Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Secondary Non-Traditional, Urban Agriculture Students of Color and Their Motivation to Stay in Agriculture: A Study of Retention
2023Callan Hand, D. Barry Croom, James C. Anderson, Ashley M. Yopp, Aaron Golson · Career and Technical Education Research · United States
This phenomenological study investigated the motivations of non-traditional urban agriculture students of color to remain in agriculture. Findings suggest that while systematic instruction in agricultural sciences and positive local youth organization experiences contribute to a favorable perception of agriculture, they do not necessarily lead to a career preference for agriculture among these students. Furthermore, urban students of color perceived that the FFA Organization above the school level is not inclusive of them.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityHealthAquaponics and Urban Farming Solutions in the US: A Comprehensive Review - Assessing the Viability, Benefits, and Challenges of Integrating Fish and Plant Farming in Urban Settings
2023Olasumbo Olagoke-Komolafe, Joshua Oyeboade · International Journal of Multidisciplinary Futuristic Development · United States
This study comprehensively reviewed the viability, benefits, and challenges of urban aquaponics systems in the United States. Through a systematic literature review and content analysis, significant environmental benefits were identified, while economically, long-term benefits potentially outweigh initial setup costs. Challenges such as technical complexities, financial barriers, and the need for specialized knowledge are also notable.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsCommunityFood educationAcción comunitaria y agricultura urbana en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
2023Gustavo Córdova Bojórquez · Estudios Sociales Revista de Alimentación Contemporánea y Desarrollo Regional · Mexico (Ciudad Juárez)
This study evaluated community action in an urban agriculture intervention project in the Campestre-Virreyes neighborhood of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. A qualitative evaluation using participant observation and semi-structured interviews was employed. While concrete community action was identified, participants' specific capacities in urban agriculture were found to be insufficient to meet their food needs or improve their economy.
CommunityFood educationStingless bee keeping: Biocultural conservation and agroecological education
2023Elda Míriam Aldasoro Maya, Ulises Rodríguez‐Robles, María Luisa Martínez Gutiérrez, Guelmy Anilú Chan Mutul, Teresita Avilez López, Helda Morales, Bruce G. Ferguson, Jorge Mérida‐Rivas · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Tabasco)
Meliponiculture, or stingless bee breeding, in Mesoamerica serves as an effective tool for agroecological education, scaling, and pollinator conservation. In Tabasco, Mexico, activities included documenting contemporary knowledges, community agroecological workshops, guided visits to an institutional meliponary, and promoting school gardens, utilizing "knowledge dialogues" as a methodological approach. The study identified characteristics of stingless bees and their cultivation, such as their ecological and cultural importance, role as pollinators, association with community values, and productive potential, making them excellent mediators for biocultural conservation and agroecological education.
Food educationBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunitySociotechnical Adequacy and Solidarity Economy
2023Ricardo Toledo Neder, Lívia Cristina Barros da Silva Wiesinieksi, Emilene Eustachio, Iasmin de Sousa Jaime, Simone Parrela Tostes, Rafael Oliveira dos Reis · LaSUS FAU eBooks · Brazil
This book presents the fundamentals and basis of a multi-professional course in Science, Technology, and Society (CTS) residency, offered in Brazil in 2021. The course features a pedagogical practice integrating research, teaching, and extension, addressing themes of Habitat, Agroecology, Health, and Associated Work. It involved 15 master's and doctoral students and over 50 individuals from social movements, professionals, and government technicians, discussing topics such as solidarity technology, sociotechnical adequacy, and solidarity economy.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageFood educationUsing TAPE to assess agroecology on women-led farms in the U.S.: Support for environmental and social practices
2023Lianna Gomori-Ruben, Chantal D. Reid · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study examined women farming in the United States to analyze if their practices align with agroecology, using the FAO’s 10 Elements of Agroecology and the TAPE tool. A mixed-methods case study design collected web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. Participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities, aligning with FAO elements. Farm size and region were significant in the prevalence of agroecological practices; farms of 50–100 acres were most likely to integrate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricultural practices.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareFood educationMulticulturalism and Sustainability Education
2023Dilafruz R. Williams · · United States (Portland)
This chapter describes how courses at Portland State University have integrated sustainability themes to engage students with marginalized communities affected by ecological injustices. The 10-acre Learning Gardens Laboratory provides hands-on experiences in food cultivation, nutrition, and composting, fostering garden-based education as a means to address ecological and human oppression.
Food educationCommunityWelfareDeveloping and Implementing In-Person and Virtual SoilSHOPs in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Community-Engaged Approach to Screen and Prevent Soil Lead Exposure
2023Eri Saikawa, Erin Lebow-Skelley, Rosario Hernandez, Faith Flack-Walker, Leann Bing, Candis M. Hunter · Journal of Public Health Management and Practice · United States (Atlanta)
In Atlanta, Georgia, in-person and virtual Soil Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnerships (soilSHOPs) were implemented through a community-engaged partnership to screen soils for lead. These soilSHOPs informed best practices for increasing awareness about lead exposure and led the US Environmental Protection Agency to identify a Superfund site, confirming soil lead contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFood educationHORTA COMUNITÁRIA COMO ATIVIDADE DE EDUCAÇÃO EM SAÚDE NAS UBS DO MUNICÍPIO DE TERESÓPOLIS
2023Márcia Emília Moreira De Luca, Carlos Alfredo Franco Cardoso, Gabriel Schwambach Del Piero, Vinícius Feitoza Xavier · Revista da Jopic. · Brazil (Teresópolis)
This study implemented community medicinal gardens in two Basic Health Units and a nursing home in Teresópolis, Brazil, to promote health education and raise awareness about the risks of improper medicinal plant use. Five plants with therapeutic benefits were chosen, and seedlings were offered to patients alongside discussion groups. This initiative aimed to provide information on basic health, facilitate access to plants, reduce medication costs, and indirectly increase family income.
CommunityHealthFood educationElderlyUrban Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Designed to Promote Immunonutrition: A Pilot Study
2023Patricia Mehner-Karam, C. Gutiérrez, Juan M. Casillas Pintor, Miranda Ori-Orlansino, D A Perez-DeLaMora, Mariana Ruiz-Morales, E. G. Hernández-Martínez · Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study achieved the design and implementation of a raised bed urban garden to be tested in western neighborhoods of Mexico City. The project comprised four stages: design and development of the prototype garden, selection of a vegetable palette to promote immunonutrition, production of educational materials for planting and care, and validation. Urban gardens offering diverse plant species easy to grow in urban microclimates promote a sustainable culture by leveraging new technologies and virtual education, which help ensure their use and permanence.
HealthFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrbanidade e agricultura urbana: estudo de caso sobre uma horta comunitária
2023Bezamat de Souza Neto, Anderson Luiz Duarte · OBSERVATÓRIO DE LA ECONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA · Brazil (São João del-Rei)
This article aims to examine the intervention potential of urban agriculture in the physical and symbolic construction of city space. It is based on the premise that urban community gardens constitute an educommunicative ecosystem that, through collective cooperation, promotes transformations in urban space. To this end, theoretical discussions on urbanity, especially in a postmodern context, and urban agriculture are compared with the specificities of the Vida Verde community garden, located in the Senhor dos Montes neighborhood on the periphery of São João del-Rei (MG).
CommunityFood educationPolicyVIVEIRO AÇAILÂNDIA: CATÁLOGO DE INFORMAÇÕES SOBRE AS PLANTAS DO VIVEIRO DE AÇAILÂNDIA
2023Anthony Silva Ferraz, Raick Silva Sousa, Maria Cristina da Silva de Carvalho, Valter dos Santos Mendonça Neto, Carlos Costa Cardoso · Revista Eletrônica Multidisciplinar de Investigação Científica · Brazil
This study presents the development of a mobile application providing information on seedlings cultivated and made available by the Municipal Nursery of Açailândia, Maranhão, Brazil. The software was built using the Kodular tool, and seedling information was extracted from a survey conducted at the nursery and complemented with data from specialized websites. Evaluations were conducted with 52 people aged 12 to 27 who installed and tested the application, with results showing good public acceptance regarding the software's utility and applications.
DIYDigital agricultureFood educationWell Pump Enclosure Upgrade & Custom Gate for City Farm SLO
2023Joey Martin · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
At City Farm SLO in California, a project was undertaken to upgrade a well pump enclosure and install a custom gate due to a lack of security for their well pump system. The project involved enlarging the enclosure, replacing posts, installing new fencing, and fabricating a custom steel gate with a padlock-compatible latch. Construction was completed in three workdays, providing the farm with a lockable enclosure to prevent trespassing, and the client was satisfied.
CommunityFood educationRooftop Garden Ecosystem
2023Andrew Jones, Joel Hockin, Max Longhurst · The Science Teacher · United States
This abstract does not describe specific research content or findings regarding rooftop garden ecosystems. Instead, it only provides information about the affiliations and roles of the authors: Andrew Jones, Joel Hockin, and Max Longhurst.
Food educationDIYThe effects of school gardens on fruit and vegetable consumption at school: A randomized controlled trial with low-income elementary schools in four U.S. states
2022Wells N., Myers B., Henderson C. · Preventive Medicine Reports (Elsevier) · United States
A two-year randomized controlled trial assigning 46 low-income elementary schools in Arkansas, Iowa, New York and Washington to school gardens with curriculum or a waitlist control. Children in the intervention increased fruit and low-fat vegetable consumption more than controls, supporting the effectiveness of school garden programs.
Food educationHealthPolicyHands-on childcare garden intervention: A randomized controlled trial to assess effects on fruit and vegetable identification, liking, and consumption among children aged 3–5 years in North Carolina
2022Cosco N.G., Wells N.M., Zhang D., Goodell L.S., Monsur M., Xu T., Moore R.C. · Frontiers in Psychology, 13:993637 · United States (North Carolina)
An RCT of the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) garden intervention in 15 Wake County childcare centers serving ages 3–5. Using a waitlist-control design, it tests effects on fruit and vegetable identification, liking and snack-time consumption, demonstrating collaborative garden-based outdoor learning in early childhood settings.
Food educationHealthCommunityGreening the Virtual Smart City: Accelerating Peer-to-Peer Learning in Urban Agriculture With Virtual Reality Environments
2022Tapan S. Parikh, Sara Perl Egendorf, Isaiah Murray, Ali Jamali, Bryan Yee, Sammi Lin, Kendra Cooper-Smith, Brendan Parker, Koron Smiley, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · United States
This study described the development of virtual reality (VR) platforms to support farmer knowledge transfer and innovation in urban agriculture in the U.S. The platform features a VR model of an organic farm in New York City, detailing farm operations and offering opportunities to integrate educational materials and personal narratives. VR has the potential to accelerate innovations in food justice by transcending the physical constraints of traditional agricultural extension.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceDo Students Gain Scientific Inquiry Knowledge and Practices by Participating in a School Garden Inquiry Unit?
2022Carmen Carrión · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States
This dissertation explored school gardens as an out-of-classroom setting for students to learn and develop their understanding of scientific inquiry and practices. The study found that school gardens can foster learners' abilities to construct real-life associations with science content through engagement, free exploration, and scientific investigation. This research also created curriculum and assessment tools for use in conjunction with school garden settings.
Food educationCommunityEnablers and Barriers of Community Garden Use in New Orleans, Louisiana: An Environmental Assessment and Qualitative Analysis
2022Julie Cornfield, Harmonii Odinga, Jaleh Kermani, Katherine P. Theall, M. Pia Chaparro · American Journal of Health Promotion · United States (New Orleans)
An environmental assessment of 10 community gardens and interviews with 20 community members and administrators in New Orleans, Louisiana, explored factors affecting garden use. Gardens scored high in design and cleanliness but low in accessibility and information availability. While community members perceived gardens could increase fresh food access, administrators believed gardens could not produce enough food for community-wide impact, emphasizing social benefits instead.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationWelfareThe Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children
2022Mona Khalil, Carolyn Bolton‐Moore · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States
This study investigated whether a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) program increased skin carotenoid scores, a measure of vegetable consumption, in 30 diverse, low-income children aged 6–13 at two Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston in fall 2021. While individual skin carotenoid scores increased in 43% of participants and group averages showed an upward trend, these changes were not statistically significant. Height and weight increased significantly, and 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested.
Food educationHealthWelfareGrowing Opportunities for Equitable, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Food Systems Education: A Review of Food Systems Education at Land-Grant Institutions and Development of Open-Access Materials
2022Emily H. Belarmino, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah C. Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared T. McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
In response to critiques regarding the narrowness of food systems education at US land-grant institutions, this study developed four evidence-informed, interdisciplinary, equity-oriented, open-access teaching modules. These modules were created based on a multi-site, multi-year investigation of subsidized community supported agriculture and a survey of 66 instructors at land-grant institutions about instructional material needs. Instructors reported case studies, lesson plans with active learning, and reference lists of peer-reviewed publications as most helpful.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiWelfareCommunityA garden's place in critical food systems education
2022K. Michelle Glowa · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (California)
This paper reflects on the engagement between Mexican and Salvadorian farmers at the Beach Flats Garden in Santa Cruz, California, and local educational institutions. It discusses the garden's role in critical food system education, highlighting its function as a space of resistance to gentrification in a competitive land market. The garden provides examples of noncapitalist exchanges and decolonial foodways, emphasizing traditional agroecological knowledge.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomics"What we raise ourselves": Growing food sovereignty in the Mississippi Delta
2022Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Ryan Betz · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
This study used the concept of food sovereignty to assess the level of local control over food production, distribution, and consumption in the Mississippi Delta. Research involved site visits, participant observation, focus groups, and surveys of communities affiliated with the Delta EATS public school garden program. Findings demonstrated low levels of food sovereignty, though high levels of agency and ingenuity in accessing desired foods were observed.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood educationPolicyA Horta Escolar como Agente de Transformação Social e de Educação Ambiental
2022Regina Lucia Santana, Roberto Andreani, João Adalberto Campato, Denise Regina da Costa Aguiar · Revista FSA · Brazil (São Paulo)
This descriptive and transversal field study, conducted at Professora Maria Expedita Silva State School in Mauá, São Paulo, aimed to implement sustainable and community actions using a school garden. The project sought to unite the school and local community in consuming and preserving the garden, fostering environmental responsibility and promoting natural diets. Results showed adolescent engagement in the educational project's sustainable actions, leading to more collaborative attitudes towards their natural environment.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleHealthConstruction of a Visitor Deck at City Farm SLO
2022Jones, Brett Bryan · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
This paper details the construction of an observation deck at City Farm SLO, a non-profit organization in California that supplies food banks and offers educational gardens. The deck, located at the highest point of the property, was built as a senior project by three Cal Poly CM students, each with distinct roles in design and construction. The project involved overcoming challenges posed by the hilltop location, from conceptualization through to construction.
CommunityFood education