Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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3701 results(81 / 149)
Enclave deliberation and common-pool resources: an attempt to apply Civic Preference Forum on community gardening in Hungary
2019Fanni Bársony, György Lengyel, Éva Perpék · Quality & Quantity · Hungary
This paper analyzed the experiences of a Civic Preference Forum organized for community gardeners in Hungary in 2017. The study aimed to assess if the forum was an adequate format for discursive participation and how this deliberative method could be applied to common-pool institution design for community gardening. Findings indicated that the Civic Preference Forum fulfilled the criteria of equal and open discursive participation, and the analytic dimensions of discourse quality analysis worked well. The forum provided new scientific knowledge on community gardens as common-pool resources, revealing that gardeners' discourse focused on themes such as dependence and independence, monitoring and control, active and passive membership, equal and unequal participation, free riding and collective action, and rules and norms of land cultivation and behavior.
CommunityPolicyThe Contribution of Agro-ecology as a Solution to Hunger in the World: A Review
2019M. W. Adidja, Julius Mwine, J. G. M. Majaliwa, Joseph Ssekandi · Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension Economics & Sociology · Global
This review synthesizes agro-ecology's contribution to sustainably solving global hunger. Agro-ecology increases food availability through augmented yields and urban agriculture, enhances accessibility by reducing poverty, and improves appropriateness with high-quality, healthy food. It also contributes to water and food security by lessening pressure on water resources, increasing resilience to climate change, and empowering peasants and women.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityThe Urban Farm Concept
2019Neil Tyler · New Electronics · Global
Urban farming is becoming increasingly popular globally and is helping to lay the foundation for a more local approach to farming.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justice저관리 도시농업을 위한 벽면녹화 부직포 처리가 식용꽃인 한련화(Tropaeolum majus L.)의 생육과 개화에 미치는 영향
2019박재현, 윤용한, 이재만, 송희연, 주진희 · · Global
This study investigated the effects of non-woven fabric layers on the growth and adaptability of Tropaeolum majus in a container-type wall vertical greening system under non-water conditions. Researchers found that four layers of non-woven fabric maintained the highest soil water content and generally promoted better morphological properties and chlorophyll content compared to fewer layers. However, shoot fresh weight was highest with three layers, and flowering characteristics showed no significant difference among treatments, with overall growth being best in the three-layer treatment.
DIYBiodiversityLes campagnes urbaines: quels scénarios pour demain?
2019Pierre Donadieu · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This article analyzes the political and socio-economic processes that contributed to the decline of urban agriculture over the last 50 years. It then illustrates how the concept of a common urban landscape in the 21st century facilitates new public policies for maintaining agricultural spaces and activities in urban areas. Finally, the article describes three potential scenarios for agriculture and gardening development within urban territories.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityHow Will We Eat and Produce in the Cities of the Future? From Edible Insects to Vertical Farming—A Study on the Perception and Acceptability of New Approaches
2019Kathrin Specht, Felix Zoll, Henrike Schümann, Julia Bela, Julia Kachel, Marcel Robischon · Sustainability · Global
Nineteen qualitative expert interviews were conducted to identify perceptions of sustainability, social acceptability, and ethical aspects of new urban food production approaches. While major perceived benefits included educational effects and efficient resource use, significant conflicts involved negative side-effects, legal constraints, and high investment costs. Acceptance barriers were largely tied to the "unknown," encompassing a lack of understanding of new approaches, uncertainty about benefits, health risk concerns, unfamiliarity with products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare. The study concluded that adapting the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is a crucial first step to foster dissemination of urban food production approaches.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood educationMapping and Characterizing the Green Belt of Córdoba: Land Dynamics and the Urban-Rural Transformation Process
2019Nicolás A. Mari, Nicolás A. Mari, Beatriz Giobellina, Beatriz Giobellina, Alejandro Benítez, Alejandro Benítez, Victoria Marinelli, Victoria Marinelli, Victoria Marinelli · Journal of Agronomy Research · Argentina (Córdoba)
A study mapped and quantified urban growth and land use in Córdoba, Argentina's Green Belt. Using remote sensing and GIS, it evaluated urban growth between 1974 and 2014 and land use in peri-urban and rural areas in 2015. The study revealed a 46.5% urban area growth over nearly 40 years, alongside an increase in farm plot size, indicating land ownership concentration and a reduced number of producers. This transformation highlights a conflict between peri-urban horticulture, industrial agriculture, and urban development.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyBiodiversityExpanding the Contribution of Community Gardens to City Sustainability through Family Education Programs
2019Stavrianakis, Farmer · Children Youth and Environments · Global
