Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1031 results(38 / 42)
Urban Governance for Food Security: The Alternative Food System in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2009Rocha C., Lessa I. · International Planning Studies 14(4):389-400 · Brazil
Describes the distinct food security governance developed by Belo Horizonte (2.5 million people), marked by comprehensive programs, urban/rural focus, flexibility, and commitment to social justice and equitable food access.
PolicyWelfareCommunityCuban Home Gardens and Their Role in Social–Ecological Resilience
2009Buchmann C. · Human Ecology · Cuba (Trinidad de Cuba)
Using ethnobotanical fieldwork in Trinidad de Cuba, this study shows how home gardens serve as the most adaptable local land resource, with garden composition and management adapting in response to major events such as the Soviet collapse, bolstering household food security and social-ecological resilience.
BiodiversityCommunityHeirloom & landraceWelfareUrban agriculture and gender in Carapongo, Lima, Peru
2009Arce B., Prain G., Maldonado L. · Women Feeding Cities: Mainstreaming Gender in Urban Agriculture and Food Security (Practical Action Publishing), Chapter 13 · Peru (Lima)
Examines land tenure insecurity and gender constraints among periurban farmers in Carapongo, Lima, showing that women's time burdens limit participation in horticulture field schools. Based on a baseline survey of 125 producers conducted through the CGIAR Urban Harvest initiative.
CommunityWelfarePolicyCommunity Gardening and Community Development: Individual, Social and Community Benefits of a Community Conservation Program
2009· Journal of Community Practice · USA
A case study of a community gardening/conservation program analyzing the individual, social, and community-level benefits generated through participation in the program's activities.
CommunityWelfareEcological Gentrification: A Research Agenda Exploring Justice in the City
2009Sarah Dooling · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · USA (Seattle)
Defines 'ecological gentrification' as the implementation of a public green-space planning agenda that displaces the most vulnerable (homeless people) while espousing an environmental ethic—framing green public policy itself as a driver of exclusion.
PolicyWelfarePotentials of urban horticulture for poverty reduction in Dar es Salaam: a case of Kinondoni municipal
2009Heaven E Masashua, Frank George Haule Hawassi, Provident Dimoso · · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
A study in Kinondoni Municipal, Dar es Salaam, examined the contribution of urban vegetable production to poverty reduction using 59 respondents. The study found that urban vegetable production increased income for smallholder farmers, improved food security, and enhanced access to health and education services. It concluded that urban horticulture has significant potential for poverty reduction.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceMicro-Finance Support and Urban Agriculture Expansion in Kampala Slums: Farmer Productivity Gains and Economic Empowerment Successes
2009Sserunkuma Muhumuza, Kajenye Amadi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda (Kampala)
A study in Kampala slums, Uganda, investigated the impact of micro-finance support on urban agriculture expansion. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis of financial records with qualitative interviews of farmers was used. Micro-finance support significantly increased average farm yields by 15% compared to baseline, and farmer confidence in economic strategies improved by 20 percentage points.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareMulticultural School Gardens: Creating Engaging Garden Spaces in Learning about Language, Culture, and Environment.
2009Amy Cutter‐Mackenzie · ePublications@SCU (Southern Cross University) · Australia
An Australian environmental education non-profit implemented the "Multicultural Schools Gardens" program in disadvantaged schools, using food gardening to teach culture, English as a Second Language, and environment. A combined methods research approach, including student self-research, interviews, and observations, was used to assess learning experiences. At one culturally diverse school with many migrant and refugee families, the program fostered a strong sense of belonging among students and provided opportunities for English language learning and environmental connection.
Food educationCommunityHealthWelfareGarden of Eden? The impact of resettlement on squatters' ‘agri-hoods’ in Fiji
2009Alec Thornton · Development in Practice · Fiji
This article examines the impact of Fiji's squatter-resettlement scheme on the livelihoods of 'farming squatters' engaged in urban agriculture. Interviews with key informants and squatter residents revealed contrasting attitudes and approaches, indicating that the scheme threatens these livelihoods. The article suggests a more participatory process to address the needs of 'farming squatters'.
Equity & displacementWelfarePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban farming in the informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa
2009W. Van Averbeke · Water SA · South Africa (Pretoria)
This study in five informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa, used a pilot study, household survey, and multiple case studies to assess urban farming's contribution to food security and household income. While over half of households participated in urban farming, its contribution to total household income and food security was generally modest. Main constraints included lack of space and limited access to irrigation water.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceÉramos todos tan felices
2009Vicente Araguas · Revista de libros · New Zealand
This kaupapa Māori research explored the motivations and role of Māori community gardens (māra) in health promotion in Aotearoa New Zealand, interviewing seven māra initiative leaders. Findings indicate māra development is driven by a desire to empower Māori collectives and reconnect them with ancestral lands. Māra foster community development, intergenerational connection, and the practice of Māori language and cultural heritage, contributing to social cohesion and collective efficacy.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareImplantação do Centro de Referência em Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana (CERAUP) em Maringá, Paraná
2009Samireille Silvano Messias, Ednaldo Michellon, Marcos Rogério da Silva Alves dos Santos, Camila Pereira Croge, Juliano Tait Vareschini, Fernande Antunes Fernandes · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil (Maringá)
In Maringá, Paraná, the growing need for urban and peri-urban agriculture led to the establishment of the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Reference Center (CERAUP) by Maringá State University, in partnership with municipal governments and funded by the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger. This project aims to enable the region's most vulnerable families to produce healthy food without pesticides and earn extra income by selling surplus produce. This initiative facilitates food re-education and capacity building for direct beneficiaries and the entire population around these urban agriculture spaces.
CommunityWelfareFood educationPeri-urban agricultureMapping Soils in Central Uganda
2009Jessica Veenstra, Daniel Dembe, Jude Nsamba, Lisa Marie Wasko, C. Lee Burras, Gail R. Nonnecke, Orum Boniface, Simon Downie, Rachael Cox · Soil Survey Horizons · Uganda
Soil surveying was conducted in the summer of 2006 and 2007 at Namasagali Primary School in Uganda, covering approximately 95 acres (38 hectares) for a school garden program. Researchers identified soils using observations and teachers' indigenous knowledge, described pedons, and measured depth, color, roots, pores, pH, electrical conductivity, texture, structure, slope, and aspect. The survey produced a map with seven polypedons, which was shared with teachers and local farmers.
Food educationCommunityWelfareUrban agriculture: multi-dimensional tools for social development in poor neibourghoods
2009Éric Duchemin, Fabien Wegmuller, Anne-Marie Legault · Field Actions Science Reports · Canada (Montreal)
This article discusses urban agriculture (UA) initiatives undertaken in Montreal, Canada, for over 30 years, specifically the City-managed Community Gardening Program and six collective gardens managed by community organizations. These UA initiatives have fostered vegetable production and a socialization and education environment, contributing to individual and collective social development in economically disadvantaged districts. The various approaches achieve their established objectives and serve as multi-dimensional tools for the social development of disadvantaged populations.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealthUrban Agriculture in Montevideo and Rosario: A response to crisis or a stable component of the urban landscape?agriculture has developed into a permanent
2009Alain Santandreu, Alberto Gómez Perazzoli, R. Terrile, Mariana Ponce · · Uruguay (Montevideo)
Urban agriculture has become a permanent activity in Rosario, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay. While important for feeding cities during crises, it is currently promoted by civil society and local governments to enhance social inclusion and employment for urban farmers, particularly the poor. This transforms challenging situations into new opportunities within the urban landscape.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareBuilding the Resilience of Vulnerable Communities in Quito: Adapting local food systems to climate change
2009Isabelle Anguelovski · Urban Agriculture Magazine · Ecuador (Quito)
Marginalized urban communities in Quito, Ecuador, residing in informal settlements or on fragile hillsides, are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like floods, landslides, droughts, and food scarcity. Many of these communities rely on urban agriculture for sustainable livelihoods and food security.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareImpact of Community Gardening Workshops on Food Security in Ghanaian Favelas
2009Kwesi Acheampong, Amoako Mensah, Boatemaa Boateng · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana
A survey conducted from January to March across five favelas in Accra, Ghana, investigated the impact of community gardening workshops on food security. While participants gained knowledge on sustainable gardening techniques, 45% of respondents still lacked access to necessary resources like seeds and tools. The study concluded that workshops improved awareness but further support is needed to address practical implementation barriers.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareGrowing Gardens and Nurturing Community in the Urban Environment
2009Katie Shaw · Providence College Digital Commons (Providence College) · Global
This study analyzes how urban agriculture, specifically community gardens, addresses rising global pressures on urban areas by rebuilding local networks. It presents community gardening as a solution to the global food crisis and compares community garden projects in five cities: Accra, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Havana, and Philadelphia. The research also examines the demographics of community gardeners, particularly their impacts on marginalized members of society, and highlights community gardens' role in city planning and green design.
