Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2066 results(52 / 83)
The Narrators
2016Starecheski, Amy · · United States (New York City)
This chapter examines the contested nature of value, urban citizenship, and property claims through the study of squatting, urban homesteading, and community garden activism in the South Bronx, New York City. It highlights how squatters' initiatives, while challenging neoliberal privatization, could also be coopted into a discourse of individual responsibility in a neoliberalizing city. The research explores how squatters claimed a right to the city based on their labor and citizenship, and used history and property rights to redefine their urban presence amidst renegotiated meanings of debt and homeownership.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceThe landscape of urban agriculture in California’s capital
2016N. Claire Napawan, Stacie A. Townsend · Landscape Research · United States (California)
This study investigated the landscape of urban agricultural practice in Sacramento, California, examining past and present urban agricultural projects, advocacy, and city and state policies. The research found that community interest in urban agriculture is outpacing local policies in Sacramento. The authors concluded that city-wide initiatives might improve efforts at increasing opportunities for new urban agriculture projects.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceA novel dietary improvement strategy: examining the potential impact of community-supported agriculture membership
2016Angie Vasquez, Nancy E. Sherwood, Nicole Larson, Mary Story · Public Health Nutrition · United States
This quasi-experimental study in Minnesota investigated employer-based Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a health promotion intervention, involving 324 CSA participants and a matched control group. Participants reported increased vegetables in the household, more frequent family meals, and decreased eating out, along with increased produce consumption. However, health assessment data showed no significant changes in dietary intake, health status, or BMI.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood educationAGRICULTURA URBANA COMO ESTRATÉGIA DE PROMOÇÃO DA ALIMENTAÇÃO ADEQUADA E SAUDÁVEL
2016Laisa Stefani da Silva Neves, Juliana Pereira Casemiro, Thalita Magdalena dos Santos, Cláudia Valéria Cardim da Silva · 12º Congresso Internacional da Rede Unida · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This qualitative study, conducted with Community Health Agents and a Residents' Association in a Rio de Janeiro metropolitan municipality, presents an experience of implementing a community garden as an urban agriculture strategy for promoting adequate and healthy food (PAAS). The area lacked markets for fruits and vegetables, making healthy eating difficult. Through home visits and discussions, the revitalization of a community garden was identified, enabling poor urban families to produce for self-consumption, strengthen community organization, and generate income.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfareWild Bees in the City: Reimagining Urban Spaces for Pollinator Health
2016Andrea Burr · Consilience · United States (St. Louis, Missouri)
This interdisciplinary pilot study in St. Louis, Missouri, USA (2013-2015) investigated relationships between pollinator health and urban land-uses. Wild bees were sampled weekly at urban farms, community gardens, and prairie pockets, and ethnographic interviews were conducted with 30 decision-makers in summer 2015. Informants described bees' role in crop yield and reported planting to attract pollinators, suggesting the city is viable for pollinator habitat.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityUrban–rural linkageYou Can't Common What You Can't See: Towards a Restorative Polycentrism in the Governance of Our Cities
2016Amy Laura Cahn, Paula Z. Segal · The Fordham urban law journal/Fordham urban law journal · United States
This paper argues that the invisibility of community-stewarded spaces, such as community gardens, within urban governance frameworks in North American cities leads to their enclosure and loss. It highlights that marginalized residents often have the least acknowledged claim to urban space. The study suggests that making existing community-stewarded places visible and exposing pathways to access is crucial to prevent enclosure and promote equity.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyHealthA Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Relationship Between Crime and Community Gardens: A Case Study of Seattle’s P-Patches from 1996 to 2006
2016Taylor L. Frazier, Jin‐Kyu Jung · International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities · United States (Seattle)
This study employed a mixed-methods research design to explore the hypothesis that areas around Seattle's P-Patch community gardens were associated with a reduction in crime from 1996 to 2006. Spatio-temporal GIS analyses, statistical analyses, and qualitative interviews with gardeners were utilized. Outcomes of the correlation between P-Patch and crime variables were inconclusive.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthAgricultura urbana conquistando o mercado institucional da alimentação escolar em Belo Horizonte/MG/BR:
2016Ivana Cristina Lovo, Alain Santandreu, José Divino Lopes Filho · Raízes Revista de Ciências Sociais e Econômicas · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
In Belo Horizonte, the "Productive Garden" project, launched in 2008, promoted urban agriculture and food security. From 2009 to 2011, it integrated into the "From Seed to Table" program, encouraging urban farmers to sell vegetables to the institutional school meal market. Based on action research, the project enhanced farmers' technical and organizational capacity, resulting in public schools procuring vegetables from "Productive Garden," an experience that remains active. This experience demonstrated that urban agriculture is economically viable and contributes to food security.
Food educationEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunitySCHOOL GARDENS IN THE CITY
2016Rashawn Ray, Dana R. Fisher, Carley Fisher-Maltese · Du Bois Review Social Science Research on Race · United States (Washington, DC)
This study analyzed quantitative data on fifth graders' math, reading, and science standardized test scores in Washington, D.C., to investigate how school gardens help close the achievement gap. It compared academic performance between students in traditional schools and garden-based learning schools, and examined whether the presence of a school garden reduces race and social class disparities in academic achievement. Findings showed that the presence of a school garden is associated with higher test scores in reading and science, and this association persisted even when controlling for students' race and class composition.
Food educationCommunityWelfareSocial-Ecological Refuges: Reconnecting In Community Gardens In Lincoln, Nebraska
2016Joana Chan, Lisa Pennisi, Charles Francis · Journal of Ethnobiology · United States
This article explores the social-ecological functions of community gardening based on a case study conducted in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 community garden participants and staff, it was found that community gardening provides opportunities for participants to foster resilience to personal, cultural, and economic challenges resulting from urban migration. Participants were able to develop a sense of belonging and connection with cultural identity, social community, and the local environment.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceAntimony Accumulation Risk in Lettuce Grown in Brazilian Urban Gardens
2016Silvia Mancarella, Giuseppina Pennisi, Daniela Gasperi, L. Marchetti, V. Loges, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto, Gilmo Vianello, Livia Vittori Antisari · Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) · Brazil (Recife)
This study assessed heavy metal accumulation in an urban garden in Recife, Brazil, at varying distances from a high-traffic road. It found that increasing distance from the street decreased the accumulation of many potentially toxic elements. However, the study revealed a greater human health danger associated with the accumulation of antimony in lettuce, while concentrations of other elements in leaf tissues were within reported thresholds.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityColumbus Community Gardens
2016Amanda Rees, Bert Melix, Chuck Lawson, Cory Hart · CSU ePress (Columbus State University) · United States (Columbus, Georgia)
During the 2016-2017 academic year, a professor and student from Columbus State University collected data from community garden sites in Columbus/Phenix City. This project involved the creation of a GIS digital map, which was then used to develop a quad-fold map for distribution at Georgia Organics events. Georgia Organics provided a mini-grant for the project.
CommunityPolicyFood educationAvaliação da Adoção de um Kit de Irrigação de Baixo Custo e Eficiente em Uso de Água em Horta Comunitária Agroecológica, Juazeiro - BA
2016Júlio Cézar de Almeida Lopes, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Eliéser Santurbano Gervásio · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This study evaluated the adoption of a drip irrigation kit in an agroecological community garden in Juazeiro, Brazil. The introduction of the system and the social organization of the group led to low adoption of the drip irrigation system, with several farmers returning to manual watering and, to a lesser extent, micro-sprinkler systems.
Limited or null effectCommunityDIYDigital agricultureAgricultura urbana e periurbana: limites e possibilidades de constituição de um sistema agroalimentar localizado no município de Teresina – PI
2016Sérgio Luiz de Oliveira Vilela, Maria Dione Carvalho de Moraes · Revista Econômica do Nordeste · Brazil (Teresina)
This article discusses the importance of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) and the challenges of its management, particularly the need to institutionalize a Localized Agri-Food System (SAL) in Teresina, Brazil. The concentration of 46 gardens, occupying almost 140 hectares within Teresina, meets the basic requirements for establishing a SAL. Based on bibliographic research and empirical knowledge, the study concluded that adopting a SAL is a fruitful measure for Teresina to address necessary transformations in UPA, making it a significant part of the municipal planning agenda.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultural Roads in Vancouver
2016Laura Castrejon Violante · Open Collections · Canada (Vancouver)
This paper proposes the concept of an "agricultural road" in Vancouver, reshaping a low-transit street into a multipurpose space for urban agriculture. Defined as a pedestrian-oriented area, it would offer plots for growing food while also achieving sustainable urban development outcomes like social inclusion, recreational space, and greening the urban landscape. The agricultural road aims to reconnect urban life with food by providing a space for growing edible plants and fostering discussion and education.
CommunityFood educationPolicyClimate changeWhy Grow Here: Essays on Edmonton’s Gardening History by Kathryn Chase Merrett
2016Edwinna von Baeyer · Great Plains research · Canada (Edmonton)
Kathryn Chase Merrett's book explores the history of horticulture in Edmonton, Canada, through the concept of "horticultural optimism," from pioneers to activists. The work details how governments, academia, commercial interests, media, and individuals contributed to horticultural development and how the late 19th and early 20th-century City Beautiful movement transformed Edmonton into a garden city.
CommunityFood Safety Education for Students and Workers in School Gardens and University Farms
2016John Dzubak, Angela Shaw, Catherine Strohbehn, Linda Naeve · Journal of Extension · United States
Two 1-hour food safety curricula were developed in the United States to educate K–12 students, university farm researchers, and workers on good agricultural practices for produce grown in school gardens and university farms. The validated curricula included video modules, activities, lesson plans, quizzes, and manuals. Piloting results indicated that participants increased their food safety knowledge after engaging with these curricula.
Food educationHealthCultivating community through gardening in Kenora, Ontario
2016Rob Moquin, Alan P. Diduck, A. John Sinclair, Iain J. Davidson‐Hunt · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada
This research documented participants' experiences of community-building through community gardening in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, using Photovoice with twelve participants, follow-up interviews, and participant observation. Findings revealed a relational perspective of community gardening and the importance of sharing and learning, but also identified barriers to social capital and ecological citizenship. Future initiatives must address colonial and racial barriers to collaboration and ensure accessible garden locations.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood educationWelfareA Hedonic Analysis of Community Supported Agriculture Share Prices in Midwestern United States
2016Binod Khanal · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States
A hedonic model was developed to estimate consumer valuations of attributes for 466 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms across seven Midwestern US states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The most statistically valued CSA attributes were home delivery, commanding an approximately $18 premium, and belonging to the fifth quintile of CSA membership size ($15.00). Increased vegetable variety (between $0.80 and $1.20) and USDA organic certification (about $10) were also valued, but farming practices like integrated pest management and distance to the nearest metropolitan area were not statistically significant.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceBeneficial but Constrained: Role of Urban Agriculture Programs in Supporting Healthy Eating Among Youth
2016Subhashni Raj, Samina Raja, Bree-Ana Dukes · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · United States
This study examined the influence of urban agriculture (UA) programming on fruit and vegetable consumption among urban youth in Buffalo, New York. Results indicated that while youth were willing to try new foods, other food behaviors did not change. The study found that UA programming is beneficial but not sufficient to engender healthy eating behavior in youth, with fruit and vegetable consumption also associated with gender and neighborhood median household income.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityidentificação de oportunidades de projeto para o processo produtivo e comercialização
2016Diego Maia da [UNIFESP] Costa, Carla Cipolla · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article defines the specific characteristics of urban agriculture (UA) through a literature review and identifies key aspects for developing new products and services. It analyzes the activities of the Centro de Educação Multicultural (CEM), which practices urban agriculture in the Penha favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture Case Studies in Central Texas: From the Ground to the Rooftop
2016Bruce Dvorak, Ahmed K. Ali · InTech eBooks · United States (Texas)
This chapter introduces urban agriculture concepts and case studies in Central Texas, United States. It highlights a modular pavilion type farmers market and urban garden in downtown Bryan, designed and built by students and faculty, and a rooftop crop pilot study at Texas A&M on a four-storey building. Challenges for these projects include crop adaptability to the Central Texas climate, structural and community support, and the presence of a viable market for locally grown produce.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsSubstantial Mortality of Cabbage Looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) From Predators in Urban Agriculture Is not Influenced by Scale of Production or Variation in Local and Landscape-Level Factors
2016David M. Lowenstein, Maryam Gharehaghaji, David H. Wise · Environmental Entomology · United States
A study at 28 urban food-production sites in the Midwestern United States measured the removal of sentinel eggs and larvae of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) by predators over a 3-day period. Predators removed 50% of eggs and 25% of larvae, with mortality rates not predicted by landscape factors and similar across residential gardens, community gardens, and farms. Laboratory assays confirmed that lady beetles, spiders, and pirate bugs consumed eggs and larvae at high rates.
BiodiversityPollinators“We’re Doing It Ourselves”
2016Suleiman Osman · Journal of Planning History · United States (New York City)
The origins of public-private parks in New York City trace back to the 1970s fiscal crisis. Due to severe budget cuts at the Parks and Recreation Department, thousands of volunteers in block associations and community groups began maintaining parks through "do-it-yourself" urbanism, including guerrilla horticulture and community gardens. These self-help efforts evolved into new public-private parks by the early 1980s, reflecting antistatist impulses from both the left and right in the 1970s.
CommunityDIYPolicyEspinhaço Journal interviews Dickson D. Despommier (Columbia University)
2016Alyssa Fico, Douglas Sathler · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · United States (New York City)
Dr. Dickson D. Despommier, a Columbia University professor and urban agriculture expert, was interviewed by Revista Espinhaço in New York on November 19-20, 2015. The informal interview, conducted during the "Geography 2050" event, featured his reflections on the field of urban agriculture.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkage