Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5823 results(39 / 233)
Contending food sovereignty with cultivating kinship through community gardens
2024Max Sano · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States (Santa Clara Valley)
This is a book review of Gabriel R. Valle's "Gardening on the Margins," which draws on anthropological, community-based research in California's Santa Clara Valley. It highlights the La Mesa Verde community, whose gardeners engage in community gardening not only out of necessity but through an "ethic of care."
CommunityPolicySoils information for urban customers: A perspective
2024Hannah M. Ohm, Thomas M. DeSutter, Christina L. Hargiss, Keith A. Anderson, Nathan E. Derby, Beverly Alvarez‐Torres · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States
This perspective article argues that, although urban agriculture is gaining popularity across the United States and national-level soil information exists, urban residents often have limited detail about the soils in their communities. It suggests that agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service could expand existing soil survey programs (e.g., WebSoilSurvey) and that trace-element testing and interpretation would improve knowledge of the risks urban soils pose to food quality. The authors emphasize opportunities for local, state and federal entities to support the soil-science needs of urban growers.
PolicyHealthCommunityGarden access and barriers for low-income community members
2024Cherish Duerst, Robert Williams, Jose Lopez, Douglas LaVergne · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States (Minnesota)
This study surveyed food-pantry customers in the Bemidji area of rural northern Minnesota about access and barriers to gardening in its many forms—residential, container, and community. Although 91% of respondents wanted to garden and 85% had gardened before, only 31% were active gardeners, and the study identifies specific barriers preventing otherwise motivated low-income individuals from gardening, along with participant-suggested solutions within reach of local policymakers.
WelfareCommunityPolicyShifts in host–parasitoid networks across community garden management and urban landscape gradients
2024Azucena Lucatero, Noah R. Smith, Peter Bichier, Heidi Liere, Stacy M. Philpott · Ecosphere · United States (California)
Using ecological networks, this study quantified interactions between herbivorous insects and their parasitoids across 22 urban community gardens on the Central Coast of California, relating host abundance, parasitism rates, and network structure to local garden management and surrounding landscape composition. It found that both local management and landscape composition influenced parasitism, while only local factors affected host abundance and network structure, suggesting local garden management decisions may shift host–parasitoid network structure with variable outcomes for biological pest control.
BiodiversityCommunityReframing Urban Agriculture: Open Land for the Public Good
2024Melody Ng · Critical Planning · United States (California)
This essay uses historical-structural analysis to examine how the history of US municipal land-use policies and urban agriculture informed the design of California's Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones (UAIZs) and their failure to increase land access and security for community food producers. It argues that UAIZs sit at the end of a long history of lot-conversion programs used for urban crisis management, and calls for reframing urban agriculture around land equity—the right not only to occupy but to manage land in service of one's community.
PolicyCommunityFood system under COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai: problems and countermeasures
2024· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · China (Shanghai)
Examines problems and countermeasures for Shanghai's food system under the COVID-19 lockdown.
PolicyCommunityExploring the Willingness of Chinese Urban Dwellers to Support Community Gardening: A Case Study of Wuhan, China
2024· Forests · China (Wuhan)
Case study in Wuhan, China, examining urban dwellers' willingness to support community gardening and its determinants.
CommunityEvaluation of Resettled Residents' Engagement in Community Gardens and Preferences for Garden Development Factors in Beijing
2024· Buildings · China (Beijing)
Survey of residents in Beijing resettlement communities on their engagement in community gardens and preferences for garden features, arguing gardens boost interaction and help resettled residents integrate.
CommunityWelfareCitizen participation and acceptance in the context of urban events. An investigation on regional garden shows in Germany
2024· Planning Practice & Research · Germany
Investigates citizen participation and acceptance around regional garden shows (Landesgartenschauen) in Germany as recurring urban greening and event-driven planning instruments.
CommunityPolicyInitiating, innovating and accelerating edible cities. A case study based on two transition experiments in the city of Dresden (Germany)
2024· Urban Ecosystems · Germany (Dresden)
A case study based on two transition experiments in Dresden, analyzing how edible cities are initiated, innovated, and accelerated.
CommunityPolicyFood educationMapping municipal food supply: A longitudinal-spatial case study in Southern Germany
2024Mager · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Germany (Southern Germany)
A longitudinal-spatial case study mapping municipal food supply in Southern Germany.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityOpen-Source Indoor Horizontal Grow Structure Designs
2024Qian J., Pearce J. M. · Designs · Global
Applies the distributed-manufacturing open-source design paradigm to develop four low-cost open-source grow-structure designs targeting root vegetables and bush fruit. The designs are intended for adoption by remote communities with limited or no outdoor growing environment.
DIYCommunityEnhancing food security through keyhole gardening in Lesotho
2024· Journal of Development Effectiveness · Lesotho
Examines enhancing food security through keyhole gardening, a circular raised-bed structure with a central compost basket. This self-built growing structure was developed by humanitarian organizations to promote household food production in drought-prone settings.
DIYCommunityWelfareMunicipal Solid Waste Management in a Decentralized Composting Scenario: Assessment of the Process Reproducibility and Quality of the Obtained Composts
2024· Agronomy · Global
Assesses the reproducibility of the composting process and the quality of composts obtained under a decentralized municipal solid waste composting scenario.
DIYCompostCommunityCan Aquaponics Be Utilized to Reach Zero Hunger at a Local Level?
2024Flores-Aguilar P.S., Sánchez-Velázquez J., Aguirre-Becerra H., Peña-Herrejón G.A., Zamora-Castro S.A., Soto-Zarazúa G.M. · Sustainability · Mexico
The paper examines, in light of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), how aquaponics can contribute to food security through the production of high-quality protein and decentralized local production.
DIYCommunityPolicy"Not everyone has the privilege to have good food": promoting positive youth development and social justice values in school gardens
2024· Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences · USA
A study examining how school gardens can promote positive youth development and social justice values among participating youth.
Food educationCommunityWelfareRole of Gardening in Mental Health, Food Security, and Economic Well-Being in Resettled Refugees: A Mixed Methods Study
2024Gangamma R., Walia B., Minkoff-Zern L., Tor S. · Journal of Patient Experience · United States
A mixed-methods study examining the role of gardening in the mental health, food security, and economic well-being of resettled refugees.
WelfareHealthCommunityGathering a bountiful harvest: the impacts of cultural ecosystem service experiences on management practices and agrobiodiversity in urban community gardens
2024· Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Investigates how cultural ecosystem service experiences in urban community gardens relate to management practices and agrobiodiversity, finding experiences vary among gardeners and correlate with local ecological knowledge.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationUrban Agriculture: Exploring Its Potential, Challenges, and Socio-Economic Impacts
2024· Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
Comprehensive analysis of urban agriculture's potential, challenges, and socio-economic impacts. Examines successful citizen-driven models and barriers to scaling.
CommunityWelfareFood educationOrganic cycleThe impact of a community garden on children and their families' eating habits
2024· Food Education Research · Multiple
Empirical study examining how community garden participation impacts children's food education and eating habits. Analyzes spillover effects on family food choices.
Food educationWelfareCommunityRooftop gardening complexities in the Global South: Motivations, practices, and politics
2024Turner · Geographical Research · Global South
Explores motivations, practices, and political contexts of rooftop gardening in the Global South, examining how socioeconomic conditions and policy environments shape urban agricultural initiatives.
CommunityPolicyAnalyzing the divergence and development of business models for urban farming
2024de Jong · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
Examines how urban farms' business models transition over time, incorporating long-term sustainability into core strategies. Analyzes progression from startup to enterprise settings.
EconomicsCommunityFood educationUrban Agriculture's 'Invisible' Short Food Value Chain: How Small-scale Farming Contributes to Johannesburg Food Security
2024· Urban Forum · South Africa
Documents how small-scale urban farming through short food value chains in Johannesburg functions as an 'invisible' economy not captured in official statistics. Direct community sales reduce middlemen while improving farmer incomes and local food security. Highlights gaps in statistical and policy frameworks.
EconomicsCommunityFood Security, Food Sovereignty, and Urban Agriculture in Cuba
2024· Latin American Perspectives · Cuba
Discusses urban agriculture in Cuba through the lenses of food security and food sovereignty.
PolicyWelfareCommunityThe institutionalisation of urban community gardens in Cape Town, South Africa
2024Kanosvamhira T. P. · Area · South Africa (Cape Town)
Analyses how the state institutionalises Cape Town's community gardens along neoliberal lines. Argues state support cultivates neoliberal subjectivities and regulates production, diminishing the gardens' potential to advance food justice in historically disadvantaged communities.
PolicyCommunity