Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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9385 results(55 / 376)
Planting futures: School-based food forests and their contribution to holistic education for sustainable development
2025Julia Gobs · GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society · Germany
This study investigated the school-based food forest project at Chestnut School in Northern Germany, using interviews and participatory methods framed by the Whole School Approach. School-based food forests contribute to holistic education for sustainable development by offering interdisciplinary, hands-on learning environments. They promote systemic thinking, agency, and self-efficacy, fostering human-nature connections, critical thinking, and sustainable food practices.
Food educationBiodiversityCommunityClimate changeCidade-Campo no Brasil: dinâmicas e contradições
2025Paulo Ricardo Santos Miranda · Revista Mutirõ Folhetim de Geografias Agrárias do Sul · Brazil
A collection of 13 chapters explores the interactions between city and countryside in Brazil, critically examining how capital traverses urban and rural territories, promoting expropriation and spatial reconfigurations. Studies on Uberlândia, Montes Claros, São Paulo, and the North and Northeast regions highlight land conflicts, peripheral industrialization, urban agriculture, and peasant resistance. The work emphasizes the ambiguous role of the State.
Equity & displacementUrban–rural linkageCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyAs produções agropecuárias na região metropolitana de Buenos Aires: contribuições para a sustentabilidade nas cidades
2025Gabriela Civeira, Florencia Rositano · Conicet · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
This study analyzed the environmental, social, and economic factors of agricultural production in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Region (RMBA) across 28 municipalities, using National Agricultural Census data and an adapted ecosystem services (SE) estimation model. Findings indicated that 97.4% of small and medium-sized horticultural producers use conventional management, with only 2.6% employing non-conventional practices. Structural problems identified include informal labor, limited technical access, and urban pressure, highlighting the need for public policies to strengthen more sustainable production systems.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyImpact of waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba on plant diversity (Littoral-Cameroon)
2025Yanick Borel Kamga Valerie Njitat Tsama* · Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) · Cameroon (Nkongsamba)
This study assessed the impact of untreated waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, on vegetation by conducting floristic inventories at upstream, near, and downstream sites. Twenty-five 100 m2 plots were established at each site, revealing a total of 105 species from 79 genera and 41 families. The downstream site exhibited the highest species richness with 81 species, 70 genera, and 35 families, but these results showed a dominance of ruderal taxa and pollution bio-indicators like Commelina benghalensis and Tithonia diversifolia, reflecting ecological disturbance of the plant environment.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageLow Carbon Adaptation through Community Composting
2025Wang, Junrong · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · Global
This project uses landscape architecture to reduce carbon emissions from restaurants by implementing compost gardens that shorten compost transportation routes. These gardens, placed on roofs and at ground-level, create new local food sources to replace distant shipments and provide materials for organic pesticides, reducing carbon-intensive VOC emissions. The compost gardens are integrated into existing parking lots and vacant lots, forming a community garden network.
CompostCommunityClimate changeFood miles & supply chainGasteizko eskola-baratzeen ezarpenaren eta erabilera didaktikoaren analisia
2025Iratz Pou de Los Mozos, Igone Palacios-Agúndez, Daniel Zuazagoitia, Unai Coronel Gastiain · IKASTORRATZA e-journal on Didactics · Spain
This field research analyzed the presence and didactic use of school gardens in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, using a two-phase questionnaire approach. The study found a large presence and high didactic use of school gardens, with many interesting experiences, but noted room for improvement. Teacher training and networking among schools were recommended.
Food educationCommunityTHE WILD IN THE CITY: DIFFERENT CONCEPTS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF URBAN COMMUNITY GARDENS OF GOUTTE D'OR DISTRICT OF PARIS.
2025Marina Abrão Ballak Dias · Revista Andaluza de Antropología · France (Paris)
This article explored how different conceptions of human-nature relationships shaped practices in two community gardens in Paris's Goutte d’Or neighborhood. Conceptions grounded in a human–nature divide prevailed, leading to a conservationist approach. Practices stemming from this perspective were found to be in constant tension with garden goals like increasing urban biodiversity and human socialization.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityPolicyUrban Farming and Food Security Nexus for Food Sovereignty and Food System Planning: The Case of a Highly Urbanized City in Metro Manila, Philippines
2025Sheila Uside Alumasa, Dina Cartagena Magnaye · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Philippines (Metro Manila)
A case study evaluated a nearly decade-old urban farming program in a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. The study revealed that vulnerable families depend on urban farming for daily food and alternative employment opportunities. However, a lack of land ownership or tenure rights for urban farming exacerbates food insecurity, hinders access to affordable food, and impedes innovation within the urban farming system.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityEconomicsPolicyLong-Term Manure Application in Urban Gardens: Impacts on Soil Fertility, Mineral Composition, and Variability
2025Rafael López Núñez, Paula Madejón, José Molina-Vega, Sabina Rossini-Oliva · Horticulturae · Global
This study investigated soil variability in two sections of an urban allotment garden subjected to long-term manure fertilization for 12 or 16 years, with application rates up to 10–12 kg m−2 yr−1. Prolonged manure incorporation enhanced soil fertility, increasing organic carbon, total-N, available-K, and total/available-P, and caused shifts in mineral composition with increases in Ca, inorganic C, Sr, and S. No accumulation of potentially toxic elements was observed, but pronounced spatial heterogeneity emerged among plots, with coefficients of variation up to 58% for S and 47% for Zn.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityLes sols agricoles urbains
2025Sophie Joimel, Tania DE ALMEIDA, Baptiste Grard · · Global
Urban soils are characterized by high heterogeneity and diverse source materials, leading to a wide range of physical, physicochemical, and biological properties. These soils support diverse forms of urban agriculture and can provide various ecosystem services beyond their productive function.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeBuilding a more sustainable food system in Colombia: a role for nutrition professionals
2025Christine McCullum-Gómez, Yuri Milena Castillo Quiroga, Monica Diaz-Beltran · Academia Nutrition and Dietetics · Colombia
This article describes multiple efforts to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable food system in Colombia. Public health nutrition professionals can increase food security, build food sovereignty, and facilitate this transition through community food gardening and peri-urban and urban agriculture projects, food waste reduction programs, and sustainable menu projects incorporating indigenous, native, and local foods. Such projects should be participatory and tailored to meet the needs of stakeholders in the different regions of Colombia.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPeri-urban agricultureHealthURBAN AGRICULTURE AS A PLATFORM OF EVERYDAY GOVERNANCE : Case Studies of Policy and Practice in Three South Korean Community Gardens
2025Ilana Herold, Buhm Soon Park · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · South Korea (Daejeon)
Ethnographic case studies of three urban community gardens in Daejeon, South Korea, illustrated how urban agriculture (UA) serves as a platform for civil society groups, national government, and local governments to advance their political and sociocultural goals. The study argued that while national UA legislation was passed to advance top-down sustainable development goals, local actors challenge the functions of UA and ideas of expertise through their practice.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban African food systems as sites of challenges and opportunities for household food equity and resilience
2025Corrie Hannah, Jordan Blekking, Julia Davies, Jane Battersby, Allan Chilenga, Dorcas Kabuya, Percy Toriro · Ecology and Society · Zambia
This empirical case study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected urban food systems (UFS) in 14 Zambian cities, using household survey data from 2019, 2020, and 2021. Descriptive and regression analyses assessed household food sourcing, including urban agriculture. Households from diverse socioeconomic quartiles faced similar food security challenges but coped differently based on capacities and resources, indicating a lack of equitable outcomes. Smaller and remote cities sourced food from open-air markets, vendors, and urban agriculture, while more connected cities used local shops.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeCommunityEffect of Forced Eviction and Land Grabs on Household Economic Capital Security of Displaced Pre-Urban Farmers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2025Kejela Gnamura, Michael Akwasi Antwi, A Belete · Land · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This mixed-methods study investigated the effects of urbanization-induced displacement on economic capital security by comparing 223 evicted and 223 non-evicted peri-urban farming households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Logistic regression and thematic content analysis revealed that evicted households are approximately 72.7% less likely to achieve economic security compared to non-evicted households. The study concluded significant differences in household economic capital security between the two groups.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityWelfareBenefits of Nutrition Education in Local Community Supported Agriculture Sites: A Case Study
2025Bree Bode, Sarah L. Mott, Jacob M. Cutler, Nicole Jess, Sarah Panken, Marci Scott · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United States (Michigan)
Nutrition education was provided to SNAP-eligible shoppers at Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sites in Michigan. This multi-phase, mixed-methods study evaluated the delivery of nutrition education, shopper needs, and behavioral outcomes through outcome surveys, staff feedback, educator activity logs, and focus groups with shoppers and educators. Results indicated significantly higher fruit and vegetable consumption among shoppers compared to national SNAP incentive participants, and qualitative themes included relating over transacting and personalized experiential education.
CSA & TeikeiFood educationWelfareHealthEnhancing Public Health and SDG 3 Through Sustainable Agriculture and Tourism
2025Elena Petelos, Danai Antonaki, Erasmia Angelaki, Christos Lemonakis, Alexandros Garefalakis · Sustainability · Global
This study explored how private sector initiatives in tourism can contribute to public health and SDG 3 through sustainable agricultural practices. Using a mixed-methods approach combining a systematic literature review and a case study, it examined how integrated strategies like pesticide-free farming reduce environmental health risks and improve nutritional quality. Findings indicate that business-led sustainability models can support systemic change when based on clear metrics and cross-sector collaboration. However, the absence of pre-2019 baseline data and direct health outcome measurements limits causal inference.
HealthBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityPolicyPatios Productivos y Seguridad Alimentaria en la Comunidad Afrodescendiente del Barrio Olaya Herrera, en Cartagena, Colombia
2025Carlos Eduardo Torres Acosta, Enrique Manuel Acuña Hernández, Elizabeth Ramírez-Llerena · BUIYYA TIERRA · Colombia (Cartagena)
In Cartagena, Colombia, the Granitos de Paz Foundation implements an urban agriculture program called "productive patios." This initiative allows vulnerable communities, such as those in the Olaya Herrera neighborhood, to access production systems and improve their quality of life by producing organic products. These organic products are in demand by hotels and restaurants in the city, potentially generating additional income for families in extremely poor areas. The program introduces an economic model to combat extreme poverty in vulnerable communities and contributes to environmental conservation.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyTransformando desde los intersticios: huertos urbanos comunitarios ante la crisis ecosocial
2025Sara Sama Acedo, David Berná Serna, Patricia Homs Ramírez de la Piscina · Etnografica · Spain (Madrid)
This paper analyzes the case of community urban gardens in Madrid integrated into the Municipal Program of Community Urban Gardens. These initiatives are situated in the interstices between community management and public institutional management, generating new demands on the management of urban green commons and enabling forms of shared governance. The study reveals that these gardens face the challenge of maintaining themselves as transformative spaces without being absorbed by commercial logics or marginalized into welfare-oriented or community volunteer spaces.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunity Readiness for Agro Living Lab (ALL) Projects: Factors Influencing Engagement of Young Urban Residents
2025Wojciech Sroka, Karol Król, Jakub Kulesza, Marcin Stanuch, Sławomir Lisek · Agriculture · Poland (Kraków)
This study analyzed factors influencing young urban residents' readiness to participate in agro living lab (ALL) projects in Kraków, Poland. Based on a literature review and a survey among university students, it found that readiness to engage in ALL projects is strongly associated with respondents’ field of study, interests, individual experiences, positive attitudes toward urban agriculture, and personal relationships with farmers.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justicePractising sustainable food consumption through the lived experiences of Guangzhou's foodscape
2025Alex Hughes, Shuru Zhong, Mike Crang, Guojun Zeng, Fernando Fastoso, Héctor González‐Jiménez, Bob Doherty · · China (Guangzhou)
This chapter demonstrates how residents in Guangzhou practice sustainable food consumption. Consumption in Guangzhou occurs through a foodscape where modern digitized supermarkets and food delivery services operate alongside traditional wet markets, emerging alternative markets, and a growing restaurant sector. Ordinary food consumption with sustainability implications takes place through interconnected fields including the pursuit of food freshness, valuing cultural heritage, memory and place, health considerations, emerging connections with Alternative Food Networks, food fashions and digital influence, and urban food production.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthCommunityUrban Farming-Based Learning: A Community Engagement Model for Agricultural Vocational Schools
2025Ika Ayu Putri Septyani, Lutfi Fadilah Zamzami, Novi Fitriandika Sari · SPEKTA (Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Teknologi dan Aplikasi) · Indonesia
An urban farming-based community engagement program was implemented for students at the Vocational School of Agriculture Labuhanbatu (SMK Negeri 2 Rantauprapat) in Indonesia. This participatory action research aimed to improve students' knowledge and practical skills in aquaponics, hydroponics, and integrated urban farming systems. Through training and collaborative activities, students' knowledge levels surged from pre-test benchmarks to over 70%, exceeding 90% in some areas, and over 80% expressed strong interest in curriculum integration and entrepreneurship.
Food educationCommunityDIYSmart Farming: Enhancing Urban Agriculture Through Predictive Analytics and Resource Optimization
2025Eman Aldhahri, Abdulwahab Ali Almazroi, Monagi H. Alkinani, Nasir Ayub, Elham Alghamdi, Nourah Fahad Janbi · IEEE Access · Global
This study proposes ResXceNet-HBA, a novel classification model for crop health prediction and stress assessment in urban agriculture. The model integrates ResNet blocks, Xception modules, and HBA-optimized parameters, along with data handling techniques like WICL, LFS, and AFD. ResXceNet-HBA achieved 98.5% accuracy, 98.2% precision, 98.7% recall, and 98.4% F1-Score, outperforming ResNet, CNN, and Inception V2, and executed faster in 50.9 seconds.
Digital agricultureClimate changeCommuniversity Synergised Academic Activities towards Sustainable “Green” for Urban Poverty Eradication and Social Well-Being
2025Rohaiza Rokis · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Malaysia
This qualitative study in Kampung Kerdas, Malaysia, investigated a community-synergised academic activities programme initiated by AHAS KIRKHS at the International Islamic University Malaysia, integrating a Sociology and Anthropology course with the Kampung Kerdas community's needs. Through narrative analysis, in-depth interviews, and participatory observation, the project was shown to promote environmental sustainability, economic empowerment, and social cohesion among community members via community-driven initiatives and educational workshops. It also provided practical training for SOCA students and academics, creating a sustainable model for urban poverty eradication and holistic community development.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood educationCommunity Garden Politics
2025Sartor, Iriana, Paccillo, Giovanna, Banham, Rebecca, Ezzy, Douglas · Conicet · Global
This chapter explores the politics of nonreligion, with gardens and gardening functioning as practices illustrating how lifestances can be structural, collectivist, relational, and radical. Data from Brazil and Argentina are used to frame political, educational, and activist elements of gardening worldwide. The chapter demonstrates how the politics of community gardening can constructively contribute to positive political engagement and community building.
CommunityPolicyFood educationCriminal Liability for the Use of Electrified Cables: Legal Implications in Death Cases in Aceh
2025Rahmalisa Rahmalisa, Wiratmadinata Wiratmadinata, Anhar Nasution · Jurnal MEDIASAS Media Ilmu Syari ah dan Ahwal Al-Syakhsiyyah · Indonesia (Aceh)
This study analyzes criminal liability in cases where electrified cables, installed to protect crops from wild animals in community gardens, resulted in fatalities in the Aceh region of Indonesia. Using a normative legal research approach, the study of death cases in Bireuen and Aceh Timur showed that the installation of electrical cables leading to loss of life was caused by the perpetrator's negligence in adhering to safety standards, fulfilling elements of criminal negligence under Indonesian criminal law. The resolution pattern for these cases follows the litigation route.
Governance failureCommunityPolicy