Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
3623 results(88 / 145)
LOS BENEFICIOS PARA LA SALUD, MEDIO AMBIENTE Y ECONOMÍA FAMILIAR DE LA AGRICULTURA URBANA
2018Doris Laury Beatriz Dzib Moo, Gerardo González García, Analuisa González Dzib · · Global
This paper proposes urban gardens for Colonia Lindavista in Tabasco, Mexico, to demonstrate the benefits of urban agriculture. The project aims to raise awareness and secure institutional support, highlighting the advantages of daily consumption of organic vegetables for health and family economy. This initiative seeks to increase the resilience of the Colonia Lindavista community, which was chosen as a pilot site starting in January 2017.
HealthEconomicsClimate changePeri-urban agricultureECF FARMSYSTEMS: a Circular Economy Business Model Case
2018Alexis Figeac · Repositorio institucional da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (University of Santiago de Compostela) · Global
ECF is a small-to-medium sized enterprise operating an aquaponic urban farm, demonstrating a co-product recovery business model where circularity is retained within its own operations. The aquaponics system enables resource-efficient food delivery on a B2B basis and achieves significant socio-environmental impact by displacing food miles. However, fish feed sustainability challenges need addressing for greater circularity, and aquaponics faces competitiveness issues due to support for traditional farming and planning hurdles in urban communities.
EconomicsOrganic cycleClimate changeHow to grow multifunctionality in food system planning
2018Ari Jokinen, Eveliina Asikainen, Krista Willman · Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University) · Global
This study explored three urban gardening cases related to brownfield regeneration, a city center strategy, and an established urban neighborhood to understand how spatial planning can foster self-organization in local food production. The findings indicate that urban gardening is multifunctional, relies on self-organization, and is valuable for creating local food systems. The study also discusses challenges and opportunities for integrating these findings into spatial planning.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana agroecológica: más de una década de trabajo de Facultad de Agronomía (Udelar) junto a diversos colectivos sociales
2018Beatriz Bellenda, Guillermo A. Galván, Margarita García, Inés Gazzano, V. Gepp, Gabriela Linari, Stella Faroppa · Agrociencia · Uruguay
The Faculty of Agronomy at the University of the Republic in Uruguay has implemented activities since 2002 to promote food production, social organization, and agroecological projects. This study analyzed these efforts over more than a decade using qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, censuses, and surveys. Findings indicated contributions to participant learning, food and nutritional security, healthy food production and consumption, and strengthened collective projects supported by the university.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareProductos agrícolas para implementar huertas caseras en Altos de Cazucá, Soacha
2018German Ricardo Paredes-Guzmán, Pedro Antonio Forero-Palomino · Ciencia y agricultura · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study identified consumption habits to implement home gardens using urban agriculture methods in Altos de Cazucá, Soacha, Colombia, a region affected by forced displacement and malnutrition. Semi-structured interviews with Loma Linda neighborhood residents identified the most consumed agricultural products suitable for home gardens. Peas and carrots were the most accepted and consumed (90% and 86% respectively), while quinoa was the least consumed (8%).
DIYWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceHealthObstacles for school garden program success: Expert consensus to inform policy and practice
2018John Diaz, Laura A. Warner, Sue Webb, Debra M. Barry · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Global
This study used a consensus-driven process to identify central issues impeding the sustained success of school gardens. It outlined practical, logistical, and institutional barriers that need to be addressed to ensure their success in supplementing education.
Governance failureFood educationPolicyCommunityUrban community gardens, commons, and social reproduction: revisiting Silvia Federici’s Revolution at Point Zero
2018Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro · Gender Place & Culture · Global
This study discusses two concerns regarding urban community gardens' political potential, suggesting caution. It notes that the community in urban community gardens can be reactionary and capitalism-friendly, potentially impeding the collectivization of social reproduction if it remains largely women's work. Additionally, urban gardeners, primarily women, people of color, and the elderly, may face exposure to toxic substances and increased care work needs due to health effects.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyHealthEconomicsLearning Environment by the Future Society: Development of School Grounds in Lithuania
2018Liutauras Nekrošius, Indrė Ruseckaitė, Edita Riaubienė · Landscape architecture and art · Lithuania
This paper examines the educational function and development of schoolyards in Lithuania, noting that many have been "Forgotten Spaces" despite their potential for urban gardening and environmental education. The study found that most schools, built in interwar and Soviet periods, do not meet contemporary spatial needs. Since 2014, VGTU's Faculty of Architecture has facilitated discussions and alternative visions for school space changes, engaging youth in co-creation and maintenance of their environment.
Food educationCommunityDifferentWays of Environmental Issue Management by Active Citizens: Case Studies from Hungary
2018Adrienn Reisinger, Katalin Bándy · Managing Global Transitions · Hungary
This paper illustrated how active citizens in Hungary manage environmental issues through participation in local or national programs, using three case studies: a school garden program, the banning of a planned incinerator by local civic organizations in Szentgotthárd, and the citizen-managed litter collection campaign TeSzedd. The results showed that citizens can actively shape environmental issues, but the most important factor is their personal concern about these issues.
Food educationCommunitySustainability of Urban Community Gardens in Gweru -Zimbabwe: The Case of Senga Area
2018Henry Mabika · Research & Reviews: Journal of Social Sciences · Zimbabwe
This paper examines the sustainability of urban community gardens in the Senga area of Gweru, Zimbabwe, which have adopted a participatory approach. Residents are beneficiaries, the council is the landowner, and Care International provides technical and resource assistance. Data was collected through questionnaires from a convenient sample of residents and interviews with management from Care and Gweru city council. The project's sustainability is attributed to employment creation, food security, compatibility with household work, and a ready market for fresh produce.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCo-Creating community gardens on untapped terrain – lessons from a transdisciplinary planning and participation process in the context of municipal housing in Vienna
2018Rita Mayrhofer · Local Environment · Austria
A case study of the Roda-Roda pilot project in Vienna, Austria, demonstrated that community gardening can develop and persist even without favorable conditions for grassroots community gardens. Using an action research approach, an interdisciplinary project team implemented a spatial and socio-economic framework with a top-down approach, providing a stable basis for participatory community-building. This enabled gardeners to gain knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to run a garden and create a well-functioning local community.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsProject vital: Community revitalization industry report
2018Glynis Longhurst · Wintec Research Archive (Waikato Institute of Technology) · Fiji
The ViTAL project in Fiji aims to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by investing in women's health and well-being. This program supports community-based initiatives such as community gardens, healthy cooking classes, and walking groups, with the goal of increasing participation in physical activity and healthy eating across the community.
CommunityHealthWelfareO grupo operativo: horta comunitária na Atenção Básica
2018Jucilena Zeonara Feldmann Dias, Tatiane Feijó, Luiz Felipe Bastos Duarte · · Global
This paper discusses the community garden as a group technique in primary healthcare, emphasizing its role in health promotion and prevention. It highlights known benefits such as direct work with soil, self-realization from planting, and developing gardening skills, which help relieve stress and foster patience. The community garden also serves as a meeting point for sharing experiences, stimulating knowledge, and promoting global education and community organization.
CommunityHealthWelfarePerceived changes in well-being and happiness with gardening in urban organic allotments in Portugal
2018I. Mourão, Matthew Coreia Moreira, Telma C. Almeida, L. M. Brito · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Portugal
This study evaluated the contribution of gardening to happiness and well-being in urban organic allotment gardens at Devesa Park in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal. Sixty-five gardeners completed self-administered questionnaires, revealing that an increased frequency of visits for gardening was positively related to a greater perception of subjective happiness.
HealthCommunityOrganic cycleAssessing agroecosystem sustainability in Cuba: A new agrobiodiversity index
2018Ángel Leyva, A. Lores · Elementa Science of the Anthropocene · Cuba
In Cuba, poorly balanced agrobiodiversity due to sugarcane monocropping has been a main constraint to sustainable agrarian development over the last 50 years. This paper discusses the development of a new Index of Agrobiodiversity (IDA) to assess agroecosystem sustainability, describing its components, development, and efficiency assessment. A practical application measured agroecosystems within Cuba’s urban agriculture movement, suggesting IDA is a valid proposal that requires few resources and generates information through local farmers.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban food production as means towards urban food security and increased urban resilience
2018E. Gunilla, Annika Olsson · · Sweden (Gothenburg)
This chapter focuses on peri-urban food production and provisioning as overlooked aspects of urban sustainability in developed countries. It discusses how agricultural production for urban consumption in peri-urban areas is often abandoned and replaced by urban sprawl and recreational activities. The chapter elaborates on the multiple dimensions of sustainable local food systems as an alternative to globalized systems, including results from a European research project with a case study from a peri-urban region in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeImplementación de una huerta escolar como herramienta estratégica para fomentar la investigación
2018Jose Martinez Carbonell · Cultura Educación y Sociedad · Colombia
A qualitative study involving twelve tenth-grade students and their parents at Jose Dadul Agroecological Technique IED in Colombia implemented a school garden as a research tool. The study found limitations during activity implementation, including lack of interest from parents acting as companions, insufficient space and time, and cessation of academic activities. Despite these constraints, it was possible to increase motivation for both parents and students through research and contemporary strategies.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityUrban Sanctuary: The New Domestic Outdoors
2018Johnson, Anna, Black, Richard · RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) · Oceania
"Urban Sanctuary" showcases contemporary houses in urban Australia and New Zealand that demonstrate inventive ways of integrating outdoor spaces into domestic living. These projects feature various forms of gardens, including vertical gardens, micro-green spaces, rooftop gardens, courtyards, and reworked traditional gardens. The work explores how homes can interact with these diverse garden spaces.
DIYBiodiversityLa huerta escolar: estrategia pedagógica apoyada en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación para el desarrollo de competencias investigativas
2018Vilma Beatriz Tanillama Jiménez · Cultura Educación y Sociedad · Colombia
This article presents results from using a school garden as a pedagogical strategy to improve students' investigative processes at IED Celinda Mejía López in Barroblanco - Magdalena, Colombia. Surveys revealed that a significant percentage of students lacked knowledge of basic school garden elements and research-related aspects.
Food educationCommunityMediterranean urban agriculture
2018Tal Alon‐Mozes, Efrat Eizenberg · · Global
This chapter examines Mediterranean urban agriculture (MUA) through case studies, challenging the traditional division between developed northern and developing southern countries. It argues that MUA is a distinct phenomenon characterized by the transfer of modern agricultural knowledge and policies from developed to developing countries, alongside a northward movement of people, crops, and traditional lifestyles from the south.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageImpacts on the Urban Environment: Land Cover Change Trajectories and Landscape Fragmentation in Post-War Western Area, Sierra Leone
2018Solomon Gbanie, Amy Griffin, Alec Thornton · Remote Sensing · Sierra Leone
This research analyzed land cover change (LCC) dynamics in Sierra Leone's Western Area from 1976 to 2011 using satellite imagery, covering pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict periods. The study found a rapid increase in built-up land and urban/peri-urban agriculture over 35 years. During the war (1976-2000), urban agriculture became a key livelihood for displaced persons, while post-war housing demands further drove land use changes. A significant finding was that landscape fragmentation increased alongside declining forest cover, with built-up areas aggregating.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsSemear para educar: potenciar o empoderamento e a cidadania com um projeto de educação não-formal de adultos
2018A. Silva, Clara Costa Oliveira · RepositóriUM (Universidade do Minho) · Portugal
A community intervention process "Semear para Educar" was implemented with adults, predominantly of Roma ethnicity, within an existing community garden project at a non-governmental institution in northern Portugal. This project utilized participatory action research methodology, aiming to contribute to the integral formation of individuals in this garden and consequently improve their quality of life through non-formal education.
CommunityFood educationDiseño de una herramienta virtual de aprendizaje sobre agricultura urbana: una propuesta de educación ambiental vinculada al programa de Servicio Social Ambiental (SSA) del Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis
2018Galvis Rivera, Andrea Natalia · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This paper proposes the development of a virtual educational tool to promote urban agriculture practices among students participating in the Environmental Social Service (SSA) program at the Bogotá Botanical Garden. The proposal follows a diagnostic instrument to characterize students' prior knowledge of urban agriculture, which has been a focus of Bogotá's development plans since 2004 to ensure food security and promote sustainable agriculture. The Botanical Garden leads environmental education processes with community actors and social service students.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityComparing urban food systems between temperate regions and tropical regions introducing urban agroforestry in temperate climates through the case of Budapest
2018Paloma Gonzalez de Linares · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Hungary (Budapest)
This paper aimed to assess factors contributing to more successful integration of urban agriculture in some cities and to introduce agro-ecology practices in public green spaces and community gardens through landscape assessment and map-based comparison. A key problem identified was the lack of motivation among planners to integrate urban agriculture into urban plans, preventing these green structures from becoming part of the city's landscape and dynamics. The sustainability of food systems was concluded to depend on the city's planning strategy and governance policies.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityClimate changeDiagnóstico de las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria de la población vulnerable del barrio Loma Linda (Altos de Cazucá) y sus estrategias de sostenibilidad
2018Palomino Forero, Pedro António · · Colombia (Soacha)
This project, led by students from Universidad Santo Tomas, focused on urban agriculture development in the Loma Linda neighborhood of Soacha, Colombia, to address food insecurity and malnutrition among displaced populations. It aimed to improve food security conditions through a diagnostic approach and by promoting community participation in urban agriculture. The project demonstrated that households could achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables, foster social networks, and reduce daily expenses, providing a first step towards resolving malnutrition and food insecurity in the community.
WelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity