Research & reports

Tiffany B. Hunter · CORE Scholar (Wright State University) · United States

A pilot study (Wright State University, CORE Scholar, 2016) adapted a community garden and environmental education model, first observed during an internship with Israel's Ministry of Health in an Arab village, to an urban, minority-concentrated school population in Dayton, Ohio. Administered in July 2016 at a local foodbank with a pre-existing urban garden, using an eight-week curriculum, the pilot found that participants—who lived in urban, low-income areas—had poor eating habits and low literacy scores at baseline, though the program was reported to enhance participants' learning and understanding of the world around them.

James E. Allen, Jairus Rossi, Timothy A. Woods, Alison F. Davis · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · United States

A survey of 151 shareholders across three midsized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations near Lexington, Kentucky (International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2016), addressed a gap in prior research that had relied mostly on small samples (n < 25). Using 20 paired before/after questions, paired two-sided t-tests, and regression of paired differences on socioeconomic factors, self-reported health, and years of CSA enrollment, the study found that food lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes changed after CSA participation, with respondents who reported "poor health" before enrollment showing the most change overall. The authors describe these results as an initial analysis of CSA's impact on shareholder food lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes.

Irma Stopka, Heike Molitor · 0028-0615 · Europe

The abstract, which cuts off mid-sentence, states that as society changes, demands on urban open spaces also change, and that new open-space formats such as urban gardening reflect a need for participation and appropriation of space. The available text ends there, with no further content provided.

Adriella Camila Gabriela F. da S. Furtado da Silva, Danielle Regina Bento Lessa da Silva, Ana Carolina Damm dos Santos Gomes de Farias, Joyce Alves Carvalho Martins, Caroline Giot Bronner, Mônica de Caldas Rosa dos Anjos · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

A report on the "Cultivando Saúde" (Cultivating Health) program in Brazil examines an effort linking urban agriculture practice to promoting healthy eating habits and productive use of urban space for food production. Using participatory methods, dialogue-promoting activities emphasizing knowledge exchange were carried out over three months, yielding a positive response in the acceptance and adoption of suggested recipes; the practice of growing one's own food was observed both in participants' statements during group sessions and during household visits.

Okan Yılmaz, Funda ERTÜRK · Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences · Global

A study evaluated the adequacy of five school gardens in Çanakkale city center, Turkey, as public open green spaces, using observation and site examination of green space adequacy, plant structural and equipment elements, per-capita green space, and playground quality. It found that the school gardens were insufficient in area, were not planned according to landscape architecture design principles, and lacked adequate plant material and equipment. As solutions, the study proposed separating vehicle and student entrances, designing dedicated seating areas, and creating designated educational activity areas within the gardens.

Fakharzadeh S. · Children, Youth and Environments, 25(3) (Project MUSE) · United States

A qualitative study of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans drawing on interviews and observations to examine how the school-garden program affects children. It illustrates gains in students' food security, environmental knowledge and emotional and social well-being, mapping the intersection of gardens, education and community.

Berezowitz C., Bontrager Yoder A., Schoeller D. · Journal of School Health, 85(8):508-518 · United States

A review examining the academic and dietary effects of school garden programs. It found that garden-based learning does not harm academic performance and may favorably affect science and math achievement as well as fruit and vegetable intake and preferences.

Shimpo N., Saito K. · ランドスケープ研究 (Journal of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture), 78(5):629-634 · Japan

A peer-reviewed literature study organising the historical development of 'urban agriculture' (allotment gardens, community gardens, etc.) from both planners' and users' perspectives. Argues that appropriate planning of urban gardening must incorporate both viewpoints.

Sharma S.V., Hedberg A.M., Skala K.A., Chuang R.-J., Lewis T. · Journal of Early Childhood Research, 13(1):93–110 · United States (Texas)

An 8-week teacher-led PLANT Gardens (Preschoolers Learn About Nutrition Through Gardens) program with 103 Head Start preschoolers in two Harris County, Texas centers. Confirmed feasibility and acceptability and a significant increase in parent-reported willingness to try new fruits and vegetables.

Scheromm P. · Développement durable et territoires · France (Montpellier)

Based on 40 semi-structured interviews, this study examines the agricultural motivations and practices of urban dwellers participating in collective gardens in Montpellier, revealing how city residents reconstruct an agricultural identity through gardening.

Boukharaeva L.M., Marloie M. · Springer (Urban Agriculture Series) · Russia

A Springer monograph documenting research since 1999 on urban gardening collectives in Russia, analysing the social, cultural, and food-security roles of family urban agriculture and its prospects.

Corcoran M.P., Kettle P.C. · Local Environment · Ireland (Dublin)

This comparative study of plot holders in Dublin and Belfast shows that allotment gardens can act as 'spaces of potential' where shared gardening dissolves social differences and fosters intergenerational knowledge exchange. The authors argue that urban agriculture sites function as civic interfaces bridging community divides.

Schreinemachers P., Patalagsa M.A., Islam M.R., Uddin M.N., Ahmad S., Biswas S.C., Ahmed M.T., Yang R.Y., Hanson P., Begum S., Takagi C. · Food Security · Bangladesh

A study of 582 poor rural Bangladeshi women found home garden training increased per-capita vegetable production by 86% and significantly improved dietary diversity and nutrient supply including iron (+284%) and vitamin A (+189%).

