"Shaping Attitudes" - the role of community gardens in sustainabile food consumption

Abstract

As urban lifestyle continues to evolve and urbanization increases, a significant segment of our society is gradually moving away from traditional food production, and becoming passive consumers of food systems, viewing food mostly as commodity. This is particularly true in developed countries, where the resulting unsustainable, carbon-intensive food consumption patterns place a huge burden on the environment. Community gardens offer urban dwellers an opportunity to participate in food production. By participating, they can move from being passive consumers to active participants in food production.

This article examines the behavioral and educational impact of participation in community gardens on the development of sustainable food consumption habits. The research was conducted using a quantitative questionnaire method, contacting all community gardens in Hungary with publicly available contact details, 21 of which agreed to share the questionnaire with their members. Participants compared their consumption habits before and after becoming a member of the community garden on 15 sustainable food consumption habits. In addition, the research explored the motivations for joining the community garden and the new knowledge and attitudes acquired as a result of membership.

The research suggests that community garden participation plays a crucial role in sustainability by encouraging sustainable food consumption habits. Participation in food production not only shapes the mindset of its members on a theoretical level, but also brings about tangible shifts as it changes the members’ food consumption habits towards a more sustainable direction, such as separate collection of food waste and composting, and greater awareness of food expiry dates. Four categories of behavior are identified by the factor analysis used to determine the links in food consumption behavior change: conscious food consumption, preference for local products, healthier eating and recycling of food waste. Through participation, members gain new knowledge about the seasonality of fruit and vegetables, a better appreciation of the energy invested and the work of the farmers. Membership of the garden therefore brings urban dwellers closer to food production and nature, and encourages participants to adopt sustainable consumption habits. Community gardens are therefore an important pillar of urban sustainability and play a crucial role in urban spaces. They offer a recreational space where members can gain new knowledge through gardening, encouraging sustainable food consumption habits. Participants also noted that community gardens serve as a gathering place, fostering connections with neighbors and the formation of friendships.