Research & reports

Pritom Kumar Pramanik, M. Nazmul Hoque, Md. Liton Rana, Md. Saiful Islam, Md. Ashek Ullah, Fahim Haque Neloy, Srinivasan Ramasamy, Pepijn Schreinemachers, Ricardo Oliva, Md. Tanvir Rahman · PLOS ONE · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

Researchers sampled 145 items — 88 raw vegetables, 27 water and 30 soil samples — from rooftop and surface gardens in urban Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations and peri-urban Gazipur City Corporation, Bangladesh, testing for Escherichia coli by culture, biochemical tests and malB-gene PCR. Overall prevalence was 58.62% (95% CI 50.48–66.31): 80.0% in Dhaka South, 44.70% in Dhaka North and 76.7% in Gazipur. In Dhaka, surface gardens were more contaminated (70.83%) than rooftop gardens (46.57%), while in Gazipur rooftop gardens were worse (93.33% vs 60.0%). Of 54 randomly selected isolates, 100% were resistant to ampicillin, with resistance to ciprofloxacin (25.92%), tetracycline (14.81%) and imipenem (9.25%); 14.81% were multidrug resistant and 81.48% carried blaTEM. Home-grown urban vegetables are not automatically hygienically safe.

Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · · Norway (Oslo)

This essay examines urban agriculture from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. Critical dimensions of urban agriculture in public space include private and corporate claims on these landscapes, and its current aesthetics of impermanence are critiqued. The essay questions the notion that the joy and freedom urban agriculture brings to a community should be built upon and enriched by future development and policy.

Marisol Silva-Vera, María de Jesús Jiménez González, Laura Varela Almanza · JÓVENES EN LA CIENCIA · Mexico

A quasi-experimental study in Mexico with 21 adults over 65 evaluated a community urban garden intervention for nutritional status. Participants showed increased nutrition knowledge, a 47.7% rise in vegetable intake, and a 23.8% increase in physical activity. However, anthropometric variables did not show significant differences, indicating limited impact on physical measurements despite positive changes in knowledge and habits.

Xiang Zhou, Nan Wang, Jiaying Shi, Michael Hensel · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · China (Nanjing)

A study of urban foraging behavior in Nanjing's central urban area, China, revealed significant enthusiasm among residents, linking personal childhood experiences to their foraging motivations. However, environmental pollution was identified as a critical barrier to these activities.

Juliane Forßmann, Simon Goebel · Zeitschrift für Flüchtlingsforschung · Germany

An urban gardening project in a residential facility for up to 230 refugees in Germany aims to counteract precarious living conditions. While the garden offers a low-threshold space for knowledge exchange on resource-saving cultivation, biodiversity, and health promotion, this paper also reflects on the project's limits.

Rita de Cássia Lisboa Ribeiro, Cecília Rocha, Andhressa Araújo Fagundes · Urban Planning · Brazil

An integrative literature review investigated the potential of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) to promote food security in Brazil. CSA can ensure a decent income for family farmers, reducing social vulnerability, and shows significant potential for promoting food sustainability due to its strong influence from agroecology. However, CSA faces a significant limitation in the elitization of this movement, reflecting historical social inequalities where only a relatively small portion of the population can afford healthier food.

Francis Mwaijande · African Journal of Empirical Research · Tanzania

This study, using a mixed-methods approach with 600 respondents from urban and peri-urban farmers and agri-food supply chain producers in Tanzania, confirmed urban agriculture's contribution to food availability, accessibility, stability, and utilization. However, it found that urban agriculture is not well-integrated into urban food and poverty reduction policies in Tanzania and is practiced without legitimate policy and legal frameworks. This policy gap indicates an inadequate policy enabling environment for urban agriculture to enhance food security.

Rico Yanuar Ardiansyah, Hamidah Hendrarini, Wahyu Santoso · Jurnal Ilmiah Sosio Agribis · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A study in Surabaya City, Indonesia, analyzed community participation in urban farming among 50 respondents from three farmer groups from April to June 2025, using Importance Performance Analysis. While urban farming performed optimally in ecological, socio-cultural, educational & tourism, and health aspects, the economic aspect showed the lowest performance and largest gap. This indicates a need for strengthening outcome management, market access, and community economic empowerment to optimize economic contributions.

Paula Marques Crelier, Manoel Jerônimo Moreira Cruz, Danusia Ferreira Lima · Seven Editora eBooks · Global

A controlled laboratory experiment cultivated BRS Leila lettuce (L. sativa) in samples contaminated with lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) at concentrations of 150 and 200 mol/L. The study found that lithium correlates with other alkaline and alkaline earth elements in the leaves and roots of the lettuce. This indicates a contamination pathway where lithium is absorbed by the plant.

Aminu Zakariyau, Murtala Rabiu · International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Management · Nigeria (Katsina City)

The potential ecotoxicological impacts of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) on soil, plants, and humans in urban Katsina, Nigeria, were assessed. Analysis of soil mixtures and plant biomass (maize and beans) revealed high phytotoxicity in beans, while maize considered MSWC as phytonutrients. No statistical difference in non-biodegradable substance concentrations in soils and plants was found, and ecological risk index (ERI) indicated low risk; however, Target Hazard Quotients (THQ) suggested a likelihood of non-carcinogenic effects to the ecosystem.

Robert J. Moriarity, Meaghan J. Wilton, Eric N. Liberda, Tim Drew, Ada John, Howard Jeddore, Atanu Sarkar, Jim D. Karagatzides, Leonard J. S. Tsuji · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada (Newfoundland)

This study aimed to develop safe community garden sites in Miawpukek First Nation, Newfoundland, Canada, addressing potential soil contamination. Soil testing revealed inorganic arsenic levels exceeding Canadian agricultural guidelines. Hügelkultur-style raised beds with imported soil were used, resulting in undetectable arsenic in potatoes grown there, while potatoes from contaminated soil exceeded safety limits. Kale grown in both raised beds and native soil remained within safety limits.

Godswill Ntsomboh Ntsefong · IntechOpen eBooks · Global

This chapter examines the global growth and implications of urban agriculture. While urban agriculture enhances food security, it also introduces food safety risks from contaminated soils and infrastructure gaps. Challenges related to heavy metals, waste, and inadequate land planning are evaluated, and barriers such as land access and limited training for producers persist.

M Mohan Joseph, Archana T. Anil · Environmental Quality Management · India (Kochi)

This study evaluated spider webs from Cyrtophora cicatrosa and Pholcus phalangioides as biomonitoring tools for heavy metal pollution in urban, industrial, and semi-urban/agricultural areas of Kochi city, India. Analysis of web samples revealed site-specific variations in Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn concentrations, with high levels of Zn found in Eloor (7558 ppm) and Kizhakkambalam (4947.50 ppm). Zn and Sn were the dominant accumulated metals, indicating significant heavy metal contamination in these environments.

Christoph Koch, Maria da Glória Arrais Peter · Environmental Challenges · Germany

This citizen science study analyzed inorganic pollutants in private garden soils in central Germany, including front and backyards. Elevated levels of lead and copper were found in one-third of the samples, and zinc in two-thirds. Chromium and nickel concentrations were also elevated in a quarter of the samples, with some readily available substances exceeding limit values.

Christian Valderrama, Hernan Zarate · Ambiente & sociedade · Colombia (Neiva)

This research characterized the presence and spatial distribution of lead (Pb) concentrations in Mangifera indica and Syzygium malaccense fruit trees on public roads in Neiva, Colombia. Using a census, fruit sampling, and spatial interpolation methods, lead levels were detected in all samples. Five samples exceeded the permissible limit of 0.1 mg/kg, with higher concentrations observed in industrial areas.

Corina Başnou, Geovana Mercado, Åsa Ode Sang, Thomas B. Randrup, Verónica Fabio, Adrián Cabezas, Arnau Lluch, Marc Montlleó, Juan Miguel Kanai, Riccardo Saraco, Olívia Bina, Tom Wild · Nature-Based Solutions · Europe

An overview and guidance for air pollution indicators in nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban green planning and public health were provided, using three case studies in Europe and Latin America. The study noted that approaches including multidimensional indicators in research, planning, and policies are limited, and national standards for some air pollutants are missing with little evidence for health effect thresholds. Findings also indicated that knowledge of pollutant uptake in edible plants can suggest potential human exposure risks.

Mengqi Shao, Linjun Xie · Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning · China (Shanghai)

This study explored the dynamics of civil society organization (CSO)-government relationships through community gardens as governance spaces in Shanghai. Through empirical case studies of three community garden projects, it revealed how political, practical, and personal spheres shape the evolving dynamics between CSOs and local governments. The research highlighted CSOs' pivotal role in mediating between the state and local communities, but noted that challenges such as power asymmetries persist.

María Fernanda Ríos Acuña, Rocío Elena Matos Chávez, Nicolás Manuel Herrera Robles, Carlos Enrique Quispe Vargas, Juliana Beatriz Torres Luján · Ibero Ciencias - Revista Científica y Académica - ISSN 3072-7197 · Peru (Lima)

This review article analyzed the effects of school urban gardens on environmental education and child nutrition in public institutions of Metropolitan Lima. Examining 25 national and international scientific studies using the PRISMA methodological approach, findings showed that school gardens strengthen ecological awareness and promote fruit and vegetable consumption. However, structural barriers such as lack of resources, teacher training, and sustained institutional support were also identified.

Taffere Addis, Sisay Ketema, Abayneh Melaku · Frontiers in Water · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, investigated trace metal levels in sediment, soil, and irrigated vegetables from farms along the Akaki River, evaluating public health risks. Sediment levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc exceeded threshold effect levels. Soil levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, manganese, and zinc exceeded typical world soil values, with nickel at one site exceeding EEC limits for agricultural soils. Critically, arsenic, lead, and zinc levels in some vegetable samples were above WHO allowable limits, despite soil levels being acceptable, and cadmium was the most accumulated metal in vegetables.

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Transformations · South Africa (Cape Town)

This qualitative study investigated 13 school-based community gardens in low-income townships on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using semi-structured interviews. It found that while these gardens can enhance food security, nutrition, and community development, most urban community gardens in South Africa face significant challenges related to land tenure rights, often requiring negotiation for school land use. The research highlights both the advantages and the challenges of utilizing school land for community gardens.

Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Pablo De Roulet, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Land · Togo

This study in Greater Lomé, Togo, interviewed 11 experts and surveyed urban farmers to compare their perceptions of urban agriculture and health. The findings reveal a disconnect: urban farmers identify various challenges, including health-related difficulties, while experts tend to assume different health concerns, highlighting a misalignment between the perspectives of planning and design experts and urban farmers.

Ana Zepeda, Maria C. Ortíz-Rivera, Clare Cannon, Amanda Crump · The Professional Geographer · United States

This research, conducted in San Juan, Puerto Rico in July 2019, investigates how women experienced the impacts of Hurricane Maria on their urban farms (huertos urbanos). Findings show that while many women enjoy urban farming and it provides fresh produce, almost all women farmers experienced a decline in volunteer participation a few years after the farms' establishment and even more so after Hurricane Maria. Despite this, many women described the urban farms as very important for community food cultivation and gathering.

Juan Diego Torres, Sara R. Jaeger, Patricia Puerta, Amparo Tárrega · Applied Food Research · Spain

This study investigated Spanish consumers' perceptions of five lettuce cultivation systems using explicit and implicit methods with 105 participants. Local/small agriculture was most favorably regarded, while urban community gardens were perceived as less safe for lettuce production. High-tech greenhouses were considered safer but less sustainable, and vertical indoor farming elicited a surprise reaction due to low familiarity.

E. Ryan Harrelson, Qingyue Zeng, Mairui Gao, Magaly Toro, Ryan A. Blaustein · Frontiers in Plant Science · United States (Washington, D.C.)

This study analyzed 87 multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains from leafy greens (n=29), root zone soil (n=42), and bulk soil (n=16) in Washington, D.C. urban agriculture systems using whole genome sequencing. The isolates, spanning 4 phyla and 14 genera, carried diverse antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The results indicate that MDR bacteria are present in urban agriculture systems, including on fresh produce, dominated by soil-associated taxa carrying diverse ARGs and MGEs, which suggests implications for resistance mobilization.

Doreen N. Meso, Enos W. Wambu, Gelas Simiyu, Shem M. Mwasi, Thomas Munyao · Discover Environment · Kenya (Kakamega Town)

This study assessed heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils, water, and pumpkin leaves from 21 sites across three zones in peri-urban Kakamega Town, Kenya. It found cadmium pollution in all water samples, and lead and nickel pollution in sections of soil and leafy vegetable samples. Lead pollution was linked to vehicular emissions near the town center, while cadmium enrichment in informal settlements implicated inadequate waste management. Sequential extraction showed 31–35% of soil cadmium was in exchangeable fractions, posing a risk of bioavailability, highlighting persistent heavy metal contamination with implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity.