Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
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1961 results(8 / 79)
Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Regionais e Agrários: Investigações e Proposições Geográficas
2025Édipo Alves Lacerda · Espiral revista de geografías y ciencias sociales · Brazil
This book, organized by Gustavo Henrique Cepolini Ferreira et al., compiles texts from Unimontes researchers focused on critical geography and popular struggles for land and traditional territories in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. It discusses conflicts from agribusiness expansion, disputes over resources, climate change effects on peasant farming, and challenges faced by quilombolas, indigenous, and traditional communities. The book addresses structural racism and other aspects of rural development, highlighting negative impacts on these communities.
Equity & displacementUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeCommunityEducação Estético-Ambiental à luz do Paradigma da Complexidade
2025Dayane Barbosa de Oliveira, Adelmo Fernandes de Araújo, Iara Terra de Oliveira · Ambiente & Educação · Brazil
This qualitative, exploratory study in Brazil investigated high school students' perceptions and meanings of a school garden through an aesthetic-environmental education experience. Data was collected from written experience reports by full-time high school students. The analysis revealed fragmented perceptions and meanings, indicating the school garden's potential as a relevant resource for educational development and fostering integration between students and their environment.
Food educationCommunityThe effect of urban climate shifts on land values in the Chesapeake Bay area
2025Junyi Hua, H. Allen Klaiber, Douglas H. Wrenn · Journal of Environmental Quality · United States (Chesapeake Bay)
This study developed a micro-level Ricardian model to assess how long-run climate patterns affect agricultural land values across the urban-rural gradient in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Analysis using an 8-km gridded dataset combining farmland prices, high-resolution climate data, and urban land cover showed that seasonal temperature and precipitation nonlinearly affect land values, and urbanization significantly moderates precipitation effects. A climate simulation suggested heterogeneous impacts across urban grids.
EconomicsClimate changeUrban–rural linkageHUERTOS ESCOLARES: APRENDIZAJES, VÍNCULOS Y SIGNIFICADOS
2025Nancy Domínguez González, Fernando Naranjo Chacón, A Solé, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, A. Medina · Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems · Mexico (Xalapa)
A descriptive study was conducted at Federal Secondary School No. 4 David Alfaro Siqueiros in Xalapa, Mexico, to evaluate the impact of a school garden on student learning, bonds, and intrinsic purposes. A qualitative Likert scale survey was applied to 80 actively participating students before and after the garden's implementation and related workshops. The intervention process failed to generate statistically significant changes in students' learning about school garden aspects (plant growth, planting, care, harvesting, processing), in the bonds developed through teamwork, or in the meaning they attributed to working in the school garden.
Food educationHealthCommunityHorticultural Therapy: A Sustainable and Inclusive Approach to Supporting Older People in Brazil
2025Jacqueline de Almeida Barbosa Franco, Quintino Augusto Có de Seabra, Bruno Humberto da Silva, Adriano Alves Teixeira, Rosane Aparecida Gomes Battistelle, Bárbara Stolte Bezerra · Anthropology & Aging · Brazil (São Paulo)
This report examines an inclusive community vegetable garden project at Vila Vicentina, a long-term care facility in Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, initiated through participatory action research. The project created a space for older adults to engage in leisure and horticultural activities. Findings suggest the initiative contributed to improvements in physical engagement, social interaction, and overall well-being among older adults.
CommunityHealthElderlyFood educationSystemic impacts of sustainability education: A case study of New York Sun Works
2025Alex Kudryavtsev, Manuela Vega‐Zamora, Megan Nordgrén · The Journal of Environmental Education · United States (New York City)
This participatory, grounded case study examined New York Sun Works (NYSW), a nonprofit providing hydroponics labs and sustainability curricula to hundreds of public schools in New York City. Data from interviews with the executive director and nine teachers, and classroom observations, revealed a framework showing how school-nonprofit partnerships for sustainability education catalyze systemic impacts in educational transformation, sustainability solutions, and civil society. The findings suggest that nonprofit-facilitated, school-based sustainability education can advance significant educational, environmental, and societal transformations.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeThe New American Farmer – Extension Engagement with Urban Agriculture and Food Systems
2025Margaux Robinson, Karen Cunningham, Jeffery Young, Nicole Breazeale, Kenneth R. Jones · Journal of Extension · United States
This paper discusses the evolving role of Extension in urban food production, noting progress made by educators in engaging with both social and horticultural aspects of urban agriculture. It suggests that appropriately designed urban food systems can offer healthy food access, community and environmental resilience, and economic prosperity. The authors provide recommendations for Extension staff, urging them to prioritize mediating the rural/urban dichotomy, tackling structural power dynamics, and intensifying community resilience strategies.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFrom Lots to Lush: Repurposing San Antonio's Underutilized Spaces to Combat Water Scarcity, Food Deserts, and Urban Heat
2025Douglas Donaghy · University of Chicago · United States (San Antonio)
This thesis explores the potential of transforming vacant lots and green spaces into multifunctional sites to address interconnected challenges of food insecurity, water scarcity, and urban heat in San Antonio, Texas. The study analyzes historical trends in aquifer water levels and infiltration metrics, spatial data on food deserts, and heat vulnerability indices across San Antonio to identify priority intervention areas. By integrating urban agriculture, bioretention basins, and vegetative cooling, these spaces can provide sustainable solutions to enhance food security, bolster the local water supply, and mitigate urban heat island effects.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityUrban–rural linkageCultivating connection between community, agriculture, food, and green space: A narrative review of agrihoods and their impact on health and wellbeing
2025Emma Lewis, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Kathryn M. Janda, Jay E. Maddock, Marco A. Palma, Andrew McNeely, Yetunde Olawuyi, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Public Health in Practice · United States
This narrative review synthesized 29 sources of published and grey literature on agrihoods, published until November 2024, to explore their opportunities and challenges for improving health in the United States and globally. The study identified four key themes: opportunities for improved health and wellbeing, challenges to promoting equal and equitable health, community engagement for health-related needs, and recommendations for future development. The review contributes to the scientific knowledge base on agrihood initiatives.
CommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageEcosystem services of urban food forests and their contributions to health and sustainability of North American cities: a narrative review
2025Sara-Charlotte Cayen, Kesnamelie-Ann Outha, Pierre Paul Audate · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · North America
This narrative review synthesized the ecosystem services of urban food forests and their contributions to urban health and food sustainability in North American cities. Based on 13 studies published between 2018 and 2023, it identified that food forests provide services such as sustainable food production and climate regulation. However, their implementation faces challenges including public space governance, maintenance costs, regulatory barriers, and ecological risks like invasive species.
Governance failureBiodiversityClimate changeHealthCommunityCidade-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 & justicePolicyBenefits 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 educationWelfareHealthGermination and propagation of sweetgrass ( Anthoxanthum nitens (Weber) Y. Schouten & Veldkamp [Poaceae]) for growing in Mi’kmaq community gardens
2025Rachel A. Kendall, John A Francis, Mathew R. Vankoughnett · Native Plants Journal · Canada
This study assessed sweetgrass germination and propagation for Mi’kmaq community gardens, testing seed storage, additives, dormancy methods, and seedling outplanting. Removing seed coverings and soaking seeds increased germination success up to 46%, while cold storage, biological additives, and growth enhancers showed no improvement. Organic fertilizer (7-5-0) enhanced rhizome development, synthetic fertilizer (20-20-20) led to taller leaves, and both increased leaf count.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityGREEN SPACES AND NATURE: A CORNERSTONE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
2025Ranjith P.C, Deekshith M, Murulidhar Venkannanavar, Geeta Gadekar · · Singapore; Brazil (Curitiba)
This chapter explores the contributions of green spaces, including parks, forests, and urban greenery, to key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). It highlights how nature access improves health, supports biodiversity, mitigates climate change, and strengthens urban infrastructure, while also promoting social inclusion and economic opportunities. Case studies from Singapore and Curitiba illustrate successful integration of nature into urban planning.
CommunityHealthEconomicsClimate change<b>SABERES E PRÁTICAS: GRUPO DE EDUCAÇÃO EM SAÚDE COM HORTICULTORES NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA</b>
2025Lara Fernanda Carlos Lima, Cláudio Fernando Gomes Gonçalves, Diego Santos, Ingrid de Oliveira Carvalho, Marília Victória Nunes Garcez, Wállyson Alves e Silva, Vítor Souza da Costa, Júlio César Paiva e Silva, Samira Rêgo Martins de Deus Leal · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Teresina)
This qualitative and descriptive study reports on the "Cultivating Health" project, conducted from April to October 2025 in Teresina, Brazil, with 8 to 14 community garden horticulturists. The project, led by a multidisciplinary team, used active methodologies to address health topics. Findings showed the group fostered knowledge exchange, socialization, and well-being, strengthening ties between professionals and the community.
CommunityHealthFood educationWelfarePRODUÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS ORGÂNICAS: PROTAGONISMO FEMININO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA VILA GALVÃO, CASA NOVA - BA
2025Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil
This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.
Economic viabilityCommunityPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyOptimizing Investments in Alternative Water Infrastructure for Urban Food Production in Water Stressed Cities
2025Qing Zhong, Daoqin Tong, Courtney Crosson, Yinan Zhang, Rashi Bhushan · Water Resources Research · United States
This study developed a spatial optimization model to identify investment strategies for deploying rainwater harvesting (RWH) and reclaimed water systems to expand urban food production in water-stressed cities. Applied to Tucson, Arizona, the model showed that 72%–96% of investment was allocated to rainwater tanks, though RWH contributed only 18%–27% of total food production. The results indicated that expanding the reclaimed water network was more effective and cost-efficient for urban food production compared to implementing rainwater tanks.
