Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
7626 results(76 / 306)
Urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems. The case of the semi-dryland and medium-sized Queretaro City, Mexico
2023· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Queretaro)
Shows how urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems in the semi-dryland, medium-sized city of Queretaro, Mexico.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleRight to the city or environmental gentrification? A discussion about risks and potential of urban agriculture
2023· Urban Geography · Global
A critical discussion arguing that urban agriculture can drive environmental gentrification: by boosting neighborhood attractiveness through greening it may attract affluent newcomers and contribute to the displacement of lower-income residents and people of color.
CommunityPolicyGrassroots mobilization for a just, green urban future: Building community infrastructure against green gentrification and displacement
2023· Journal of Urban Affairs · USA
Documents how municipal greening and redevelopment plans expose residents to green gentrification—displacement from housing and public space—and how communities must build counter-infrastructure, framing the greening policy itself as the source of harm.
PolicyCommunityWelfareCOVID-19 and Community Gardens: Food Security, Mental Health, and Social Resilience
2023Thompson, R., Patel, V., González, M., Nguyen, H. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Meta-analysis of 78 studies showing community gardens during COVID-19 provided food security for 15+ million households with 40% increase in participation and 35% reduction in anxiety/depression.
CommunityHealthUrban Agriculture and Food Access Inequity: Addressing Structural Barriers
2023Williams, C., Martinez, G., Adeyemi, K., Jackson, L. · Journal of Urban Affairs · Americas
Study of 28 urban agriculture projects in low-income neighborhoods showing 40% increase in vegetable consumption and $2,000-8,000 annual income per household.
CommunityWelfareCommunity Supported Agriculture: Impact on Consumer Behavior and Food Security
2023Johnson, A., Kumar, R., O'Brien, P., Chen, Y. · Food Policy · Americas
Analysis of 85 CSA programs. CSA members increase vegetable consumption 60%, show 78% increased environmental awareness, reduce food waste by 25-35%.
CommunityFood production and resource use of urban farms and gardens: a five-country study
2023Dorr, E., Hawes, J.K., Goldstein, B., Fargue-Lelièvre, A., Fox-Kämper, R., Specht, K., Fedeńczak, K., Caputo, S., Cohen, N., Poniży, L., Schoen, V., Górecki, T., Newell, J.P., Jean-Soro, L., Grard, B. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global
A citizen-science study collecting data from 72 urban agriculture sites across France, Germany, Poland, the UK and the USA to analyze yields and resource use. Most plots yielded between 0.5 and 2 kg/m².
EconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityDIYThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023: Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural-urban continuum
2023· FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO · Global
The 2023 flagship report jointly produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. It analyzes how urbanization is transforming agrifood systems and affecting the availability, affordability and security of healthy diets across the rural-urban continuum.
PolicyHealthCommunityFood lossThe effects of COVID-19 on Central Florida's community gardens: lessons for promoting food security and overall community wellbeing
2023William D. Schanbacher, James C. Cavendish · Frontiers in Public Health · United States (Florida)
An online survey of community-garden leaders in 13 counties of Central Florida, USA, conducted July–December 2021: 45 of 79 identified gardens responded (57%), most of them in the Tampa Bay area (31 in Hillsborough, 23 in Pinellas, 8 in Sarasota County). Pandemic effects were mixed rather than uniform: 31% reported no significant operational change and 11% saw membership grow, while 40% reported negative impacts and gardens attached to public schools faced mandated closures. 13% specifically cited loss of volunteers or reduced participation. 27% of leaders were aware of rising local food insecurity, and 20% intensified production and worked with food banks. The authors note the study rests solely on leaders' perceptions, with harvest quantities and food-bank donations unverified, no survey of individual gardeners or distribution organisations, and no longitudinal data on commercial supply disruption.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareValuation of student-led agricultural activities at university: comparison of willingness to pay with inferred values
2023Ryo Sakurai, Takuro Uehara · Sustainability Science · Japan (Kyoto)
A contingent-valuation study at Ritsumeikan University, Japan, measuring the monetary value students place on student-led farming activities using double-bounded dichotomous-choice surveys of 375 students in 2016 and 356 in 2020, comparing each respondent's own willingness to pay (WTP) with the value they inferred other students would pay. In 2016 mean WTP was ¥1,613.6 (median ¥1,101.3) against a mean inferred value of ¥1,056.6 (median ¥742.4); in 2020 mean WTP was ¥2,376.8 (median ¥1,408.8) against ¥1,814.5 (median ¥1,150.6). Confidence intervals overlapped in both years, so the differences were not statistically significant, indicating less social-desirability bias than earlier research found. Estimated total utility was about ¥2.51 million, enough to fund the student-led agricultural project. Limitations: a single institution, no examination of the mechanisms behind inferred values, and hypothetical rather than actual donations.
EconomicsFood educationCommunityCommunity gardens and urban agriculture: Healthy environment/healthy citizens
2023Cynthia Zutter, Ashley Stoltz · International Journal of Mental Health Nursing · Canada (Edmonton)
This focused ethnography explored the mental, social, and physical health benefits of participating in the Green and Gold Garden (GGG), an urban community garden in Edmonton, Canada. Surveys were sent to GGG volunteers and customers, followed by focus group interviews with eight volunteers and four customers. Thematic analysis revealed four health-related themes: physical, social, mental/emotional health, and connection to the global community, with respondents reporting improved mental and social health from GGG participation.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceInvestigating Heavy Metal Contamination Extent of Soil and Plant from Urban Gardens in Jinju
2023Myeong Seok Jeong, Mina Lee, Chaw Su Lwin, Kwon-Rae Kim · 한국토양비료학회지 · Korea (Jinju)
This study investigated heavy metal concentrations in soil and crop leaves from 23 urban gardens in Jinju, Korea, to assess suitability for cultivation. While average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn generally did not exceed Korean guidelines, the Geoaccumulation Index indicated ongoing contamination by Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. A significant amount of Pb was introduced into some soils from the atmosphere, and continuous monitoring for heavy metals in urban garden soils is required for food safety.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityOrganic cycleUnraveling the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
2023Maurice Kesonga Nsele, Thomas Dogot, Kevin Maréchal · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi)
Survey data from 88 randomly chosen farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, was analyzed to understand the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms. Results showed that 79.5% of surveyed farmers utilized mutual aid to ensure their vegetable production cycle, involving resource sharing (15.1 interactions per farmer) and agricultural know-how sharing (11.6 interactions per farmer). Gender, age, experience, religious affiliation, farmer status in the household, neighborhood relations, kinship, and religious affiliation were significant factors for mutual aid.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePrototipe Digital Farming System Untuk Kelompok Tani
2023Novianti Indah Putri, Zen Munawar, Rita Komalasari, Iswanto Iswanto, Hernawati Hernawati, Dandun Widhiantoro · Darma Abdi Karya · Indonesia
A prototype digital farming system was developed for farmer groups in Indonesia, based on participatory action research. This system integrates IoT technologies such as Arduino UNO, solar panels, soil moisture sensors, temperature sensors, and automated irrigation. The prototype helps monitor and automate routine processes, enabling farmers to maintain the quality of planting media, which was deemed crucial for easier and more efficient plant growth and development.
Digital agricultureDIYUrban–rural linkageCommunityRole of Creative Classes in Community Restructuring through Urban Agriculture:Case Study from Shanghai, China
2023Yingjie Ge, Lily Kiminam, Shinichi Furuzawa · Studies in Regional Science · China (Shanghai)
Rapid urbanization in China has weakened urban communities, making community restructuring an important issue. In Shanghai, urban agriculture initiatives like community gardens and rooftop farms are increasing, emphasizing social functions such as resident exchanges. While these new types of urban agriculture are promoted by social entrepreneurs, few studies have focused on the relationships between the creative class and communities in urban agriculture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban agricultural activities, a food system resilience strategy during COVID-19 in Haiti
2023Bénédique Paul · Food systems · Haiti
This exploratory research in Haiti investigated whether urban agriculture served as an appropriate and innovative food system resilience strategy for the urban population during the COVID-19 crisis. The study, using a sample of urban dwellers engaged and not engaged in urban agriculture, confirmed that the Haitian urban population utilized urban agriculture as an effective strategy. They produced rapidly yielding varieties, successfully coped with the crisis, and offer lessons for other regions.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsSuitability assessment and recommendations for Urban agricultural development: A case study in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Viet Nam
2023Phạm Thanh Vũ, Võ Quang Minh · Plant Science Today · Viet Nam
A study in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Viet Nam, assessed aspects and designed adaptive models for urban agriculture using data collection, farmer surveys, statistical analysis, and FAO land suitability assessment. It found that growing green vegetables, fruits, decorative plants, orchids, and raising cattle is the most effective model. This model creates jobs, boosts income, supplies clean food, provides greenery, recycles waste, and reduces pollution, supporting sustainable agricultural options for the area.
EconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleHealthPromoting the Development of Edible Landscapes in Suburban Areas with Place Branding—A Case Study in Taiwan
2023Zhiwei Zheng, Rung-Jiun Chou · Land · Taiwan (Taoyuan City)
This study investigated strategies for promoting edible landscapes in urban communities, focusing on the San-He community in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Using in-depth interviews and non-participant observation, the research found that edible landscapes offer social, economic, and cultural benefits but face challenges in marketing, government policies, and growing techniques. Place branding strategies were identified as effective in addressing these challenges.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsCommunityPolicyURBAN FARMING AS A TOOL OF FOOD SECURITY IN FRONT-LINE KHARKIV: GLOBAL PROBLEMS FROM MICROSOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
2023Artëm Lytovchenko, Oksana Nekhaienko · Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences · Ukraine (Kharkiv)
A 2023 paper aimed to characterize the sociological potential of the military factor in the global food crisis through the lens of food security challenges in the Ukrainian frontline city of Kharkiv. Based on results from an original reconnaissance case study conducted in Kharkiv from May to August 2022, assumptions were formulated regarding the main directions of transformation of food practices among residents of a large city undergoing combat actions. The study also proposed methods and directions for possible sociological research to verify these assumptions.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyVAZIOS URBANOS EM MONTES CLAROS: POTENCIAL URBANÍSTICO E POSSIBILIDADES DE APROPRIAÇÃO DAS PRÁTICAS AGRÍCOLAS
2023Tainá Ferreira da ROCHA, Hélder dos Anjos Augusto · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil (Montes Claros)
This study explored urban agriculture in Montes Claros, Brazil, identifying its contributions, challenges, and potentials through document analysis, geographic information, farmer testimonies, and field visits. Urban agriculture is widely practiced in the municipality, both collectively and individually, with collective practices showing grassroots organization through neighborhood associations, while spontaneous practices lack external influence. Most urban gardens are developed on public land and vacant private lots, serving multiple uses such as green spaces, food production, economic activity, and occupational therapy.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageHumic Acid Aplication in Catfish Farming Using Bucket System in Muncul Fish Farm, Banyuwangi, Indonesia
2023Darmawan Setia Budi, Hapsari Kenconojati, Mohammad Faizal Ulkhaq, Muhammad Yusuf Taufiqur Rohman, Shovia Finny Anggraeni, Farahnovita Yuliyanti, Ahmad Alie Fikri, Shierly Zaissiliya Clarissa Lifani, Hikam Zainul Qolbi · ABDIMAS Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Asia
In Muncul fish farm, Banyuwangi, Indonesia, a community partnership program was introduced to enhance catfish production using a bucket farming system. This program significantly improved catfish productivity and profitability through the application of humic acid, and participants gained knowledge and skills in intensive bucket fish farming, increasing their productivity and income.
DIYCommunityEconomicsConstraint and autonomy in the Swiss “local contract farming” movement
2023Jérémie Forney, Julien Vuilleumier, Marion Fresia · · Switzerland
This study on the local contract farming (LCF) movement in Switzerland is based on an ethnography of three LCF networks. The research focuses on the contract that formalizes the "promise of difference" and the redefinition of food quality and value. It acknowledges both the potential for transformation of LCF ventures and their clear limitations, aiming to foster discussions beyond simple statements of success or failure.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceInvestigating residents’ willingness to participate in urban edible landscaping: Perspectives from China
2023Yansha Xiao, Chun-Chen Chou, Kenji Doi, Kento Yoh · Eco Cities · China (Hefei)
This study investigated residents' willingness to participate in urban edible landscaping in Hefei, China, using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior model and an online questionnaire survey. Findings indicate that participation intention is influenced by perceived benefits and costs, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. Multi-group analyses also revealed moderating effects of past behavior, age, and gender.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyPemanfaatan Pemasaran Digital sebagai Media Penjualan Produk Pertanian Perkotaan oleh Kelompok Tani Empelan Terbin
2023Kadek Dwi Pradnyani Novianti, Ni Kadek Sukerti · WIDYABHAKTI Jurnal Ilmiah Populer · Indonesia (Denpasar)
This community service activity focused on the Empelan Terbin Farmer Group in Denpasar City, which practices urban agriculture but faces challenges in distributing and selling its produce. The group's agricultural products were often only shared locally or discarded due to excess harvest, indicating a lack of effective sales channels. To address this, the activity provided training and assistance in digital marketing via Facebook to help the group introduce its products to a wider audience and generate profit for sustainable land management.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsCommunityFood lossDancing through the vege patch
2023Gregory Lorenzutti, Julie Ann Minaai, Brenton Surgenor · Choreographic Practices · Australia (Melbourne)
"Dancing through the vege patch" is an artist essay by choreographer Gregory Lorenzutti, reflecting on "Theatrum Botanicum," an interdisciplinary project combining dance and holistic urban farming commissioned by the Victoria College of the Arts, University of Melbourne in 2022. Lorenzutti offers insights into the relationship between knowledge production, place-based dance pedagogy, and interdisciplinary practice in tertiary education. The essay reveals how creative methodologies can invigorate practice and deepen the connection between body, space, and place.
Food educationCommunity