This study investigated the impacts that gardening education workshops in community gardens can have on family members and their environmental behaviors. Participants reported a variety of positive impacts from the gardening workshops, including socializing, health benefits, and acquired knowledge. However, there was limited evidence of pro-environmental behavior change beyond gardening.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationHealthClimate changeAny Sign of Virtual School Garden Exchanges? Education for Sustainable Development in School Gardens since 1992: A Systematic Literature Review
2019Johanna Lochner, Marco Rieckmann, Marcel Robischon · Journal of Education for Sustainable Development · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 158 peer-reviewed articles on school gardening, with a focus on Virtual School Garden Exchanges (VSGEs) and their connection to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study examined the global perspective of ESD, the use of digital media, and international exchanges in school gardens. Only 14 articles directly incorporated these three perspectives, leading to the identification of possible directions for future research on VSGE.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureA narrative inquiry into becoming attentive to relational ethics in recreation practice
2019Michael Dubnewick, Sean Lessard, D. Jean Clandinin, Tara-Leigh McHugh · Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health · Global
This narrative inquiry explores the experiences of the first author and two non-Indigenous recreation practitioners in a community garden project involving Indigenous peoples. It highlights how they negotiated professional competence focused on program outcomes, which often overlooked relational aspects of their practice. The inquiry demonstrates how they developed an understanding of ethical living as a relational practice, thereby shifting their interactions within the community garden.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthAgricultural intensification and urbanization negatively impact soil nematode richness and abundance: a meta-analysis
2019Satyendra Kumar Pothula, Parwinder S. Grewal, Robert M. Augé, Arnold M. Saxton, Ernest C. Bernard · Journal of Nematology · Global
A meta-analysis of 111 published articles assessed the impact of human interventions on soil nematode richness and abundance in urban, agriculture, and disturbed grassland ecosystems compared to natural grassland and forest ecosystems. The study found that overall nematode richness was higher in forest ecosystems than in natural grassland, disturbed grassland, urban, and agriculture ecosystems. The meta-analyses concluded that human interventions, specifically agricultural intensification and urbanization, adversely impact both the richness and abundance of nematodes, which serve as soil health bioindicators.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe potential for heavy metal pollution in crops from urban and peri urban horticultural farms in the Gaborone environs: a review
2019L.C. Obuseng · Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Sciences · Botswana (Gaborone)
This review highlights the potential for heavy metal accumulation in soil and crops from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) around Gaborone, Botswana, due to the intensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, wastewater, sludges, and industrial effluents. A literature review showed that fertilizers contain heavy metals, and the use of treated or untreated sewage water by UPA farmers can lead to heavy metal accumulation in soil and crops, posing a danger to human health. Information on heavy metal accumulation in soils is limited in Botswana, despite high agrochemical use in UPA vegetable production.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleAsesoría para la conformación de una fundación de agricultura urbana
2019Wendy Johanna Murcia Gulumá, Óscar Andrés Pérez Soler, Sindy Rodríguez Rodríguez · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study provided advisory support to an urban garden in Bogotá, Colombia, named "Guerreros y Guerreras Unidos en Accion," which had been operating empirically since 2005 without formal legal status or strategic planning. The garden, primarily involving individuals over 50 without formal employment, sought to formalize its activities by establishing a foundation. The intervention aimed to guide the garden's members through the legal and administrative steps for formalization.
Governance failureCommunityWelfareOrganic cyclePolicyNew agricultural purposes in the city
2019Mathilde Martin-Moreau, David Ménascé · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
This article discusses the revival of urban agriculture, which serves multiple purposes by strengthening city-nature links, creating new urban development models, and reinventing food production systems. It highlights how urban agriculture reintroduces natural and productive spaces into cities, responding to urban dwellers' aspirations to integrate rural practices.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceUsing decomposition of household items as an indicator of soil health and educational tool in Kamuli District, Uganda
2019Theresa Brehm · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · Uganda
This study, conducted at Naluwoli Primary School garden in Kamuli district, Uganda, tested the decomposition of household items as an inexpensive indicator of soil health. Cotton underwear, green and rooibos teas, and birch wood sticks were buried for 4, 7, 14, and 21 days in hand-tilled and untilled soils. Untilled soils decomposed cotton by 0.68% less and birch wood sticks by 0.86% more per day than hand-tilled soils, while tea data was inconclusive due to outside biological factors.
