Research & reports

Emily H. Belarmino, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah C. Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared T. McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States

In response to critiques regarding the narrowness of food systems education at US land-grant institutions, this study developed four evidence-informed, interdisciplinary, equity-oriented, open-access teaching modules. These modules were created based on a multi-site, multi-year investigation of subsidized community supported agriculture and a survey of 66 instructors at land-grant institutions about instructional material needs. Instructors reported case studies, lesson plans with active learning, and reference lists of peer-reviewed publications as most helpful.

Nicholas DeMarsh · International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy · Global

This research, conducted from a youth educator's perspective, used participatory action research (PAR) in youth urban agriculture education to illustrate the impact of young people shaping community-based programs. Findings showed that youth-led programming creates new processes and educational opportunities, strengthening program outcomes by engaging students in interesting ways. Practical implications include opportunities for social network bonding via farm stands and challenges in social network bridging through Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs).

Yunita Kesuma, Citra Persada, M. Shubhi Yuda Wibawa · Jurnal Pengabdian Dharma Wacana · Indonesia (Bandar Lampung)

This community service activity provided assistance to the Agrowidyawisata Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) in Rajabasa Jaya, Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia, to address the underutilization of the Agrowidyawisata Sinar Harapan village as an urban agriculture educational tourism area, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods included interviews, questionnaires, site surveys, spatial analysis, and discussions with Pokdarwis to identify facility needs and define spatial arrangement concepts. The assistance enabled Pokdarwis to develop ideas for village arrangement based on thematic tourism potential, plan culinary markets, create tourist routes for small plots, and establish a communal space in a former workshop for gathering and marketing.

K. Michelle Glowa · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (California)

This paper reflects on the engagement between Mexican and Salvadorian farmers at the Beach Flats Garden in Santa Cruz, California, and local educational institutions. It discusses the garden's role in critical food system education, highlighting its function as a space of resistance to gentrification in a competitive land market. The garden provides examples of noncapitalist exchanges and decolonial foodways, emphasizing traditional agroecological knowledge.

Sri Tjondro Winarno · Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of hydroponic training implemented in Surabaya City, using descriptive qualitative analysis and a 5-point Likert scale survey for all participants. The evaluation results showed that 94.12% of the implementation met "good" criteria and 5.88% met "very good" criteria. It was concluded that this training is highly effective in supporting the urban farming program in Surabaya.

Lidón Monferrer, Gil Lorenzo Valentín, María Santágueda Villanueva · Education Sciences · Global

This literature review analyzed 21 studies to explore the combination of curricular mathematics with experimental science content in school gardens. The review categorized studies by research tools, curricular content, impact, participant ages, project duration, and garden cultivation. The main finding was a lack of a clear research line linking school gardens, experimental sciences, and mathematics, with a scant presence of studies in this interdisciplinary context.

Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Ryan Betz · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This study used the concept of food sovereignty to assess the level of local control over food production, distribution, and consumption in the Mississippi Delta. Research involved site visits, participant observation, focus groups, and surveys of communities affiliated with the Delta EATS public school garden program. Findings demonstrated low levels of food sovereignty, though high levels of agency and ingenuity in accessing desired foods were observed.

Stephanie Ross · · Global

This paper explores various needs that community gardens seem poised to meet, such as education, community activism, individual growth, and enhancement, offering a balanced assessment of their likely success. It considers large-scale indoor hydroponic farming as a potential remedy for many of the social ills that community gardens address.

Novian Wely Asmoro, Sri Hartati, Agustina Intan Niken Tari, Purwanto Purwanto, Muhammad Fathul Anwar · Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Sukoharjo)

In Dusun Walang, Sukoharjo, Indonesia, community service activities introduced urban farming to millennial generation members of a youth organization to increase their interest in agriculture. The activities involved counseling and practice on urban farming concepts, household waste management, and verticulture. Evaluation using pretest, posttest, and practice assessment showed 93% partner involvement and an 85% increase in understanding of urban farming cultivation, from an initial 54% to 100% after the activity.

Felix Hellinger, Dorothee Benkowitz, Petra Lindemann‐Matthies · Education Sciences · Global

Students' knowledge about the growth of food plants and their ideas for school garden design were investigated among 2107 fifth and sixth graders (mean age 12.3 years). About 40% of students believed carrots and radishes grow in underground bunches, and nearly 50% thought kohlrabi also grows underground. Girls performed better than boys, and increasing age and gardening experience had a positive effect on answers.

Artur Amirovich Galyamov · Социодинамика · Russia

This article presents preliminary sociological monitoring results from 2022 for the "Camp School-garden" pilot project, aimed at primary education for indigenous children in remote areas of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. While positive indicators like satisfaction with educational services were noted, the study also identified less positive and negative indicators, including inconsistent internet quality and differing opinions on distance learning organization, which require consideration for future project implementation.

Marta Camps‐Calvet, Santiago Gorostiza, David Saurı́ · Antipode · Spain (Barcelona)

This study examined social reproduction practices surrounding food in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. Core findings informed the role of women in food provision and production through individual subsistence agriculture, involvement in Barcelona’s anarcho-syndicalist agricultural collective, and participation in agriculture education and training programs. The research was based on original archival data, historical press, and interviews with witnesses of the war.

Emanuele Batistela dos Santos, Dayanne da Costa Maynard, Renata Puppin Zandonadi, António Raposo, Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho · Foods · Global

This systematic review, including 50 studies, examined sustainability recommendations in school feeding policies and practices adopted in schools globally. Frequently cited practices included school gardens and sustainability education activities. Recommendations often focused on purchasing sustainable food, nutrition education, and reducing food waste, highlighting the need for managers to prioritize sustainability education in curricula.

Wahidyanti Rahayu Hastutiningtyas, Yanti Rosdiana, Fathul Qorib, Murtiyah Murtiyah · Jurnal LENTERA · Indonesia

A project at SDN Tulusrejo 3 in Malang city, Indonesia, aimed to organize the school environment and provide understanding of the Adiwiyata program by arranging the school yard into a waste treatment area to support environmental health. Methods included mapping productive land, counseling, and school garden planning. The project achieved nearly 80% of its goal, resulting in a more organized and comfortable school environment compared to its state before the arrangement.

Jilmar Gustavo Comas Piñere · GACETA DE PEDAGOGÍA · Global

This article, based on a qualitative documentary design, explores the agroecological school garden as a pedagogical scenario to strengthen learning and address environmental sustainability issues. The study aimed to highlight the importance of the educational process in improving student nutrition and quality of life. It concludes that establishing school gardens as an integral "learning by doing" strategy is crucial across all knowledge areas and educational levels.

Ni Putu Kinsa Destias Wirawan, Frysa Wiriantari, Anak Agung Ayu Sri Ratih Yulianasari · Jurnal Teknik Gradien · Indonesia (Badung)

This qualitative descriptive study explored the design concept for an urban farming training center in Badung Regency, Indonesia. The center adopts an education and tourism concept with a Green Architecture theme, incorporating eco-friendly materials, renewable energy, and water conservation. It aims to promote urban farming methods like hydroponics, biofloc catfish farming, maggot cultivation, and organic waste processing into eco-enzymes.

Hiroyuki Tsunashima · Impact · Japan

Dr. Hiroyuki Tsunashima of Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan, leads a project linking agriculture and social welfare to provide job opportunities for socially disadvantaged individuals. The project involves clients working on farms under the supervision of social welfare staff, emphasizing autonomous skill acquisition and holistic practices. This initiative draws from the Teikei movement, a community-supported agriculture system in Japan, to facilitate the process through food and farmer-consumer partnership experiences.

