Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1540 results(5 / 62)
The Effect of a Hospital Community Garden on Healthcare Workers’ Professional Quality of Life
2025Cline, Madelyn Renee · UKnowledge (University of Kentucky) · United States
A study evaluated the effect of a dedicated outdoor green space (hospital community garden) for nurses during shift breaks on their Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL). Using a one-group pretest-posttest design, all aspects of participants’ ProQOL improved from baseline to the final survey, though not statistically significant. Baseline scores for Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Satisfaction were moderate, and while an overall positive change was observed, statistical significance was not achieved.
HealthCommunityTrabajar la tierra, el ‘cultivo’ de sí y del ambiente
2025Iriana Sartor, Giovanna Paccillo · Ciencias Sociales y Religión · Brazil, Argentina
This paper analyzes the everyday practices and attributed meanings of participants in community gardens in Brazil and Argentina. Based on 34 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021 and 2022, it explores human-nature and human-society relationships, and the role of food sovereignty and agroecology. The study argues that these practices contribute to a shared ethic, reconfiguring relational modes grounded in respect, care, and self-recognition as part of nature.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityCompreendendo a atuação da sociedade civil e seus efeitos na governança pública municipal
2025Fabiana Witt, Carolina Andion, André Augusto Manoel · Revista Brasileira de Políticas Públicas e Internacionais - RPPI · Brazil (Florianópolis)
This study investigated the impact of civil society on municipal public governance in Florianópolis, Brazil, focusing on the fields of children's and adolescents' rights and urban agriculture promotion. From 2020 to 2022, cartography and ethnographic methods were used for these two public arenas. The results revealed that civil society in Florianópolis is diverse, dynamic, and characterized by multiple interactions that change over time, revealing new governance dynamics. Public governance was shown to have a processual dimension, forged in socio-state relations that change over time, potentially driving or hindering the promotion of social innovation.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDesign and methods of a community supported agriculture program with native Americans: the go healthy study
2025Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan, Tori Taniguchi, Kaylee R Clyma, Kristina Gabriel, Jessica Reese, Ying Zhang, Susan B. Sisson, Tara L. Maudrie, Jann Hayman · AJE Advances Research in Epidemiology · United States
The Go Healthy Study is a community-based participatory research study designing a 16-week randomized, wait-list controlled trial for approximately 400 Native American adults in the Osage Nation with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The intervention includes weekly produce boxes, a healthy eating and traditional foods curriculum, cooking demonstration videos, and a kitchen starter kit. Primary outcomes are to improve systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and to increase fruit and vegetable intake.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityHealthFood educationARRANJOS SOCIOPRODUTIVOS E CAMPESINIDADE: UMA ANÁLISE DA SUSTENTABILIDADE ECONÔMICA NA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA POVO UNIDO EM JUAZEIRO/BA
2025Rita Regina Marques Costa, Denes Dantas Vieira, Vivianni Marques Leite dos Santos, Deise Cristiane do Nascimento · Derecho y cambio social. · Brazil (Juazeiro/BA)
This article analyzed the experience of the Povo Unido Community Garden in Juazeiro/BA, Brazil, as a community-based socio-productive arrangement, to understand its implications for the economic sustainability of family farmers. Using an exploratory and quantitative approach with the Lume Method, the study analyzed four representative family units. Results showed significant differences in management styles, with some families more dependent on external inputs and others demonstrating greater autonomy, especially when linking productive and reproductive work.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceGeotecnologias e Diagnóstico do Potencial da Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana no Âmbito Municipal de Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brasil
2025Letícia Rodrigues Faria, David Luciano Rosalen, Ana Cardoso, Laura de Oliveira · Confins · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigated urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) practices in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, a city with a predominantly agricultural economy. Using geotechnologies and QGIS software, the research mapped existing and potential UPA areas. Results indicated that vacant lots and public areas are promising spaces for urban agricultural development, which could improve quality of life and waste management.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyExperiência com a alteridade como educação étnico-racial e ambiental: multiplicar naturezas na escola
2025Natália Abdul Khalek Mendonça · Revista Brasileira de Educação Ambiental (RevBEA) · South America
This article explores the potential of a school garden where students engaged with the indigenous concept of Tekoha, focusing on ethnic-racial and environmental education. It analyzes how experiences with alterity, activated by an encounter with Guarani-Kaiowa culture, contribute to initiating "ecological paths" and fostering an understanding of Earth as a participant, not merely a scenario for human actions. Pedagogical practices aimed to challenge stereotypes about indigenous people and cultivate skills in care and diversity.
Food educationCommunityDesigning and Building a Tomato Storage Shed for SLO City Farm
2025Thielmann, Mark D, Walther, Ryan T · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
This paper details the design, budgeting, and construction of a practical, affordable, and long-lasting tomato storage shed built by a student team for City Farm SLO during Spring 2025. The project involved multiple design iterations, material sourcing, and modifications to balance functionality and simplicity within a tight budget. The completed shed provided hands-on experience in project-based construction and community engagement.
DIYCommunityEconomics"¿Puedo dibujarme en el mapa?" : Los niños, el huerto y las geografías con la vida
2025Paim, Vitória Angela, Theves, Denise Wildner · Lume (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) · Brazil
This study presents a proposal where elementary school children in Canoas, Brazil, were invited to create a collective experiential map of a community garden space after visiting it. Through an ethnographic study, the activity mobilized children's experiences and authorship, confirming that children's spatiality transcends the classroom and gives multiple meanings to geographical knowledge. The collective map construction demonstrates that children translate their spatial experiences into the constitution of their geographical plenitude.
CommunityFood educationPromoting Urban Community Gardens as “Third Places”: Lessons from Toronto and São Paulo
2025Ashley Brito Valentim, Guiomar Freitas Guimarães, Carla Soraya Costa Maia, Fatih Şekercioğlu · Regional science and environmental economics · Canada (Toronto); Brazil (São Paulo)
This study analyzed and compared the impact of Urban Community Gardens (UCGs) as "third places" in Toronto and São Paulo. It is a review-based study utilizing publicly available data from policy documents, academic literature, and official websites. UCGs were shown to contribute not only to food production but also to social cohesion, financial resilience, environmental sustainability, cultural transmission, and mental well-being.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyWelfareRELACIONES DE PODER Y GÉNERO EN PROYECTOS DE AGRICULTURA URBANA EN LIMA SUR: UN ANÁLISIS CRÍTICO DE LA PARTICIPACIÓN COMUNITARIA
2025Luis Enrique Serrano Ayasta, Josiane Stoessel-Ritz · Anales Científicos · Peru (Lima)
A doctoral research study in three low-income neighborhoods in South Lima, Peru, analyzed power relations within urban agriculture projects. The findings indicate that these projects, despite aiming for empowerment, often mask asymmetric power relations and reinforce preexisting inequalities, particularly for women gardeners. This perpetuates gender hierarchies and limits their participation and agency, reflecting paternalism from promoting organizations and community leaders.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicy“The farm in the city”: A community garden and engagement in a vulnerable neighborhood
2025Ana Luiza Snoeck Neiva do Amaral, Regina Yoshie Matsue, Luciana Yuki Tomita · Ambiente & sociedade · Brazil (São Paulo)
This 2025 case study analyzed a community garden in Heliópolis, São Paulo, Brazil, established via crowdfunding. The garden improved nutrition, contributed to household budgets, and expanded vegetable variety for participants. It also served as a space for socialization, memory reclamation, activities for older adults, and connecting children with food cultivation.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationUrban Agriculture Technical Advisory
2025Ivanjack, Katherine Rose, Preciado, Kylie J · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
This senior capstone project aims to explore the potential of urban agriculture to address critical challenges in sustainability, food security, and community development within California cities. The project highlights practical and innovative approaches to urban farming that can be adopted or adapted to suit the unique needs of urban areas across the state.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeThe islands and the city: peri-urban agriculture, food production, and sustainability in the chinampas of Xochimilco (Mexico City)
2025F. Xavier Medina, José Antonio Vázquez–Medina, Marco Covarrubias · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Mexico (Mexico City)
This chapter discusses the factors linking food production, social and environmental problems, and future challenges in the chinampas of Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage wetland area in Mexico City's peri-urban zone. It examines strategies implemented by stakeholders and their effects to envision future scenarios for sustainable food systems. The insularity of the chinampas imposes a particular character on agri-food production and the life of inhabitants, highlighting existing social and environmental problems.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityA produção de alimentos na agricultura urbana em tempos de insegurança alimentar: uma experiência com hortas no município de Palmas, Tocantins- Brasil
2025Francisco Pereira de Sousa, Clareana Maria Guimarães Franco, Cássio Bruno Sá de Souza, Débora de Paula Brito Fogaça, Marcos Paulo Parente Araújo, Maíra Santiago Pires Parente, Henrique D. Silva, Dirlley Douglas Alves de Oliveira · Caderno Pedagógico · Brazil
A qualitative and quantitative study in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, aimed to understand the interfaces of the Palmas City Hall's community garden project. Based on ethnographic research, action research, and field study, the results showed that this local practice enhances community participation in urban garden planting in northern Palmas. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and is a viable tool for minimizing food insecurity and hunger reduction. However, the project requires structural adjustments, promotion of public and private partnerships, and support from universities and civil society for healthy sustainability.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyDeliberative methods for cultural ecosystem services
2025Luna Khirfan · · Canada (Waterloo)
This chapter introduces three deliberative methods for cultural ecosystem services, based on empirical experimentation. One method, a conventional charrette, sought to understand and overcome barriers to community gardening at four community gardens in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The study identified barriers to community gardening.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsPlant facilitation in rooftop agriculture: disentangling plant interactions for sustainable crop production on extensive green roofs
2025Adriano N. Roberto, Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Marney E. Isaac · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Canada (Toronto)
This study investigated plant facilitation in rooftop agriculture in Toronto, Canada, testing whether live Sedum could improve bush bean performance on 48 extensive green roof (EGR) modules under high and low watering regimes. Water availability had a greater influence on bean performance than planting design, with beans grown with artificial Sedum under high watering showing the highest yield, while performance declined significantly under low water, particularly with live Sedum. Contrary to hypotheses, live Sedum did not consistently facilitate bean performance, suggesting potential competitive interactions may have outweighed any stress-ameliorating effects. These findings indicate water management is the main management variable for crops on EGRs.
DIYCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeDIÁLOGOS DO SABER: A CO-CONSTRUÇÃO DE CONHECIMENTO ENTRE UNIVERSIDADE E AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR NA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA POVO UNIDO, JUAZEIRO/BA
2025Rita Regina Marques Costa, Denes Dantas Vieira, Vivianni Marques Leite dos Santos, Deise Cristiane do Nascimento · · Brazil (Juazeiro)
This qualitative and quantitative field study analyzed the interaction between university extension and community-based family agriculture at the Povo Unido Community Garden in Juazeiro, Brazil. Conducted between March and May 2025, the research involved semi-structured questionnaires and dialogues with 47 farming families to understand their perceptions of knowledge exchange and interaction with educational institutions. Results showed consensus on the importance of university extension, but farmers pointed out challenges such as limited time for discussion and effective inclusion of participants with lower educational attainment.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood educationPolicyWelfareQuilombo da Gamboa: a luta por moradia na cidade do Rio de Janeiro
2025Bernardo Riley, Mariana Trotta Dallalana Quintans · InSURgência revista de direitos e movimentos sociais · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
The Quilombo da Gamboa Popular Housing Project in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, originated from social movements' struggle for popular housing. The project secured six Union properties for over 100 families under the My Home My Life Entities Program. Currently, 17 families live in temporary houses while the main project advances. The Quilombo da Gamboa also operates a solidarity kitchen and a community garden, and conducts political and cultural activities supporting surrounding occupations.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareBusca por interlocuções entre Educação Ambiental e Agricultura Urbana
2025Paolo Martins, Rafael Nogueira Costa, Stephanie Di Chiara Salgado, Daniel Vieira Nunes, Celso Sánchez · Revista Sergipana de Educação Ambiental · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article presents a photographic narrative from research conducted with a network of farmers in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region, Brazil. It highlights photography as a methodological pillar for understanding and communicating educational processes linked to social and environmental struggles. The study suggests a need to rethink environmental education's foundations and expand dialogue with marginalized communities to address socio-environmental complexity.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana e os objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável em municípios da região metropolitana de Belém
2025Maria de Nazareth Oliveira Maciel, Herdjânia Veras de Lima, Daniel Pereira Pinheiro, Luann Yago Oliveira Maciel · Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales · Brazil (Belém)
This field research analyzed urban agriculture's contributions to 12 of 17 SDGs in Ananindeua, Belém, and Marituba, Pará, Brazil. A Likert scale questionnaire and participant observation were used with 120 agricultural producers. Multivariate Factor Analysis and Tukey's test (5%) showed Ananindeua had a higher factorial score, statistically differing from Belém but not Marituba. Producers in Ananindeua demonstrated a greater perception of sustainable cities, indicating urban agriculture's contributions to SDGs in all three municipalities, with Ananindeua showing greater effectiveness.
CommunityClimate changePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceThe Landscape of Maine’s Urban Environmental Programming
2025Gallagher, Daisy · · United States (Maine)
This project explores how community-based urban environmental programming instills loyalty, care, and reciprocity for the environment in participants. It focuses on place-based opportunities like urban agriculture and community gardening as a means for urban residents to connect with nature. The study aims to address the gap in environmental programming within urban environments, particularly in the continental United States.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageHow do urban agriculture initiatives communicate on farming across society? An exploration of awareness, responsibility, and pride messages on social media
2025İlkay Unay‐Gailhard, Robert J. Chaskin, Mark A. Brennan · Agriculture and Human Values · United States
This study explored how urban agriculture initiatives communicate about farming by analyzing social media messages related to awareness, responsibility, and pride. Based on 28 interviews with professionals and data from four Instagram accounts in Pennsylvania and Illinois, the research found that urban agriculture dialogues encourage discussions on healthy eating and critical assessment of industrial agriculture. Instagram messages frequently emphasize responsibility and pride, but rarely address the economic aspects of farming.
CommunityFood educationDigital agricultureCultivating a care-full urbanism: learning from land-based organizing in New Orleans
2025Maggie Hansen · Landscape Research · United States
This paper examines urban cultivation as a tool for sustained political engagement in New Orleans, focusing on four community-based initiatives active over the last ten years. Drawing on literature, mission statements, interviews, and site visits, it demonstrates the importance of engaging with local history, culture, and ecology in reshaping economic, social, and ecological systems through urban agriculture and stewardship.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsMODULAR SCHOOL GARDEN: A PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPING GARDENS IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS WITH POTENTIAL FOR REPLICATION IN OTHER SPACES
2025Sirlei Rodrigues do Nascimento, Oduvaldo Vendrametto, Luiz Lima, Luigi Pavarini de Lima · Seven Editora eBooks · Brazil (São Paulo)
This exploratory action-research study adopted a methodology to assess the feasibility of implementing modular school gardens in Ribeirão Pires, SP, Brazil, involving the active participation of students, teachers, and the local community. Feedback from thirteen participating students indicated an increase in knowledge about sustainable practices and cultivation techniques. The results suggest that modular gardens facilitate practical knowledge about food production and demonstrate potential for replication in other educational contexts, emphasizing the importance of integrating them as a pedagogical strategy.
Food educationCommunityPolicyHealth