Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
6 results
Applying recovered nutrients and pruning waste to enrich and regenerate agricultural soils in urban agriculture: Effects on emissions and yield of spinach and sweet potato
2026Guido Evangelista, Juan David Arosemena, Gaia Stringari, Joan Romanyà, Xavier Gabarrell, Francesco Orsini, Gara Villalba · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · Global
This study evaluated the application of 150 t ha-1 of ramial chipped wood (RCW) to degraded peri-urban agricultural soils, comparing its effects on yield, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions for spinach and sweet potato. Spinach grown with RCW showed the lowest productivity (1.16 – 0.32 kg m-2) among treatments, while sweet potato achieved the highest yield (1.72 – 1.99 kg m-2). High RCW doses initially led to higher CO2 emissions but significantly reduced N2O emissions for spinach (from 0.36 kg ha-1 to 0.07 kg ha-1) and enhanced soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks for sweet potato, indicating agronomic and environmental trade-offs.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostClimate changePeri-urban agricultureImpact of waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba on plant diversity (Littoral-Cameroon)
2025Yanick Borel Kamga Valerie Njitat Tsama* · Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) · Cameroon (Nkongsamba)
This study assessed the impact of untreated waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, on vegetation by conducting floristic inventories at upstream, near, and downstream sites. Twenty-five 100 m2 plots were established at each site, revealing a total of 105 species from 79 genera and 41 families. The downstream site exhibited the highest species richness with 81 species, 70 genera, and 35 families, but these results showed a dominance of ruderal taxa and pollution bio-indicators like Commelina benghalensis and Tithonia diversifolia, reflecting ecological disturbance of the plant environment.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageMeasuring the Fate of Compost-Derived Phosphorus in Native Soil below Urban Gardens
2019Gaston E. Small, Sara Osborne, Paliza Shrestha, Adam D. Kay · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ·
This study measured phosphorus (P) concentrations in native soil below four- and six-year-old urban garden plots, collecting soil cores from five plots of each age. It found that inorganic weakly exchangeable P was significantly elevated in native soil below garden plots (>35 cm deep) compared to reference profiles, indicating accumulation of excess P from compost. This suggests that while urban agriculture can recycle P, over-application of compost may contribute to soil and water pollution.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleThe fate of compost-derived phosphorus in urban gardens
2018Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Adam D. Kay · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Global
Dissolved phosphorus (PO4 3-) and nitrogen (NO3- & NH4+) losses in leachate from experimental raised-bed garden plots were measured. Plots receiving cow manure compost showed high PO4 3- concentrations (5-11 mg/L), while municipal organics compost plots had concentrations an order of magnitude lower (0.5-1.2 mg/L), and no-compost plots had 0.3 mg/L. Phosphorus lost through leachate and harvest accounted for only 1-10% of total applied phosphorus, indicating soil build-up was the dominant fate. This study illustrates a potential trade-off in urban agriculture between crop production and efficient phosphorus recycling from urban food waste.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageThe monitoring of soils on the land areas as information support for the register of soil resources at the local level
2018D.V. Belobrova, Д. А. Шаповалов · Dokuchaev Soil Bulletin · Russia
This study conducted large-scale (1:5000) soil mapping of garden non-commercial partnerships in the Meshchera lowland of Noginsk district, Moscow region. Investigations revealed that initial soils underwent significant transformation since their creation, with soddy podzolic and boggy soils changing into agro-soddy podzolic soils and agrozems due to intensive development and fertilizer use. While these changes reflect increased productivity and quality of allotment soils, the transformed soils are characterized by neutral pH and high/medium mobile phosphorus content, but are poor in exchangeable potassium compared to natural soil profiles.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostCommunityUrban food systems
2015J.S.C. Wiskerke · · Global
This chapter focuses on urban food supplies and the challenges of managing waste flows from urban households and markets in developing countries. Large amounts of municipal solid waste, human excreta, and wastewater are produced, most of which end up in non-engineered landfills or pollute the urban environment. It is noted that these wastes pollute the urban environment, especially in low-income countries with less developed sanitation infrastructure.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostFood lossHealth