Lowenstein D.M., Matteson K.C., Minor E.S. · Oecologia, 179(3):811-821 · United States

A study measuring wild bee diversity and cucumber pollination (a pollination service) across urban Chicago. Sites with more bee species had better pollination, and even densely populated residential areas supported high bee richness. It demonstrates that growing diverse flowers in urban gardens sustains pollinators and directly benefits urban agricultural yields.

Valerie Calberry, Lori Pivarnik, Ingrid Lofgren · The FASEB Journal · United States (Rhode Island)

An intervention study, part of a Rhode Island Farm to School project overseen by the nonprofit Farm Fresh RI, aimed at improving elementary and middle school students' knowledge and practices around the food safety of school-garden produce. Two lessons on good vs. bad bacteria, hand hygiene, and harvesting/washing were delivered to 115 children aged 5–11, and knowledge scores rose significantly by over 39% (from 5.3±1.8 to 7.4±2.0).

Luke Drake, Laura Lawson · Journal of Extension · United States (New Jersey)

This article uses ethnographic methods to examine how community gardens actually work, focusing on management in New Jersey. It finds that spatial and social contexts shape key issues such as water access, participation, and horticultural techniques, and argues that Extension professionals can support community gardens more effectively—in planning and organization as well as horticultural education—by tailoring advice to these contexts.

Brian Wansink, Andrew S. Hanks, David R. Just · Acta Paediatrica · United States (New York)

Using a before/after tray-waste design, this pilot tested whether a cold-climate high school garden could influence vegetable intake without nutrition education. At an upstate New York high school, adding garden-grown greens to the salad bar raised the share of students selecting salad from 2% to 10% and students ate about two-thirds of what they took, though waste rose from 5.56% to 33.33% per serving.

Jaimie N. Davis, Mackenzie R Spaniol, Shawn Somerset · Public Health Nutrition · Global

A review of thirteen school garden programs for children (kindergarten to 8th grade) found methodological limitations: three studies lacked control groups, and none were randomized. While six of eleven programs showed increased vegetable intake and seven of eight showed increased preference for vegetables, four programs had no effect on intake. More research is needed to understand long-term dietary improvements.

Marta Camps‐Calvet, Johannes Langemeyer, Laura Calvet‐Mir, Erik Gómez‐Baggethun, Hug March · Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) · Spain (Barcelona)

This research examined the role of urban gardens in building community resilience and articulating resistance in Barcelona, Spain, based on data from 27 urban gardening initiatives (13 self-governed, 14 public). Results showed that urban gardens contribute to resilience by fostering social and ecological diversity, transmitting local ecological knowledge, and creating opportunities for collective action and self-organization.

Sarah A. Moore, Jeffrey R. Wilson, Sarah Kelly, Sallie A. Marston · Annals of the Association of American Geographers · United States (Tucson)

This article examines school gardens in two underresourced schools in poor neighborhoods of Tucson, Arizona, as sites for socioecological change. It argues that for some children, these gardens help overcome the alienating aspects of neoliberal school reform in the United States. The gardens foster connections with classmates, university students, plants, and animals, promoting sustainable and socially just practices.

R. Kowalski, Edward Grott · Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae · Global

This article examines the importance of school gardens in environmental education for children and young people at all school levels. The authors argue strongly for retaining school gardens as essential and fundamental educational tools for teaching biology and nature sciences, asserting they will never lose their relevance. They also suggest redefining school gardens to include any natural environment used for teaching, regardless of urban or rural location.

Megan Bradley · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · South Africa (Cape Town)

A study on local food initiatives in Cape Town, South Africa, explored their role in sustainable community development, focusing on food sovereignty, community capacity, and social capital. Through in-depth interviews, conversations with participants, and observations of community gardens and markets, findings suggested that these initiatives empower community development, both economically and socially, through principles of food sovereignty, social capital, and education.

Alexandros Stavrianos, Alexia Spanoudaki · Open Journal of Social Sciences · Greece

This research investigated the impact of a school garden environmental education program on 10 pupils diagnosed with mild to moderate intellectual disability in two Special Education Primary Schools in Greece. Using semi-structured interviews and descriptive statistical analysis to compare two groups of pupils, the study found that students who participated in the program were more familiar with environmental concepts and possessed skills directly linked to Environmental Education than their non-participating peers. Additionally, participating pupils perceived outdoor activities as part of the formal learning process, unlike their peers.

Josephine Nabugoomu · Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences · Uganda (Kampala)

This controlled cohort intervention study in Kampala, Uganda, assessed the effect of nutrition education on orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) production and vitamin A-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 457 child caregivers. Respondents who received nutrition education had better knowledge of vitamin A and OFSP as a source of vitamin A, and more positive attitudes towards health and child health practices (p<0.05). They also showed significantly higher consumption of vitamin A-rich foods.

Nancy M. Wells, Beth M. Myers, Lauren Todd, Karen Barale, Brad Gaolach, Gretchen Ferenz, Martha Aitken, Charles Henderson, Caroline C. Tse, Karen Ostlie Pattison, Cayla Taylor, Laura Connerly, Janet B. Carson, Alexandra Z. Gensemer, Nancy Franz, Elizabeth C. Falk · International Journal of Science Education · United States

A randomized controlled trial in 25 low-income elementary schools across four US states (n=3,061 students aged 6-12) examined the effect of a school garden intervention on science knowledge from Fall 2011 to Spring 2013. While science knowledge increased more in the intervention group than in the control group, overall scores remained poor and gains were very modest. A dose-response relationship was observed, where more robust intervention implementations correlated with stronger treatment effects.