Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
47 results(1 / 2)
Intersectando a agricultura urbana, o meio ambiente e a educação:
2026Rogers Hansine, Christine Bonnin, Inês Raimundo, Madal Artur, Cândida Bila · Revista Tamoios · Mozambique
The SYNERGI project, implemented from March 2023 to September 2025, aimed to promote urban community involvement in co-creating Socially Inclusive Edible Urban Green Infrastructure (IVUCs) in Maputo and Xai-Xai, Mozambique. The project successfully established IVUCs in six selected schools, increasing food production and educational opportunities. The project highlights the need for better institutional frameworks to support green infrastructure development.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationBiodiversityPolicyVertical gardening undergirds household food security: evidence from Nairobi's Kibera informal settlements
2025Otieno J.A., Omia D.O., Amwata D.A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · East Africa (Kenya)
Evidence-based study demonstrating how vertical gardening (particularly sack farming) in Kibera's informal settlements underpins household food security. Shows how stacking soil-filled sacks vertically enables vegetable production in space-constrained environments, serving as a solution to chronic hunger.
CommunityFood educationFood lossOrganic cycleExploring compost production potential and its economic benefits and greenhouse gas mitigation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2025Shimelis G., Kim D., Yimer F., Tadesse M. · Science of The Total Environment · Africa (Ethiopia)
2025 study estimating compost production potential from municipal organic waste and human excreta in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with projections through 2050. Quantifies economic benefits (compost sales, fertilizer cost reduction), soil carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas mitigation. Demonstrates feasibility of organic waste-to-compost systems for urban agriculture in African cities.
CompostOrganic cycleFood educationPolicyGreening African Cities for Sustainability: A Systematic Review of Urban Gardening's Role in Biodiversity and Socio-Economic Resilience
2025African Urban Gardening Research Network · National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI/PMC) · Sub-Saharan Africa
Systematic review of 47 peer-reviewed studies across sub-Saharan Africa (2000–2025) showing urban gardens support ecological functions including pollination, soil fertility, and microclimate regulation.
BiodiversityCommunityWelfareFood educationDeterminants of urban agriculture and green infrastructure integration in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia
2025Ermias Debie, Demsew Mengistie · Discover Sustainability · Ethiopia
This study investigated the determinants of Urban Agriculture (UA) and Green Infrastructure (GI) integration in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected through surveys and analyzed using binary and ordinal logistic regression models. Findings revealed that a lack of awareness and lower education levels, such as no formal and primary education, significantly hinder the integration of UA and GI practices. Conversely, larger residential spaces and household sizes positively influence integration levels, with each additional household member increasing the score by 0.236 units for consumption needs, and each unit increase in residential site size raising the score by 0.004 units due to space availability.
CommunityPolicyFood educationGrowing together: unveiling the potential of school-based community gardens to foster well-being, empowerment, and sustainability
2025Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Transformations · South Africa (Cape Town)
This qualitative study investigated 13 school-based community gardens in low-income townships on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using semi-structured interviews. It found that while these gardens can enhance food security, nutrition, and community development, most urban community gardens in South Africa face significant challenges related to land tenure rights, often requiring negotiation for school land use. The research highlights both the advantages and the challenges of utilizing school land for community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationHealthPolicyThe Impact of Agricultural Extension Agents on Urban Gardening Practices in Confined Spaces and Focusing on Vegetable Crop Cultivation in Growth Media in Delta State, Nigeria
2025M. Elusaiwe, K. Atusa, Kanya Hilary · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Nigeria
This study investigated the efficiency of agricultural extension agents in promoting urban gardening among 250 respondents in 10 urban areas across two local government areas in Delta State, Nigeria. Findings revealed that most urban farmers, predominantly female civil servants, married women, or widows, were not visited by extension agents, nor were they encouraged to use growth media or form agricultural societies.
Governance failureWelfareCommunityFood educationDIYUrban Household Food Security and Coping Strategies Adopted Under Rising Food Prices in Osun State, Nigeria
2025Abiola Adebunmi Olarinre · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Nigeria
This research surveyed 240 households in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, and Ilesa cities in Osun State, Nigeria, to analyze urban household food security and coping mechanisms. Findings showed that only 17.9% of households achieved food security, with 39.6% experiencing moderate and 16.3% severe food insecurity. Household income, education, household size, credit access, and food expenditure share significantly influenced food security.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareFood educationSCHOOL GARDEN IN THE SUBJECT OF GEOGRAPHY FOR STUDENTS OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 29 OF MAXIXE
2024Teófilo Etelvino do Amaral, Carlitos Luís Sitoie · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Mozambique (Maxixe)
A school garden project was implemented at Escola Secundaria 29 de Setembro da Maxixe in Mozambique, integrating it into the geography curriculum. Research found that geography teachers only taught theoretical content, lacked practical understanding of the geographical relationship with local agricultural production, and did not value food from home gardens. Students and their parents also had no knowledge of vegetable gardens and preferred processed foods, which exacerbated hunger when they lacked money. The school garden was suggested as a means to produce healthy food and generate family income.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthAdolescent Students’ Nutritional Knowledge in Boarding Schools and Strategies for Improving their Nutritional Status
2023Adedoyin Osasona Foluso · International Journal of Home Economics Hospitality and Allied Research · Nigeria (Ekiti State)
Adolescent students' nutritional knowledge and strategies for improving their nutritional status were investigated in boarding schools in the Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. A questionnaire was used with 80 boarding house students from three government and private colleges. Findings revealed that a good percentage of boarding school students possessed good nutritional knowledge.
Food educationHealthAssessment of Nutrition Intervention Impact on Children in Machakos, Kenya by Deuterium Dilution Isotope Method
2023John Wakhanu · International journal of food science and agriculture · Kenya (Machakos)
This study assessed the impact of a nutrition intervention using African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILVs) grown in school gardens in Machakos County, Kenya, on body composition changes in school-going children (6-10 years) using the Deuterium Dilution Isotope Method (DDIM). An experimental cross-over design with two phases (Phase I: 13 weeks, Phase II: 12 weeks) was used, with 66 children in the experimental group and 46 in the control group in Phase I. Findings indicated high morbidity and low nutritional status, poverty, and poor AILV consumption among subjects, but DDIM showed a significant improvement in body composition in experimental groups (p<0.001).
Food educationHealthCommunityOn-farm diversity, use pattern, and conservation of enset (Ensete ventricosum) genetic resources in southern Ethiopia
2022Dilebo T., Feyissa T., Asfaw Z., Zewdu A. · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 18:74 · Ethiopia
An ethnobotanical survey of 240 households across four zones of southern Ethiopia documenting on-farm landrace diversity, use patterns and farmer conservation of the staple crop enset.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityFood educationCommunityOpen doors - The Department of Visual Arts goes beyond education
2021Sinead Page · · South Africa (Pretoria)
The Department of Visual Arts at the University of Pretoria aims to produce entrepreneurs in the arts, not just artists. In 2020, the first BA Fine Arts group volunteered at Moja Gabedi, a community garden in Hatfield, Pretoria. This initiative, in affiliation with Reliable House, offers a vibrant space for multi-disciplinary service-learning.
CommunityFood educationSustainable Social Entrepreneurship Models for Urban Agribusiness Initiatives in Johannesburg
2021Michael Rudolph, Madimetja Antony Mello, Evans Muchesa · Journal of food security · South Africa (Johannesburg)
This study aimed to develop a sustainable social entrepreneurship model for urban farming initiatives in Johannesburg. Through a literature review and qualitative interviews with experts, findings highlighted several important challenges that limited urban smallholder farmers' ability to ensure the financial viability and sustainability of their farming initiatives. These challenges included limited accessibility to farming land, markets, funding, and knowledge regarding setting up and managing small agri-businesses.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPolicyFood educationFrom the researched to co-researchers: including excluded participants in community-led research on urban agriculture in Cape Town
2021Nicole Paganini, Silke Stöber · The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension · South Africa (Cape Town)
This long-term study in Cape Town, South Africa, developed and employed a co-research approach with urban farmers, using mixed methods including focus groups, farming diaries, and surveys. Participants perceived the research process itself as more important than the results, as they developed agency for change. The mutually developed results were used by co-researchers to establish a representative body advocating for small-scale farmers' needs.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationOutdoor living wall systems in a developing economy: A prospect for supplementary urban food production?
2021Karen Botes, Christina Breed · Acta Structilia · South Africa
This article reviewed three edible living wall case studies in Gauteng, South Africa, focusing on system resilience, economic feasibility, and edible plant possibilities. Interviews were conducted with clients, contractors, and designers. Findings suggested indirect commercial value through customer experience and educational value, but indicated that economic feasibility and resilience need enhancement for improved urban food production.
Economic viabilityDIYEconomicsClimate changeFood educationASSESSMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHOOL FOOD GARDENS: A CASE OF CHRIS HANI DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA
2020Harry Kasumba, M. Mashologu, Patrick W Bwowe · · South Africa
An investigation into the sustainability of school food gardens in Chris Hani District, South Africa, used a mixed-methods approach with a purposive sample of six schools. Findings revealed significant bottlenecks hindering sustainability, specifically inadequate funding and a lack of proper planning for school food gardening activities.
Governance failureFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyImpact of school garden on dietary diversity and micronutrient level of pre-school children in Makueni County –Kenya
2020Crippina Lubeka, Judith Kimiywe, Hudson Nyambaka · Research Journal of Food Science and Nutrition · Kenya (Makueni County)
This study assessed the effect of school garden interventions on improving serum zinc, iron, and retinol levels, and diet diversity, among pre-school children in Mulala ward, Makueni County, Kenya. A quasi-experimental design was adopted with 63 children, where intervention early childhood centers provided vegetables and animal proteins from school gardens for six months. Post-intervention, a significant difference was found in the mean dietary diversity score between the intervention and control groups, and a significant positive correlation was observed between serum hemoglobin, retinol, zinc levels, and dietary diversity in the intervention population.
Food educationHealthNutraceutical Uses of Traditional Leafy Vegetables and Transmission of Local Knowledge from Parents to Children in Southern Benin
2019Akakpo D. B., Achigan-Dako E. G. · Agronomy · Benin
Interviews with 360 respondents across three southern Benin villages on three traditional leafy vegetables, analyzing how use and knowledge transmission from parents to children vary by generation, gender, and village.
Heirloom & landraceFood educationCommunityHealthRole of Urban Agriculture in Improving Household Income and Dietary Diversity: The Case of Bure and Finoteselam Towns, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia
2019Zebenay Shitaye · Developing Country Studies · Ethiopia
This study investigated the role of Urban Agriculture (UA) in improving household income and dietary diversity in Bure and Finoteselam Towns, Ethiopia. A survey was conducted with 242 respondents from two Kebeles, selected based on their UA potential and existing training, and data were analyzed using SPSS. Major reasons for UA engagement included earning additional income (57.6%) and employment opportunities (18.5%). UA significantly enhanced dietary diversity for practitioners, particularly in the consumption of tuber roots, vegetables, fruits, eggs, legumes, and milk. However, constraints included inadequate extension support and training, shortages and high costs of inputs, inconvenient working places, lower product prices, transportation problems, and price manipulation by middlemen.
EconomicsHealthFood educationCommunityConsumption of African Indigenous Vegetables Improves Children’s body Fat Free Mass in Machakos County, Kenya
2019John Wakhanu, Hudson Nyambaka, Judith Kimiywe, Mildred Nawiri, Wilson Thagana · Journal of Food Science and Engineering · Kenya (Machakos County)
This study in Kangundo and Kilalani primary schools, Machakos County, Kenya, investigated the impact of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILVs) on children aged 6-10 years (N=66 in Kangundo, N=46 in Kilalani). Over two phases (13 and 12 weeks), an experimental group consumed AILVs from school gardens, while a control group did not. Endline analysis showed that the experimental group had significantly higher (p < 0.001) % Fat Free Mass, mean serum iron, and zinc levels compared to the control group.
HealthFood educationCommunityEffect of youth engagement in vegetable farming on household well-being in Kakamega Town, Kenya
2018A. B. Juma Edwin, Omondi Paul, W. Kareri Raphael · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Kenya (Kakamega Town)
This study collected data from 159 urban youth farmers in Kakamega Town, Kenya, to investigate the effect of youth engagement in vegetable production on household well-being. A significant association was found between time spent on the farm and the size of the vegetable plot, with 90.5% of respondents reporting they would continue vegetable production. 34.0% reported vegetable production was 'more than adequate' and 28.9% 'adequate', and urban farming was found to contribute to the greening of the city.
CommunityWelfareFood educationEconomicsApplication of Agricultural Extension Principles to Information Dissemination among Extension Workers in Delta State, Nigeria: Implications for Urban Agriculture
2017D. U. Okoedo-Okojie, C.O. Edeoghon · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Nigeria
This study in Delta State, Nigeria, surveyed 120 extension workers from two research institutes. It found that only farm visits were regularly used for information dissemination, and extension principles focused on farmer needs and problem-solving were commonly practiced. Age, education, and rank significantly influenced the frequency of applying these principles.
Food educationCommunityPolicyLeafy amaranthus consumption patterns in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2016niversity Ouaga I Prof Joseph KI-ZERBO, Burkina Faso, Adama Hilou, Issaka Ouédraogo, PAED Sombié, Samson Guenné, Dramane Paré, Mariguetou Compaore · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Africa
A field survey in the Ouagadougou region of Burkina Faso examined the socio-economic, food consumption, and conservation aspects of leafy vegetables, specifically amaranth species. Leafy vegetables are cultivated under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions in villages and city gardens, with amaranth species being the most cultivated and marketed, showing potential for commercialization. Ninety-four percent of interviewed people use leafy amaranth in sauce, and there is a growing trend to use introduced amaranth species, which poses a threat to biodiversity.
Food educationHealthEconomicsFood, aid, and education in East Africa: repackaging the conversation
2016Amy Stambach · Cambridge Journal of Education · Africa
This paper examines students' food perspectives across three East African contexts: a university in Kigali, Rwanda; a school garden and canteen in Nairobi, Kenya; and a fast-food restaurant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It contrasts these perspectives with the work of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in these countries. The study suggests that WFP could engage with food more complexly by building upon students' existing astute and complex food perspectives.
Food educationWelfareCommunity