Food educationOrganic cycleCommunityThe Role of Food System in Promoting Environmental Planning
2019Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Iran (Mashhad)
This paper analyzed the impact of urban agriculture and urban food systems on environmental planning in a non-western city region context, using Mashhad city, Iran, as a case study. Employing qualitative approaches, a survey of documentary studies and planning tools integrated with face-to-face interviews with experts explained the role of the food system in the environmental planning process. The study examined the role of food in creating agricultural gardens as a means to improve the agricultural system in a non-western country.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsPolicyReviving urban spaces through tactical urbanism in Baghdad: Five common tactics
2019Shaimaa Hameed Hussein, Samah A. Abrahem · Periodicals of Engineering and Natural Sciences (PEN) · Iraq (Baghdad)
This research investigated the socio-spatial causes and consequences of tactical urbanism practices in Baghdad, identifying main creators and their motivations. It recognized five common practices: public art, pop-up rest areas, pavement plazas, guerrilla gardening, and open streets. Examining evidence from fieldwork, interviews with involved individuals, and a questionnaire for architecture and urban design professionals, the study argued that tactical urbanism applications in Baghdad could revive urban spaces and positively impact local communities.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageInfección por Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) en Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) en una localidad de La Habana, Cuba
2019Ariamys Companioni, Jennys Peraza, Zulema Menéndez Díaz, Aileen González, Ledy X López, Ana Elisa Rodriguez, Jorge Cantillo, Fidel Ángel Núñez · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Cuba
A descriptive study in La Lisa Municipality, Havana, Cuba, examined 63 Rattus rattus rodents for Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in an urban farm field. The study found that 46.03% of the captured rodents were infected with A. cantonensis, with infection rates increasing in adult individuals (59.46%) and during the rainy season (55.88%). This demonstrated the circulation of A. cantonensis in its definitive host in the area, indicating an increased risk of transmission to humans.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageUrban agriculture towards food security of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities
2019Sudeh Dehnavi, Verena Süß · Development in Practice · Lebanon
This article outlines lessons from an urban agricultural project in Lebanon aimed at improving food security for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities. A survey of 41 participants indicated potential to enhance project performance by revising its design. Success could be increased by fine-tuning objectives based on available capacities, beneficiary expectations, and regional social, cultural, technical, and economic characteristics.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyCaracterización etnobotánica de plantas alimenticias y medicinales en huertas urbanas de Bogotá
2019Pulido Guerrero, Ana María · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project characterized ethnobotanical aspects of food and medicinal plants in urban gardens in Bogotá, Colombia, by visiting ten family gardens and ten community gardens across five locations. It found that 80% of the gardens had more food plants than medicinal plants, and 80% of registered plants were introduced species. Community gardens showed greater species richness and social purposes, while family gardens focused on self-consumption and social cohesion. No correlations were found between species richness and socioeconomic variables due to urban heterogeneity.
CommunityFood educationHealthBiodiversityHow the municipality of Quito supports vulnerable city dwellers through urban agriculture
2019Alexandra Rodríguez Dueñas · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Ecuador (Quito)
Quito’s Participatory Urban Agriculture Project (AGRUPAR), launched in 2002, supports vulnerable populations by providing technical assistance, capacity building, and microcredit for urban farming, aiming for food security and employment. While integrated into local government and recognized with the Future Policy Silver Award 2018, the program faces significant challenges including administrative changes, budget cuts, and restrictive land-use legislation.
Governance failurePolicyWelfareCommunityEconomicsCultivating urban landscapes: horticulture
2019Simone Betti · U-PAD Unimc - Open Digital Publications (University of Macerata) · Global
Urban horticulture, traditionally a marginal activity for the elderly, is gaining popularity in post-modern society for educational, rehabilitation, or hobby purposes. This growing interest in urban gardening, manifesting in various forms globally and locally, addresses needs beyond food production, often promoting social inclusion and the restoration of urban green areas. Gardens serve as spaces for reconnecting with nature, stress relief, social interaction for the elderly, outdoor classrooms for children, and therapeutic support in healthcare facilities.
Food educationWelfareElderlyCommunityHealthPossibilities of urban agriculture
2019Anna Janis-Chorosińska · Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings · Global
This article presents and compares well-functioning urban agriculture models from Havana (Cuba), Todmorden (England), and Bergamo (Italy), noting their differences in climate, area size, origins, objectives, organization, and financing. The analysis identifies various potential and effective functions, including educational, integration, therapeutic, aesthetic, job creation, and food autonomy. The study suggests these models could be implemented in Małopolska, Poland, to address multiple crisis situations.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsCommunity perception and participation of urban farming activities
2019Mohd. Ramzi Mohd. Hussain, Norul Hafizah Yusoff, Izawati Tukiman, Mohd Armi Abu Samah · · Global
This paper investigated community perception and participation in urban farming activities, employing a quantitative method and analyzing data with SPSS Version 24.0. The findings indicate that urban dwellers have a favorable perspective on urban farming. Economic aspects, specifically living expenses, significantly influenced the desire to grow food for self-consumption and save on food expenditure.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDiseases and health; case of wetland populations in the Bamenda urban area, North West Region of Cameroon.
2019Yolar Blandine N., Lawrence F. Fombe, Mokwe Bea Patrick J., Nuipokoh Oscar M. · Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal · Cameroon (Bamenda)
A study examining the impact of diseases and health on wetland populations in the Bamenda urban area of Cameroon found that increased human investment in wetlands enhances inhabitants' vulnerability to flood hazards and diseases like malaria, cholera, and typhoid. The wetlands in Bamenda are rapidly degrading due to population pressure, leading to reclamation, pollution, and urban agriculture, which exacerbates the proliferation of disease vectors.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageCommunity