Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2012 results(44 / 81)
Expanding the Contribution of Community Gardens to City Sustainability through Family Education Programs
2019Stavrianakis, Farmer · Children Youth and Environments · Global
This study investigated the impacts that gardening education workshops in community gardens can have on family members and their environmental behaviors. Participants reported a variety of positive impacts from the gardening workshops, including socializing, health benefits, and acquired knowledge. However, there was limited evidence of pro-environmental behavior change beyond gardening.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationHealthClimate changeAny Sign of Virtual School Garden Exchanges? Education for Sustainable Development in School Gardens since 1992: A Systematic Literature Review
2019Johanna Lochner, Marco Rieckmann, Marcel Robischon · Journal of Education for Sustainable Development · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 158 peer-reviewed articles on school gardening, with a focus on Virtual School Garden Exchanges (VSGEs) and their connection to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study examined the global perspective of ESD, the use of digital media, and international exchanges in school gardens. Only 14 articles directly incorporated these three perspectives, leading to the identification of possible directions for future research on VSGE.
Food educationCommunityDigital agriculturePELATIHAN TEKNIK PENANAMAN TABULAMPOT KEPADA MASYARAKAT BTN KUPULA INDAH KOTA JUANG KABUPATEN BIREUEN
2019Halus Satriawan, Irfannur Irfannur, Zikri Maulina Gaznur, Eka Rahmı, Ajmir Akmal · VARIASI Majalah Ilmiah Universitas Almuslim · Indonesia
A community service activity was conducted on September 1, 2019, in BTN Kupula Indah, Kota Juang, Bireuen Regency, Aceh Province, Indonesia. The activity involved demonstrations, practical training, and counseling on tabulampot (potted fruit plants) cultivation techniques for urban perennial plants. The findings indicated that this training successfully enhanced the community's skills in tabulampot planting and increased their knowledge for utilizing yard space and developing tabulampot entrepreneurship.
DIYFood educationCommunityThe former urban school gardens
2019Joanna Dudek-Klimiuk · Technical Transactions · Poland
This study examined the "central school gardens" established in interwar Poland for students of all schools in a given city. These gardens were primarily demonstration gardens, modeled after university botanic gardens, and were characterized by their relatively large scale, public access, and park-like nature. Their layout, architectural details, and plant selection reflected not only their didactic function but also contemporary fashion and design standards for gardens and parks.
Food educationCommunityUsing decomposition of household items as an indicator of soil health and educational tool in Kamuli District, Uganda
2019Theresa Brehm · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · Uganda
This study, conducted at Naluwoli Primary School garden in Kamuli district, Uganda, tested the decomposition of household items as an inexpensive indicator of soil health. Cotton underwear, green and rooibos teas, and birch wood sticks were buried for 4, 7, 14, and 21 days in hand-tilled and untilled soils. Untilled soils decomposed cotton by 0.68% less and birch wood sticks by 0.86% more per day than hand-tilled soils, while tea data was inconclusive due to outside biological factors.
Food educationOrganic cycleCommunityGrowing democratic citizenship competencies: Fostering social studies understandings through inquiry learning in the preschool garden
2019Erin M. Casey, Cynthia F. DiCarlo, Kerry Sheldon · The Journal of Social Studies Research · United States
This exploratory study investigated whether 11 three- and four-year-old children in the United States could engage in social studies practices through inquiry learning in a school garden over nine months. Data from child interviews, teacher observations, and lesson plans were analyzed to correlate garden inquiries with NCSS preK-12 learning themes. Three prevalent themes emerged: Civic Ideals and Practices, People, Places, and Environments, and Time, Continuity, and Change, suggesting that school garden inquiry learning can foster democratic competencies.
Food educationCommunityWhat’s on the menu? Succulent sustainability goes to school
2019M. A. McKenna, Jessica Wall, Suchitra Roy · · Canada
This chapter summarizes the status of plant-based food initiatives in Canadian schools. While considerable progress has been made in establishing school gardens, youth leadership programs, and food sustainability education, researchers note that more work is needed to reach all students, offer programs addressing all aspects of food literacy, and achieve system change.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityHealthHORTA COMUNITÁRIA NA VILA VISTA ALEGRE
2019Altemailson Silva, Lucielison Cadete, Eduardo Silva, Thiago Vinícius Costa Nascimento · Fórum de Integração Ensino, Pesquisa, Extensão e Inovação Tecnológica do IFRR - e-ISSN 2447-1208 · Brazil
A community garden project was implemented in Vila Vista Alegre, Brazil, aiming to improve food quality and promote social well-being, while also providing residents with new knowledge and techniques in vegetable cultivation. Guided by a student scholar and fostering experience exchange among participants, the project faced setbacks due to heavy winter rains but adapted its methodology. Group activities contributed to good social interaction and improved cultivation techniques. The harvested vegetables were distributed to 30 families, totaling 104 people, meeting their needs.
CommunityFood educationWelfareCaracterización etnobotánica de plantas alimenticias y medicinales en huertas urbanas de Bogotá
2019Pulido Guerrero, Ana María · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project characterized ethnobotanical aspects of food and medicinal plants in urban gardens in Bogotá, Colombia, by visiting ten family gardens and ten community gardens across five locations. It found that 80% of the gardens had more food plants than medicinal plants, and 80% of registered plants were introduced species. Community gardens showed greater species richness and social purposes, while family gardens focused on self-consumption and social cohesion. No correlations were found between species richness and socioeconomic variables due to urban heterogeneity.
CommunityFood educationHealthBiodiversityBuilding Capacity in UBC Campus Community Gardens
2019Amy Z. Zeng, Emily Peer-Groves, Janela Sanqui, Linda Ling · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report analyzes collaboration among UBC campus community gardens, noting fragmented communication, high volunteer turnover, and gaps in information and equipment sharing. Using Community-Based Action Research, including surveys and interviews, the study found that a designed harvest tool was poorly received and required revisions. Gardeners appreciated opportunities for communication and collaboration.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityThe Relationship Between Dietary Intake and Parental Support with Child Cooking Involvement in a Youth Population (FS16-03-19)
2019Fiona M. Asigbee, Annie K. Markowitz, Matthew J. Landry, Sarvenaz Vandyousefi, Reem Ghaddar, Nalini Ranjit, Judith L. Warren, Jaimie N. Davis, Alexandra van den Berg · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States (Texas)
This study analyzed baseline data from 1325 3rd-grade students and their parents in 28 low-income Texas schools to assess the relationship between child cooking involvement (CCI), parental support, vegetable preference (VP), and fruit/vegetable intake. Children who never cooked with their families preferred fewer vegetables (7.0 vs. 8.7/9.4), consumed less vegetables (1.9 vs. 2.6/3.5 servings/day), and ate less fruit (1.2 vs. 1.5/2.09 servings/day) compared to those who sometimes or always cooked. The findings suggest a positive association between cooking involvement and dietary intake.
Food educationHealthPlanting Seeds: Fostering Preschool Children’s Interactions with Nature and Enhancing Intergenerational Relationships in a Campus Community Garden
2019Judy Gleeson · Journal of Childhood Studies · Canada
The "Planting Seeds" intergenerational community gardening initiative in western Canada has involved children aged 3–6 years from a university campus childcare centre since 2015. This project has fostered intergenerational relationships, increased children's understanding of food origins, and enhanced their knowledge of planting, nurturing, growing, and consuming plants.
CommunityFood educationCultivating urban landscapes: horticulture
2019Simone Betti · U-PAD Unimc - Open Digital Publications (University of Macerata) · Global
Urban horticulture, traditionally a marginal activity for the elderly, is gaining popularity in post-modern society for educational, rehabilitation, or hobby purposes. This growing interest in urban gardening, manifesting in various forms globally and locally, addresses needs beyond food production, often promoting social inclusion and the restoration of urban green areas. Gardens serve as spaces for reconnecting with nature, stress relief, social interaction for the elderly, outdoor classrooms for children, and therapeutic support in healthcare facilities.
Food educationWelfareElderlyCommunityHealthPossibilities of urban agriculture
2019Anna Janis-Chorosińska · Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings · Global
This article presents and compares well-functioning urban agriculture models from Havana (Cuba), Todmorden (England), and Bergamo (Italy), noting their differences in climate, area size, origins, objectives, organization, and financing. The analysis identifies various potential and effective functions, including educational, integration, therapeutic, aesthetic, job creation, and food autonomy. The study suggests these models could be implemented in Małopolska, Poland, to address multiple crisis situations.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsWe Will Not Perish; We Will Flourish
2019Ashanté M. Reese · University of North Carolina Press eBooks · United States
This chapter examines self-reliance as a framework for contemporary efforts to increase food access, featuring a community garden at a public housing community in the United States. It focuses on the methods gardeners used to build community, maintain the garden to meet food needs, and develop youth programs. The chapter also explores how this garden operated within a broader context of precarity, specifically addressing how gardening persisted despite displacement.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareFood educationThe challenges of deploying urban agriculture
2019Mathilde Martin-Moreau, David Ménascé · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
The deployment of urban agriculture relies on initiatives from companies, startups, and non-profit organizations, alongside support from public authorities, especially local governments. Challenges include the need to raise consumer awareness of new production methods and to train urban farmers for quality supply chains. The abstract indicates that commitment from local stakeholders is crucial for scaling up urban agriculture projects.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood educationOficina de horta comunitária do projeto DIST Shopping Park como aliada na geração de renda, segurança alimentar e educação ambiental para a comunidade
2019Lais Abreu Tedde, Geovana Rodrigues de Lima, Giovana Velloso Galante · Revista Em Extensão · Brazil (Uberlândia)
In Uberlândia, Brazil, the "DIST – Shopping Park" project established a community garden workshop aimed at providing income and social reintegration opportunities for at-risk individuals. A key activity was the installation of a mandala garden at the Maria Euvira Sabbag Municipal School. Through the garden's establishment and subsequent production, educational activities were conducted to connect early childhood education students with organic food production, enhancing their knowledge of farming and garden management.
CommunityFood educationWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable Community Gardens Require Social Engagement and Training: A Users’ Needs Analysis in Europe
2019J. Ochoa, Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Kathrin Specht, J.A. Fernández, S. Bañón, Francesco Orsini, F. Magrefi, Giovanni Giorgio Bazzocchi, Severin Halder, Doerte Martens, Noémi Kappel, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Europe
A user needs analysis conducted in Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, and Cartagena, Europe, evaluated training requirements for participants in community gardens. The results revealed a need to reinforce training during the formation and community building phases of community gardens, particularly for top-down activities. Users expressed a need for training in crop management skills, such as maintenance and organic practices, and communication skills to disseminate their activities.
CommunityFood educationDIYEducación popular, educación ambiental y buen vivir en América Latina : una experiencia socioeducativa de empoderamiento comunitario
2019Byron Cevallos, Xavier Úcar · · Ecuador
This doctoral thesis proposal analyzes socio-educational approaches to the global social-ecological crisis and climate change. It systematizes the experience of the "Convento Eco-emprende" project in Convento, Manabi province, Ecuador, where participatory bioconstruction of an agro-ecological community center and a community garden began in 2017 through strengthening local organizational capabilities. These are understood as spaces for knowledge exchange aimed at collective empowerment and social transformation.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceTOURISM DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH URBAN FARMING AS A CONSTITUENT OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND EDUCATION
2019Ivan Obreshkov · Knowledge International Journal · Global
This study examined urban farming in Almere, Netherlands, as a means of tourism diversification and an integral part of modern culture and education. Based on interviews with local food producers and an entrepreneur, it highlighted efforts by local governments and academia to shorten the food chain and enhance urban farming's appeal. The urban farming initiative in Almere provides food for consumption and sale, alongside educational activities.
Food educationPolicyEconomicsInterpreting the Ursinus Food Forest: Visualizing, Designing, and Realizing Signage at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS)
2019Sarah Becker · Digital Commons - Ursinus (Ursinus College) · United States
This project developed an interpretive signage protocol for the Ursinus Food Forest at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS), a two-acre agricultural field. The protocol includes a conceptual framework for the food forest, an inventory of signage topics and their placement, and design parameters for textual and visual clarity. Finished signage models accompany the protocol to illustrate these goals.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationNOVO OLHAR DA PRODUÇÃO E DO CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS: UMA EXPERIÊNCIA DE HORTA URBANA NO LAR DOS IDOSOS E SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR (NEW LOOK AT FOOD PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION: AN URBAN HORTICULTURE EXPERIENCE AT THE MIDDLE EAST AND FOOD SAFETY)
2019Maria Lúcia da Silva Sodré, Ubirani Oliveira Santos, Altemar S. Dias · Revista GeoNordeste · Brazil
This study demonstrated the experience of vegetable production and consumption at an elderly home in Cruz das Almas, BA, Brazil. Field research, including semi-structured interviews, was conducted after the vegetable garden was built. The main results indicated that the produced food provided access to agrochemical-free consumption, ensuring food and nutritional security. It also portrayed the inmates' life histories, family memories, and recollections of past agricultural activities, leveraging their cultural background in the urban territory.
ElderlyFood educationHealthCommunityCommunity Gardening in a Society With High Malnutrition Prevalence Helps Reduce Malnutrition but Increases Obesity
2019Greg Zandrow, Samir Malkani, Kerri Gosselin · PEDIATRICS · Philippines
A community garden program in a rural Filipino village, involving families of 67 children, aimed to assess the impact of community gardens and education on plant care and proper diet on malnutrition and food security. The study found that while the program helped reduce malnutrition, it also led to an increase in obesity.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationThe school garden: possibilities for working with literacy students of the 5th year of a public school in the municipality of Parintins - Am.
2019Cristiane Socorro Okamura de Farias, Edinelza Macedo Ribeiro · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This study investigated the possibilities of working with literacy practices through a "School Garden Project" for 5th-year elementary students in a public school in Parintins, Am. A qualitative field study was conducted using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with the project monitor, one Portuguese language teacher, and four students from the observed class. The investigative path demonstrated that despite the challenges the institution still faces in developing possibilities for working with literacy in the "School Garden Project," this is an expectation that can become a reality if the school is willing to invest seriously in this proposal.
Food educationCommunityPenerapan Urban Farming “Vertikultur” untuk Menambah Pendapatan Rumah Tangga di Kelurahan Kalijaga Kecamatan Harjamukti Kota Cirebon
2019Wachdijono Wachdijono, Siti Wahyuni, Umi Trisnaningsih · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Unimus · Indonesia
This community service program aimed to provide knowledge and implement "verticulture" urban farming to increase household income in Kalijaga Village, Cirebon City, Indonesia. The method involved training, including counseling on the meaning and benefits of verticulture and practical vegetable cultivation on multi-tiered growing media. The target audience was PKK women cadres and activists. The program resulted in increased knowledge of verticulture and its practice, leading to implicit household income by saving on vegetable purchases, thus allowing funds for other beneficial needs.
DIYEconomicsFood educationCommunity