Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2091 results(49 / 84)
Factors for Effectiveness of Social Innovations in Urban Agriculture
2018Dona Pickard · International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food · Bulgaria (Plovdiv)
This paper analyzes an urban agriculture case in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where the municipality cleared over 2 hectares of long-tolerated allotments without involving users, despite NGOs promoting urban agriculture as a social innovation. The case exemplifies barriers hindering social innovation, particularly regarding governance, as the eviction occurred without discussion about the future of urban agriculture. This suggests a lack of civic participation and access to resources for deprived groups.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHabitar, compartir, producir
2018Cisneros Bestene, María Alexandra · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Localidad Ciudad Bolivar, Barrio Las Namas, Bogotá, Colombia, a social interest housing project was developed after analyzing qualitative and quantitative housing deficits. This project aims to resettle families from high-risk zones and integrates activities that generate a neighborhood economy and enhance social cohesion. Additionally, a series of spaces encouraging and promoting urban agriculture is proposed as a method to train the population on nutrition-related issues.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfareFrom Cascade to Bottom-Up Ecosystem Services Model: How Does Social Cohesion Emerge from Urban Agriculture?
2018Anna Petit‐Boix, Defne Apul · Sustainability · Global
This study addresses the lack of a framework for the emergence of social cohesion in urban agriculture (UA) by modifying the cascade ecosystem services model. It transforms this into a bottom-up causal framework for UA, where biophysical and social structures lead to human activities fostering attitudes and feelings like trust. These aggregated attitudes generate social cohesion, supporting the development of causality pathways in social life cycle assessment and understanding UA's social impacts.
CommunityHealthPolicyCity-making through Urban Gardening: Public Space and Civic Engagement in Zagreb
2018Valentina Gulin Zrnić, Tihana Rubić · Narodna umjetnost : hrvatski časopis za etnologiju i folkloristiku · Croatia (Zagreb)
This paper examines four urban gardening communities in Zagreb, Croatia, focusing on their actors, structures, and garden aims. It discusses the practice of illegal "wild" gardens and the changing contexts of urban gardening, using ethnographic examples to illustrate diverse organizational methods, communality, and governance issues. The analysis highlights the heterogeneity and dynamics of these gardening communities and considers their potential in urban governance strategies.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCollaborative Consumption as a Tool for Agricultural Expansion in Developing Countries
2018Abubakar U. Benna · Advances in e-business research series · Global
This chapter reviews literature and case studies on collaborative consumption in agriculture to support small- and medium-scale farmers in developing countries. It notes limited research on collaborative consumption as a catalyst for agricultural development. The study provides observations to assist with strategies for increasing producer and customer satisfaction, value addition, and engagement.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageSustainable development: greening and urban agriculture in Lithuania
2018Evaldas Klimas, Mantas Lideika · Journal of Property Planning and Environmental Law · Lithuania
This paper discusses measures implemented under Lithuania's spatial planning law and various initiatives to determine if the country is following the international trend of greening cities. The study aims to identify Lithuania's adherence to this trend.
PolicyCommunityUrban food production in Harare, Zimbabwe
2018Percy Toriro · · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This chapter explores the governance of urban food production in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 1890 to the present. Evidence indicates that while the practice has gained general acceptance through shifting positions over the years, the status of producers remains uncertain. This uncertainty stems from the lack of full incorporation of urban food production into city plans by planning officials, whose values are out of sync with Harare's lived reality.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWayn-Gurr Derrk
2018Sharnie Bilston · · Australia
Federation University Australia announced the launch of the Wayn-Gurr Derrk (Wadawurrung language 'Good Ground') Bush Tucker Community Gardens.
CommunityFood educationPlanning the cultural and social reactivation of urban open spaces in Greek metropoles of crisis
2018Eleni Oureilidou · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Greece (Thessaloniki)
This research examines the role of "social policy" and "social capital" in urban regenerations, and the forms of "bottom-up initiatives," as they express a democratic perception of urban cultural landscapes and can inspire collective, sustainable, and productive aspects of urban open spaces. A methodology for socially and culturally reactivating urban landscapes is described, along with two case studies from Thessaloniki, Greece: one concerning the application of the proposed methodology in the city's West Wall, and another referring to a realized community garden in the city center.
CommunityPolicyThe Biofaçade as a Vertical Edible Landscape in High-Rise Buildings: A Review
2018Rani Prihatmanti, Nooriati Taib · Arab world geographer · Global
This paper reviews the potential of biofaçades as Vertical Greenery Systems for urban food security, optimizing them as 'Vertical Edible Landscapes' on high-rise buildings. The review identifies key factors for growing edible plants on high-rises, including plant type, climatic conditions, maintenance, and pest control. Findings suggest edible biofaçades could increase vegetable consumption, lower transport emissions, minimize pesticide use, and reduce local produce expenditures.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthCommunityChildren's interest in school garden projects, environmental motivation and intention to act: A case study from a primary school of Cyprus
2018Anthi Christodoulou, Konstantinos Korfiatis · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Cyprus
This study investigated the interest of 17 elementary school children, aged 11–12, from an urban primary school in Cyprus, in school garden project activities, the reasons for their interest, and its correlation with environmental motivation and intention for environmental action. Using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical framework, findings suggested a correlation between participants' interest in activities, their motivation, and their intention to act. The satisfaction of psychological needs was concluded to be an important prerequisite for environmental motivation.
Food educationCommunityArtes de la madre tierra, construyendo nuestro huerto vertical con los niños y las niñas de los cursos 401 (2017) y 503 (2018) del I.E.D. Julio Garavito Armero J.M.
2018María Angélica Flórez Trujillo, Catalina Andrea García Pinilla · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This report details an internship project conducted in 2017-2018 with 4th and 5th-grade students at I.E.D. Julio Garavito Armero J.M. in Bogotá, Colombia. The project, "Mother Earth Arts," aimed to foster environmental awareness and agricultural knowledge by addressing urban growth's environmental problems. Students created a vertical garden and learned about food security through planting organic aromatic and medicinal seeds.
Food educationDIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityNutrition
2018G. R. SCHMIDT · · Global
This chapter discusses the role of urban and community-supported agriculture (CSA) in developed countries, noting that these initiatives, while struggling, contribute to nutrition, personal agency, values, and green education. It also addresses the less immediate connections between wild regional resources, wild biodiversity, and their potential for agricultural innovation and nutrition.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood educationCommunityMāori women leading local sustainable food systems
2018Karyn Stein, Miranda Mirosa, Lynette Carter · AlterNative An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples · New Zealand
This 3-year study explored how Māori women in Aotearoa (New Zealand) define their own food system and the values of women managing community food initiatives. Using participatory and kaupapa Māori research methodologies, it involved four case studies of women managing community food initiatives across the North and South Islands. The article discusses how community gardens and farms counteract food poverty by promoting local food access and highlights the essential role Indigenous women play in addressing food security issues through solutions based on their knowledge and Māori cultural values.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareLa huerta escolar como estrategia pedagógica para fortalecer el aprendizaje
2018Yhonys Zambrano Quintero · Cultura Educación y Sociedad · Colombia (Bogotá)
This article is a qualitative descriptive study focusing on fifth-grade students at Oscar Pisciotti Numa IED in Colombia. It found that the school garden is a positive teaching-learning strategy, enabling students to work on different class topics and acquire better learning.
Food educationCommunityCommunity Gardening: Basic Psychological Needs as Mechanisms to Enhance Individual and Community Well-Being
2018Eleanor Quested, Cecilie Thøgersen‐Ntoumani, Hannah Uren, Sarah J. Hardcastle, Richard M. Ryan · Ecopsychology · Global
This study explored how community gardens enhance individual and community well-being, applying self-determination theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 experienced and 10 aspiring community gardeners. Findings suggest that the satisfaction of community-level needs, experienced through participation in community gardens, may precede the enhancement of individual and community well-being.
CommunityHealthUrban Gardening Treibhaus Luzern: Anbau Eines Gemüsegartens Im Jugendkulturhaus Treibhaus Luzern: Projektbericht
2018Romana Brunner · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Switzerland (Luzern)
This report documents an urban gardening project implemented at Jugendkulturhaus Treibhaus Luzern from October 2016 to November 2017. The project's main goal was to participatively involve youth and young adults in urban gardening, fostering their identification with and appropriation of the space. The report details the project's planning, execution, organization, and the difficulties and insights gained during its implementation.
CommunityFood educationDIYA sustainable food-system?
2018Annie Svensson · · Sweden
This research investigated the economic sustainability of 14 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Sweden through interviews. The study found that Swedish CSA farms had difficulties covering labor costs and suffered from inefficiency, indicating weak economic sustainability. The study did not identify specific approaches or business models that were more conducive to higher profitability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityBiochar Application for Sustainable Soil Quality
2018Subhadip Ghosh, Lai Fern Ow, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof · · Singapore
A short-term experiment in an urban park in northern Singapore investigated biochar's effects on urban horticulture. Biochar, alone or with compost, was mixed with loamy soil, and Dissotisrotundifolia was planted under various treatments. Soil analysis revealed significant improvements in soil nutrient status and organic matter content with organic amendments, especially those containing biochar, though plant physiological characteristics showed no significant differences. The study suggests biochar as a potential soil amendment for perennial ground cover in Singapore's tropical climate.
Organic cycleBiodiversityCommunityDefining alternative food networks: A systematic literature review.
2018Rosario Michel‐Villarreal, Martin Hingley, Ilenia Bregoli · Lincoln Repository (University of Lincoln) · Global
This systematic literature review aims to clarify the concept of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) by conducting a thematic analysis of academic definitions. The literature indicates a lack of clarity regarding AFNs, which are often defined by what they are not, rather than what they are. The study seeks to address this knowledge gap and contribute to theory and empirical development.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFunctionality Importance and Expectation Analysis for the Planning Direction Establishment of Community Gardens
2018Na Ra Jeong, Seung Won Han, Kwang Jin Kim, Jung Nam Suh, Ji Hye Yoon · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study surveyed 340 urban and non-metropolitan residents from October 7-10, 2016, to understand their perceptions and expectations of community gardens. The survey found that residents generally agree on the necessity of community gardens, particularly those with gardening experience, and expect them to provide comfort, aesthetic functions, and personal benefits like health promotion, as well as public benefits such as amenity and community vitalization. Residents also showed strong willingness to participate in planning, construction, and management.
CommunityHealthPolicyDiseño de una huerta escolar como estrategia pedagógica para fomentar la investigación
2018Petrona Rodríguez · Módulo Arquitectura CUC · Colombia
This study in Remolino-Magdalena, Colombia, aimed to design a school garden as a pedagogical strategy to encourage research among 35 elementary school students aged 8-10. Using observation and field journals, the project found that the vegetable gardens fostered ecological awareness, stimulated investigative capacities, and improved interpersonal relationships among the students.
Food educationCommunityBeyond Productivity: Considering the Health, Social Value and Happiness of Home and Community Food Gardens
2018Georgia Pollard, Philip Roetman, James Ward, Belinda Chiera, Evangeline Mantzioris · Urban Science · Australia (South Australia)
This research investigated the perceived health, social value, and happiness benefits of urban agriculture in home and community food gardens in South Australia. Through an online survey and in-field data collection, dominant home gardener motivations were produce, enjoyment, and health, while community gardener motivations were enjoyment, connection to others, and produce. An overall social connection was the key difference between the two, suggesting that engagement in gardening may provide a preventative or supportive role for gardener health and wellbeing.
HealthCommunityFood educationEating Our Way to Sustainability? Leisure, Food and Community Economic Development
2018Jennifer Sumner · Sustainability · Global
This article reviews and synthesizes literature on food, leisure, sustainability, and community economic development to answer whether we can eat our way to sustainability. It begins with John Loxley's approach to community economic development and links the concept of sustainability with McMurtry’s civil commons. The article examines examples of food-related leisure activities like community gardens, CSAs, gleaning, and community kitchens, concluding that sustainability can be achieved if we choose activities that also enable others to eat.
CommunityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiClimate changeHow to grow multifunctionality in food system planning
2018Ari Jokinen, Eveliina Asikainen, Krista Willman · Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University) · Global
This study explored three urban gardening cases related to brownfield regeneration, a city center strategy, and an established urban neighborhood to understand how spatial planning can foster self-organization in local food production. The findings indicate that urban gardening is multifunctional, relies on self-organization, and is valuable for creating local food systems. The study also discusses challenges and opportunities for integrating these findings into spatial planning.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justice