Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
11393 results(420 / 456)
Weber C., Matthews H. · Environmental Science & Technology · United States
Production dominates US food-related life-cycle emissions (about 83%), while all transport accounts for roughly 11% and final delivery only about 4%, undermining the assumption that local food is low-carbon and that cutting food-miles via urban growing yields large climate gains.
PolicyEconomicsMary 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.
PolicyWelfareCommunityIoan 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.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareSophie Graefe, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Outlook on Agriculture · Niger (Niamey)
Semi-structured interviews with 130 households in Niamey, Niger, characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and assessed resource use. The study found high use of livestock manure and indiscriminate use of nutrient-loaded wastewater for irrigation, leading to significant nutrient surpluses in UPA gardens. Initial calculations suggested large gaseous emissions of nitrogenous compounds and and leaching of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to groundwater.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeEconomicsRichard W. Reynolds · · Global
This 2008 global handbook, "On Guerrilla Gardening," explores the motivations and methods of guerrilla gardening, a movement involving illicit cultivation of public land. The book compiles advice from guerrilla gardeners in thirty countries on topics such as plant selection, coping with environmental conditions, seed bombing, and propaganda. It also traces the historical development of the movement from the 17th century to the 1970s.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageRosie Cox, Lewis Holloway, Laura Venn, Liz Dowler, Jane Ricketts Hein, Moya Kneafsey, Helena Tuomainen · Local Environment · United Kingdom
This paper examines the motivations of producers and consumers participating in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project in Scotland. It reveals the diverse motivations and philosophies consumers bring to the scheme, contrasting them with the organizers' stated aims. The study argues that effective communication within direct marketing schemes is important for fostering long-term commitment between producers and consumers, and for encouraging consumers to consider broader behavioral changes.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsEveline Klinkenberg, Philip J. McCall, Michael D. Wilson, Felix P. Amerasinghe, Martin J. Donnelly · Malaria Journal · Ghana
This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on malaria transmission risk in Accra, Ghana, through larval and adult mosquito surveys. It found that Anopheles spp. and Culex quinquefasciatus outdoor biting rates were three and four times higher, respectively, in areas around agricultural sites compared to areas far from agriculture. The annual Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) was also higher in agricultural areas (19.2) than non-agricultural areas (6.6), suggesting that urban agricultural areas may increase malaria transmission risk by providing resting sites for adult mosquitoes.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageJulie 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 educationHealthWelfareWendy Berry Mendes, Kevin Balmer, Terra Kaethler, Amanda Rhoads · Journal of the American Planning Association · North America
This study examined how land inventories can integrate urban agriculture into planning and policymaking for sustainable communities, using case studies of Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The Portland inventory enabled integration and advanced social and ecological sustainability. In Vancouver, similar integration was achieved, but its smaller scope did little for public involvement and social sustainability.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityErastus K. Kang’ethe, Delia Grace, Thomas F. Randolph · East African Medical Journal · East Africa
This study synthesizes current knowledge on urban agriculture (UA) in East Africa, focusing on its human health impact. It identifies UA as an important source of food security, but notes that many zoonotic and food-borne diseases are associated with it, with a lack of evidence on human health impact and management. Major constraints include illegality and limited access to inputs and markets, indicating a need for more research to understand both positive and negative health impacts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureWillow Saranna Russell, Lydia Zepeda · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Wisconsin)
A 2008 qualitative study in Wisconsin, USA, examined attitude and behavior changes among a subset of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members. Modified eating or cooking habits, increased consideration of food seasonality, and enhanced appreciation for farming were observed, but no "spillover" changes like reduced driving or increased use of eco-friendly products were found. The study suggests that attitude and behavior changes are generated by CSA's structural elements, not by social norms, and that demonstrated changes increase membership renewal likelihood.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsPay Drechsel, Olufunke Cofie, Seydou Niang, Drechsel, Pay, Cofie, Olufunke, Niang, Seydou · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Africa
This record is a reference to a book chapter on the sustainability and resilience of the urban agricultural phenomenon in Africa, and it does not contain specific research content or findings.
Climate changePolicyCommunitySue Wells · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · Tanzania
This paper examines the transferability of six Smart Growth concepts to Tanzanian cities (Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma, Zanzibar) given their extreme poverty and agrarian base. Primary research conducted in May-June 2007 and related publications were used. The study suggests that Smart Growth strategies from the Global North may be unsuitable for the Global South, indicating that urban agriculture in this context presents both a promise and a problem.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageMasud Aziz Rauf · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Ghana (Tamale)
This research, conducted in the Tamale metropolitan area of Ghana's northern region, investigated the efforts of URBANET, a local NGO, to educate and involve indigenous farmers in advocacy as part of Ghana's broader trade justice movement. URBANET advocated for farmers facing challenges like falling prices due to imported products under unfair trade policies, providing workshops, radio programs, and mobilizing farmers. The advocacy raised awareness among indigenous farmers and contributed to policy changes, such as the Ghanaian government's 2005 statement requiring state institutions to buy Ghanaian rice.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAnselm A. Enete, Anthonia Ifeyinwa Achike · Outlook on Agriculture · Nigeria (Ohafia)
A study comparing rural and urban farmers in Ohafia, southeast Nigeria, found that while urban farmers used significantly more purchased inputs than rural farmers, their output was significantly lower. This was attributed to urban farmers being poor and undercapitalized, preventing them from using adequate purchased inputs to maintain soil nutrients. The findings suggest that for urban agriculture to address urban food insecurity, the urban poor require sufficient financial empowerment.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageConsuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia (Popayán)
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic system for vegetable production in small areas to contribute to urban food security and solid waste utilization in Popayán, Colombia. An alternative system was designed using recycled materials and evaluated with three nutritional treatments using cilantro as a biological indicator. The system achieved productions of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), and the common nutritional solution was identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceDIYGuo Ya · Zhongguo shengtai nongye xuebao · China (Beijing)
This study analyzed the comparative advantages of Beijing's agricultural sub-sectors using the location quotient technique. It found no significant comparative advantage for Beijing's agriculture industry over surrounding provinces, and no advantage for crop and fish culture. However, there was a significant advantage for forestry and animal husbandry. Within Beijing, agriculture held a higher proportion in local industrial economies in several districts, with specific advantages identified for crop production, forestry, animal production, and agricultural services in different areas.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageWU Yun-fe · Shanxi Architecture · Global
This paper demonstrates the benefits of rooftop gardens for improving living conditions in response to urban environmental problems, detailing nine aspects. These benefits include mitigating the heat island effect, increasing urban green spaces, and purifying city air. The paper also offers recommendations for the development of rooftop gardens.
Climate changeBiodiversityJoan M. Brehm, Brian W. Eisenhauer · Journal of Rural Social Sciences · United States
This research identifies perceived benefits, motivations, and effects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) activity on community social capital, using quantitative data from CSA memberships in Central Illinois and New Hampshire, United States. Findings indicate that food quality is the strongest motivator for CSA members, while community building and social capital development were not significant motivators or perceived benefits. However, community attachment significantly enhanced motivations like a desire for a stronger sense of community and support for local growers.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsI A Olugbenga, O. T. Adejumo · Eastern Africa Journal of Rural Development · Africa
This paper examined potential land and water resources for urban agriculture in metropolitan Lagos. While urban agriculture positively influences the financial empowerment of the urban poor, who spend 90% of their income on food, the land ownership system in Lagos complicates land access. The study identified 1,197 and 28,890 hectares of potential land resources under Federal, State, and private ownership, respectively.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageHester Parr · · Global
This work explores the relationship between mental health and social space, examining various contexts. Chapters cover geographies of difference in mental health, community and citizenship, rural communities, and the therapeutic potential of urban gardening for citizenship and social inclusion. It also discusses artistic spaces and virtual communities in relation to mental health.
HealthCommunitySeyed Esmaeil Mahdavian, R. Somashekar · ePrints@Bangalore University (Bangalore University) · India (Bangalore)
A study in Bangalore city, India, showed that urban consumers are at greater risk of purchasing fresh fruits with high levels of heavy metals beyond the legally permissible limits defined by the Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. These national norms are less strict than international food safety standards.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceSally Gregory Kohlstedt · History of Education Quarterly · United States
The school gardening movement, prominent from the 1890s into the twentieth century, exemplified progressive educational ideas of integrating school and society, as advocated by educators like John Dewey. School gardens, found in both urban and rural settings, connected intellectual and practical learning, with evidence of their widespread presence documented in newspapers, magazines, and school reports. These gardens were encouraged in both theory and practice across various educational institutions.
Food educationCommunityStephan Barthel, Carl Folke, Johan Colding · · Sweden (Stockholm)
This thesis investigated how social-ecological features influence ecosystem service (ES) generation through case studies in Stockholm, Sweden. Findings indicated that urban ES flows are products of co-evolutionary processes, requiring governance to consider historical rights and diverse actor groups. Informally managed allotment gardens showed higher pollinator abundance compared to other urban green spaces, and social-ecological memory among gardeners was found to retain and transmit practices linked to ES generation. The study concluded that sustaining urban ES depends on management practices by people and local communities of ecosystem practice.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityOrganic cycleAndréa Andreis, Graziela Maria Schuh, Rejane Giacomelli Tavares · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Novo Hamburgo)
An evaluation of parasite contamination in playground soils at Horta Comunitária Joanna de Angelis in Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil, detected rhabditoid larvae in 33% of soil samples. An enteroparasitological survey (n=22) confirmed parasitism in 59.10% of samples. However, it was not possible to establish a correlation between the presence of parasitosis in children and in the soil.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunity