Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1821 results(1 / 73)
川崎市農業振興計画（案）〔概要版〕
2026川崎市 · 川崎市 農業振興計画 · Japan
Draft outline of Kawasaki's agricultural promotion plan showing over 120,000 sqm of citizen farms, Farmers Club experiences and local-food promotion via "Kawasaki Sodachi" through municipality-JA collaboration.
PolicyCommunityFood educationEconomicsDeveloping a Success Index for Urban Agriculture Implementation to Strengthen Food Security in Egypt
2026Ashraf M., Hussain H.R. · Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs · Egypt
Develops a success index for urban agriculture in Egypt, identifying distinct success factors for commercial farms (location, capital, licensing) versus household gardens (knowledge, community support). Concludes urban farming complements conventional agriculture by activating underused urban spaces, reducing food miles, and creating micro-enterprise opportunities.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsPolicyEducational sources and resource accessibility are drivers of pollinator management in urban farming systems
2026Jennifer Roedel, Karma Thomas, Zsofia Szendrei · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States
This study surveyed 74 urban growers to evaluate how grower and farm characteristics influence the implementation of eight common pollinator management strategies and overall farm crop richness. It found that demographic variables had no impact; instead, growers' decisions were shaped most by their sources of educational information and by resource use and accessibility, with online materials appearing more effective than hard-copy formats. The authors conclude that more accessible educational resources are needed for these historically underserved urban growers.
PollinatorsFood educationBiodiversityEmploying a Community-Involved Process to Incorporate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education into Community-Supported Agriculture Sites
2026Bree Bode, Sarah Mott, Jacob M. Cutler, Marci Scott · Health Promotion Practice · United States (Michigan)
In Michigan, this project used a community-involved process—listening sessions, brainstorming, and shopper surveys—to build SNAP-Ed nutrition education for community-supported agriculture (CSA) sites that accept SNAP benefits. Key lessons were that educators need autonomy to tailor activities to their local context and that strong relationships between nutrition educators and CSA staff are essential. These lessons informed a resource called the CSA Food Navigator Playbook.
WelfareFood educationCommunityUnderstanding Pollination in Urban Food Production: The Importance of Data Validation and Participant Feedback for Citizen Science Project Design
2026Nicholls · Plants, People, Planet · Global
Addresses knowledge gaps in pollination needs for urban farming by developing citizen science methodology for monitoring plant-pollinator interactions. Found similarities between grower-collected and professional researcher data on most/least attractive crops to pollinators, but identified significant discrepancies highlighting limitations of grower-only data collection.
PollinatorsFood educationCommunityA decision-analysis framework for school garden investments in Vietnam: evaluating trade-offs for nutrition, biodiversity, and economic outcomes
2026Cory Whitney, Thi Thu Giang Luu, Johannes Kopton, Eike Luedeling · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Vietnam
This study developed a decision analysis framework to optimize school garden interventions in Vietnamese public and private schools, evaluating their effects on child health, biodiversity, and economic outcomes across five investment scenarios. Results show that passive gardens consistently offer greater biodiversity and health benefits, whereas STEM gardens encounter financial and operational barriers, especially in public schools. The findings highlight significant financial constraints in public schools compared to private ones, revealing critical trade-offs among economic, biodiversity, and health outcomes.
Economic viabilityFood educationHealthBiodiversityEconomicsOptimalisasi Pemanfaatan Ecoenzym dalam Budidaya Hortikultura Urban Farming Untuk Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan Keluarga pada KWT Kota Pala Desa Dauh Peken Tabanan
2026Pratiwi Pratiwi, Pradnya Dewi, Ananda Wiguna, Wahyu Utami, Sintya Dewi, Pasaribu Pasaribu, Galih Cahayaningsih · Cakrawala Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Global · Indonesia
A community service program in May 2026 involved 20 members of the Kota Pala Women Farmers Group in Dauh Peken Village, Tabanan Regency, Indonesia. The program aimed to improve their capacity to utilize eco-enzyme in horticultural cultivation, as previous utilization was suboptimal due to limited knowledge. Participants' knowledge of eco-enzyme use increased from 52.50% to 88.00%, and application skills improved from 41.30% to 86.50%, with a 90.00% technology adoption success rate on 60 demonstration plants.
CommunityDIYOrganic cycleFood educationNIÑEZ, DIVERSIDAD FUNCIONAL Y AGROECOLOGÍA: APRENDIZAJES EN UN HUERTO URBANO INCLUSIVO DE CHILE
2026Josué Martínez-Lagos, Homero Barría Ojeda, Gabriel Peña Peña · · Chile
This study documented an agroecological urban gardening intervention at the Teletón Institute in Puerto Montt, Chile, focusing on children with functional diversity. An inclusive urban garden and workshop program integrated educational and therapeutic processes. Results showed that 71% of participants identified at least ten vegetable species, 64% understood their life cycles, 79% progressed in functional and autonomy dimensions, and 93% perceived the garden as promoting well-being.
Food educationHealthCommunityWelfarePositive Youth Development and Connection with Nature through Urban Agriculture
2026Casey T Ortbahn, Marijke Hecht, Kristi S. Lekies · Journal of Youth Development · Global
This qualitative study used photovoice to explore 16 high school youths' perceptions of a youth gardening program's impact on their confidence, connection, and sense of belonging. Thematic analysis of photos, posters, and interviews identified meaningful relationships with peers, adults, nature, and more-than-human beings as supporting factors. The analysis suggests nature is a crucial context for youth development and that youth can form meaningful relationships with more-than-human beings.
Food educationCommunityHealthSoldiers of the Soil: Subsistence
2026Emmanuel Destenay · Cambridge University Press eBooks · United States
In February 1918, the US Bureau of Education established the United States School Garden Army, an initiative that encouraged children nationwide to engage in local gardening. This program aimed to increase domestic food production, allowing the US to supply food to its allies and other dependent nations. Children participating in the program contributed to food production as unpaid labor, while also learning self-reliance, dietary moderation, and the concept of sacrifice.
Food educationCommunityWelfareACTIVITIES OF AGRICULTURAL LABOR SQUADS OF PUPILS IN THE PSKOV PROVINCE IN 1915-1916 (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF THE REGIONAL PERIODICAL PRESS)
2026V.V. KARPOVA · History of Everyday Life · Russia
This study, based on regional periodical press, traces the activities of pupil labor squads in Pskov province during 1915-1916, which provided charitable assistance to peasant families during World War I. Field squads had limited reach due to small numbers and insufficient funding, but gardening squads organized in 1916 gained popularity, cultivating public and school gardens to increase vegetable production for hospitals.
Food educationCommunityWelfareMembangun Masyarakat Sehat Dan Lingkungan Bersih: Pelaksanaan Kkn Tematik Universitas Dehasen Periode 6 Di Kelurahan Betungan Rt 28 Rw 02
2026Jeki Putra Jaya, Sari Putri Dewi, Cici Hidayatullah, Anwar Fuadi Lubis, Triyogi Prabowo, Ferawati Royani, Feby Elra Perdima, Asnawati Asnawati · Jurnal Karya Nyata Pengabdian · Indonesia
A community service program in RT 28 RW 02 Betungan Subdistrict and Sumber Jaya Betungan, Indonesia, addressed issues of limited green spaces, low waste management awareness, and lack of health activities. Solutions included planting medicinal plants, group exercise, providing waste bins, establishing reading corners, and developing a community garden. The program resulted in increased public awareness of environmental cleanliness and healthy lifestyles, improved literacy access, and stronger community participation.
CommunityHealthFood educationBiodiversityTerritorializing food systems through pedagogical broadening: the case of Voll Farm
2026Beste Sabir, Heidi Vinge, Adam Calo · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Norway (Trondheim)
This paper examines how Voll Farm, a municipally supported green urban competence center in Trondheim, Norway, adopted pedagogical broadening strategies to operationalize territorialized food policies. Based on 18 months of qualitative fieldwork, the findings indicate that multifunctional farms can facilitate knowledge exchange and praxis-based learning between grassroots initiatives and policy landscapes, fostering civic empowerment and system awareness. Voll Farm's practices, such as community-supported agriculture and school gardening, make sustainable food production visible and inform municipal urban agriculture strategies.
Food educationPolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBuilding Capacity for Food Justice: The Multifaceted Benefits of an Urban Home Gardening Intervention
2026Taylor Swenski, Jocelyn Smith Carter, Marjorie Kersten, Elizabeth Berkeley, K. Varner, Howard Rosing · Ecology of Food and Nutrition · United States (Chicago)
The "Grow Your Groceries Home Garden" intervention program, implemented in Chicago, United States in 2022, aimed to improve food access in food-insecure communities. A longitudinal investigation over two annual cycles surveyed 46 participants, complemented by focus groups with 9 participants, to evaluate food access, cost savings, health, and socioemotional outcomes. While results on improved gardening confidence over time emerged non-significant, participants reported increased food access, cost savings, healthier eating, stress reduction, and strengthened relational bonds.
Limited or null effectHealthWelfareCommunityFood educationPengembangan Urban Farming Komunal sebagai Strategi Ketahanan Pangan di Kawasan Metropolitan Surabaya (Lokasi: RW 02 Kelurahan Jepara, Kecamatan Bubutan, Kota Surabaya, Jawa Timur)
2026Shafira Aulia Rosyida Irawan, Anoraga Jatayu, Khanaya Fairuz Shiba, Alyssa Lola Eldiana, Gerriscka Rivandani Putri, Anastasya Fitri Violeta, Indira Ariq Hutomo, M. Aditya Rahman, Alya Shoraya Maharani · Sewagati · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This community service program in RW 02 Jepara Village, Surabaya, Indonesia, addressed limited green space and high food dependency by developing communal urban farming. Through participatory approaches including FGDs, limited-land cultivation training, and educational activities for children, the program utilized yards and narrow spaces with polybags for food crops. It demonstrated the effectiveness of using non-productive spaces, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and mitigating negative urbanization impacts.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationSchool gardens as socio-ecological learning systems: supporting adolescent food security and resilience
2026L. Lue, K. Reis, H. Kanasa, S. Rutherford, C. Desha · Environmental Education Research · Global
A review of 22 studies (2001-2024) across six countries, primarily the US and Canada, examined how high school garden programs support adolescent food security and resilience. Findings indicated contributions across multiple socio-ecological levels, but uneven implementation significantly constrained their overall impact. Specifically, opportunities for shared decision-making were limited, and short-term, inconsistent support for policy, funding, and governance structures restricted long-term effectiveness.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceTOMAT in advance
2026Nele Buyst · Environmental Philosophy · Global
This article conceptually analyzes TOMAT, a community garden project organized by an educational institution, arguing for it as an "infrastructure of reciprocity." It focuses on how TOMAT enacts the (eco)feminist concept of "interdependency" and challenges the dominant relation to land as property, replacing it with a relation of belonging.
CommunityFood educationPolicyUrban Food Security: Instalasi Bottle Aquaponics untuk Mewujudkan Ketahanan Pangan Berkelanjutan
2026Anang Kistyanto, Febrika Yogie Hermanto, Amirusholihin Amirusholihin, Muhammad Fajar Wahyudi Rahman, Restu Eri Adinata · SEMANGGI Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Global
This study empirically demonstrated an integrative model combining low-cost bottle aquaponics, experiential learning, and educational tourism (eduwisata) as a community-based diffusion platform. Findings revealed that simple, highly replicable systems significantly enhanced food literacy, technical capability, and adoption intention, while eduwisata accelerated diffusion beyond initial participants.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureThe role of school gardens in supporting teachers’ psychological well-being and landscape development in special education schools: A systematic literature review
2026Anqi Liu, Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunos, Shureen Faris Abdul Shukor, Mohd Sallehudin Mat Noor · International Journal of Asian Social Science · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 33 studies published between 2005 and 2025 in English and Chinese, synthesizing findings on psychological stress sources for special education teachers, the functions and restorative value of school gardens, and research progress on landscapes in special education schools. Primary stress sources for special education teachers included emotional labor, behavioral management, parental communication, and role ambiguity. School gardens were found to have educational, restorative, and therapeutic functions that foster experiential learning, reduce stress, and strengthen teacher-student relationships. However, validated frameworks for restorative design in special education campuses are still lacking.
HealthFood educationSCHOOL GARDEN IN MOCAJUBA BASED ON STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES AND THE WORK OF PIBID
2026Maria Eduarda Costa Maia, Nathalia Gomes Corrêa, Eder Everton Caldas de Oliveira, Waldenira Mercedes Pereira Torres · Aracê. · Brazil
This article reports on the creation and implementation of a school garden at Dep. Abel Figueiredo Municipal Elementary School in Mocajuba, Pará, Brazil. The project, initiated based on student demands identified through a documentary, involved 9th-grade students, PIBID scholarship recipients, and the school community. The school garden fostered practical learning, student leadership, collaborative work, and improved school meals, with strategies for sustainability including maintenance schedules and irrigation systems.
Food educationCommunityHealthBiodiversityFood sharing in Freiburg
2026Jennifer Lyons, Anna Davies · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Germany (Freiburg)
This report, part of the CULTIVATE project, assesses the sustainability impacts of Food Sharing Initiatives (FSIs) in Freiburg. It combines insights from CULTIVATE's Food Sharing Map with sustainability impact assessment (SIA) data submitted by FSIs, estimating impacts across environmental, economic, and social pillars. The report notes that the presented indicators are a subset of total impacts and estimations will become more accurate as more FSIs submit SIA data.
CommunityFood educationFood lossEconomicsPrefigurative politics
2026Emma Paisley · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter explores prefigurative politics as a transformative framework in food studies, focusing on enacting future societal values in present-day activism and pedagogy. It examines how grassroots initiatives like agroecology, food sovereignty, and community supported agriculture embody principles of equity, sustainability, and cooperation, challenging dominant capitalist food systems.
Food sovereignty & justiceCSA & TeikeiPolicyFood educationDiversity of Herbs
2026Dorothee Benkowitz · International explorations in outdoor and environmental education · Global
Herbs have historically provided medicinal, culinary, and cosmetic benefits, and their diversity offers insights into biological and ecological principles. Modern diets and disconnection from local agriculture have led to a decline in herbal knowledge. Cultivating herbs in school gardens promotes sustainability awareness, hands-on learning, and an appreciation for plant diversity.
Food educationBiodiversityDIYHow Local Governments Link Green Economy and Eco-Edu Tourism?
2026Joli Apriansyah, Evi Satispi, Mawar Mawar, Kurniasih Mufidayati, Lusi Andriyani · Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora · Indonesia (South Jakarta)
In Kelurahan Cikoko, South Jakarta, a qualitative case study investigated how eco-edu tourism operationalizes the green economy agenda along the Ciliwung River. The initiative transformed neglected riverbanks into public eco-edu spaces with urban farming plots and environmental programs, strengthening community participation and generating micro-economic benefits. Identified constraints included coordination burdens, limited financing, and vulnerability to shifting political priorities.
CommunityFood educationPolicyOrganic cycleـ- SUSTAINABLE FEATURES IN EDUCATION: Ecological Retrofitting Of Existing Campuses
2026Manal Emhemed Mu Chalgham, Halil Semih Eryıldız · Al-Farooq Journal of Sciences · Turkey (Istanbul)
This case study focuses on Okan University's Tuzla Campus in Istanbul, which already has sustainable features. The research proposes ecological retrofitting measures like edible landscaping, rainwater harvesting, and waste management to improve environmental performance and create an interactive learning environment. Analysis revealed major weaknesses in underutilized green spaces, inefficient natural ventilation, and lacking water/waste management systems, which the proposed retrofits aim to address.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycle