Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
2116 results(38 / 85)
Differences in the Content of Zn Fractions in the Profiles of Soils from Allotment and Domestic Gardens in South-Eastern Poland
2021Iwona Makuch-Pietraś, A. Wójcikowska-Kapusta · Land · Poland
This research investigated the distribution, bioavailability, and total forms of zinc (Zn) in soils from domestic and family allotment gardens across six cities in south-eastern Poland. It found that horticultural treatments had a greater impact on sandy soils, and higher Zn contents were present in humus horizons. High values of concentration and Igeo indices indicated significant Zn pollution in these soils, with bioavailable zinc forms being notably high.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityOffsetting the cost of community-supported agriculture (CSA) for low-income families: perceptions and experiences of CSA farmers and members
2021Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Leah C. Volpe, Marilyn Sitaker, Emily H. Belarmino, Amari Sealey, Weiwei Wang, Florence Becot, Jared T. McGuirt, Alice S. Ammerman, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This study interviewed 24 CSA farmers and 20 full-pay CSA members about their perceptions and experiences with cost-offset Community-Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) models and specific cost-offset mechanisms, to understand the potential of CO-CSA for low-income households. Both farmers and members prioritized ensuring access to healthy food regardless of income level and generally favored member donations for funding CO-CSA. However, a commonly mentioned barrier was the potential time burden on CSA farmers for administering cost-offset programs, raising questions about economic viability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfareOccurrence and Determination of Antimicrobial Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates in Fish and Vegetables as Indicator Organism of Faecal Contamination in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2021Francis Mwanza, Erick Komba, Dominic Kambarage · International Journal of Microbiology · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, investigated the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic relatedness of E. coli isolates from 156 samples of manure, vegetables, and fish. Of these, 36 samples (23.1%) were positive for E. coli, yielding 48 isolates. A significant finding was that 25 (52.1%) of these isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, and 12 (48.0%) showed multidrug resistance, indicating a potential microbial health risk to humans through contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityPublic food forest opportunities and challenges in small municipalities
2021Sarah E. Coffey, John F. Munsell, Rico Hübner, Curtis R. Friedel · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Virginia)
A survey of 68 mayors (39% response rate) in Virginia, US, from communities under 25,000 population, investigated public food forest initiatives. Mayors identified long-term maintenance as the greatest barrier and noted that 78% of municipalities lack land use codes for food-producing trees and shrubs. While nearly 70% reported some public land food production, only one-fifth included food-producing trees. Mayors emphasized sociocultural programs and education over food access as the most compelling aspect.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood educationClimate changeEXPLORING THE RECYCLING OF MANURE FROM URBAN LIVESTOCK FARMS: A CASE STUDY IN ETHIOPIA
2021Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering · Ethiopia
This study in Jimma, Ethiopia, from 2015-2050, used an N mass flow model and field experiments to explore manure recycling from urban livestock farms under four scenarios. It found that livestock manures are the main organic wastes in urban areas, and manure production in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is projected to increase 3 to 10 times. Critically, only 13% to 38% of manure nitrogen will be recycled in croplands, and intensification of urban livestock production greatly increased nitrogen surpluses, indicating a significant environmental tradeoff.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceCompostHow are allotment gardens managed? A comparative study of usage and development in contemporary urban space in Germany and Poland
2021Magdalena Szczepańska, Ewa Kacprzak, Barbara Maćkiewicz, Lidia Poniży · Moravian Geographical Reports · Germany; Poland
A comparative study analyzed the use and development of allotment gardens (AGs) in Westphalia and Lippe (Germany) and Wielkopolska (Poland). AGs in Westphalia and Lippe are accessible and harmoniously integrated into the landscape, while AGs in Wielkopolska are less accessible, prioritize internal users, and do not always blend with their surroundings. The considerable freedom enjoyed by Polish plot-holders leads to a gradual marginalization of edible-plant growing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageCultivating the city for ecosocialism
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George M. Martin · · Global
This chapter examines urban cultivation across diverse global contexts, finding that global South cities often experience declining food production due to displacement by financiers and landowners. It notes that urban cultivation is frequently associated with unacknowledged pollution problems, and its overall ecological impacts are not necessarily positive. Furthermore, urban food production, with the exception of Cuba, does little to reduce social inequality and can sometimes exacerbate it.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyClimate changeA new hope for India to eradicate the problem of hunger and unemployment with its advancement in both urban and rural India
2021Dr.Sumanta Bhattacharya, H. B. Lal, Bhavneet Kaur Sachdev · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · India
India's horticulture industry has grown, contributing to GDP and employing 42% of the population. However, 60% of products rot due to a lack of cold storage, hindering the elimination of food shortages and export amplification. Floriculture has also improved, with women playing a role in rural economy and empowerment.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageFood lossClimate changeEconomicsExpanding Dengue Vectors Through the Border of Dhaka City: Vector Breeding Grounds in Gazipur City Corporation, Bangladesh
2021GM Saifur Rahman, Tahmina Akter · Bangladesh Journal of Zoology · Bangladesh
An entomological study in September 2019 examined 100 houses across five areas of Gazipur City Corporation, Bangladesh, to identify dengue vector breeding grounds. Both Aedes vectors were found in all areas, with Aedes aegypti being dominant. Rooftop gardens and under-construction sites were identified as the most important breeding sites, and the study found a comparatively higher number of Ae. aegypti breeding, indicating a potential for a major outbreak.
Environmental trade-offsHealthThe Changing character of the city-food nexus
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George Martin · · Global
This chapter examines the global relationship between food growing and capitalism over 500 years, identifying three profit-seeking formats: mercantilism, industrialism, and global financialization. It argues that capitalism has led to a de-industrialization of cities and a commodification of agricultural products by corporate megafarms, contributing to green gentrification in urban redevelopment. This has incited a food resistance trend, leading to the emergence of community gardens and farms.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityRooftop garden an organic farming to grow uncontaminated vegetable improved food quality and food security in Bhubaneswar City, India
2021K. C. Sahu, M. K. Satapathy · International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · India
This paper discusses rooftop gardens as an alternative for vegetable production in Bhubaneswar City, India. While rooftop agriculture can improve ecosystem services and enhance urban biodiversity, vegetable production activities on rooftops are limited due to multiple challenges that need to be addressed for widespread implementation. Rooftops are not a total solution for food security but can supplement other urban food sources.
Limited or null effectDIYFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeFood forests: Their services and sustainability
2021Stefanie Albrecht, Arnim Wiek · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This study compiled evidence from over 200 food forests worldwide, with detailed insights from 14 exemplary food forests in Europe, North America, and South America, gained through site visits and interviews. Findings indicate that most food forests perform well on social-cultural and environmental criteria, such as building capacity, providing food, enhancing biodiversity, and regenerating soil. However, for broader impact, food forests need to enhance their economic viability, as they currently show a deficit in this area.
Economic viabilityCommunityBiodiversityEconomicsFood educationUrban food growing and social sustainability
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George Martin · · Global
Claims that urban food production raises food security and creates a more just society are questionable and contradicted by data from the Global North. Urban land is insufficient, sunlight is often inadequate, and soil pollution is widespread. Technological attempts like vertical and rooftop farming have limited feasibility, may worsen environmental and social problems, and do not address major food sources, access, or waste. Furthermore, urban gardens are increasingly linked with socially devastating gentrification.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyClimate changeChromium Laden Soil, Water, and Vegetables nearby Tanning Industries: Speciation and Spatial Distribution
2021Adugnaw Maru Gezahegn, Fekadu Fufa, Esayas Alemayehu, Abebe Beyene · Journal of Chemistry · Ethiopia (Modjo city)
This study investigated the spatial distribution and speciation of chromium in water, soil, and edible plants in tannery-contaminated areas of Modjo city, Ethiopia. Total chromium in the Modjo River was 20.6 mg L−1 upstream, and soil Cr (III) and Cr (VI) concentrations were found to be higher than guideline values. Chromium concentrations in edible plants were also significantly higher than in control areas, with roots accumulating more chromium than leaves and fruits. It was concluded that water, soil, and edible plants in this area contain chromium concentrations higher than recommended for a healthy environment and human consumption.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkagePractices and Barriers to Sustainable Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Louisville, Kentucky
2021Leigh Whittinghill, Sait Sarr · Urban Science · United States (Louisville, Kentucky)
A survey of 40 urban farmers and gardeners in Louisville, Kentucky, assessed their agricultural practices and barriers. Most growers engaged in urban agriculture for non-commercial reasons, with only 11% operating for profit, and smaller farms were less likely to be profitable or certified. Common sustainable practices included composting (60%) and crop rotation (54%), while challenges involved limited space, farm certification access, pests, and lack of record-keeping.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceSocial aspect of urban agriculture with examples from Croatia
2021Ana Poštek, Ivica Kisić, Marija Cerjak, Luka Brezinščak · Journal of Central European Agriculture · Croatia
This paper analyzes various social aspects of urban agriculture and presents examples from Croatia where social benefits are the primary purpose. Urban agriculture can have social effects such as fostering activism, gender equality, social cohesion and inclusion, education, and cultural heritage preservation. However, policymakers struggle to implement urban agriculture within city planning.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePotentially Toxic Trace Elements in the Urban Soils of Santiago de Compostela (Northwestern Spain)
2021Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo · Applied Sciences · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
The concentrations of trace elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As were investigated in 55 urban soils in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. While most soils showed higher trace element concentrations than regional backgrounds, they were not classified as contaminated according to Spanish regulations. However, geoaccumulation index values indicated low to moderate pollution levels in most soils, with Cu, Pb, and Zn highest in city center green areas, and Cr and Ni linked to parent material lithology.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityAn Analysis of Policy Implementation Factors of the School Farm Program in Seoul, South Korea
2021Subeen Jang · The Korea Association of Yeolin Education · South Korea (Seoul)
This study analyzed the implementation process of the School Farm Program in Seoul, South Korea, through a literature review. The analysis found that there was a risk of the policy's focus deviating from school and educational issues, as multiple policymakers pursued diverse economic and social goals using school farms. Additionally, policy effects at the target level could differ from policymaker goals depending on each school's context, and interaction among policy implementers and various interest groups like civic organizations, experts, and media was insufficient.
Governance failurePolicyFood educationCommunityAbiotic and biotic drivers of strawberry productivity across a rural-urban gradient
2021Kyla D. Scherr, Mary A. Jamieson · Basic and Applied Ecology · United States (Michigan)
This three-year study investigated environmental factors influencing strawberry productivity for two cultivars at ten farms across a rural-urban gradient in Michigan, USA. It found no direct effect of urbanization on strawberry production or fruit pathogen and pest damage, but temperature significantly influenced crop productivity, with cooler rural and warmer urban temperatures limiting fruit number. While no relationship was found between urbanization and overall arthropod pest, predator, or pollinator abundances, Vespidae abundance was positively associated with urbanization, and Araneae abundance was negatively associated.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityClimate changeGrassroots Sustainability in a Concrete Landscape
2021Christina Ergas · · United States
This chapter explores urban ecovillages in the United States, highlighting challenges faced by ecovillagers in a neoliberal context. It examines cultural conflicts between sustainability and consumer culture, and points out the exclusive, upper-class, white nature of the local food movement in the US. Monetary and time constraints have made local organic food an elite phenomenon, often cited as a first step to gentrification in urban communities.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeHealthThe cultural economy of human waste reuse: perspectives from peri-urban Karnataka, India
2021Zachary Burt, C. Shambu Prasad, Pay Drechsel, Isha Ray · Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development · India (Karnataka)
A preference-ranking model was developed to understand the acceptance of fecal sludge-derived fertilizer (FSF) in Karnataka, India, by modeling farmowners and farmworkers separately. The study found that farmers willing to use FSF prefer to conceal its origins from workers and their caste group, especially caste-adhering, vegetarian farmowners. Workers were open to FSF if it resembled cow manure, revealing that the waste economy in rural India is shaped by unacknowledged caste hierarchies and practices.
Equity & displacementOrganic cyclePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsHealthCommunityPhytoavailability of Lead for Vegetables in Urban Garden Soils
2021Chammi P. Attanayake, Ganga M. Hettiarachchi, Mónica Palomo, Gary M. Pierzynski, Blanca Calderón · ACS Agricultural Science & Technology · United States
The effect of limestone and composted manure on lead (Pb) in vegetables and Pb bioaccessibility was assessed in a contaminated urban garden (total Pb ~200 mg kg⁻¹). Amendments did not affect Pb in vegetables or Pb bioaccessibility. Peeling reduced Pb concentration in radish by half, and removing surface dust reduced Pb in leafy vegetables by 40-50%. Daily Pb intake from consuming lettuce and carrot/beetroot from this garden was approximately 1.5 times higher than the interim reference level proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCompostCommunityCaracterización tecnológica de productores hortícolas peri-urbanos en tres parroquias del cantón Cuenca, Ecuador
2021Maria Elena Peralta-Culcay, Hugo Alberto Cedillo-Tapia, Alfonso Suárez-Tapia · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Ecuador (Cuenca)
This research characterized the technological use among small (500-1000 m2) and medium (1000-3000 m2) peri-urban horticultural producers in San Joaquín, Baños, and Sayausí, Cuenca, Ecuador, using a survey. The survey found that most production is sold in local markets, following an ancestral system with some additional technology. The identified technological efficiency was at a medium level (3 on a scale of 1 to 5), indicating a technological deficit.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsCommunityDigital agricultureTrinity assessment method applied to heavy-metal contamination in peri-urban soil–crop systems: A case study in northeast China
2021Xingjia Wang, Wenbo Li, Dongyan Wang, Songze Wu, Zhuoran Yan, Jiaqi Han · Ecological Indicators · China
A 'trinity' assessment method was developed to evaluate heavy-metal contamination in peri-urban soil–crop systems in Northeast China, covering total, available, and accumulated heavy metals. While traditional methods indicated less contamination, the trinity method revealed spatial clustering of heavy-metal contamination in cultivated lands caused by urbanization and industrialization, and a decreasing urban–rural trend in contaminated areas, particularly in transition zones.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthExperiencias relevantes de agricultura urbana y periurbana en Colombia
2021Ramón Antonio Mosquera Mena, Yolvi Prada Millán · Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia eBooks · Colombia
Urban and peri-urban agriculture in Colombia offers benefits such as alleviating food insecurity and creating jobs, but currently lacks government policies to support these processes. This paper contextualizes relevant experiences and technical tools for implementing agroecological orchards, emphasizing environmental and social sensitivity. It also notes that agricultural research in Colombia is still emerging, requiring more applied research for technological development to benefit communities and farmers.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunity