Beschreibung:
<sec>
<title>Introduction</title>
<p>Many North American cities have a built environment that provides
access to energy-dense food and little opportunity for active living. Urban agriculture
contributes to a positive environment involving food plant cultivation that includes processing,
storing, distributing and composting. It is a means to increase local food production
and thereby improve community health. The purpose of this study was to
understand how participating in urban agriculture can help to empower young adults
and build capacity for growing food in the city.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<title>Methods</title>
<p>This was a qualitative study of seven participants (five Indigenous and two
non-Indigenous) between the ages of 19 and 29 years, engaged as interns in an urban
agriculture project known as “askîy” in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 2015. We
used a case-study design and qualitative analysis to describe the participants’ experience
based on the sustainable livelihoods framework.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<title>Results</title>
<p>A collaborative approach had a great effect on the interns’ experiences, notably
the connections formed as they planned, planted, tended, harvested and sold the
produce. Some of the interns changed their grocery shopping habits and began purchasing
more vegetables and questioning where and how the vegetables were produced. All
interns were eager to continue gardening next season, and some were planning to take
their knowledge and skills back to their home reserves.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<title>Conclusion</title>
<p>Urban agriculture programs build capacity by providing skills beyond
growing food. Such programs can increase local food production and improve food literacy
skills, social relationships, physical activity and pride in community settings.</p>
</sec>