Sri Utami, Endah Ratnaningsih, Yeni Indra Kumalasari, Rahayu Widowati · Rahmatan Lil Alamin Journal of Community Services · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)

In Bener village, Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a community service activity was conducted to introduce urban farming and the practice of fruit cultivation in pots (Tabulampot). The activity included urban farming socialization, planting media preparation, introduction of guava varieties, and transplanting and maintenance practices. The practical planting and direct mentoring proved effective in encouraging residents to implement urban farming in their environment.

Regina Lucia Santana, Roberto Andreani, João Adalberto Campato, Denise Regina da Costa Aguiar · Revista FSA · Brazil (São Paulo)

This descriptive and transversal field study, conducted at Professora Maria Expedita Silva State School in Mauá, São Paulo, aimed to implement sustainable and community actions using a school garden. The project sought to unite the school and local community in consuming and preserving the garden, fostering environmental responsibility and promoting natural diets. Results showed adolescent engagement in the educational project's sustainable actions, leading to more collaborative attitudes towards their natural environment.

Lili Chrisnawati, Dzul F. Mumtazah, Dewi Mulia Sari · Community Development Journal Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia (Kota Metro)

This community service activity involved providing outreach and training on microgreen cultivation to the WES (Women and Environmental Studies) community in Kota Metro, Indonesia. The activity concluded that participants were able to enhance their knowledge regarding microgreens. It is hoped that participants can apply microgreen cultivation skills, which will impact the improvement of healthy lifestyles and strengthen family food security.

Claudia Antón Biezma · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Spain (Madrid)

This description is about the Adelfas urban garden in Madrid, photographed on January 24, 2021, which won the Spanish Association of Geography's Photography Contest (Student Category 2021). The garden is a large, open space next to the author's home, receiving good sunlight, watered twice weekly by neighbors, and open to everyone. It provides city children with contact with a rural environment, fosters personal relationships, utilizes unused urban spaces, and acts as a small green lung against pollution.

Yayat Sujatna, Widi Hastomo, Ambardi Ambardi · Community Empowerment · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This Community Service program aimed to educate residents of PCM Cengkareng Barat, Jakarta, Indonesia, about plastic waste, recycle plastic waste for microgreens planting media, and encourage urban farming of microgreens to meet family nutrition during the pandemic. The program utilized the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method. The outcome was an increased ability and knowledge among partners regarding plastic waste utilization and new methods for urban farming microgreens.

· Current Science International · Egypt

This research addresses water saving issues and deteriorated school environments in official schools in Egypt. It proposes educational vertical gardens and green vertical walls for school building blocks to improve urban environments, enhance buildings' environmental and economic performance, and positively impact physical and mental health. The proposal aims to boost interaction and creativity by utilizing space as an instrument for new knowledge and highlighting the importance of sustainable development.

Lorena Suárez Peña, Aharon Jazielt Andrade Sandy, Luis René Justiniano Lujan, Romina Alejandra Robles Calderón, Leevan Salvatierra Burgos, José María Jiménez Carillo · Revista 3i Ingeniería Innovación Investigación · Bolivia

This study diagnosed the benefits of implementing urban gardens to promote food security, environmental sustainability, and community development, classifying feasible garden types. Research in El Torno municipality, Bolivia, identified community and school gardens as the most feasible urban garden types, highlighting their environmental and health benefits. These gardens are easy to implement and offer benefits such as landscape beautification, connection with nature, improved physical and mental health, and environmental education.

Zumatul Atiko Islamiyah Cahyo, Aulia Rachmawati, Rifdha Nurbani Masjidha, Nurul Azizah · Jurnal Penamas Adi Buana · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A microgreens cultivation socialization activity was conducted in Jemur Wonosari village, Surabaya City, Indonesia. Participants included representatives from farmer groups and all RW (community association) heads of Jemur Wonosari village, using vegetable seeds, rockwool, water, cocopeat, microgreens trays, and water sprays. The activity positively impacted the community's knowledge of urban farming systems, particularly beyond hydroponics, indicating microgreens could be an alternative for maintaining household-level food security.