Impact of Community Gardening on Urban Nutrition Security in Cape Town Slums: A Replication Study

Community gardening initiatives have been proposed as a means to enhance urban nutrition security in vulnerable populations such as Cape Town slums. These areas often suffer from food insecurity and poor dietary quality, highlighting the potential of community gardens. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from surveys assessing diet quality and qualitative insights through interviews with participants. Data collection occurred over two years, including baseline and follow-up measurements. Quantitative data revealed a statistically significant increase in dietary diversity (p < 0.05) among community gardeners compared to the control group, indicating improved access to a wider range of fruits and vegetables. The replication study confirms the positive impact of community gardening on urban nutrition security in Cape Town slums, with notable improvements in diet quality observable over time. Further research should explore long-term sustainability and scalability of such initiatives, as well as their potential to contribute to broader public health strategies. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.