Research & reports

Julie Cornfield, Harmonii Odinga, Jaleh Kermani, Katherine P. Theall, M. Pia Chaparro · American Journal of Health Promotion · United States (New Orleans)

An environmental assessment of 10 community gardens and interviews with 20 community members and administrators in New Orleans, Louisiana, explored factors affecting garden use. Gardens scored high in design and cleanliness but low in accessibility and information availability. While community members perceived gardens could increase fresh food access, administrators believed gardens could not produce enough food for community-wide impact, emphasizing social benefits instead.

Jianyun Nie, Akira Kiminami, Hironori Yagi · Sustainability · China (Shanghai)

This study analyzed the sustainability status of 22 urban leisure farms in Shanghai using the IDEA method. Farms' average sustainability scores were 25.72 on the agroecological scale, 32.5 on the socioterritorial scale, and 46.5 on the economic scale. This analysis revealed that while urban leisure agriculture in Shanghai has high sustainability at the economic scale, its overall sustainability was low, indicating a need for further strengthening.

Marié J. du Toit, Olivia Rendón, Viktoria Cologna, Sarel S. Cilliers, Martin Dallimer · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · South Africa

A case study in a low-income former township area in South Africa, involving 140 home garden owners, found that gardens did not substantially contribute to household food security. Only 10% of households were completely food secure, and dietary diversity was very low. Key constraints included cultural practices, a focus on ornamental plants, and reliance on purchased food.

Stephanie Ross · · Global

This paper explores various needs that community gardens seem poised to meet, such as education, community activism, individual growth, and enhancement, offering a balanced assessment of their likely success. It considers large-scale indoor hydroponic farming as a potential remedy for many of the social ills that community gardens address.

Artur Amirovich Galyamov · Социодинамика · Russia

This article presents preliminary sociological monitoring results from 2022 for the "Camp School-garden" pilot project, aimed at primary education for indigenous children in remote areas of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. While positive indicators like satisfaction with educational services were noted, the study also identified less positive and negative indicators, including inconsistent internet quality and differing opinions on distance learning organization, which require consideration for future project implementation.

Nia Kurniawati Hidayat, Ahyar Ismail, Hastuti Hastuti, Fitria Dewi Raswatie · Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia · Indonesia (Bogor)

An urban farming program was initiated in Gunung Putri District, Bogor Regency, and qualitative descriptive methods, Likert scale, and SWOT analysis were used to identify development strategies, analyze public perceptions, and formulate strategies. While urban farming showed potential across technical, social, institutional, commercial, financial, and environmental aspects, obstacles included respondents' time, usable land, capital, supportive institutions, and limited marketing information. The most significant weakness identified was product marketing.

Ro'fatul Maulaa, Niken Kusumarini, Dian Triastari Armanda · BIOLOGICA SAMUDRA · Indonesia (Semarang)

The potential and constraints of urban farming development on the railroad border in Bangetayu Wetan Village, Genuk District, Semarang City, Indonesia, were investigated through observation, interviews, and documentation. The approximately 1 to 2-hectare area cultivated crops such as corn, cassava, and sugarcane, with yield predictions sufficient to meet food needs. However, the presence of pests, diseases, and weeds were identified as constraints, indicating challenges for urban farming development.

Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Imre Fertő, Ágnes Neulinger, József Rácz, Attila Oláh · BMC Public Health · Hungary

This study examined situational and engagement-related work difficulties for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers in Hungary, using interpretive phenomenology and semi-structured interviews. The research found that new modes of consumer-producer connectivity create novel issues for farmers, leading to three experiential themes: conflicted autonomy, the pressure of boxes, and social overload. These difficulties are rooted in the economic characteristics of alternative agriculture and structural conditions that require conflicting farmer roles. The study highlights the health and wellbeing costs of sustainable farming, noting that farmers often lack the time, experience, or skills for new producer-consumer connections.

Janina Wittenberg, Maria Gernert, Hamid El Bilali, Carola Strassner · Sustainability · Germany (Münster)

This paper explores the role of grassroots initiatives in the transition towards a sustainable urban food system in Münster, Germany, using questionnaires, interviews, and desk research. Results indicate that many initiatives in Münster focus on education and information, raising awareness, rather than offering material alternatives. Policy, education, networks, and communication were identified as key leverage points.

Despal Despal, Claudia Faresty, Rika Zahera, T Toharmat · Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity · Indonesia

An observational study of 36 dairy cattle in the Kebon Pedes area of Bogor City, Indonesia, tracked feeding, rumination and resting behavior over 12 hours (6 am–6 pm) alongside temperature, humidity, temperature-humidity index (THI), nutrient intake and milk production. The cattle were found to be in mild-to-severe heat stress (THI above 78), with reduced dry matter intake (11.17 kg) and deficient energy and crude-protein intake that led to lower milk production (11.01 L/head/day), though milk fat content was comparatively higher (5.44%); the authors recommend improved forage quality to increase eating and rumination time and reduce resting time.

Danielle Purkiss, Ayşe Lisa Allison, Fabiana Lorencatto, Susan Michie, Mark Miodownik · Frontiers in Sustainability · United Kingdom

A citizen-science study invited 9,701 UK residents to test how biodegradable and compostable plastics actually degrade in home composting. Many items, including certified products, failed to fully break down; 60% of TUV OK Compost Home-certified items were still clearly visible afterward. The authors conclude home composting is not an effective or environmentally beneficial disposal method for these materials in the UK.

Anjali Mistry, Manfred Spocter · · South Africa (Cape Town)

A study in a middle-class suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, investigated edible cultivation and garden waste management in domestic gardens. While potential gardening space averaged two-thirds of residential plots, 129 respondents primarily cultivated lawns, not food, with minimal vegetable production. Residents often used private gardening services for waste disposal, and on-site garden waste disposal techniques need promotion.

Zerrin Mercan, Büşra BİLİR, Nilüfer Darıca · Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal · Turkey

This qualitative study examined the gardens of 27 preschool education institutions in Gaziantep province as physical learning environments. Findings showed that while physical and social areas existed in school gardens, they required qualitative support. Silent areas were very limited and located within vocal areas, and creative and sensory areas were not present in the school gardens.

Claudia Marani, A. Lighezzolo, C. Bisio, Beatriz Giobellina, Diego Pons · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Argentina

This report, part of the SAT-CV-CBA Project, aims to inform provincial authorities and the community about the estimation of horticultural areas affected by extreme weather events in Córdoba, Argentina, at the end of January 2021. It estimates the number of farms, crop losses based on vulnerability, and storm intensity. The information is expected to be useful for supporting affected producers.

Petra Hencelová, František Križan, Kristína Bilková, Michala Sládeková Madajová · Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography · Europe

This study aimed to identify the impact of visit frequency to community gardens in Slovakia on members' perception of membership importance, satisfaction with community relations, perceived improvement in social relations, and influence on quality of life. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, was used. The analysis did not confirm a dependence between visit frequency and the gardens' impact on members' communities, and found no statistical relationships between the variables in the analyzed data set. However, members positively rated relationships within those communities.

Tenri Ulfa, Nurlita Pertiwi · UNM Environmental Journals · Indonesia (Makassar)

This descriptive quantitative and correlational study of 50 respondents in Makassar City examined urban farming behavior and influencing factors. While respondents generally had high environmental knowledge, their environmental attitudes were moderate. 23 respondents with low urban farming activities cited time constraints as a difficulty, despite a significant, strong, and unidirectional relationship found between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Fabio Amato, Lucia Simonetti · Journal of urban regeneration and renewal · Italy (Naples)

This paper focuses on the social urban garden in the Ponticelli neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Naples, Italy, an area facing significant social and cultural problems including high unemployment and crime rates. The urban garden demonstrates how social cohesion can be built through urban agriculture and contribute to sustainability. However, the initiative risks remaining isolated and providing limited benefit to regional environmental sustainability efforts if not framed within an overall metropolitan strategy.

Maria 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.

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.

Sekolah Menengah Islam As-Syddiq, Simpang Renggam, Milah Zainal, M. Z. Rosmiza, Program Geografi, Pusat Kajian Pembangunan, Sosial dan Persekitaran, Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia · Malaysian Journal of Society and Space · Malaysia

This qualitative study explored human assets among 8 participants in community garden projects in Malaysia. While the government introduced community garden projects to improve urban residents' well-being, their success rate is reportedly low, with many projects expected to be unsuccessful. The study found that participants possessed human assets such as good health, physical strength, ability to seek agricultural inputs and information, strong religious practices, and resilience.

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.

Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Cristina Madrid‐López, Xavier Gabarrell, Gara Villalba · Environmental Research Communications · Spain (Barcelona)

Implementation strategies for food-energy-water production systems on urban rooftops were evaluated in a typical housing estate in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, comprising 201 buildings and 13,466 inhabitants. Residents tended to choose strategies providing energy and water over the food production potential of rooftops. However, environmental assessment indicated that vegetable production alternatives were the least impactful, meeting 42-56% of residents' fresh produce demand and reducing environmental impacts by 24-37 kg CO2 eq m-2 per rooftop per year. This suggests residents were primarily concerned with energy expenses rather than food insecurity or social cohesion.

Doris González-Fernández, Ana Sofía Mazzini Salom, Fermina Herrera Bendezu, Sonia Huamán, Bertha Rojas Hernández, Illène Pevec, Eliana Mariana Galarza Izquierdo, Nicoletta Armstrong, Virginia Thomas, Sonia Vela Gonzáles, Carlos Gonzáles Saravia, Marilyn E. Scott, Kristine G. Koski · Frontiers in Public Health · Peru (Lima)

In peripheral settlements of the Pachacámac district of metropolitan Lima, Peru, community health promoters delivered a sequence of (1) home and community gardens, (2) 'conscious nutrition' and (3) parenting workshops (ICDP), comparing 113 children aged 0–3 in intervention communities with 127 in control communities at baseline, 8 and 12 months. The interventions significantly reduced the risk of food insecurity (adjusted risk ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.08–0.51) and of language delay (0.39, 0.19–0.82), but did not significantly improve motor or social/cognitive delay. Multiple micronutrient supplement use lowered motor delay risk (0.12), while households with more pets had higher risk of motor delay (3.24), social/cognitive delay (2.72) and food insecurity (1.73). Because gardens were bundled with nutrition and parenting components, the contribution of the gardens alone cannot be isolated.

Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Wesley James, Karen Matthews · Ecology of Food and Nutrition · United States (Mississippi Delta)

This research evaluated the impact of school garden programs on fifth-grade students' garden knowledge, self-perception, and standardized test scores in the Mississippi Delta. The study found no effect on standardized test scores, but students showed increased garden knowledge and reported positive feelings about their future, teamwork, and leadership ability, supported by observations of joy and confidence.

Paulo de Oliveira Neto, Andréa Rossi Scalco, Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani, Sandra Cristina de Oliveira · Ciência e Natura · Brazil

This study analyzed the impact of urban agriculture on food security in community gardens in the city of Maringá, Brazil. The research was carried out using the EBIA method, with descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression procedures. The results indicate that the activity did not contribute to the food security of people who depend on the resources generated, whether for consumption or income.