertising methods shape consumers' past, current, and future participation in community-supported agriculture (CSA). Younger consumers, higher-income families, and supporters of sustainable agriculture were more likely to renew subscriptions, and members were sensitive to the timing, price, and location of food distribution. The effects of barriers and advertising varied with members' participation status.
EconomicsCommunityCommunity-Supported Agriculture Marketing Performance: Results from Pilot Market Channel Assessments in Colorado
2019Becca B. R. Jablonski, Martha Sullins, Dawn Thilmany McFadden · Sustainability · United States (Colorado)
This pilot study assessed the marketing performance of community-supported agriculture (CSA) relative to other direct-market channels using data from 42 Colorado farms between 2016 and 2017. Farms incorporating CSA sales tended to be smaller in scale and to use more diverse markets, and while they had lower average weekly sales, they showed the highest average marketing profit margins among direct-market channels.
EconomicsDesign, construction, verification and testing of a low cost germinator
2019Hernández López A., Avila Alejandre A.X., Mendoza Francisco N., Hernández López H. · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas · Mexico
Design, construction and testing of a low-cost seed germinator built from locally available materials that automatically controls temperature and photoperiod, with an Arduino Uno temperature verifier; total cost about US$58, competitive with commercial germinators.
DIYEconomicsGleaning in the 21st Century: Urban food recovery and community food security in Ontario, Canada
2019Marshman J., Scott S. · Canadian Food Studies · Ontario, Canada
A study of five Ontario gleaning groups showing that modern gleaning contributes to community food security by reducing food waste, improving access to fresh food, and fostering social connections.
Food lossCommunityWelfareSurplus Labor and Subjectivity in Urban Agriculture: Embodied Work, Contested Work
2019· Economic Geography · USA
Focuses on the unpaid 'surplus labor' that sustains urban agriculture sites, analyzing how it is appropriated and distributed. It shows these sites depend heavily on unpaid, contested embodied work central to workers' subject formation.
EconomicsCommunityThe underutilized role of community gardens in improving cities’ adaptation to climate change: a review
2019Mysha Clarke, Melissa Davidson, Monika Egerer, Elsa C. Anderson, Nakisha Fouch · People Place and Policy Online · United States
This paper argues that community gardens should be a prioritized element of green infrastructure to improve cities' adaptation to climate change. Community gardens can reduce urban heat islands, provide ecosystem services, and increase stormwater retention. However, a qualitative analysis of 18 policy documents for Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City, U.S.A., found that green infrastructure for climate change adaptation prioritizes rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs, but seldom acknowledges the role of community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityClimate changePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealth Center–Based Community-Supported Agriculture: An RCT
2019Seth A. Berkowitz, Jessica O’Neill, Edward Sayer, Naysha N. Shahid, Maegan Petrie, Sophie Schouboe, Megan Saraceno, Rochelle Bellin · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · United States (Massachusetts)
This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a subsidized community-supported agriculture (CSA) intervention could improve diet quality for socioeconomically vulnerable individuals. Conducted from May 2017 to December 2018, 128 participants from a community health center in central Massachusetts were randomized to receive either subsidized CSA membership or healthy eating information (control group). The intervention group showed a clinically meaningful increase of 4.3 points in the Healthy Eating Index total score (p=0.03) and lower food insecurity (RR=0.68) compared to the control group.
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfare“Urban Farming Is Going High Tech”
2019Michael Carolan · Journal of the American Planning Association · United States
This 2019 study, based on 82 interviews in Denver, New York, and San Francisco, investigated how traditional and digital urban agriculture converge and diverge regarding land use and gentrification. It found that both digital and traditional urban farming systems are linked to gentrification and inequitable land use patterns. Digital urban farming systems also operate in a regulatory gray area, with their "digital" aspects used to gain more zoning permission than traditional urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityO DIREITO FUNDAMENTAL À ALIMENTAÇÃO: DA PREVISÃO À CONCRETIZAÇÃO DESSE DIREITO
2019Mariana Peixoto Espósito, Bruna Caroline Lima de Souza, Dirceu Pereira Siqueira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Maringá)
This article analyzes the fundamental right to food within national and international legal frameworks, focusing on its implementation in Brazil through public policies. It specifically examines the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program and the Community Gardens Program in Maringá/PR, concluding that the Community Gardens Program is an effective public policy for realizing the right to food. The methodology included a bibliographic review and field research based on interviews.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPeri-urban agricultureSpatial Considerations for Implementing Two Direct-to-Consumer Food Models in Two States
2019Marilyn Sitaker, Jared T. McGuirt, Weiwei Wang, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Sustainability · United States
This study compared sociodemographic and geospatial contexts with farmers' experiences for two direct-to-consumer (DTC) models: a cost-offset CSA for low-income families and food boxes distributed via rural convenience stores, across two U.S. states (Vermont and Washington). Addresses of thirteen farms and DTC pickup sites were geocoded, and road network distances to supermarkets, farmers' markets, and farms were calculated. Most pickup areas were heavily car-dependent with limited public transportation. Despite modest profitability, both models were considered worth pursuing as they expanded farmers' customer base.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfareSowing the seeds of a vibrant community
2019Wooley, Megan Katherine · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States
This study interviewed four community gardens in low-income neighborhoods across the United States about their programs and outreach activities. It also conducted an in-depth review of existing literature on community gardens and their benefits. The research noted that some difficulties exist with creating community gardens.
