Refugees Connecting with a New Country through Community Food Gardening

Neil Harris, Fiona Rowe Minniss and Shawn Somerset
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Neil Harris: Population and Social Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
Fiona Rowe Minniss: School of Medicine, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
Shawn Somerset: School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland 4014, Australia

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: refugee health; nutrition transition; community food garden; social connectedness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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