Research & reports

Daniele Eckert Matzembacher, Fábio Bittencourt Meira · British Food Journal · Brazil

This exploratory case study investigated two Brazilian Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives over two years and six months using participant observation, ethnography, interviews, and secondary data. It found that the analyzed CSA activities integrate social, environmental, and economic sustainability dimensions, providing guaranteed sales and higher incomes for producers, and emphasizing sustainability education for consumers. The findings cannot be extrapolated to broader populations due to the exploratory nature of the study.

Petra Hauke, Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann, Andrea Kaufmann · · Germany

This "Hands-on-Lab" aimed to share practical experiences on how libraries can contribute to sustainable development, referencing the UN Agenda 2030 and German sustainability strategies. It included impulse presentations on ecological and social sustainability good practices, such as urban gardening in libraries, followed by a World-Cafe discussion. The event focused on discussing practical implementation methods.

Wanda Martin, Lindsey Vold · Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada · Canada (Saskatoon)

This qualitative case study examined how participation in the "askîy" urban agriculture project in Saskatoon, Canada, empowered young adults and built food-growing capacity. Seven interns (aged 19-29) participated in 2015, and their experiences were analyzed using a sustainable livelihoods framework. Findings indicated that collaborative engagement fostered connections, influenced grocery shopping habits towards more vegetables, and motivated interns to continue gardening and apply their knowledge in their home communities.

Lindsey Elaine Thomas · Journal of international women's studies · United States

This honors thesis explored how kindergarten and first-grade teachers in the United States use expository texts in science lessons related to a garden project. The project involved creating a book set of nonfiction texts on gardening topics and observing teachers' use of these books. The goals were to research teachers’ use of expository texts in science lessons for a garden project and to find effective ways to incorporate Massachusetts reading standards with science in the classroom.

박상희, 우은희, 황경미, 제의숙 · 인간식물환경학회 학술대회 · South Korea (Seoul)

This study investigated the current operational status of rooftop gardens in Seoul, South Korea. It aimed to present the situation of rooftop gardens across the 25 districts of Seoul, as the city expands various urban agriculture projects.

Andreia Gerbaudo Gimenez, Cleidivaldo Siqueira Pereira, Gislania Nobres da Silva, Heloísa Alves Pereira, Hérica Ribeiro Fabro · · Brazil

This work proposal focuses on school gardens as a means to develop environmental education and food themes, connecting theoretical and practical concepts to aid interdisciplinary teaching and learning. It aims to foster students who value agricultural principles, noting advances in students' methodological conception of Field Education despite regional challenges from the agro-industrial sector.

Leandro Nascimento Bertoldi, Pamela Johanna Menéndez Velásquez · Revista panorama/Panorama. Cuba y salud · Brazil

A course on Agroecology was conducted in Jequié, Bahia, Brazil, focusing on creating organic community gardens and training communities in health promotion, disease prevention, and food and environmental education. The project identified farmers who transitioned from using agrotoxins to biological control, resulting in increased local biodiversity and encouraging community gardening. The initiative also fostered social empowerment, increased self-esteem, and developed collective discussion and production practices within the SUS.

E. C. Barrett, J.A. Kowalski · Journal of Extension · United States

In two urban counties in the United States, Extension educators developed an on-site program, including a demonstration kit and planning protocol, to address the integrated pest management (IPM) needs of community gardeners. This program provides practical, research-based information to community gardeners, allows Extension to maintain a presence in urban centers, and offers outreach to audiences who may not have historically used Extension resources.

Cisneros Bestene, María Alexandra · · Colombia (Bogotá)

In Localidad Ciudad Bolivar, Barrio Las Namas, Bogotá, Colombia, a social interest housing project was developed after analyzing qualitative and quantitative housing deficits. This project aims to resettle families from high-risk zones and integrates activities that generate a neighborhood economy and enhance social cohesion. Additionally, a series of spaces encouraging and promoting urban agriculture is proposed as a method to train the population on nutrition-related issues.

María José Flores Tena · Creatividad y sociedad: revista de la Asociación para la Creatividad · Spain

This article presents survey data from 600 natural science students across six academic courses at "Ciudad de Jaen" school in the Community of Madrid in 2017. The study aimed to assess student satisfaction with the school garden. Results indicate that students were satisfied with learning a new way to obtain food and that the garden stimulated their environmental sensitivity towards ecology.

Cláudio José Bertazzo · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Goiania)

NEPEA (Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Extension in Agroecology) in Goias, Brazil, was established to foster sustainable rural development. The center focuses on ecologically based farms in Southeast Goiania, conducting research on sustainable agriculture and tree arrangements for the rehabilitation of degraded areas. It also carries out extension activities in schools, promoting and implementing school gardens and pedagogical nurseries.

Sharnie Bilston · · Australia

Federation University Australia announced the launch of the Wayn-Gurr Derrk (Wadawurrung language 'Good Ground') Bush Tucker Community Gardens.

Ana Carolina F. G. Araújo, João Paulo de Souza Moreira, Lorena Martins Costa, Tales Bedeschi Faria, Louise Rochebois Quintão, Aline Silva Santos · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

At IFMG – Santa Luzia campus, a community organic garden was established to develop agroecological awareness among teachers and students. This initiative, stemming from discussions during Environment Week, involved constructing flowerbeds and planting vegetables. It aimed to create spaces for knowledge construction and promote future extension projects for mapping small farmers and replicating the school garden.

Daniela Adil Oliveira de Almeida, Gabriel Mattos Ornelas, Melissa Luciana de Araújo, Luisa Melgaço Ferreira Jorge Marques, Camila Marina Teixeira Ferreira, Victor Gabriel de Souza Lima, Patricia Cristina Coutinho Nardini, Rodrigo Pinto da Matta Machado, Heloísa Soares de Moura Costa · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Brazil

The process of systematizing the experience of AUÊ!, the Urban Agriculture Study Group at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, helped to record and critically reflect on the group's trajectory. This systematization made it possible to identify the qualities, potentialities, and gaps in the group's performance.

Jennifer White · Sustainability The Journal of Record · United States

The Sustainable Learning Initiative at Franklin Falls is a long-term partnership between Colby-Sawyer College and PermaCityLife in Franklin, New Hampshire. To date, 265 students have participated, engaging in experiential learning to develop sustainable solutions for community needs. Students have assisted with projects including permaculture/edible landscaping, contributing to a grassroots effort to revitalize the community.

Kamran Zendehdel, Lorraine Clarke, Xiaochu Hu, Richard Hess · Journal of Extension · United States (Washington, DC)

A 2015 youth urban agriculture workshop for students from underserved areas in Washington, DC, revealed gender and racial differences in perceived knowledge gain and intended behavior change. Female students and Black students reported about half-grade higher (0.43–0.63 points) scores for knowledge change, while only female students showed an increase in intent to change behavior. These results suggest that female students may learn at a faster rate than males and that experiential learning aids Black students in gaining knowledge.

장인수, 서동주, 김홍석 · 지역연구 · South Korea

This study in South Korea explored ways to revitalize urban agriculture based on empirical analysis of experience and subjective perceptions, defining its main functions as enhancing ecological, landscape, and participation values. Survey results showed that exposure to urban agriculture information was higher in large cities, and participation experience was higher with larger residential spaces. While positive responses were high for urban agriculture's functions, negative responses were high regarding perceptions of the surrounding residential environment.

Anthi Christodoulou, Konstantinos Korfiatis · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Cyprus

This study investigated the interest of 17 elementary school children, aged 11–12, from an urban primary school in Cyprus, in school garden project activities, the reasons for their interest, and its correlation with environmental motivation and intention for environmental action. Using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical framework, findings suggested a correlation between participants' interest in activities, their motivation, and their intention to act. The satisfaction of psychological needs was concluded to be an important prerequisite for environmental motivation.

Agatino Rizzo, Marcus Sandberg, Tim Johansson, Johan Wenngren · Diva portal (Dalarna University Library) · Global

This project aimed to explore the smart integration of food production in cold urban environments and to sketch an intelligent platform to guide a comprehensive, city-wide approach to urban farming in winter cities. The challenge involved integrating large databases related to energy consumption, building performance and size, and solar radiation, to visualize data in an easily understandable manner for city stakeholders.

Kate Gardner Burt, Marissa Burgermaster, Raquel Jacquez · Health Education & Behavior · United States (New York City)

This study aimed to determine the level of integration of school gardens and identify factors predicting integration. 211 New York City schools in the United States completed a survey, and the average garden integration score was 34.1 out of 57 points. Operating budget had a significant influence on the integration score, and partner organizations, evaluation/feedback, planning the physical space, and characteristics of the physical space were positively and significantly related to budget.

María Angélica Flórez Trujillo, Catalina Andrea García Pinilla · · Colombia (Bogotá)

This report details an internship project conducted in 2017-2018 with 4th and 5th-grade students at I.E.D. Julio Garavito Armero J.M. in Bogotá, Colombia. The project, "Mother Earth Arts," aimed to foster environmental awareness and agricultural knowledge by addressing urban growth's environmental problems. Students created a vertical garden and learned about food security through planting organic aromatic and medicinal seeds.

Peio López-Iturri, Mikel Celaya-Echarri, Leyre Azpilicueta, Erik Aguirre, José Javier Astráin, Jesús Villadangos, Francisco Falcone · Sensors · Global

An autonomous Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system combined with MySchoolGardenApp was deployed in an orchard in a primary schoolyard for integration into educational activities. Built with EnOcean's energy harvesting modules, the system provides students with parameter observation, data analysis, and processing capabilities. Preliminary trials demonstrated the platform's feasibility as an educational resource in schools, applicable to natural science course content, technological skill development, and extending monitoring capabilities.

G. R. SCHMIDT · · Global

This chapter discusses the role of urban and community-supported agriculture (CSA) in developed countries, noting that these initiatives, while struggling, contribute to nutrition, personal agency, values, and green education. It also addresses the less immediate connections between wild regional resources, wild biodiversity, and their potential for agricultural innovation and nutrition.

Yhonys Zambrano Quintero · Cultura Educación y Sociedad · Colombia (Bogotá)

This article is a qualitative descriptive study focusing on fifth-grade students at Oscar Pisciotti Numa IED in Colombia. It found that the school garden is a positive teaching-learning strategy, enabling students to work on different class topics and acquire better learning.

Marina Silalahi, Lauresius Sihotang, Sunarto Sunarto, Fajar Adinugraha, Adisti Ratna Puri · · Indonesia (Cianjur)

A survey was conducted among 21 students at Pusaka Junior High School in Cianjur, Indonesia, to assess their understanding of hydroponic farming. Students knew the definition, methods, maintenance, and production of hydroponic plants, but literally interpreted that media like sand could not be used. While many students had experience with hydroponic farming, they claimed it was more expensive than conventional farming.