Understanding Food Literacy in Urban Gardeners: A Case Study of the Twin Cities, Minnesota

Abstract

Substantial urbanization has allowed individuals to become increasingly spatially and psychologically distanced from the food system and agricultural practices. Food literacy (FL) has been described as a promising approach to reconnect the city with the country and furthermore address public health issues such as obesity and diet-related disease. The present study examined urban gardening through the lens of the FL approach to determine whether a relationship exists between gardening and FL. The research further investigated the relationship between FL and gardener demographics, participation in educational garden events and socialization among gardeners. Data was collected using an online questionnaire targeted to reach community gardeners (n = 181) in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The research utilized a novel exam and self-perception based measurement tool to assess gardeners’ level of FL. Results indicated a moderately positive relationship between the years of gardening experience and higher individual FL scores. Participants with higher levels of FL were older individuals and more highly educated. There was no significant difference in FL between gardeners who attended educational events and those that had not. The present research presents an initial investigation into the relationship between food literacy and gardening. This research indicates gardening may warrant consideration in holistic approaches to food literacy but further investigation would be valuable.

Urban gardening and neglected and underutilized species in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

“…Based on the above, the population’s food literacy could be considered a strategy to connect individuals, families, and communities to urban gardens, in order to promote a healthy relationship with the available food and engagement in a sustainable food system [ 68 – 71 ]. Research shows that the promotion of food literacy in adults and, most importantly, in children and adolescents, when inserted in the school education process, can generate good results, producing immediate and long-term benefits [ 71 – 74 ].…”

Nutrition and Food Literacy: Framing the Challenges to Health Communication

“…Encouraging people to grow their own food or participate in community farming programs can increase their understanding of where food comes from and how it is produced [132]. Teaching people how to cook healthy and nutritious meals can also increase their food literacy and knowledge of healthy eating habits [133,134].…”

Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Environment, Economy, Society, and Policy

“…The new governance arrangements also give rise to an increase in the control of local communities over their own food systems and the emergence of concepts such as food sovereignty [261,[277][278][279][280][281][282][283]. Different models of agriculture and food systems emphasize the role of the community and the importance of its active participation, such as community-supported agriculture [263,388,[389][390][391][392][393][394][395][396]397], community gardens [218,390,[398][399][400], community seed banks [196], community kitchens [390], and community-based fisheries [401]. This focus on participation led to the emergence of different participatory approaches that do not only cover the whole food chain (from production to consumption), but also associated activities such as participatory research [290,[402][403][404][405], participatory breeding [307,406], and participatory certification [407,408].…”