Refugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening
1
Population and Social Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
2
School of Medicine, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
3
School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland 4014, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(9), 9202-9216; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110909202
Received: 11 June 2014
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Revised: 15 August 2014
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Accepted: 22 August 2014
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Published: 5 September 2014
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Health)
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.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Harris, N.; Minniss, F.R.; Somerset, S. Refugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11, 9202-9216. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110909202
AMA Style
Harris N, Minniss FR, Somerset S. Refugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2014; 11(9):9202-9216. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110909202
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarris, Neil, Fiona Rowe Minniss, and Shawn Somerset. 2014. "Refugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11, no. 9: 9202-9216. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110909202
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