Beyond Productivity

Considering the Health, Social Value and Happiness of Home and Community Food Gardens

Bibliographic Data

ID13112795
AuthorsGeorgia Pollard (University of South Australia, corresponding author), Philip Roetman (University of South Australia), J Ward (0000-0002-2892-4542, University of South Australia), Belinda Chiera (0000-0001-9274-0943, University of South Australia), Evangeline Mantzioris (0000-0002-1480-9869, University of South Australia)
Year2018
Volume2
Issue4
Pages97-97
Publication date2018-09-20
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/urbansci2040097
OpenAlexW2892332153
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited30

We are living in an age of concern for mental health and wellbeing. The objective of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the perceived health, social value and happiness benefits of urban agriculture (UA) by focusing on home and community food gardens in South Australia. The results reported in this paper are from “Edible Gardens”, a citizen science project designed to investigate the social value, productivity and resource efficiency of UA in South Australia. Methods include an online survey and in-field garden data collection. Key findings include: dominant home gardener motivations were the produce, enjoyment, and health, while dominant community gardener motivations were enjoyment, connection to others and the produce. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four key factors: Tranquillity and Timeout, Develop and Learn Skills, the Produce, and Social Connection. The key difference between home and community gardeners was an overall social connection. Although home gardeners did not appear to actively value or desire inter-household social connection, this does not mean they do not value or participate in other avenues of social connection, such as via social learning sources or by sharing food with others. The combined results from this research regarding health and wellbeing, social connection and happiness support the premise that engagement in home or community food gardening may provide a preventative or supportive role for gardener health and wellbeing, regardless of whether it is a conscious motivation for participation

Business · Happiness · Political science · Public relations · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Timeout · Value (mathematics · Engineering · Organic Food and Agriculture · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability · Urban Green Space and Health · Marketing

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Open DOIOpen Access