Social Capital
Social capital constitutes the 'glue' that holds our communities together. It can be defined as the resources people develop and draw on to increase their confidence and self-esteem, their sense of connectedness, belonging, and ability to bring about change in their lives and communities. High levels of social capital are rooted in social networks and in participation in society, including the governance processes through which the decisions are made.
Community gardens build social capital because they are created and managed by the community itself and depend upon a cohesive social network to organise and manage the gardens. Participants will share information and experiences about the vegetables they are growing, and this can progress to sharing recipies, sharing food, establishing community dinners and in various ways building social networks across the group.
Read 'Collective Efficacy Through Community Gardens' for an in depth review of the benefits of community gardening (see download right).