Research & reports

Bethaney Turner · · Global

This chapter explored human-soil relations in urban home and community gardens through ethnographic fieldwork. While biodiverse soil offers direct health benefits, the presence of contaminated, toxic soils, prevalent in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, was shown to expose inequities in access to safe gardening sites and hinder the realization of potential therapeutic benefits. It argues that the therapeutic benefits of gardens are best realized when humans cultivate attentive relationships with myriad multispecies companions.

H. Tayal Neeraj · · Global

This chapter explores the potential of home gardening, as part of urban agriculture, to contribute to human health through improved nutrition. While home gardens can provide nutrient-dense foods, the potential health impact of soil contamination must be addressed, as urbanized soils tend to have elevated levels of heavy metals and other toxins.

Pernille Malberg Dyg, Søren Christensen, Corissa Jade Peterson · Health Promotion International · Global

A thematic review of 51 articles published between 1980 and 2017 examined the effects of community gardens on wellbeing among vulnerable populations. Findings suggested positive impacts on physical health and individual/social wellbeing, but food security enhancements were inconsistent. Two articles raised potential food safety concerns in urban community gardens, recommending attention to minimizing these risks.

Abdul Rahman Conteh, Alusaine Edward Samura, E. L. S. Hinckley, Osman Nabay, Mohamed S. Kamara · Journal of Agricultural Science and Practice · Sierra Leone (Freetown)

This study was conducted to identify the risks of heavy metal contamination in urban and peri-urban cropping systems in Sierra Leone. Soil and plant samples were collected from 72 sites in Freetown and Bo and analyzed for Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd. Heavy metals were detected across all sites, and some mild risk of cadmium toxicity was observed in densely populated areas of Freetown, though this was not reflected in plant uptake of cadmium.

Dieudonné E. Musibono, E.M. Biey, M. Kisangala, Camille Ipey Nsimanda, B.A. Munzundu, V. Kekolemba, J.J Palus · VertigO · Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

Urban agriculture in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, serves as a palliative solution for social survival constraints such as a lack of remunerative salaries and sustainable jobs. However, poorly supervised urban farmers cultivate along busy roads, exposing vegetables to various contaminations, including lead. This practice highlights issues with site selection and supervision.

F.P. Huibers, O. Moscoso, Álvaro Ocampo Durán, J.B. van Lier · CABI Publishing eBooks · Bolivia

A study examining wastewater use in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Both vegetable and fodder crops are irrigated with polluted water — diluted or partly treated municipal and industrial sewage — containing high concentrations of pathogens, heavy metals, and salts. In the downstream La Mayca area, where farmers have an agreement with the municipal water and sewerage company, soil degradation has forced them to increasingly replace vegetable crops with more salt-tolerant fodder crops. In other areas around the city, cultivators deny using wastewater and point to nearby wells as their water source, but many of these wells are likely also polluted and do not yield enough water for the irrigated area they serve. Farmers report no specific health problems related to using polluted water, which contradicts reports from local health workers. Because surface water flow and rainfall are low while industrial pollution is high and wastewater treatment capacity is limited, most of the water available to farmers is of poor quality. Options identified for improvement include reducing industrial pollution, increasing treatment capacity, and adopting integrated water management that blends good-quality groundwater with wastewater — but strong traditional water rights, lack of urban planning, and weak institutions are cited as constraints on improving wastewater management in Cochabamba.