Submission ID 118209
| Issue/Objective | Community gardens are increasingly popular in Canadian cities, serving as transformative spaces where immigrants can develop self-reliant strategies for accessing healthy food. Past research has demonstrated the embodied benefits of gardening, however, Black African immigrants, reported to be at higher risk of food insecurity are experiencing complex barriers to engagement. This paper explores barriers and facilitators to collective community gardening among Black African immigrants in Edmonton, Alberta, using a socio-ecological framework to understand how personal, social, community, environmental, and structural factors interact to shape interest and engagement in collective community gardening. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Using a community-based participatory research approach in partnership with a grassroots community-based organization, we conducted a mixed-methods exploration of individual and collective experiences, challenges, and meanings adopted by immigrants in connection to collective community gardens. Data collection included structured surveys (n=119) to assess general engagement, facilitators, and barriers, in-depth interviews (n=10) to explore lived experiences, and Afrocentric sharing circles (n=2) to probe collective perspectives. Participants were purposefully recruited through community networks within African immigrant-serving community organizations. |
| Results | The majority of participants (87.4%) reported lack of knowledge about gardening opportunities as the primary barrier. Other significant barriers included busy schedules (51.3%), transportation challenges (37%), and extreme weather (25.2%). Most participants engaged in home gardening (41.2%) , and in collective community gardens (27.7%). Systemic barriers, including economic pressures and racial discrimination, intersected with environmental challenges of the Northern climate to create compound barriers. However, participants who accessed collective gardens reported significant benefits, including maintaining healthy foodways, knowledge exchange, and building social capital. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Findings demonstrate how structural inequities manifest across ecological levels to create complex barriers to immigrant participation in collective community gardening. Results suggest the need for: (1) strategic placement of gardens in immigrant neighborhoods, (2) culturally responsive programming that acknowledges traditional growing practices, and (3) systemic interventions to address overarching structural barriers. These insights can inform more inclusive urban agriculture initiatives that better serve to maintain healthy foodways post-migration and cultivate community connections that support wellbeing and integration. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Destiny Otoadese University of Alberta Destiny Otoadese University of Alberta Issa Kamara Sinkunia Community Development Organization Elizabeth Onyango University of Alberta |
