Research & reports

James J. Connolly, Isabelle Anguelovski · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · United States

This study used state sequence analysis to examine the historical trend of greening (including parks and community gardens) from 1975 to 2014 in nine U.S. cities, in relation to concentrations of white and non-white residents. Findings revealed that the relationship between greening and race/ethnicity varied by city-level growth trajectory. Cities with continuous high growth showed the strongest link between increased greening and whiter populations, while non-white areas in cities with contraction or punctuated growth exhibited uniformly low levels of greening, mostly in recent years.

Elijalma Augusto Beserra, Vivianni Marques Leite dos Santos, Eva Mônica Sarmento da Silva, Lúcia Marisy Souza Ribeiro de Oliveira, Hesler Piedade Caffé Filho · ID on line REVISTA DE PSICOLOGIA · Brazil

This descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative research, conducted from September to December 2021, investigated how the community garden of the Coelho Atikum Jurema Community in Brazil was affected by Covid-19. The study identified a series of adversities faced by the community in adapting to the market changes resulting from Covid-19 social interaction rules. These rules directly impacted the community's marketing techniques, posing challenges to economic viability.

Meredith Gaglio · · United States

The "Ecotopia" concept, promoting ecologically and socially responsible American Appropriate Technology (AT), included innovative urban planning like rooftop gardens. However, the expansion and contraction of the intranational Ecotopian network built by former Rainmakers in the mid-to-late 1970s revealed a crisis of purpose within RAIN and signaled a crisis within the AT Movement itself.

Kristan Majors · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States

"No Place to Grow" is a 2019 documentary film (27 mins) that captures the story of a longstanding LatinX community garden, its farmers, neighborhood protests, and negotiations with government officials in the United States. The film depicts the challenges faced by the community garden, leaving viewers disheartened. It is recommended for libraries collecting on community gardens and urban agriculture.

Mariana Portilho, Camila Rodrigues, Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez · Cidades, comunidades e território/Cidades comunidades e territórios · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This study describes the formation of Arranjo Local da Penha, a community network created in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex, focused on urban agriculture and led by women. Through fieldwork and participant observation, the study analyzed themes of women and agroecology, health, and healthy eating. The network promoted women's empowerment and access to healthy food, but faced limits in the mobilization and development of urban agriculture.

K. K. Dey, Maria Velez-Climent, P. Soria, Özgur Batuman, Vessela Mavrodieva, Guo Wei, Jun Zhou, Scott Adkins, John D. McVay · New Disease Reports · United States (Florida)

In October 2019, Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was detected in six of eight symptomatic tomato plants from a 1.6 ha community garden in Alachua County, Florida. The plants also showed symptoms of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), with three samples testing positive for TYLCV. This marks the first report of ToBRFV infecting tomatoes in Florida, USA.

ELIZABETE CRISTINA RIBEIRO SILVA JARDIM · Editora Realize eBooks · Brazil

This research analyzed Brazilian school garden experiences across three document sets, identifying procedures and resources incongruent with stated counter-hegemonic objectives. The study found structural inadequacies for the school space and omissions regarding the protection and safety of farmers and students during activities. It recommends adjustments to location, spatial organization, and material resources for school gardens to ensure the health of food producers.

Sarah 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.

Leigh 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.

Kyla 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.

Christina 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.

Chammi 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.

Rafael Carvalho Machado, Sieglinde Kindl Da Cunha · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Curitiba)

This study investigated Curitiba, Brazil's Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) and its decentralized composting strategy, which aimed to close the agricultural loop within city bounds. Despite training 24 urban farmer communities in composting techniques, the program was unable to achieve this goal. The research, based on secondary data review, interviews, and participatory observation, identified cultural barriers and conflicts among actor roles within the UAP that hindered the adoption of composting practices.

Camila Garcia Fernandes de Souza Margem, Néliton Marques da Sílva · Cadernos Metrópole · Brazil (Manaus)

This article analyzed the feasibility of implementing urban agriculture (UA) on idle land within the Tarumã – Ponta Negra Environmental Protection Area in Manaus, Brazil, as a tool for territorial governance and urban planning. Semi-structured interviews and card sorting techniques were applied to the target population. The study found that the use of idle land for UA is not envisioned as a territorial governance instrument, a situation exacerbated by municipal authorities hindering the legitimization of bills for such land use.

Helda Morales, Bruce G. Ferguson, Kimberly Chung, Ronald Nigh · Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente · Mexico (Chiapas)

This study explored the potential and limitations for agroecological scaling through formal educational structures, using the LabVida school gardens program in Chiapas, Mexico as a case study. Through training, educators gained an appreciation of agroecology and applied practices in their school gardens, although their understanding of agroecological principles and scientific process remained limited. The program's greatest impact was on educators’ eating habits and their perception of the value of local knowledge and its relevance to schoolwork.

Ricardo Theóphilo Folhes, Harley Silva, Raul da Silva Ventura Neto, Kevin Gabriel Leite Da Silva, Círia Cristiane Da Rosa, Aelton Dias Costa · Novos Cadernos NAEA · Brazil (Pará)

This article presents initial results from a bibliographic review on Urban Agriculture (UA) to support a research agenda in the metropolitan regions of Pará State, Brazilian Amazon. The review analyzed concepts, approaches, and challenges in national and international literature. It concludes that UA needs to be problematized within the phenomena of urban-regional space production, which cause socioeconomic and spatial inequalities, representing the greatest structural difficulties for urban agriculture.

Jonathan Hall, Isabel Shargo, Niya Khanjar, Jianna Howard, Laura Schmidt, Ashley Deng, Camryn Edwards, Isabelle Berman, Joseph Galarraga, Sacoby Wilson · Environmental Justice · United States

This study in Baltimore, Maryland, used GIS mapping and spatial analysis to assess the proximity of urban farms to environmental hazards, including those with heavy metal contamination. Analyses indicated that contamination of urban farms is a possibility due to proximity: more environmental hazards were found in census tracts with urban farms, and low-income communities of color had hazards near urban farms. Historically industrial areas showed a higher concentration of environmental hazards with heavy metal or unknown contamination.

Isabel Shargo, Jonathan Hall, Ashley Deng, Niya Khanjar, Camryn Edwards, Isabelle Berman, Joseph Galarraga, Sacoby Wilson · Landscape Journal · United States (Baltimore)

This study in Baltimore, Maryland, used GIS mapping and hotspot analysis to assess the proximity of urban farms to environmental hazards. Most urban farms were located in low-income communities of color. However, most environmental hazards were not near urban farms but in predominantly White areas or historical industrial centers. Despite a generally low risk of contamination, some urban farms in low-income and Black/African American communities were potentially contaminated by hazardous sites.

Christy Gene Somsen · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)

Farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and community gardens, while aiming to help low-income families access fresh produce, often assist more middle-class families. In Utah, these programs could be improved, as the state does not utilize the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program or accept WIC Cash Value Vouchers, and has few Farm to School Programs.

Manuela Maluf Santos, Paulo Eduardo Moruzzi Marques · Estudos Avançados · Brazil (São Paulo)

This article conceptually explores the "locavorism" food activism movement, noting that its practical application can have diverse and even antagonistic effects. To analyze these contradictions, two farmer organizations in São Paulo involved in local consumption circuits were interviewed to understand the potential social and environmental effects of this purchasing model. The abstract does not present the findings of these interviews.

Rebecca Amato · Amsterdam University Press eBooks · United States (New York City)

This chapter discusses the historical production and perception of "empty space" in New York City, from settler colonialism to gentrification, driven by techniques like filtering and declaring vacancy. It highlights how the acceleration of development to maintain world city status threatens alternative visions like cooperative centers and community gardens. These alternative uses are presented as models for inclusive cities, despite being under threat.

André Ruoppolo Biazoti, Angélica Campos Nakamura, Gustavo Nagib, Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão, Giulia Giacchè, Thaís Mauad · Sustainability · Brazil (São Paulo)

Amid a COVID-19 outbreak that caused 15,587 deaths in São Paulo city through December 2020, this study examined effects on urban agriculture from April to August 2020, drawing on two government surveys (2,100 farmers in São Paulo state, 148 in São Paulo city) and two qualitative surveys of volunteers from ten community gardens and seven urban farmers. Fifty percent of farmers reported being affected by the pandemic through drops in sales, particularly those who depended on intermediaries, and 22% said obtaining inputs had become difficult. No municipal support was provided to urban agriculture in São Paulo, and pre-existing problems worsened; activity in community gardens declined, though none closed permanently.

Mark Paul · Econstor (Econstor) · United States

In-depth interviews with community supported agriculture (CSA) farmers in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, United States, examined their livelihoods. CSA farmers earned more farm income than other US farms and other farms in the region, but their earnings remained far below the median national household income. Despite this income shortfall, CSA farming provided non-market social, ecological and economic benefits tied to feeding the community rather than producing for mass markets, which farmers described as a significant source of well-being.

James J. Connolly · · United States (California)

This case study examines the leading edge of gentrification along San Francisco's Third Street T streetcar line. Bayview-Hunters Point (B.V.H.P.), the end of the streetcar line's first phase, is an ethnically mixed, working-class neighborhood and the last historic concentration of African American residents in San Francisco. While gentrification-driven change is already visible further up the line, its presence in B.V.H.P. remains comparatively shallow so far. Nonetheless, many residents and community activists perceive that a fast-moving gentrification frontier leaves them with a conundrum: remain in a contaminated, post-industrial, climate-exposed environment, or advocate for their health while risking displacement. The neighborhood has seen greening such as community gardens and a waterfront promenade, alongside inequalities including enduring racial segregation, environmental privilege, green gentrification, luxury development, climate-related health risks, and continued exposure to contamination.

Yvonne Ma, Jessica Chen, Karen Fong, Stephanie Nadya, Kevin J. Allen, Chad Laing, Kim Ziebell, Ed Topp, Laura M. Carroll, Martin Wiedmann, Pascal Delaquis, Siyun Wang · Antibiotics · Canada

Genomic and phenotypic analysis of 55 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) isolates of diverse serotypes, recovered from surface waters and sediments in a mixed urban/agricultural landscape in British Columbia, Canada (Antibiotics, 2021), found reduced antibiotic susceptibility across multiple drug classes: florfenicol (65.5%), tetracycline (52.7%), ampicillin (49.1%), streptomycin (34.5%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (21.8%), kanamycin (20.0%), ceftiofur (18.2%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (12.7%), gentamicin (10.9%), chloramphenicol (7.3%), ceftriaxone (3.6%) and cefoxitin (3.6%), while all isolates remained susceptible to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, ertapenem, imipenem and meropenem. Eight isolates (14.6%) were multidrug resistant, and resistance genes including floR, dfrA, sul1/2, tetA/B, aadA, aph, blaTEM-1b and blaCMY-2 were identified alongside multiple plasmid replicon types. The resistance profiles matched those reported in generic E. coli from food animals, and the authors conclude that aquatic environments in the region are a potential reservoir for the maintenance and transmission of antibiotic-resistant STEC, their resistance genes, and associated plasmids.