TY - JOUR
T1 - Refugees connecting with a new country through community food gardening
AU - Harris, Neil
AU - Minniss, Fiona Rowe
AU - Somerset, Shawn
PY - 2014/9/5
Y1 - 2014/9/5
N2 - Refugees are a particularly vulnerable population who undergo nutrition transition as a result of forced migration. This paper explores how involvement in a community food garden supports African humanitarian migrant connectedness with their new country. A cross-sectional study of a purposive sample of African refugees participating in a campus-based community food garden was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve African humanitarian migrants who tended established garden plots within the garden. Interview data were thematically analysed revealing three factors which participants identified as important benefits in relation to community garden participation: land tenure, reconnecting with agri-culture, and community belonging. Community food gardens offer a tangible means for African refugees, and other vulnerable or marginalised populations, to build community and community connections. This is significant given the increasing recognition of the importance of social connectedness for wellbeing.
AB - Refugees are a particularly vulnerable population who undergo nutrition transition as a result of forced migration. This paper explores how involvement in a community food garden supports African humanitarian migrant connectedness with their new country. A cross-sectional study of a purposive sample of African refugees participating in a campus-based community food garden was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve African humanitarian migrants who tended established garden plots within the garden. Interview data were thematically analysed revealing three factors which participants identified as important benefits in relation to community garden participation: land tenure, reconnecting with agri-culture, and community belonging. Community food gardens offer a tangible means for African refugees, and other vulnerable or marginalised populations, to build community and community connections. This is significant given the increasing recognition of the importance of social connectedness for wellbeing.
KW - Community food garden
KW - Nutrition transition
KW - Refugee health
KW - Social connectedness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908065694&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph110909202
DO - 10.3390/ijerph110909202
M3 - Article
C2 - 25198684
AN - SCOPUS:84908065694
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 11
SP - 9202
EP - 9216
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 9
ER -