Climate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceProfile of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Rio de Janeiro State: Case Study
2025Letícia Englete de Mello, Dirlane de Fátima do Carmo, Daiane Cecchin, Leonardo da Silva Hamacher, Marcel Carvalho Abreu, R. M. Anjos, Mariana Vezzone · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study investigated the profile of 159 urban and peri-urban agricultural producers across 29 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, using quantitative interviews and statistical analysis. Producers were predominantly men over 50 with limited education, cultivating small plots with organic methods but receiving little technical support. Key challenges identified were a lack of assistance and resources, and urban agriculture's potential is hindered by the absence of effective public policies.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityEconomicsImpulsores e inhibidores de la agricultura urbana a partir de una aproximación diacrónica desde 1821 hasta 2023: el caso de Xalapa (Veracruz, México)
2025Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Raúl Romero Ramírez · Memorias · Mexico (Xalapa)
This diachronic study analyzed the drivers and inhibitors of urban agriculture in Xalapa, Mexico, through a historical tracing from 1821 to 2023. Drivers included rural immigration, academia, and government programs, while inhibitors were identified as diversification of trades, ejido laws, remittances, health policies, and food markets.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageMovimento dos quintais brincantes: relato de experiência no quintal Aroeira em Imbé-RS
2025Ana Caroline Ferreira Rodrigues Acosta, Álvaro Ribeiro Nicotti · Revista Educação e Saber – REdeS · Brazil
This paper presents the "Movimento dos Quintais Brincantes" (Playful Backyards Movement) in Brazil, focusing on an experience in 2023 at Quintal Aroeira in Imbé-RS. The project involved five families and children aged 2-6, offering free play, outdoor activities, organic food from a community garden, and family participation in space maintenance and activity planning. After one year, it was concluded that this space contributed to children's autonomy, creativity, health, cooperation, and the creation of bonds among families, educators, and the surrounding community.
CommunityFood educationHealthOrganic cycleExamining Disparities in Walkability, Recreational Places and Aesthetics in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
2025Sabounchi, Saina, Saheb, Anahita Javanmardi, Adhami, Sadaf, Minouei, Alan · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United States (Cambridge)
A study using 2020 U.S. Census data across 87 block groups in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found that higher social vulnerability was positively associated with greater sidewalk presence. However, social vulnerability showed no significant associations with open space acreage, pedestrian ramps, community gardens, or public art landmarks.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareUrban Gardening in Latin America and Panama: A New Strategy for Conservation
2025Belma Soto-Fernández, Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Latin America
A documentary review on the importance of urban gardening in Latin America revealed that urban gardening, when approached through the lens of agrobiodiversity, has become a key strategy for safe food production and environmental sustainability. However, it was found that several Latin American countries lack clear and established laws to regulate this activity. Preliminary evidence of rotavirus was detected in fresh vegetables from an urban garden in Panama, indicating that urban gardens can become infection foci capable of causing diseases of public health and veterinary importance.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicy338 Feasibility of building a community-based gardening initiative
2025Sawsan Salah, Lori A. Francis · Journal of Clinical and Translational Science · United States
This project developed a community garden at a childcare center in Harrisburg, PA, serving a low-income community where 74.6% of residents identified as Black or Hispanic/Latino. A listening session with six community members provided positive feedback and ideas for the garden, which was then installed with four beds. Weekly gardening activities engaged 20-50 children (n=50 total in summer program) for nine weeks, resulting in positive responses from children and staff, demonstrating the feasibility of such an initiative.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfarePara além do rural: Hortas Urbanas e Periurbanas como políticas públicas de garantia de segurança alimentar no meio urbano
2025Garcia, Pedro Henrique Lundquist de Souza, Carvalho, Joelson Gonçalves de · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This research, presented at the 10th Conference on Studies of Rural Settlements in July 2025, analyzes the socioeconomic impacts and challenges of urban and peri-urban gardens in Brazil, focusing on a 35-year municipal program in Penápolis, São Paulo. Based on field research and secondary data, preliminary results suggest that production for self-consumption and collective labor strengthen community bonds and reduce food insecurity. The study aims to propose improvements for local public policies.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsEnhancing urban waste sustainability through community-driven composting in São Paulo megacity
2024Amato-Lourenço L.F., Franca G.C., Seckler M.M., Mauad T. · Environmental Challenges, 14:100864 · Brazil
An analysis of a resident-led, decentralized community composting initiative begun in 2018 in São Paulo, using thermophilic decomposition (the UFSC method) in public squares. It presents a civil-society-driven waste-management model with positive environmental and social outcomes.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityPolicy