Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3623 results(94 / 145)
School gardening in Bhutan: Evaluating outcomes and impact
2017Pepijn Schreinemachers, Bal Bdr, Desang Dorji, Hsiao-pu Chen, Thinley Dukpa, Namgay Thinley, Passang Lhamo Sherpa, Ray-Yu Yang · Food Security · Bhutan
A study in Bhutan investigated the combined effect of school gardens, complementary lessons, and promotional activities on the eating behavior and nutritional status of 468 schoolchildren aged 9-15. Data from 9 control and 9 treatment schools using a randomized controlled trial design showed that the intervention significantly increased children's awareness of vegetables, knowledge of sustainable agriculture, and preferences for healthier foods. There was an 11.7-percentage point increase in the probability of children including vegetables in their meals, but no change in the number of different fruits or vegetables consumed.
Food educationHealthCommunityPropuesta de un sistema de aprovechamiento del agua lluvia para agricultura urbana en la terraza de los laboratorios de la ciudadela El Porvenir de la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
2017Quintana Piñeros, Jacqueline Lisette · · Colombia (Bogota)
This proposal is based on studying the climatological behavior of the main Bogota River basin and its vegetation characteristics to identify suitable native species for urban agriculture. It also proposes a rainwater harvesting system design for hard surfaces, specifically the laboratory building terrace at El Porvenir citadel of Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. The system would comprise storage, transport, and filtration systems, culminating in a drip irrigation system.
DIYClimate changeOrganic cycleUrban Agriculture: Search for Agricultural Practice in Urbanized Rural Areas
2017Celile Özçiçek Dölekoğlu, Sema Gün · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Global
Urban agriculture, practiced by 800 million people globally, offers economic, social, and environmental benefits but also carries risks and adverse effects. This study presents developments in urban agriculture in Turkey and worldwide, discussing all aspects of its effects and outcomes.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityClimate changeAssessing the role and effectiveness of kitchen gardening toward food security in Punjab, Pakistan: a case of district Bahawalpur
2017Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Mushahid Anwar, Farrukh Jamal, Fahad Ajmal, Juergen Breuste · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Pakistan
This investigation in Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan, explored the benefits and perceptions of a government-initiated kitchen gardening project. A mobile phone survey found that most growers used seed kits for home consumption, were satisfied with the quality and price, and certified the project's efficiency in providing fresh vegetables. The project was deemed successful and continues to benefit residents and encourage urban agriculture.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthUrban agriculture as one of the ecological applications of the regenerative city
2017د. نوفل جوزيف رزقو, د. خالد عبد الوهاب · Journal of Engineering · Global
This research hypothesizes that urban agriculture, in its various forms, is an essential and integral part of the regenerative city, affecting city planning and requiring its inclusion in city master plans as a new form of land use. The research aims to demonstrate the possibilities of using urban agriculture in its different forms within the urban fabric.
Climate changePolicyCommunityExploring potential community gardens in Thessaloniki
2017Rachel Lee Swanson · Digital WPI · Greece (Thessaloniki)
This project in Thessaloniki, Greece, aimed to understand the impact of community gardens and identify potential new sites, given the city's loss of green space due to urbanization and fiscal crisis. It found significant potential for community gardens but noted a lack of citizen awareness. The study suggests outreach campaigns could engage individuals with their communities by informing them about garden benefits.
CommunityPolicyFood educationSchool Gardens: A Qualitative Study on Implementation Practices
2017Nele Huys, Katrien De Cocker, Marieke De Craemer, Marleen Roesbeke, Greet Cardon, Sara De Lepeleere · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Belgium (Ghent)
In four primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, twelve interviews with 14 key members and five focus groups with 38 children (fifth to sixth grade, 10-13 years old) were conducted to investigate school garden implementation practices and perceptions. School gardens were primarily initiated to involve children in nature, not to improve vegetable consumption. Participants were positive about school gardens but also experienced various barriers, including difficulties with startup, maintenance during summer holidays, and integration into the school curriculum.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealth도시양봉으로 양봉산업의 발전가능성 확보 방안
2017박진 · 한국양봉학회 학술대회 자료집 · Global
This report examines the global rise of urban beekeeping, noting its diverse approaches across countries like the UK, Japan, and Denmark. While South Korea has seen an increase in urban beekeeping since 2012, with government support initiated in 2016, the sector faces significant challenges. Urban beekeeping is still largely viewed as a derivative of conventional beekeeping, and a lack of ordinances or legal frameworks hinders its widespread adoption and recognition of its environmental, social, and economic value.
Governance failureBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityPolicyEconomicsImportancia de los productos agrícolas del grupo hortofrutícola en la alimentación de poblaciones vulnerables
2017Blanca Rosa Restrepo de Peña, José Elvis Sierra Borras, Nubia Esperanza Suárez Suárez · CITAS · Colombia
This descriptive and interpretive study, using Participatory Action Research with 62 randomly sampled families in Loma Linda neighborhood, Soacha, Colombia, investigated urban agriculture's role in addressing food needs and improving family income. The study identified an extremely poor population with an average family income of 252,000 pesos, 49.9% aged 60+, 70% with primary education, and 30% illiteracy. Analysis showed that 50% of basic fruit and vegetable needs could be met through rudimentary but efficient community urban agriculture, leading to the production of family consumption products and commercializable surpluses.
WelfareEconomicsFood educationCommunityWastewater for Urban Agriculture: A Significant Factor in Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance
2017Blaise Pascal Bougnom, Laura J. V. Piddock · Environmental Science & Technology · Global
This global perspective highlights the significant role of wastewater in urban agriculture as a factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Approximately 50-90% of antibiotics are excreted and end up in water ecosystems, particularly in low and middle-income countries with high antibiotic consumption. The aquatic environment acts as a reservoir and channel for the spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance traits.
Contamination & food safetyHealthAssessing How the Ratio of Barley Mash to Wood Chips in Compost Affects Rates of Microbial Processing and Subsequent Vegetable Yield
2017Gaston E. Small, Brendan Sisombath, Lauren Reuss, Russ Henry, Adam D. Kay · Compost Science & Utilization · Global
The study measured the effects of different barley mash to wood chip ratios on nutrient retention in compost and subsequent vegetable yield. Nine compost piles (1 m3) were constructed with varying ratios, and the 50:50 mixture maintained internal temperatures above 55°C for 30 days. When the finished compost was used in raised-bed garden plots, arugula and tomato yields increased with compost barley mash content, but less than 5% of N and 2% of P were recycled into new vegetable production.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYChanging children's eating behaviour - A review of experimental research
2017Patricia DeCosta, Per Møller, Michael Bom Frøst, Annemarie Olsen · Appetite · Global
This review of 120 experimental studies on children's eating behaviors found that controlling strategies for positive change appear counterproductive. Hands-on approaches like gardening and cooking programs may encourage greater vegetable consumption more effectively than nutrition education. Providing children with free, accessible fruits and vegetables was experimentally shown to positively affect long-term eating behavior.
Food educationHealthScreening analysis of toxic metals on specific allotment garden areas in the city of Brno and its surroundings
2017Milan Geršl · · Czech Republic (Brno)
A study in Brno, Czech Republic, assessed toxic metal levels and soil attributes (pH, ORP, conductivity) in specific allotment garden areas using XRF analysis. Four out of eight metals (Cd, Cu, V, and Zn) exceeded legal norms, with cadmium (Cd) being the most hazardous at 12.69 mg/kg against a legal norm of 0.5 mg/kg. Despite high levels, the mobility of these metals was expected to be low given the detected soil attributes.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityLE MARAICHAGE EN MILIEU URBAIN ET PERIURBAIN : CAS DE LA VILLE DE N’DJAMENA AU TCHAD
2017Alhadj Markhous Nazal, Abdelsalam Tidjani, Yassine Doudoua, Abdourahamane Balla · · Chad (N'Djamena)
This study characterized urban and peri-urban market gardening in N'Djamena, Chad, through a focus group with 92 market gardeners on development constraints and individual surveys of 61 producers on techniques. Producers were mostly men (67.21%) with an average age of 35, operating on administrative reserves (34.43%) and private property (65.57%). While holdings were diversified, leafy greens dominated (47% of products), and many problems were identified as obstacles to the sector's development.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsCommunityLa agricultura urbana como modelo solidario de producción una experiencia práctica en Cuba
2017Rolando Peguero Pérez, Gisela María Riquenes Despaigne, Adriana de Santiago Aguilar · Revista Plus Economía · Cuba
This research, conducted with agronomy students in El Caney, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, proposes a model for urban agriculture. The model, based on principles of equality, solidarity, and cooperation, is presented as a viable alternative for a solidarity work economy.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceMonitoring of heavy metal residues in cauliflower and their respective health hazards
2017Muhammad Asif Khan Rai Muhammad Amir · International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) · Pakistan (Faisalabad)
To investigate heavy metal residue levels in cauliflower grown in the peri-urban area of Faisalabad district, Pakistan, 30 cauliflower samples were collected from 10 selected farmers. Analysis revealed variable heavy metal residue levels (nickel, lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, and mercury) in the samples, indicating that the cauliflower was contaminated with multiple heavy metals. This contamination is attributed to the use of untreated sewage water for cultivation, which is the single largest contributor to heavy metal accumulation in cauliflower.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceURBAN AGRICULTURE AS A FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY FOR URBAN DWELLERS: A CASE STUDY OF MKOBA RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF GWERU, ZIMBABWE
2017Nyasha Chaminuka, Ernest Dube · PEOPLE International Journal of Social Sciences · Zimbabwe
This qualitative study, involving 26 participants in Mkoba suburb, Gweru, Zimbabwe, analyzed urban agriculture as a food security strategy. It found that urban agriculture's growth is driven by population growth, poverty, high food prices, and unemployment, and it promotes food security, employment, and savings. However, existing legal frameworks, including the Urban Councils Act and Regional Town Planning Act, do not support but rather impede urban agriculture, alongside challenges like lack of supportive legislation, government support, and funding.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityRecent Advances in Modelling and Implementation of Rainwater Harvesting Systems towards Sustainable Development
2017Ataur Rahman · Water · Global
This paper provides an overview of a special issue on rainwater harvesting (RWH), which has gained renewed attention as a sustainable development tool since the 1970s. The issue covers various aspects of RWH, including quantity, quality, economics, and state regulations, as well as its suitability to local conditions. Topics explored in the selected papers include regionalization of design curves, spatial technology, urban agriculture, arid-region water supply, multi-criteria analysis, and artificial neural networks.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageAgricultura urbana: um olhar a partir da agroecologia e da agricultura orgânica
2017Mariana Barbosa de Souza, Ana Claudia Guske · COLÓQUIO - Revista do Desenvolvimento Regional · Global
This study aimed to discuss the concept of urban agriculture from the perspectives of agroecology and organic agriculture. A theoretical review of key concepts such as urban and peri-urban agriculture, agroecology, and organic agriculture, along with an exploratory study, were conducted. Through a bibliographic and documentary survey, the research explored the possibility of urban agriculture, when associated with agroecology and organic agriculture, contributing to regional development.
Organic cycleClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCommunity gardens as urban social-ecological refuges in the Global North.
2017J. Chan, Bryce DuBois, Kristine T. Nemec, Charles Francis, Kyle D. Hoagland · CABI eBooks · Global
This chapter examines community gardens in three distinct urban locations in the Global North through the lens of social-ecological resilience. Case studies focus on Vienna, Austria; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; and New York City post-Hurricane Sandy. These community gardens support vital social-ecological functions, ranging from generating local ecosystem services to cultivating community empowerment and bolstering food sovereignty, reflecting their local contexts.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDivorcing food and agriculture: towards an agenda for urban food security research
2017Bruce Frayne, Jonathan Crush, Cameron McCordic · · Global
Building on research from Harare's urban food system, David W. Smith proposed a global agenda for urban food security research in 1998. He noted that many national food security plans inadequately address urban food systems by focusing almost exclusively on smallholder agriculture, and that coordinated policy reviews are overdue. Smith emphasized the need to examine individual and household food insecurity in cities and questioned the role of urban agriculture in mitigating it.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAdditional file 3: of Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK): An innovative community supported agriculture intervention to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies
2017Rebecca Seguin, Emily Morgan, Karla Hanson, Alice Ammerman, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Florence Becot, Leah Connor, Jennifer Garner, Jared McGuirt · Figshare · Global
This document compiles publication, presentation, and dissemination guidelines for an innovative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) cost-offset intervention aimed at preventing childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthening local agricultural economies.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsWelfare“The Lucky country”? A critical exploration of community gardens and city–community relations in Australian cities
2017Alec Thornton · Local Environment · Australia
This study, based on Australian city case studies, explored community gardeners' views and engagement in community gardens. Findings revealed that community gardeners identified local councils as barriers to the emergence of community gardens and other forms of urban agriculture. Unlike other Western cities, effective city–community relations for community garden growth have not yet emerged in Australian cities.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Agriculture and the Use of ICTS in Accessing and Disseminating Livestock Husbandry Information in Urban Areas of Tanzania. A Review of Related Literature.
2017Consolata Angello · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · Tanzania
This literature review summarizes research on urban agriculture and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for accessing and disseminating livestock husbandry information in urban Tanzania. It examines urban agricultural practices, challenges of urban livestock keeping, and solutions, discussing ICT integration in agriculture globally, in Africa, and specifically in Tanzania. The review identifies gaps in the literature regarding urban livestock keepers' information needs and ICT use challenges.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkageManaging Urban Soils for Food Production
2017Klaus Lorenz · · Global
This chapter provides an outlook on how soil-based agriculture for growing food crops in urban areas can be strengthened. Credible assessments of the importance and extent of urban agriculture (UA) are challenging due to numerous and disparate definitions of UA. UA offers many benefits, particularly contributing to urban food security in high-income countries by providing fruits and vegetables. Urban soil properties differentiate the type and value of food produced, but urban soil quality can be improved for crop production.
CommunityHealthEconomicsClimate change