Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
800 results(2 / 32)
Legacy contamination in Chicago urban park soils: Spatial patterns, socioeconomic disparities, and implications for urban agriculture
2026Jenkins E. M., Heafner H., Montgomery J., Soumano V., Paltseva A. A. · iScience · 米国・シカゴ
Portable X-ray fluorescence measurement of seven trace elements in 233 topsoil samples from five Chicago parks. Lead, arsenic, copper, zinc and chromium exceeded Illinois background levels in 89–100% of samples; arsenic exceeded EPA screening levels in 94% of samples and lead in 7%. Contamination was higher at parks farther from the city centre — Douglass and Humboldt parks, in predominantly minority, lower-income neighbourhoods — than at Cottontail, Grant and Webster. Principal-component analysis identified an anthropogenic signature (PC1, 51.7%) driven by Pb, Zn, Cu and As and a geogenic signature (PC2, 17.0%) associated with Mn and Ni. Areas of Douglass and Humboldt parks were classified as not safe for gardening in native soil; Webster as safe with minor restrictions. The authors conclude that park-soil contamination follows socioeconomic gradients, reflecting environmental injustice and a need for targeted remediation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyCommunityThe association between climate-smart agriculture practices adoption and farm income and wealth of small-scale urban crop farmers in eThekwini municipality, with implications for food and nutrition security
2026Khumalo N. Z., Sibanda M., Mdoda L. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 南アフリカ・エテクウィニ市（ダーバン）
A multi-stage sample of 412 small-scale urban crop farmers in eThekwini municipality, South Africa, with a conditional mixed process model relating a composite index of climate-smart agriculture adoption (agroforestry, conservation agriculture, crop diversification, rotation, cover crops, drought-tolerant crops, mulching, organic manure, wetland use, soil conservation) to farm income and a wealth index. Adoption was positively associated with both, but the authors state the estimated income association is "relatively modest" and should be read with caution. Several socio-economic variables showed counterintuitive associations, and because existing agricultural training showed a weak association with income-enhancing adoption, the authors call for context-specific, outcome-oriented training and extension rather than more of the same.
Limited or null effectEconomicsClimate changePolicyThe Role of Urban Planning Decisions in the Formation of Food Deserts: From Structural Causes to Justice-Oriented Holistic Strategies
2026Büşra Gül KARACA, Duygu GÖKCE · Kent Akademisi · Global
This study comprehensively examined 26 scientific studies published between 2008 and 2025 from a spatial perspective, demonstrating that food desert formation is a multi-layered structural problem directly related to spatial planning processes and urban planning decisions, rather than individual socioeconomic deficiencies. The literature review revealed that food deserts are systematically produced by planning-based practices such as single-function zoning decisions, single-centered urban development models, and the absence of urban agriculture in legislation, not solely by a lack of physical access. Access disadvantages persist, particularly in peripheral neighborhoods and areas with high concentrations of low-income groups, and a significant gap exists in developing applicable policies for medium-sized cities due to the literature's focus on metropolitan areas.
Equity & displacementPolicyHealthEconomicsWelfareUrban agrivoltaics enhance crop resilience and food-energy synergies in a changing climate
2026Caroline Merheb, Joshua S. Caplan, Pralad Phuyal, Jordan Macknick, Nicholas C. Davatzes, Sujith Ravi · npj Urban Sustainability · Global
This study evaluated ground-based agrivoltaics in an urban context. It demonstrated that while early-season yields may decline due to light reduction in temperate climates, productivity rebounds during periods of extreme heat, extending harvest windows and enhancing crop resilience.
Limited or null effectClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageIrrigation Water Management and Variability Drive Yield Outcomes in Peri-Urban Vegetable Systems: A Socio-Technical and Biophysical Analysis in Burkina Faso
2026Kpade O. L. Hounkpatin, Amadou Keïta, Jérôme Tondoh, Djéneba Djamila Traoré, Nouroudine Morou Hamadou, Aymar Y. Bossa, Yacouba Yira, Jean Hounkpè, Traoré Hortense Kagambèga, Olayemi Ursula Gaba, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Sarah Konaré · Water · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, investigated factors leading to the abandonment of sprinkler irrigation systems and the impact of irrigation water variability on vegetable yields at two market gardening sites. Over 80% of 50 surveyed farmers stopped using sprinkler systems within two years due to equipment failures and lack of support. Variability in manual water application was linked to crop productivity variability, with uneven application identified as a major constraint at one site.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changePeri-urban agricultureUrban mushroom farming for future foods: safety considerations and nutritional benefits
2026Malsha Samarasiri, Wei Ning Chen · Sustainable Microbiology · Global
This review discusses advances in urban mushroom farming, its integration with computer-based technologies, safety considerations, and the potential of mushrooms and mycelium-based foods as future foods. Key safety considerations for urban mushroom farming systems include biological hazards, mycotoxins, heavy metal accumulation, and potential allergenicity. Macrofungal mycelium-based foods may be regarded as novel foods and require evaluation under novel food safety regulations.
Contamination & food safetyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityDigital agricultureMeshball-driven air-pruning offers a resource efficient strategy for containerized cultivation in urban horticulture
2026Savitha Dhandapani, Gandhimathi Chinnasamy, Shaik Anwar Ahamed Nabeela Nasreen, Vidya Susan Philip, Bong Soo Park, S. P. Bhatnagar · Scientia Horticulturae · Global
This study developed meshball-mediated air-pruning, a method embedding stainless-steel spheres into soil to create localized aeration pockets, addressing issues like root circling, poor aeration, and inefficient resource use in containerized plant cultivation. Testing across four species revealed significant benefits for ornamental shrubs such as dwarf ixora and firebush, showing increases in shoot fresh weight, branch number, and root biomass. However, pak choi exhibited no measurable change, and white teak seedlings displayed reduced root biomass, indicating species-specific responses.
Limited or null effectDIYCultivating together: unearthing the transformative potential of community gardening as prefigurative collective action in Ljubljana
2026Blaž Križnik, Laura Mittermaier · Local Environment · Slovenia (Ljubljana)
This study examined the Onkraj gradbišča community garden in Ljubljana to understand how community gardening enables transformative social change and how institutional support affects it. Findings showed the garden fostered inner transformation, collective leadership, community capacity building, and some scaling strategies. However, scaling up strategies were ineffective, and the absence of institutional support limited the impact on governance, suggesting the garden's transformative potential for urban sustainability transitions was limited.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeBeyond the Plot: Systematic Literature Review of Landscape Approach and Systems Thinking Towards Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Farming
2026Pooja Boddupalli, Steffen Nijhuis, N. M. J. D. Tillie · Sustainability · Global
This systematic literature review investigated how landscape-based approaches (LbAs) and systems thinking (ST) have been concurrently applied to analyze and design urban agriculture and farming (UAF) initiatives. Screening 92 records, the study identified 12 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025, reflecting the nascent state of this interdisciplinary approach. The findings revealed limited integration of spatial analysis with systems thinking across scales in current scholarship.
Methodological critiqueFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityPolicyImpact of greenhouse practices on infective capacity of arbuscular mycorrhiza in peri-urban horticulture
2026Carolina Rothen, Julián Gabriel Riso, Betina I. Stephan, Josefina Bompadre, Laura Fernández Bidondo · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
This study analyzed arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in greenhouse soil from lettuce plants under agroecological, organic, and conventional management in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While agroecological management increased AM spore counts and infective propagules, effective mycorrhization of lettuce roots was low across all systems. Intensive greenhouse practices suppressed successful crop colonization, indicating a reduced AM inoculum infective potential.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleBiodiversityEveryday Urbanism in Lithuanian towns: the case of old community gardens in Grigiškės and Plungė
2026Adomas Gedvilas, Dovilė Krupickaitė · Journal of Architecture and Urbanism · Lithuania
This paper examines old community gardens in Grigiškės and Plungė, Lithuania, as examples of Everyday Urbanism, using literature, data, maps, and interviews. The study found that these gardens, established informally on vacant land during the socialist period, are not officially recognized and their future development may differ due to varying local government attitudes. This highlights the need for a more flexible approach to their preservation and integration into urban planning.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageGentrificación y la etnogénesis de la colonialidad: su antagonismo en la interculturalidad en la Cuidad de Cayambe
2026Eduardo José Terán Duque · Revista Multidisciplinar Epistemología de las Ciencias · Ecuador (Cayambe)
This article examines sociocultural issues in indigenous communities in Cayambe, Ecuador, caused by gentrification. The study, using situated ethnography, cultural cartography, life stories, and body biographies, found that urban renewal for higher-income residents marginalizes ancestral practices like community gardens and leads to the loss of community autonomy and traditions. Regressive ethnogenesis renders indigenous existence invisible and produces epistemic violence, reducing collective activities to social entertainment.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFrom Impact Accounting to Accounting for the Loops: Activating Sustainable Communities for Climate Action
2026Dario Cottafava, Francesco Marengo, Giuseppe Emiliano Di Martino, Laura Corazza · Business Strategy and the Environment · Global
This study introduced a social impact accounting framework, "accounting for the loops," for sustainability education for climate action (SECA), applying it to a university-led community garden case study. It found that a sense of belonging and personal recognition activate positive reinforcing loops. However, project size and community autonomy counterintuitively triggered balancing loops, leading to increased bureaucratic obstacles and institutional support needs, which negatively impacted participant motivation.
Governance failureCommunityClimate changeFood educationPolicyGentrification and the ethnogenesis of coloniality: their antagonism in interculturality in the City of Cayambe
2026Eduardo Terán Duque · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Ecuador (Cayambe)
This study in Cayambe, Ecuador, examined sociocultural issues in indigenous parishes and communities caused by gentrification, a process of socio-spatial displacement where low-income rural areas are restructured by higher-income residents or foreigners. This phenomenon perpetuates ethnic-racial hierarchies and the exploitation of indigenous peoples, rendering indigenous existence invisible and marginalizing ancestral practices like collective organization, mingas, community meetings, and community gardens. Consequently, communities lose autonomy, traditions, rites, and customs, with collective activities reduced to social entertainment without historical recognition.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsA systematic review of the barriers to urban agriculture at a global scale
2026Chris Blythe · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) · Global
This systematic review aims to explore the barriers to urban agriculture at a global scale. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in systematic reviews concerning urban agriculture's health benefits, motivations for participation, and sustainability elements. This study will focus on the challenges and obstacles in implementing urban agriculture.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsCommunityUrbanisation and sustainable farming in smallholder farming communities of the Northern region of Ghana: A policy narrative
2026Adan Iddrisu · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Ghana
This policy brief explored the causes of farmland loss and its effects on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana due to rapid urbanization. Using data from focus group discussions, findings revealed that loss of farmland reduces productivity, increases household food security vulnerability, and threatens the livelihoods of farmers.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUnderstanding the Dissemination of Technology in a Food Incentive Program: A Qualitative Evaluation Applying the Diffusion of Innovation Model
2026Rui Ling, Sarah N. Strack, Anne Abbott, Haley Schneider, Aryn McLaren · Health Promotion Practice · Global
This qualitative study explored facilitators and barriers to implementing an electronic redemption system in a Healthy Food Incentive (HFI) program among farmers' markets, farm stands, and community-supported agriculture. Semi-structured interviews with HFI staff identified six facilitators and ten barriers, including a cumbersome registration process, technological difficulties, the risk of losing customers, and insufficient capacity. The evaluation highlighted the necessity of localizing technology dissemination.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityDigital agricultureBuilding Resilience to Food Insecurity in Bulawayo City, Zimbabwe: Lessons for Best Practice
2026Thulani Dube, Bright Chisadza, Nkululeko Mpofu, Abel Mungure, Nancy N Manase · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
A study in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, investigating urban food insecurity resilience strategies through 200 household surveys, found that 50.5% of households experienced food insecurity, primarily driven by hyperinflation and unemployment. Current interventions, including urban agriculture, showed mixed effectiveness due to fragmented coordination and rural-biased programming, indicating governance challenges.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityEconomics‘It's a Gender Issue’: Women Farmers in Community‐Supported Agriculture
2026Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola, Irina Velicu · Sociologia Ruralis · Portugal
Case studies of three women farmers in two Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives in Portugal used data from semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The study demonstrated that while CSA initiatives are conducive to women farmers’ emancipation, the absence of collective efforts to address unequal gender relations hinders their transformative potential. CSA initiatives tend to overlook power imbalances emerging from their internal micro-politics and neglect the ambivalent effects shaping their transformative efforts.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceA(GR)TECTURE: Designing an Agricultural Learning Facility to Energize Food Production in the Urban Areas of Dominica
2026Kendel Constant · DigitalCommons - Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw State University) · Dominica
This thesis explores improving Dominica's urban agricultural sector, examining challenges like hurricanes, landslides, temperature shifts, limited adoption of advanced farming techniques, an aging farmer population, and soil erosion. The proposed Agricultural Learning Facility aims to address these issues by leveraging smart farming methods and enhancing traditional practices. However, the proposed greenhouse and hydroponic systems cannot completely replace traditional farming practices, but rather help increase food production.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePhenotypic Characterization of Salmonella and Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Wastewater and Market Gardening Crops Along the River Chari in N’Djamena, Chad
2026Djim-adjim Tabo, Fissou Henry YANDAI, BONGO NARE Ngandolo, GRANIER Sophie, ABAKAR Brahim, MILLEMANN Yves · European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety · Chad
A study in N'Djamena, Chad, isolated Salmonella and Escherichia coli from wastewater discharged into the Chari River and from market garden crops irrigated with it. E. coli was found in 29.66% of wastewater samples and Salmonella sp. in 19.49%, with raw vegetables showing very high contamination. Wastewater results exceeded WHO standards, indicating that re-use of this wastewater for market gardening is not recommended due to significant contamination risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPotentially Toxic Elements in Foods Consumed in Uganda: Occurrence, Dietary Exposure, and Public Health Risks
2026Gabson Baguma, Gadson Bamanya, Allan Gonzaga, Hannington Twinomuhwezi, Barnabas Mubangizi, Eric Niringiyimana · Pollutants · Uganda
This review synthesized literature on the occurrence of cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, and arsenic in foods consumed in Uganda. Contamination was concentrated in mining-influenced agricultural areas, wastewater-irrigated farms, municipal dumpsites, industrial corridors, and urban food markets, with vegetables, cereals, livestock products, fish, and street-vended foods exhibiting the greatest contamination burdens. Lead and cadmium most frequently exceeded WHO/FAO, Codex Alimentarius, and Ugandan food safety limits, and children consistently showed higher dietary exposure than adults.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageApplying recovered nutrients and pruning waste to enrich and regenerate agricultural soils in urban agriculture: Effects on emissions and yield of spinach and sweet potato
2026Guido Evangelista, Juan David Arosemena, Gaia Stringari, Joan Romanyà, Xavier Gabarrell, Francesco Orsini, Gara Villalba · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · Global
This study evaluated the application of 150 t ha-1 of ramial chipped wood (RCW) to degraded peri-urban agricultural soils, comparing its effects on yield, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions for spinach and sweet potato. Spinach grown with RCW showed the lowest productivity (1.16 – 0.32 kg m-2) among treatments, while sweet potato achieved the highest yield (1.72 – 1.99 kg m-2). High RCW doses initially led to higher CO2 emissions but significantly reduced N2O emissions for spinach (from 0.36 kg ha-1 to 0.07 kg ha-1) and enhanced soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks for sweet potato, indicating agronomic and environmental trade-offs.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostClimate changePeri-urban agricultureRural–Urban Differences in Odonata Diversity and Population Dynamics across Agricultural Landscapes of the Eastern Gangetic Plains
2026Sneha Kumari Bharati, A. Pattanayak, Sidh Nath Prasad Yadav ‘Deen’ · Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · Global
This study compared odonate diversity and population dynamics in rural (Manpur) and urban (Gaya city) agricultural landscapes of the Eastern Gangetic Plains from March 2022 to February 2024. The rural landscape supported 24 odonate species, while the urban landscape supported 17, showing only moderate similarity (SSI = 0.571) between the two assemblages. This indicates a lower diversity of odonates in urban agricultural areas compared to rural ones.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageEvaluating a Healthcare Rooftop Garden: Post-Occupancy Insights into Evidence-Based Design Processes and Governance Considerations
2026Nina Oher, Anna Bengtsson, Patrik Grahn · Land · Global
This study aimed to understand the evidence-based design process behind a rooftop garden at an urban Memory Clinic. Through focus group interviews with healthcare professionals and an interview with the landscape architect, findings showed that while the garden exceeded expectations regarding aesthetics, restorative qualities, and staff use, it was not used for patient-oriented therapeutic activities as intended. This divergence was linked to governance issues such as organizational change, loss of key actors, insufficient documentation of design intentions, procurement disruptions, shifting clinical priorities, and maintenance arrangements.
Governance failureHealthCommunityPolicy