CommunityFood educationWelfareElderlyPolicyPromoting Healthy Diets through Community Gardens: An Investigation into Their Effectiveness in Reducing Obesity Among Senegalese Adolescents in Uganda
2009Kasaka Kizito, Okumu Mukulu, Sserunkuma Ndegeyi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda
This mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of community gardens in reducing obesity among 200 Senegalese adolescents aged 15-18 in Uganda. Initial analysis suggests that community gardens significantly reduced the proportion of adolescents with obesity by 30%, indicating a positive impact on dietary habits and physical activity levels. While these preliminary findings are promising, further longitudinal studies are needed.
HealthCommunityFood educationWelfareInformalization, the Informal Economy and Urban Women’s Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s
2009Dzodzi Tsikata · · Sub-Saharan Africa
This chapter examines urban women's livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, focusing on economic liberalization and the expansion of the informal economy. Urban agriculture, including home gardens, is identified as an increasingly important activity within this informal sector. Many women in the urban informal economy are employed by others or have been in the past, while industrial subcontracting, a source of informal employment, has been significant only in a few industrialized Sub-Saharan African countries.
WelfareEconomicsCommunityLinking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development: A role for urban agriculture?
2009Femke Hoekstra, R. van Veenhuizen · · Global
This article focuses on the role of urban agriculture in linking relief, rehabilitation, and development following disasters or emergency situations. It notes that many people in refugee situations establish small-scale gardening or micro-technologies like container gardening to improve food security. The article highlights urban agriculture's multiple functions, including community building and sustainable environments.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareDIYThe Socioeconomic and Cultural Significance of Food Gardening in the Vladimir Region of Russia
2008Sharashkin L. · University of Missouri-Columbia (PhD Dissertation) · Russia (Vladimir Region)
A PhD dissertation examining 1,500 Vladimir Region families to show that household food gardens underpin more than half of Russia's agricultural output and fulfil wide-ranging economic, social, and cultural functions.
EconomicsCommunityWelfareFood educationIt takes a garden: Cultivating citizen-subjects in organized garden projects
2008Mary Beth Pudup · Geoforum · USA (San Francisco Bay Area)
Argues that 'organized garden projects' proliferate in roll-out neoliberal institutions (jails, schools, clinics) to cultivate self-governing citizen-subjects, reframing gardening policy as a technology for downloading social responsibility onto 'at-risk' individuals.
PolicyWelfareCommunityThe Effect of Community Gardens on Neighboring Property Values
2008Ioan Voicu, Vicki Been · Real Estate Economics · United States (New York City)
This study estimated the impact of community gardens on neighborhood property values in New York City using a difference-in-difference hedonic regression model. The findings indicate that community gardens have significant positive effects on property values, particularly in the poorest neighborhoods. Higher-quality gardens were observed to have the greatest positive impact.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareGrowing Vegetables and Values: Benefits of Neighborhood-Based Community Gardens for Youth Development and Nutrition
2008Julie Ober Allen, Katherine Alaimo, Doris Elam, Elizabeth Perry · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global
This 2008 qualitative case study examined two neighborhood-based community gardens with youth programs, using participant observation and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. The study found that these garden programs offered opportunities for constructive activities, community contributions, skill development, and improved nutrition for participating youth. Community gardens promoted developmental assets for youth while enhancing their access to and consumption of healthy foods.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfare