Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
590 results(22 / 24)
Agriculture urbaine et valorisation des déchets au Bénin : une approche de développement durable
2010Hygin Faust Kakai, Alban Gilles Kakai, Armelle Grey Tohouegnon · VertigO · Benin (Cotonou)
This study in Benin examined urban agriculture and waste valorization in Cotonou, Abomey, and Abomey-Calavi. In Cotonou, overexploitation of sandy, organic-poor soil in market gardening led to soil impoverishment, forcing gardeners to use chemical fertilizers with negative environmental impacts. However, some market gardeners adopted compost use, transitioning to organized organic urban agriculture after a waste management project supported waste valorization. This dynamic was not observed in Abomey, where urban agriculture is practiced in family spaces and public areas, unlike Cotonou's developed sites. Abomey-Calavi, despite rapid demographic growth, was almost devoid of urban agriculture practices.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostEconomicsHealthFactors influencing the concentration of heavy metals in soils of allotment gardens in the city of Wroclaw, Poland
2009Cezary Kabała, T. Chodak, L. Szerszeń, Anna Karczewska, Katarzyna Szopka, Urszula Fratczak · Fresenius environmental bulletin · Poland (Wroclaw)
An analysis of 180 allotment garden soils in Wroclaw, Poland, found that concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn (12.5-659 mg Pb kg-1, 38.1-2103 mg Zn kg-1, 12.9-595 mg Cu kg-1) were influenced by industrial pollution sources, organic matter, pH, and macronutrients. Soils in gardens on former housing or industrial areas had significantly higher metal concentrations. Up to 35% of soils in the city zone were excessively contaminated, making them unsuitable for vegetable and fruit production and requiring reclamation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityThe Impact of Community Gardens on Numbers of Property Crimes in Urban Houston
2009M.R. Gorham, Tina M. Waliczek, Amy Snelgrove, Jayne M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · United States (Houston)
A pilot study in Houston, Texas, investigated the impact of 11 established community gardens on property crime numbers using 2005 crime data. Statistical comparisons between community garden areas and randomly selected city areas showed no statistically significant differences in the mean number of crime occurrences. The presence of a community garden was not found to be a predictor of a lower crime rate for a neighborhood.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthCharacterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens.
2009Wendy Heiger‐Bernays, Alexa Fraser, Vaughn R. Burns, Kerry Diskin, David Pierotti, K Merchant-Borna, Michael D. McClean, Daniel J. Brabander, H. Patricia Hynes · PubMed · United States
A study characterized urban community garden soils contaminated by timbers, specifically finding elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from railroad ties and arsenic from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber. Researchers determined the extent of contamination, designed a remediation plan, and assessed the safety of adding city compost as a soil amendment in Boston community gardens. Recommendations for healthful gardening practices were also provided.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthUrban farming in the informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa
2009W. Van Averbeke · Water SA · South Africa (Pretoria)
This study in five informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa, used a pilot study, household survey, and multiple case studies to assess urban farming's contribution to food security and household income. While over half of households participated in urban farming, its contribution to total household income and food security was generally modest. Main constraints included lack of space and limited access to irrigation water.
Limited or null effectCommunityWelfareHealthFood sovereignty & justiceReducing risk from wastewater use in urban farming – A case study of Accra, Ghana
2009Pay Drechsel, Liqa Raschid-Sally, Robert Clement Abaidoo · · Ghana (Accra)
Urbanization in West Africa has led to most domestic wastewater contaminating surface water sources. In Accra, Ghana, vegetables on urban markets are highly contaminated, with about 200,000 urban dwellers consuming street food containing raw vegetables from these sources daily. This research explores on-farm risk mitigation options, finding potential to significantly reduce helminth egg counts and bacterial contamination through improved washing practices.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageHorizontal nutrient fluxes and food safety in urban and peri-urban vegetable and millet cultivation of Niamey, Niger
2009Rodrigue V.C. Diogo, Andreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Niger (Niamey)
This 24-month study investigated nutrient efficiency and food safety in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Niamey, Niger. Nutrient inputs and offtakes were quantified for 10 vegetable gardens and 9 millet fields, and contamination of irrigation water and selected vegetables with fecal pathogens and heavy metals was determined. Above-threshold levels of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli were detected in lettuce irrigated with river water and fertilized with animal manure, and in lettuce irrigated with wastewater, indicating food safety concerns.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthPeri-urban agricultureDevelopment of vegetable farming: a cause of the emergence of insecticide resistance in populations of Anopheles gambiae in urban areas of Benin
2009Anges Yadouléton, Alex Asidi, Rousseau F Djouaka, B. James, Christian Agossou, Martin Akogbéto · Malaria Journal · Benin
A study in urban areas of Benin investigated the impact of rapid vegetable farming development on the emergence of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae populations, using sociological data, bioassay tests, and biochemical analysis. The expansion of urban agriculture led to improper insecticide use for vegetable pests, exerting strong selection pressure on mosquito larval populations. This resulted in the emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors, with permethrin mortality rates of 76% in Parakou, 23.5% in Porto-Novo, and 17% in Cotonou.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsHealthClimate changeThe polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in soils in the Region of Valasske Mezirici, the Czech Republic
2009Daniela Plachá, Helena Raclavská, Dalibor Matýsek, Mark H Rümmeli · Geochemical Transactions · Czech Republic
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination was investigated in urban, agricultural, and forest soil samples from the surroundings of Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic. While PAH levels in urban/agricultural soils were within the typical range for industrialized areas, forest soils showed elevated PAH concentrations compared to other forest soils in Western and Northern Europe. PAH concentrations were highest in localities at higher altitudes and decreased with increasing distance from the town.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban food security in South Africa: Case study of Cape Town, Msunduzi and Johannesburg
2009Bruce Frayne, Jane Battersby, Robert Fincham, Gareth Haysom · · South Africa
This study examines urban food security in South Africa, focusing on Cape Town, Msunduzi, and Johannesburg, and includes a critique of the City of Cape Town's urban agriculture policy. The abstract indicates that the policy was found to have significant shortcomings, particularly concerning local production and access to food. The research highlights various policy issues related to food access, dietary diversity, local production, and local markets within these urban contexts.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsHealthWastewater Use in Cauliflower Production and Farmer’s Health: An Economic Analysis
2009Shahzad Kouser, Mr. Abedullah, Abdus Samie · The Pakistan Development Review · Pakistan (Faisalabad)
This study, conducted in 2006 with 200 farmers in two peri-urban villages of Faisalabad, Pakistan, estimated the economic values of negative health externalities from wastewater use in cauliflower production. While wastewater use appeared profitable without considering externalities, factoring in health costs strongly discouraged its use. The health externalities for a three-month cauliflower crop on 741 acres amounted to Rs 3.2 million, and for 5,283 acres of vegetables cultivated with wastewater in Faisalabad, the annual total was Rs 90.7 million. The findings indicate a significant economic loss due to wastewater use, suggesting that installing a water treatment plant is a viable option to minimize these external effects.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyOpportunities and Challenges of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Niamey, Niger
2008Sophie Graefe, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Outlook on Agriculture · Niger (Niamey)
Semi-structured interviews with 130 households in Niamey, Niger, characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and assessed resource use. The study found high use of livestock manure and indiscriminate use of nutrient-loaded wastewater for irrigation, leading to significant nutrient surpluses in UPA gardens. Initial calculations suggested large gaseous emissions of nitrogenous compounds and and leaching of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to groundwater.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeEconomicsImpact of urban agriculture on malaria vectors in Accra, Ghana
2008Eveline Klinkenberg, Philip J. McCall, Michael D. Wilson, Felix P. Amerasinghe, Martin J. Donnelly · Malaria Journal · Ghana
This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on malaria transmission risk in Accra, Ghana, through larval and adult mosquito surveys. It found that Anopheles spp. and Culex quinquefasciatus outdoor biting rates were three and four times higher, respectively, in areas around agricultural sites compared to areas far from agriculture. The annual Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) was also higher in agricultural areas (19.2) than non-agricultural areas (6.6), suggesting that urban agricultural areas may increase malaria transmission risk by providing resting sites for adult mosquitoes.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageOverview on urban and peri-urban agriculture: definition, impact on human health, constraints and policy issues
2008Erastus K. Kang’ethe, Delia Grace, Thomas F. Randolph · East African Medical Journal · East Africa
This study synthesizes current knowledge on urban agriculture (UA) in East Africa, focusing on its human health impact. It identifies UA as an important source of food security, but notes that many zoonotic and food-borne diseases are associated with it, with a lack of evidence on human health impact and management. Major constraints include illegality and limited access to inputs and markets, indicating a need for more research to understand both positive and negative health impacts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureHeavy metal contamination of vegetables and fruits from Bangalore city
2008Seyed Esmaeil Mahdavian, R. Somashekar · ePrints@Bangalore University (Bangalore University) · India (Bangalore)
A study in Bangalore city, India, showed that urban consumers are at greater risk of purchasing fresh fruits with high levels of heavy metals beyond the legally permissible limits defined by the Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. These national norms are less strict than international food safety standards.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceContaminação do Solo por Parasitas e Ocorrência de Doenças Intestinais
2008Andréa Andreis, Graziela Maria Schuh, Rejane Giacomelli Tavares · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Novo Hamburgo)
An evaluation of parasite contamination in playground soils at Horta Comunitária Joanna de Angelis in Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil, detected rhabditoid larvae in 33% of soil samples. An enteroparasitological survey (n=22) confirmed parasitism in 59.10% of samples. However, it was not possible to establish a correlation between the presence of parasitosis in children and in the soil.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunitySeasonality, Household Food Security, and Nutritional Status in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
2008Chris Hillbruner, Rebecca Egan · Food and Nutrition Bulletin · Bangladesh (Dinajpur)
A study in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, from 2002 to 2003, investigated the impact of seasonality on food security and nutritional status in approximately 600 low-income urban households. Data collected through surveys and child measurements revealed significantly higher rates of food insecurity, wasting, and inadequate growth during the monsoon season compared to the dry season. While dietary diversity and lost work due to weather were identified as pathways affecting food security, child illness was not found to be a significant mechanism contributing to seasonal nutritional declines.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPerceptions of farmers on health risks and risk reduction measures in wastewater‐irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Journal of Risk Research · Ghana
A study in Ghana used participatory research methods to summarize farmers' perceptions of health risks and risk reduction measures in urban vegetable farming irrigated with untreated wastewater. Farmers were aware of health risks from wastewater, perceiving occupational skin infections as the greatest risk, while consumer health risks were rated very low. Many international risk reduction measures were deemed unsuitable by farmers, who preferred simple, low-cost alternatives.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFaecal bacterial indicators removal in various wastewater treatment plants located in Almendares River watershed (Cuba)
2008Tamara García–Armisen, Josué Prats, Yociel Marrero, Pierre Servais · Water Science & Technology · Cuba (Havana)
The Almendares River in Havana, Cuba, receives wastewater from over 200,000 inhabitants, resulting in very poor microbiological water quality downstream due to high faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs). This water is used for urban agriculture and recreation, despite not meeting microbiological standards. This study compared FBI removal in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): a conventional facility, a constructed wetland (CW), and a solar aquatic system (SAS). Natural systems (CW and SAS) showed approximately two log units higher FBI removal efficiency than the conventional plant. The large conventional WWTP was found to have a negative impact on the river's microbiological quality.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityClimate changeAssessment of heavy metal contamination and macro-nutrient content of compose for environmental pollution control in Ghana.
2008J.N. Hogard, Julius N. Fobil, Godfred K. Ofosu-Budu, D. Carboo, Nii‐Ayi Ankrah, Alexander K. Nyarko · · Ghana
This study in Ghana investigated the macro-nutrient content and heavy metal concentrations in solid waste composts to assess their potential for soil fertility amelioration and health implications in urban and peri-urban agriculture. Overall NPK concentration was low, with agricultural waste composts showing higher total N, K, and organic carbon than municipal solid waste (MSW) composts. Heavy metal concentrations for Ni, Zn, Cu, and Cd were generally low and within Australian standards. However, lead (Pb) concentration in mixed MSW composts was significantly high during the dry season, exceeding the Australian limit of 150 mg/kg Pb for unrestricted use. Seasons and composting processes were found to be important determinants of toxic metal concentrations in final compost products.
Contamination & food safetyCompostHealthOrganic cycleUsing on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Water Science & Technology · Ghana (Kumasi)
A study in Kumasi, Ghana, assessed the use of on-farm ponds to reduce microbial contamination in wastewater-contaminated irrigation water, analyzing over 300 samples. It found that while ponds are common, their potential for pathogen removal via sedimentation is not fully optimized. Helminth eggs reduced by about 70% with careful water collection, but thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to meet WHO guidelines, indicating suboptimal performance for some pathogens.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceLinking research, capacity building, and policy dialogue in support of informal irrigation in urban West Africa
2008Pay Drechsel, Olufunke Cofie, R. van Veenhuizen, Theophilus O. Larbi · Irrigation and Drainage · West Africa
Informal irrigation in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in West Africa offers benefits but is often hindered by water pollution, threatening public health. A multi-stakeholder process implemented since 2005 in six West African cities, including Accra, Ghana, aimed to integrate UPA into sustainable urban development. However, an internal lesson learned was that local partners may not prioritize every project, and capacity-building efforts might not provide expected incentives for commitment.
Contamination & food safetyPolicyHealthPeri-urban agricultureCommunityPengendalian Penyakit Sayuran Yang Ditanam Dengan Sistem Budidaya Mosaik Pada Pertanian Periurban
2008Euis Suryaningsih · Jurnal Hortikultura · Indonesia (Bandung)
From January to July 2001, a field experiment on vegetable disease control in a mosaic farming system in periurban agriculture was conducted at a farmer's field in Rancaekek, Bandung, Indonesia. Treatments included white plastic net cages, biorational pesticides, Bacillus subtilis, a mixture of Mancozeb and Bacillus subtilis, and an unsprayed control. All tested alternative control methods were very effective against major diseases of chili pepper, shallot, eggplant, beans, and cucumber, but the use of poisonous synthetic pesticides in periurban agriculture increases the likelihood of contaminating humans and the environment.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthOrganic cycleTo Subsidise My Income: Urban farming in an East-African town, by Dick Foeken
2008M. B. David · African Affairs · Kenya
This study on urban agriculture in the Kenyan town of Nakuru illustrates health and environmental problems associated with keeping livestock in urban areas, the small size of plots cultivated, and the dependence of urban households on rural sources of food. These findings were observed in the context of economic hardships occasioned by structural adjustment programmes since the 1980s.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityEconomicsHealthUrban–rural linkageHelminth infections among people using wastewater and human excreta in peri‐urban agriculture and aquaculture in Hanoi, Vietnam
2007Do Thuy Trang, Kåre Mølbak, Phung Dac Cam, Anders Dalsgaard · Tropical Medicine & International Health · Vietnam (Hanoi)
A cross-sectional study in a peri-urban area of Hanoi, Vietnam, surveyed 400 agricultural households and examined 807 stool samples from 620 adults and 187 children for helminth infections. The study found that 39% of samples were infected with helminths, with Ascaris sp. at 21.6%, Trichuris sp. at 9.8%, and hookworm at 21.8%. Wastewater exposure was not a major risk, but lack of sanitation facilities and use of fresh or inadequately composted human excreta in agriculture were important risk factors for infection.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cyclePeri-urban agriculture