Community Gardens in Urban Ghana: Impacts on Food Security, Public Health, and Community Cohesion

Urbanization in Ghana has led to increased food insecurity and public health challenges. Community gardens have emerged as a potential solution for improving access to fresh produce and promoting healthier lifestyles. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys, focus groups, and observational studies conducted over a period of one year within selected communities. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Community gardens contributed to a significant increase (p<0. 05) in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by community members, improving dietary diversity and reducing reliance on processed foods. The findings suggest that community gardens can be effective in enhancing food security and public health outcomes in urban settings, particularly when integrated with educational programmes to promote healthy eating habits. Local governments should support the establishment of more community gardens by providing infrastructure and resources. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and evaluation are needed to ensure sustained benefits for communities. Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.