Research & reports

S. F. Adedoyin, M.A. Oladoja · African Journal of Livestock Extension · Nigeria

This study investigated snail rearing as an urban agricultural practice in Lagos State, Nigeria, by surveying 60 systematically selected respondents from three divisions. It found that respondents used intensive rearing systems with concrete and wire mesh cages, selling snails for N60-N140 after N10-N40 costs, and using proceeds to feed their families. Most respondents were single females aged 30-40 with a B.Sc/HND education.

Shawn Somerset, Richard Ball, Melanie Flett, Rebecca Geissman · · Australia (Queensland)

This study surveyed primary schools in the Logan region of south-east Queensland, Australia, finding that 24% had functioning vegetable gardens. Face-to-face interviews with teachers explored the origins and functions of these school-based community gardens. The research suggests these gardens offer an opportunity to integrate nutrition, physical activity, and environmental sustainability into curricula.

Nicholaus K Harris · · United States (California)

An assessment in West Oakland, California, evaluated new community food programs — community gardens, mobile markets and local farmers markets — that went beyond typical food banks to address food insecurity. In spring 2005, the researcher interviewed program leaders and 45 West Oakland residents. Results showed residents were generally aware of how to eat healthily but unable to do so because of limited proximity to vendors stocking healthy foods; many used the farmers market, but few relied on the other community food programs, and residents living close to the farmers market and community gardens benefited more than those elsewhere. The study concludes that educational campaigns and the placement of additional food programs are needed to improve access.

Fernando Neira Orjuela · · Mexico

This study focuses on San Luis Tlaxialtemalco, a town of 12,553 people in the Xochimilco delegation in southern Mexico City. Because the town practices urban agriculture, a survey of 185 households provided an opportunity to examine whether greenhouses are a viable option for generating household income, and the forms of family economic participation and sexual division of labor that shape this. The study also sought to clarify whether access to economic resources, age, and schooling grant wives the final say in household decision-making and freedom of movement, comparing them with wives engaged in salaried and non-salaried non-agricultural activities.

Louiza M. Boukharaeva, Gustavo Kauark Chianca, Marcel Marloie, Altair Toledo Machado, Cynthia Torres de Toledo Machado · Cadernos de Ciência & Tecnologia · Global

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) treats the development of urban agriculture as part of sustainable human development policy, as it proposed at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in June 1996. This article analyzes urban agriculture in three cases: Russia, where it developed after World War II; France, representing Western European countries where the activity has been marginalized; and Brazil, where its development is a consequence of agricultural modernization that pushed people into cities. Surveys and a literature review show that urban agriculture has historically reduced the intensity of food crises and has contributed to feeding part of the population in normal periods, while also serving functions of pleasure and relaxation, therapy, and identity. It helps transmit cultural heritage and can be used educationally. Developing these functions requires both legislative action ensuring long-term access to land plots for all social groups and joint activity among multiple public and private participants.

Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Makoto Yokohari, Akinibu MURAKAMI, Takashi Watanabe · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Asia

This study examined how the Kabuhayan sa Gulayan urban agriculture program in Metro Manila, Philippines -- started to improve the living conditions of the urban poor and reduce urban waste -- is implemented, focusing on the supportive roles of participants including the Department of Agriculture, the Municipal Agricultural Office, Barangays, and NGOs. It found that Barangays can support "selection of farmers" and "use of compost," attributing this to their small administrative scale, which allows them to adjust opinions with residents, and it concludes that Barangay participation in the program is important.

최윤지, 김경미, 강경하, 이진영 · · South Korea

This study calculated the economic effects of Women-Farmer's Centers in South Korea, which provide services like childcare, after-school learning, education, and counseling. Based on the business plans of 14 centers, the total economic income effect was estimated at 2,784 million won. The services contributed to the ease and quality of life for women farmers and generated economic benefits for the community and country.

M. R. S. Mlozi · UNISWA Research Journal of Agriculture Science and Technology · Tanzania

This paper examines whether urban agriculture (UA) contributes to alleviating income poverty among practitioners in Tanzania. Based on literature and empirical evidence, it shows that people of all socio-economic statuses undertake UA for food provisioning and income poverty alleviation due to declining real incomes of urban dwellers. The reasons for UA's persistence reside at four contextual levels: government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, city/town councils, and the individual, with government and individual levels being the most important.

Roberta M. Feldman, Susan Stall · Cambridge University Press eBooks · United States

This paper explores the concept of the community household through the case of Mrs. Mary Rias, a resident activist at Wentworth Gardens. Mrs. Rias, who coordinated and worked in a community garden for over a decade, is depicted as extending her caretaking and nurturing roles from her home into the community, often meeting neighbors' needs within her residence. This case illustrates mutual support and family-like relationships within the community.

B. Setiawan dan Dwita Hadi Rahmi · Gadjah Mada University Library (Gadjah Mada University) · Indonesia

This study investigated urban farming in six Indonesian cities (Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Cirebon, Salatiga, and Pacitan). The 1997 economic crisis demonstrated that urban food security is not always guaranteed, with urban poor spending over 50% of their income on food. Research findings indicated that urban farming helped the urban poor increase food security, raise income, and create job opportunities. However, urban farming activities face many problems, including access to finance, skills and knowledge, lack of government support, and no associations for urban farmers.

Prebus, Olivia · Occidental College Scholar (Occidental College) · United States (Los Angeles)

This work addresses the gross inequity of food access in low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles, such as MacArthur Park, where grocery stores are scarce. The author's internship at the Center for Food and Justice involved projects like a Community Food Assessment and organizing a community garden, all focused on empowering communities to tackle complex food access issues. The abstract highlights the severe problem of limited healthy food options leading to simultaneous obesity and malnutrition.

J. S. [UNESP] Gonçalves, S. A. A. dos [UNESP] Santos, F. F. CURADO · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Corumbá)

This work, part of the "Food Security and Citizenship" project coordinated by Embrapa Pantanal in Corumbá and Ladário, Brazil, aims to promote healthy food production. It seeks to improve the food quality of the urban population by creating alternatives for better food and nutritional security and income generation in these areas.

F.P. Huibers, O. Moscoso, Álvaro Ocampo Durán, J.B. van Lier · CABI Publishing eBooks · Bolivia

A study examining wastewater use in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Both vegetable and fodder crops are irrigated with polluted water — diluted or partly treated municipal and industrial sewage — containing high concentrations of pathogens, heavy metals, and salts. In the downstream La Mayca area, where farmers have an agreement with the municipal water and sewerage company, soil degradation has forced them to increasingly replace vegetable crops with more salt-tolerant fodder crops. In other areas around the city, cultivators deny using wastewater and point to nearby wells as their water source, but many of these wells are likely also polluted and do not yield enough water for the irrigated area they serve. Farmers report no specific health problems related to using polluted water, which contradicts reports from local health workers. Because surface water flow and rainfall are low while industrial pollution is high and wastewater treatment capacity is limited, most of the water available to farmers is of poor quality. Options identified for improvement include reducing industrial pollution, increasing treatment capacity, and adopting integrated water management that blends good-quality groundwater with wastewater — but strong traditional water rights, lack of urban planning, and weak institutions are cited as constraints on improving wastewater management in Cochabamba.

Kathryn E. Waitkus · Pepperdine Digital Commons (Pepperdine University) · United States

Prison physical environments and social climates have been found to be physically and mentally stressful for inmates, and more than 70% of those in the California prison system return to prison within three years of parole. As part of an effort to reduce this recidivism, a rehabilitative gardening program was started at San Quentin State Prison, and this primarily qualitative study set out to determine the garden project's impact on the physical environment and social climate of a prison yard from both inmate and staff perspectives, through interviews with inmate program participants, an inmate control group, and prison staff conducted before and after the garden was planted. The evidence suggested that (a) gardens invited attention, use, and refuge; (b) being in or near a garden could reduce stress; (c) gardens might provide "neutral" territory in a segregated prison yard; (d) inmate participants gained benefits from directly working with nature; (e) gardens created the possibility for hope and further change; and (f) prison staff were generally more concerned about the impact of the change than the inmates themselves. Inmate and staff expectations about the garden's impact were met or exceeded, leading to recommendations to use the Garden Program to build collaboration, trust, and respect between inmates and staff through active staff participation in classes, to expand the program to other California prisons, and to have paroled inmates collaborate with local communities on community gardens. Limitations included a reduction in program scale during the planning stages and the short time elapsed between pre- and post-garden research; the authors suggest a longitudinal study to track impact on inmates after parole.

Premat A. · European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies · Cuba (Havana)

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Havana (1999-2001), this article examines urban garden parcelas as sites revealing tensions between private and public domains, finding that revolutionary values around food security and community persisted in post-Soviet Cuba despite assumptions of growing individualism.

Miura S., Kunii O., Wakai S. · International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition · Philippines (Davao City)

A structured survey of 152 mothers in two poor urban communities in Davao City examined home gardening and dietary diversity, finding limited but notable impact of garden produce on micronutrient intake. The study assessed a community-based approach promoting home gardening to address iron and vitamin A deficiencies.

Thilak T. Ranasinghe · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Sri Lanka

Through experience in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, the "Family Business Garden" concept justifies the necessity of urban agriculture amidst limited urban infrastructure, environmental conditions, and socio-economic situations. This concept, by properly mixing environmental and commercial agricultural concerns, not only addresses family food requirements but also opens the way to produce for markets under liberalized economies by promoting agro-entrepreneurship and social capital development in urban communities.

Christian M. Rogerson · Acta Academica Critical views on society culture and politics · South Africa

This article examines international and South African research on urban agriculture's role in poverty reduction, arguing for the need for policy guidelines to support local initiatives in South Africa. It suggests that best practices from international urban agriculture policy interventions could form the basis for such guidelines.

Mariama Diop, Aminata Sow, Ibrahima Ndiaye · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal (Dakar)

This research in Dakar's slums used a mixed-methods approach to study the link between community gardens and educational outcomes among school children. A preliminary analysis indicated that students participating in community gardens showed a 15% improvement in reading comprehension scores compared to non-participants. While further statistical testing is needed, the findings suggest a positive correlation between urban agriculture and educational outcomes for low-income children.

Hasan Belevi, Bettina Baumgartner · International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management · Global

This paper provides a systematic overview of urban agriculture in low and middle-income countries, identifying research needs. It highlights the importance of cross-cutting issues between urban agriculture and environmental sanitation, including excreta, wastewater, and solid waste management. Further research is needed to quantify the benefits, risks, opportunities, and constraints of urban agriculture, as well as its impact on food quality and the environment when reusing waste.

Neil S. Brantley · San José State University ScholarWorks (San Jose State University) · Global

This research project aims to provide a framework of relevant information for developing sustainable urban agriculture systems as a tool to improve the quality of life for the urban poor. Two different infrastructure contexts are presented, with the intent of relating the applicability of urban agriculture initiatives to enhancing destitute urban communities in both developed and developing worlds, referencing successful case studies. Urban agriculture is beginning to be recognized by the world community as one viable urban development option.

Kluthe, Ryan · Occidental College Scholar (Occidental College) · United States

This paper presents observations of 13 teens in the Youth Leadership Council of Highland Park, United States, who dedicated hundreds of hours to community projects without individual incentive. These observations contradict Mancur Olsen's theory that groups only organize under coercion or special devices, suggesting the existence of "community interested" individuals.

Lorie Hammond · Mind Culture and Activity · United States (California)

This article uses a narrative format to describe situations in which Mienh immigrant families from a Southeast Asian hill tribe adapt to technological and cultural change within a California elementary school sponsoring a family literacy, school-community garden, and house building project. It argues that adjustments can be creative and empowering if schools incorporate community "funds of knowledge" into their instructional plan. Projects such as gardening and house building provide rich contexts for intercultural dialogues.

Cynthia M. Hellman · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · United States

A phenomenological interview study of 10 Vermont CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farmers, combined with observation of sessions involving farmers, community-based organizations and low-income community members, addressing how Vermont CSA farmers can effectively incorporate members of the low-income community. The findings show that effective incorporation requires farmers to collaborate with community-based and non-profit organizations, treat the low-income community as a resource, enlist support from the wider community, and become part of a "food justice" movement.

박재홍, 이호철 · 농업교육과 인적자원개발 · South Korea

A study calculating the economic effect of children-oriented activities run by South Korea's women-farmer centers, which the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has operated since 2001 to help women farmers settle stably in farming communities through counseling, childcare, after-school learning and city-farm exchange. Based on the 2002 business plans of 18 centers, the direct economic income effect of children-oriented activities was calculated at 285 million won, comprising 146 million won from infant and child care and 139 million won from after-school learning.