Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
185 results(5 / 8)
Effects of High-Tech Urban Agriculture on Cooking and Eating in Dutch Nursing Homes
2020Paulien C. H. van de Vlasakker, E.J. Veen · Sustainability · Netherlands (Velp)
This study investigated high-tech indoor gardening practices in four nursing homes in Velp, Netherlands, using qualitative and quantitative methods including site visits, employee surveys, and interviews with residents and decision-makers. It found that indoor gardens integrated gardening and harvest into cooking, transforming residents' eating practices and increasing their appreciation for fresh vegetables. Successful integration was linked to employees' gardening/cooking competences, enjoyment, and easy garden accessibility.
ElderlyHealthFood educationCommunityShoots and leaves: exploring the impacts and fragile sustainability of sustainable place-making projects working with marginalised people
2020Sam Ramsden · Voluntary Sector Review · United Kingdom
This article explored an externally funded charity-led project in a deprived area of the UK, implementing urban agriculture, community gardening, and household energy activities. The project successfully engaged marginalized people, who strongly voiced outcomes including reduced isolation, improved mental health, and increased resilience and self-reliance. Environmental outcomes were less tangible but included improvements to the local environment and reduced energy usage. However, after the funding finished, marginalized participants were vulnerable to outcomes not being sustained in the long term.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareHealthEconomicsA Complete Survey of Glycoalkaloids Using LC-FTICR-MS and IRMPD in a Commercial Variety and a Local Landrace of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and their Anticholinesterase and Antioxidant Activities
2019Lelario F., De Maria S., Rivelli A.R., Russo D., Milella L., Bufo S.A., Scrano L. · Toxins 11(4):230 · Italy
Identified 19 glycoalkaloids in fruits of commercial eggplant 'Mirabella' and local landrace 'Melanzana Bianca di Senise' via LC-FTICR-MS/IRMPD, assessing anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities. Documents bioactive phytochemistry of a traditional eggplant landrace.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthEffect and process evaluation of a real-world school garden program on vegetable consumption and its determinants in primary schoolchildren
2019· PLOS ONE · Netherlands
An effect and process evaluation of a nine-week school garden program (culminating in a harvest-and-cooking event) on primary schoolchildren's vegetable consumption; well received by teachers and pupils.
Food educationHealthOccurrence and human health implications of chemical contaminants in vegetables grown in peri-urban agriculture
2019Anna Margenat, Víctor Matamoros, Sergi Dı́ez, Núria Cañameras, Jordi Comas, Josep M. Bayona · Environment International · Spain (Barcelona)
A study assessed 16 trace elements and 33 organic microcontaminants in lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans from peri-urban farms near Barcelona, Spain, and a rural site. Concentrations ranged from non-detectable to 17.4 mg/kg for trace elements and non-detectable to 256 μg/kg for organic microcontaminants, with tomatoes showing the highest levels. Risk assessment indicated a low human health risk from consuming these vegetables in the peri-urban area, comparable to the rural site.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban agriculture and health: assessing risks and overseeing practices
2019Christine Aubry, Nastaran Manouchehri · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · France (Paris)
Urban and peri-urban agriculture is exposed to various forms of pollution related to cultivation methods and urban air and soil quality, with different crop types exhibiting varied reactions to pollutants. The T4P and REFUGE programs on urban farms in the Paris region, and the ADURAA and QUALISANN programs studying vegetable-growing in Antananarivo, Madagascar, aim to assess health risks and oversee practices using methodological frameworks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeDoes participating in community gardens promote sustainable lifestyles in urban settings? Design and protocol of the JArDinS study
2019Marion Tharrey, Marlène Pérignon, Pascale Scheromm, Caroline Méjean, Nicole Darmon · BMC Public Health · France
The JArDinS study is a quasi-experimental protocol designed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles in Montpellier, France. It will recruit 80 new gardeners and 80 matched control volunteers, measuring lifestyle sustainability across social/health, environmental, and economic dimensions over one year using food supply diaries, accelerometers, and questionnaires. The study aims to compare outcome changes between the groups to evaluate causality.
CommunityHealthFood lossEconomicsSchreber’s gardens and Jordan’s gardens as elements of created nature: the example of Katowice
2019Ryszard Nakonieczny · Polish Journal of Landscape Studies · Poland (Katowice)
This study analyzes historical examples of allotment gardens and sports/recreational grounds in Katowice, Poland. It highlights the importance of Schreber’s and Jordan’s gardens for the city's appeal and ecology, representing the human-nature relationship in 20th-century cities. The author also describes personal urban activities aimed at raising awareness of green areas' benefits for city dwellers.
CommunityHealthBiodiversityEspacios hortícolas ciudadanos, redes e infraestructuras ambientales como factores de resiliencia urbana
2019Sonia Delgado Berrocal · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain (Madrid)
This research focuses on the experience of new green systems co-created through urban horticulture and ecological agriculture in Madrid, Spain, as factors for urban resilience. It examines projects on abandoned urban plots, such as Esta es una plaza de Lavapies (2008) and Huerto de la Tabacalera (2010), and educational community gardens like Huerto del Retiro (2011). The study also considers initiatives that educate urban horticulturists and local organic matter cycle actions within Madrid's urban garden network.
CommunityPolicyFood educationHealthIs urban gardening a source of wellbeing and just freedom? A Capability Approach based analysis from the UK and Ireland
2019Alma Clavin · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom
A study using qualitative, visual methods and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland examined their potential for human agency and ecological sustainability. While positive agency and wellbeing benefits were observed, the gardens were found to be limited in their ability to truly enhance political freedoms and overcome asymmetric power relations. The research indicates that these initiatives may perpetuate neoliberal forms of unsustainable and uneven development, alongside ongoing issues of tenure insecurity.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeIntroduction by the editors
2019Ian Siddons Heginworth, Gary Nash · · United Kingdom (London)
This introduction provides an overview of a book discussing an eighteen-week environmental arts therapy pilot group for adult mental health clients. The book explores themes related to hostile mothering and connections to nature, and considers trauma-informed environmental arts therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. It also describes the Community Outdoor Art Therapy Service (COATS) in London, which uses urban parks and community gardens.
HealthCommunityElderlyThe Nutritional Content of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landraces in Comparison to Modern Varieties
2018Celmeli T., Sari H., Canci H., Sari D., Adak A., Eker T., Toker C. · Agronomy 8(9):166 · Turkey
Compared protein, fat, fatty acids, selenium, iron, and zinc in 10 bean landraces and 5 modern varieties from Turkey. Landrace LR05 surpassed modern varieties in selenium, zinc, and protein, highlighting landraces as nutritional breeding resources.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthBulk density and content, density and stock of carbon, nitrogen and heavy metals in vegetable patches and lawns of allotments gardens in the northwestern Ruhr area, Germany
2018Burghardt W., Schneider T. · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Germany (Ruhr)
Analysed pH, bulk density, and contents/stocks of organic carbon, nitrogen and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni) in vegetable patches, lawns and compost heaps across fourteen gardens in four allotments of the northwestern Ruhr area.
Organic cycleCompostHealthThe spatial and temporal variation of water quality at a community garden site in an urban setting: citizen science in action
2018Martin Dawson, Mike Hutchins, Nuria Bachiller‐Jareno, Steven Loiselle · Freshwater Science · United Kingdom (London)
A citizen-science study from 2014 to 2016 assessed water quality in a 5.6-ha urban community garden in southwestern London, using borehole water. Measurements of specific conductance and tryptophan-like fluorescence were taken over 28 months. The study found no evidence of external contamination sources or temporal changes in water quality. However, significant variations in water quality between boreholes were directly linked to on-site manure storage and use, and local geological conditions.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthDes jardins partagés dans les quartiers d'habitat social : un moyen de repenser les pratiques alimentaires ?
2018Nicole Darmon, Pauline Martin, Pascale Scheromm, Florence Ghestem, Paul Marchand, Jean-Noël Consalès, Darmon, Nicole, Martin, Pauline, Scheromm, Pascale, Ghestem, Florence, Marchand, Paul, Consalès, Jean-Noël · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · France
This multidisciplinary study in poor neighborhoods of Marseille, France, investigated whether community gardeners had a larger supply of healthy food, particularly fruits and vegetables, than non-gardeners. Among 21 women gardeners, only eleven harvested during the study month, with an average of 53 g of produce per household member per day. The study found that gardener households purchased significantly more fruit and vegetables (369 g/d per person) than non-gardener households (211 g/d per person), but this difference was due to purchases, not higher quantities produced.