CommunityFood educationElderlyAGROECOLOGIA: DIFUSÃO DE SUAS PRÁTICAS DE PORTA EM PORTA
2019Talia Talita Sehn, Cassiano Peixoto Rosa, Andersson Daniel Steffler, Daiane Karina Grellmann, Divanilde Guerra · · Brazil (Tres Passos)
The objective was to identify cultivated species and their management, and to disseminate agroecological practices in domestic gardens and orchards in the urban perimeter of Tres Passos-RS, Brazil. Over two years, 177 residences were visited in the first year, with 165 (95%) having orchards and 147 (87%) having vegetable gardens. In the second year, 12 residences were visited, all (100%) cultivating vegetables and 10 (75%) having fruit trees.
DIYFood educationOrganic cycleWild Leaves on Narrow STEMs: Exploring Formal and Non-Formal Education Tensions Through Garden-Based Learning
2019Sarah E. Cramer, Anna Ball · Journal of Agricultural Education · United States
This qualitative case study in the United States examined a school garden program transitioning from non-profit to public school district control, conceptualizing this as a shift from a non-formal to a formal education paradigm. The research explored tensions between constructivist, non-formal educational philosophies and standardized, formal education within school garden settings. The findings indicate challenges in integrating non-formal learning into formal public education structures, arguing for broader legitimation of garden-based learning in curriculum.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyDIY Detroit: Making Do in a City without Services by Kimberley Kinder
2019Brian Doucet · Technology and Culture · United States (Detroit)
Kimberley Kinder's book, "DIY Detroit: Making Do in a City without Services," ethnographically documents how Detroit residents engage in self-provisioning strategies to address voids in safety, municipal services, and development. The book details six strategies, including acting as informal realtors, defensive architecture for vacant homes, and repurposing vacant properties for urban gardening, often in "gray spaces" abandoned by landowners and neglected by officials.
DIYCommunityAngier, The Last Frontier: Representation and Gentrification in the Alternative Food Movement
2019Giszell Dymond Weather · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States
A 7-month study of the Angier Avenue Neighborhood Farm in East Durham, a predominantly Black area, found that Black residents rarely participate in farm activities. This research, based on participant observation, interviews, and food systems research, theorizes the relationship between urban farming and gentrification, arguing that equitable community food projects must incorporate local Black residents' cultures and histories to be sustainable.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyBiosolids Improve Urban Soil Properties and Vegetable Production in Urban Agriculture
2019Odiney Alvarez‐Campos, Gregory K. Evanylo · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States
This field study in Blacksburg, VA, investigated the effects of exceptional quality (EQ) biosolids on urban soil properties and vegetable yield over two years (2016-2018). Biosolids increased soil carbon storage by 37-84% compared to controls, but soil nitrogen availability was lower than expected. Reclamation rates of biosolids resulted in higher yields for cabbage (∼3.1 kg m⁻²) and Siberian kale (∼1.1 kg m⁻²) than inorganic fertilizer (1.0 kg m⁻² and 0.4 kg m⁻² respectively) in fall 2017, indicating potential to increase vegetable yield despite limiting soil conditions.
Organic cycleDIYHealthEl papel de las mujeres en el desarrollo de la agricultura urbana: el caso de la «Red de agricultura ecológica huertos en línea»
2019Karla Solari Pérez, Jazmín Goicochea Medina, Mishel Huamán Nakamura, Ronaldiño Tamara Pachas · Investigaciones Sociales · Peru (Lima)
This article analyzes the role of women in promoting and developing urban agriculture in two districts of South Lima, Peru: San Juan de Miraflores and Villa María del Triunfo. These experiences are part of the "Red de agricultores ecológicos huertos en línea" (Network of ecological farmers online gardens) social responsibility project by Red de Energía del Perú, and are analyzed transversally through the sex/gender system.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyDiseño de una estrategia como alternativa para incrementar e incentivar el uso de la Agricultura Urbana
2019Arantza Elena Sanchez Gutierrez · · Mexico
In Querétaro Municipality, Mexico, a strategy was designed and implemented to increase and incentivize the use of urban agriculture. Previous strategies implemented in Mexico had resulted in low participation and abandonment of practice due due to low interest from inhabitants and a lack of will to follow through on plans. This qualitative research analyzed the causes of these failures using User-Centered Design tools and Design Thinking. Findings showed that a "strategy of appropriation," emphasizing a sense of belonging, well-being, and commitment, resulted in an increase in this variable, which influences the abandonment of agricultural practices.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsGeospatial analysis and assessment of garden soil contamination in New York City
2019Anna Paltseva, Zhongqi Cheng · RUDN Journal of Agronomy and Animal Industries · United States (New York City)
Elevated trace metal concentrations, particularly lead (Pb), are prevalent in New York City urban soils. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of lead in NYC gardens and assessed pollution levels and ecological risks. Findings indicated that lead posed moderate to significantly high ecological risk, and the majority of NYC garden soils were characterized as polluted.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityA Randomized Trial to Encourage Healthy Eating Through Workplace Delivery of Fresh Food
2019Rachel Feuerstein-Simon, Roxanne Dupuis, Ryan Schumacher, Carolyn C. Cannuscio · American Journal of Health Promotion · United States
This randomized trial (n=60) at a large urban worksite investigated a subsidized workplace Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with cooking education to increase home-cooked meals. Intervention participants received 8 biweekly fresh food deliveries. Results showed increased home-cooked meals, 3.8 times higher odds of twice-daily fruit consumption, and 6.2 times higher odds of twice-daily vegetable consumption compared to controls. Intervention participants also experienced an 89% reduction in food insecurity.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood educationBerrycare
2019Abbey L. Moellering · UKnowledge (University of Kentucky) · United States
This paper highlights that older adults often do not meet dietary requirements for fruits and vegetables, increasing their risk of chronic disease. Community gardens are presented as a successful intervention to engage older adults, offering benefits such as improved dietary behaviors, increased socialization, and better mental health. Sustainable interventions of this type require collaborative efforts among university researchers, community members, and cooperative extension, engaging all socioeconomic levels.
ElderlyHealthCommunityA IMPORTÂNCIA DE JARDINS VERTICAIS PARA A EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL E A UTILIZAÇÃO DE PLANTAS ALIMENTÍCIAS NÃO CONVÊNCIONAIS (PANC) COMO ESTÍMULO À AGRICULTURA URBANA
2019Luiza Oliveira Kossatz, Luciana Adelmann · Anais do EVINCI - UniBrasil · Brazil (Paraná)
This work aims to disseminate the concept of urban agriculture by raising awareness of environmental education's benefits for human development. It proposes adopting gardens made from recycled/reusable materials and utilizing endemic Paraná plant species, known as Non-Conventional Food Plants (PANC), that can be cultivated in vertical gardens and serve as food. The research intends to highlight the need to preserve local biodiversity and reduce urban pollution.
Food educationBiodiversityDIYUrban–rural linkageEnvironmental Studies Major Educates Community About Healthy Living at Somerset Development
2019Kandace Kohr · · United States
Thomas Riordan, an environmental studies major from Dickinson, worked as a community garden manager at Somerset Development. In this role, he educated and encouraged the community regarding healthy living.
CommunityFood educationHealthCatalyzing change in local food system governance in Calgary, Alberta
2019Mary Beckie, Elizabeth M. Bacon · · Canada (Calgary)
This study examines YYC Growers and Distributors, a producer cooperative in Calgary, Alberta, established in 2014 with 20 urban and rural farmers. It analyzes the cooperative's internal democratic self-governance model and its role in evolving local food governance at municipal and provincial levels. The study concludes that YYC catalyzes change in local food governance through its relationships with various stakeholders.
CSA & TeikeiPolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageAgricultura Urbana e Periurbana
2019Maira dos Santos, Mariana Campos Martins Machado · Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional · Brazil (Florianópolis)
A qualitative study was conducted with 11 participating families of a community garden in the Campeche neighborhood of Florianópolis, Brazil, to evaluate the impact of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) on Food and Nutritional Security (SAN) and eating behavior. Through interviews using semi-structured questionnaires, the community garden was understood as a space for health promotion, strengthening healthy eating practices, and preserving the municipality's food culture. The community garden proved effective in promoting and guaranteeing SAN principles, strengthening healthy eating practices, and fostering citizenship.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthOrganic cycle