CommunityHealthWelfareEconomicsManagement initiatives in support of the soil quality of urban allotment gardens: Examples from Nantes (France)
2018Cécile Le Guern, Liliane Jean‐Soro, Béatrice Bechet, Thierry Lebeau, Dorine Bouquet · Land Degradation and Development · France
Urban allotment gardens in Nantes, France, were found to have soil contamination, with lead (Pb) levels ranging from 100–400 mg kg−1, posing health risks. Local actors collaborated to characterize soil, evaluate sanitary risks, and discuss management options. The most frequent solution was replacing polluted soils with clean soils, while other strategies included on-site management of excavated soil, non-accumulative cropping, or changing land use.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycleUrban Agriculture: evaluating informal and formal practices
2018St Clair, Rebecca, Hardman, Michael, Adams, David, Armitage, Richard, Barry, Veronica, Larkham, Peter, Sherriff, Graeme · Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) · United Kingdom
This paper reviews the diversity of urban agriculture (UA) activities in England, from small-scale guerrilla gardening to large community projects. It suggests that UA is under-theorized, with previous research focusing on practicalities and activism. The paper highlights UA's problematic contribution to food production and warns of the 'local trap'.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceChanges in the sizes of agricultural areas and their agricultural and environmental functions within the territories of Cracow’s Mogiła and Wyciąże neighbourhoods
2018Piotr Krzyk, Bogusława Kwoczyńska · Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings · Poland (Cracow)
This study quantitatively assessed the conversion of agricultural land to investment purposes in Cracow's Mogiła and Wyciąże neighborhoods from 2010-2013, based on local plans. It also addressed soil quality, heavy metal content, and pH. Analysis of spatial management plans for these areas indicated a systematic decline in the share of biologically active areas.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeEconomicsHealthThe Use and Value of Green School Grounds in Developing Countries
2018Arlinda Sheqiri, Parna Rastgo · Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering - A · Europe
A study on the use and value of green school grounds in developing countries was conducted across five schools in Podujevo, Kosovo. The findings revealed that the potential of green school grounds in most studied cases has not been utilized. Opportunities provided by the municipality and environmental NGOs are insufficient, suggesting a need to rethink the design and use of green school grounds in developing countries.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityPolicy‘It keeps me sane’
2018Harriet Gross · · United Kingdom
This chapter reviews evidence for the positive impact of gardening on the health and psychological well-being of individuals and groups, including therapeutic gardening programs. Gardeners report high levels of life satisfaction, good physical activity, and good psychological and physical health. The chapter also considers whether outdoor activity has a similar or better effect on health and well-being than activity done elsewhere.
HealthCommunityA study on air quality and heavy metals content of urban food produced in a Mediterranean city (Barcelona)
2018Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Pere Muñoz, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall · Journal of Cleaner Production · Spain (Barcelona)
This study measured heavy metal content in air and hydroponic lettuce leaves at four sites in Barcelona, including high-traffic areas, to assess potential contamination from atmospheric pollution. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in lettuce leaves were below EU-legislated limits in all cases, and air concentrations were less than 50% of legislative limits. The study concluded that Barcelona's air heavy metal content is low and not a source of contamination for urban crops, even near high-traffic areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban Gardening in Florence and Prato: How a Science Shop Project Proposed by Citizens Has Grown into a Multi-Disciplinary Research Subject
2018Franco Bagnoli, Ada Baldi, Ugo Bardi, Marina Clauser, Anna Lenzi, Simone Orlandini, Giovanna Pacini · Journal of Sustainable Development · Italy
This project, initiated by a Science Shop proposal in Florence, Italy, explored urban gardening in Florence and Prato. It involved various stakeholders to uncover the multidisciplinary aspects of urban gardening, which extends beyond traditional economic reasons to include educational, nutraceutical, therapeutic, and social relevance. The study identified urban gardening as a subject touching on agriculture, botany, psychology, chemistry, city planning, and politics.
Food educationHealthCommunityPolicyNATURE-BASED DEMENTIA CARE: INNOVATIVE ADULT DAY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN THE NETHERLANDS
2018Simone R. de Bruin, Yvette Buist, Lenneke Vaandrager, Jan Hassink · Innovation in Aging · Netherlands
This study in the Netherlands aimed to understand the value of nature-based adult day services (ADS) for people with dementia (PwD) in urban areas. Researchers interviewed 40 PwD and their carers, who indicated that these services positively affect PwD's health and wellbeing by stimulating physical activity, social interaction, a sense of dignity, relaxation, and a sense of meaning in life.
CommunityHealthElderlyAn apple a day? Assessing gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria
2018Jane Entwistle, Patrick M. Amaibi, John R. Dean, Michael E. Deary, Daniel Medock, Jackie Morton, Ilia Rodushkin, Lindsay Bramwell · Environment International · United Kingdom
This study assessed gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites (UAS) to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria. Researchers sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens in the United Kingdom and measured blood lead levels (BLL) of 43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbors. While 98% of sampled soils had lead concentrations above the current UK UAS soil guideline (80 mg/kg), all participants' BLL were below 0.1 mg/kg despite high soil lead. The study indicated that soil-to-plant concentration factors (SPCFs) used for UAS significantly over-predicted lead uptake.
Contamination & food safetyHealthMotivation and background of participants and providers of self-harvest gardens in Germany
2018Martin Gauder, Heinrich Hagel, Nadine Gollmann, Joachim Stängle, Reiner Doluschitz, Wilhelm Claupein · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Germany
A 2015 survey of 173 participants and 34 providers of self-harvest gardens in Germany aimed to characterize individuals engaged in this form of urban agriculture. Participants generally exhibited middle to high incomes, sustainable lifestyles, high education levels, and strong nutritional awareness, with a disproportionate engagement of females. Providers were primarily farmers with an affinity for organic agriculture, often benefiting from synergistic effects with farm shops. Challenges identified for some gardens included bad harvests, theft, and vandalism.
CommunityEconomicsHealth