Research & reports

Giuliano Reis, Harveen Sandhu · Em Aberto · Canada (Ottawa)

This experience report describes the adoption of place-based pedagogy in a community garden in Ottawa, Canada, to create a science learning space within a teacher education program. Based on field trips with student teachers over the last five years, it argues that non-institutionalized outdoor urban spaces can offer valuable opportunities to enrich science student teachers' experiences in their training programs.

Kendra Locklear Ordia · Interiors Design Architecture and Culture · United States (Lincoln)

This essay presents a case study of an indoor vertical farm in the historic urban core of Lincoln, Nebraska, as a form of urban agriculture. It functions as an adaptive reuse model for existing buildings, creating a spatial ecosystem for localized plant-based food production. This approach aims to enhance urban food resiliency and reconnect communities with their food.

Keile Aparecida Beraldo, Rayele Moraes Silva, Rose Mary Gondim Mendonça, Maria Emília Mendonça Pedroza Jaber · Seven Editora eBooks · Brazil

This paper publicizes public policies and urban agriculture initiatives in the municipality of Palmas, Brazil. It identifies twelve public areas with families engaged in urban agriculture and proposes inclusive actions to strengthen the agroecological transition in family urban agriculture. The proposed actions aim to foster new sustainable practices based on environmental education and food and nutritional security.

Ideni Terezinha Antonello, Léia Aparecida Veiga, Alan Alves Alievi · Revista de Geografia · Brazil

This qualitative study in Londrina, Brazil, investigated the initial actions of an extension project by the State University of Londrina with residents of the Abussafe irregular settlement. Using secondary and primary data, it found that families in the irregular settlement face social vulnerability and food insecurity. Both these families and residents of the nearby formal neighborhood desire to create a community garden and neighborhood association, suggesting that dialogue between the university and residents is a fruitful path for collective actions to improve quality of life.

Alison Berg, Heather M. Padilla, Catherine E. Sanders, Christina T. Garner, Hannah G. Southall, Grace Holmes, Shanda Ashley, Luke Crosson, Barbara Twilley, Denise D. Everson, Rachel Hubbard, Courtney Brown, Alexa J. Lamm, Laura P. Johnson, Marsha Davis · Health Promotion Practice · United States (Georgia)

This mixed-methods study explored the role of 19 community gardens implemented across five rural Georgia counties as part of an obesity prevention project. While only 8.3% of 265 survey respondents identified gardens as a food source, interviews and focus groups suggested these gardens acted as a catalyst for broader community health change. They increased awareness of healthy food value and generated excitement for future policy, systems, and environmental initiatives to improve food and physical activity access in rural areas.

Raphaela Dias da Rocha Silva, Amanda dos Santos Paulino, Marilua de Carvalho Feitoza, Angélica Oliveira de Souza, Ana Paula Branco do Nascimento · Revista Latino-americana de Ambiente Construído & Sustentabilidade · Brazil (São Paulo)

This study analyzed the cultivation of non-conventional food plants (PANC) in the Colectivo Horta das Flores urban garden in São Paulo, Brazil, and their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Researchers monitored the development of 18 plant species across five beds for six months, finding that six non-spontaneous PANC species and nine spontaneous PANC species performed best. The cultivation of PANC in this urban garden supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Marina Carboni, Vitoria Maria Domingues Moço · Revista Fatecnológica da Fatec-Jahu · Brazil

This paper presents a project proposal for an urban agroforestry system combined with a community garden in Brazil. The project aims to revitalize a 2,500m² urban green area currently lacking leisure attractions and adequate tree cover. The plan includes planting 35 trees of 8 fruit species and 9 vegetable species, and fencing the area to prevent theft and vandalism. The project is expected to offer vegetables and fruits to the local population, promote environmental education, and enhance ecosystem services such as temperature reduction and increased rainwater infiltration.

Callan Hand, D. Barry Croom, James C. Anderson, Ashley M. Yopp, Aaron Golson · Career and Technical Education Research · United States

This phenomenological study investigated the motivations of non-traditional urban agriculture students of color to remain in agriculture. Findings suggest that while systematic instruction in agricultural sciences and positive local youth organization experiences contribute to a favorable perception of agriculture, they do not necessarily lead to a career preference for agriculture among these students. Furthermore, urban students of color perceived that the FFA Organization above the school level is not inclusive of them.

Paige Robillard, Fatih Şekercioğlu, Sara Edge, Ian Young · British Food Journal · Canada

This exploratory qualitative study investigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban community gardens (UCGs) in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, through semi-structured interviews with seven managers and eight members of nine gardens. The findings suggest that UCGs helped participants build resilience to pandemic-related stressors by providing cultural ecosystem services. Although participants did not experience food insecurity, they expressed concern about community food security.

Diego A. Daleccio Meléndez · [in]genio revista de investigación y labor creativa · United States (Puerto Rico)

This publication presents student proposals from a design workshop at UPR's School of Architecture, led by Dr. Anna Georas, focused on promoting urban agriculture and food self-sufficiency in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico. One individual project, RE-VIVIENDA, proposes sustainable housing for urban farmers using abandoned shipping containers from Crowley in Isla Grande. The project emphasizes minimal materials for easy disassembly and reconstruction to extend container lifecycles.

Claudia J. Ford · · United States

This essay provides a critical historiography of Black women's roles in the food justice movement, using storytelling and historical analysis to amplify their voices. It highlights figures such as Leah Chase, the women of Rise and Root Farm, Barbara Norman, and Edith Floyd, who established Growing Joy Community Gardens. The author positions these Black women as advocates for community food justice and creators of community healing spaces, moving beyond individual healthy lifestyle improvements.

Olasumbo Olagoke-Komolafe, Joshua Oyeboade · International Journal of Multidisciplinary Futuristic Development · United States

This study comprehensively reviewed the viability, benefits, and challenges of urban aquaponics systems in the United States. Through a systematic literature review and content analysis, significant environmental benefits were identified, while economically, long-term benefits potentially outweigh initial setup costs. Challenges such as technical complexities, financial barriers, and the need for specialized knowledge are also notable.

Chelsea Rozanski, Michael C. Gavin · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada (Calgary)

This reflective essay documented the cultivation process of a production urban farm in Calgary, Canada, through a collaboration between the University of Calgary, Root and Regenerate Urban Farms, and the Young Agrarians. Over one growing season (May-September 2021), approximately 7,000 lbs (3,175 kg) of 48 vegetable varieties were harvested from nine urban spaces totaling 0.26 acres. Produce was distributed to shareholders, market customers, chefs, and cooperatives, with 765 lbs (347 kg) donated to food security initiatives. The paper discusses the benefits and limitations of Small Plot Intensive Farming and urban land-sharing strategies.

Jessica Quinton, Lorien Nesbitt, James J. Connolly, Elvin Wyly · Urban Geography · Canada

This descriptive analysis identified gentrifying areas in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, Canada, from 1996–2006 and 2006–2016, to determine the prevalence of greening interventions. The study found that greening, including parks, cycle lanes, and community gardens, frequently occurred before, during, and after gentrification. These results indicate that greening is common in gentrifying areas throughout the gentrification process, suggesting a need for a broader understanding of the relationship between urban greening and gentrification.

Martine El Ouardi, Françoise Montambeault · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Mexico (Mexico City)

This study of citizen-led gardens in Mexico City reveals that informal urban gardening becomes a practice disconnected from the state. Despite the Mexico City government's interest in regulating urban agriculture, gardeners are increasingly formalizing their practices independently. This disconnection is attributed to a weak institutional context, characterized by top-down policymaking and the city government's incapacity and unwillingness to effectively implement policies, leading to mistrust among gardeners.

Chuo Li · Landscape Journal · United States (New Orleans)

This research investigates post-Katrina urban agricultural development in Village de L’Est, New Orleans, Louisiana, using archival research, interviews, and field observations. It reveals how urban agriculture became an integral part of community rebuilding schemes and contributed to resilience in this urban ethnic community. The development of urban agriculture was essential to the community’s long-term resilience strategies, promoting community empowerment and enhancing food security and resilience.

Gustavo Córdova Bojórquez · Estudios Sociales Revista de Alimentación Contemporánea y Desarrollo Regional · Mexico (Ciudad Juárez)

This study evaluated community action in an urban agriculture intervention project in the Campestre-Virreyes neighborhood of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. A qualitative evaluation using participant observation and semi-structured interviews was employed. While concrete community action was identified, participants' specific capacities in urban agriculture were found to be insufficient to meet their food needs or improve their economy.

Maikol Muñoz, Duvert Ventocilla, Cristina Fonseca, Willy Pradel · · Peru (Lima)

In response to Peru's significant food insecurity in 2022, the Institute of Development and Environment (IDMA) and the International Potato Center (CIP) organized an awareness campaign for World Food Day, focusing on the contribution of agroecological family farming in Metropolitan Lima's Valleys. A central forum, "DIALOGUES ABOUT HEALTHY DIETS FOR EVERYONE, 3X7," highlighted the roles of small farmers in food generation and the importance of common soup kitchens, noting how urban agriculture producers supplied inputs for these kitchens.

Elda Míriam Aldasoro Maya, Ulises Rodríguez‐Robles, María Luisa Martínez Gutiérrez, Guelmy Anilú Chan Mutul, Teresita Avilez López, Helda Morales, Bruce G. Ferguson, Jorge Mérida‐Rivas · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Tabasco)

Meliponiculture, or stingless bee breeding, in Mesoamerica serves as an effective tool for agroecological education, scaling, and pollinator conservation. In Tabasco, Mexico, activities included documenting contemporary knowledges, community agroecological workshops, guided visits to an institutional meliponary, and promoting school gardens, utilizing "knowledge dialogues" as a methodological approach. The study identified characteristics of stingless bees and their cultivation, such as their ecological and cultural importance, role as pollinators, association with community values, and productive potential, making them excellent mediators for biocultural conservation and agroecological education.

· Building Materials and Engineering Structures · United States

This study examines the significance of seeds in defining sustainability within urban agriculture, which is viewed as an agricultural operation in a non-rural setting emphasizing communication, education, and farm goods. Using Gray-associated analysis, the study evaluated various crops, finding that spring beans received the highest rank and autumn beans the lowest.

Lucy Diekmann, Summer Cortez, Pauline Marsh, Jonathan Kingsley, Monika Egerer, Brenda B. Lin, Alessandro Ossola · California Agriculture · United States (California)

A survey of 603 home and community gardeners across California was conducted between June and August 2020 to assess trends in gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gardens were valued as therapeutic spaces to escape pandemic stress and as safe outdoor places for socializing. Concerns about food supply led to increased interest in growing food for security and self-sufficiency, though 62% of home gardeners struggled to access gardening supplies.

Lianna Gomori-Ruben, Chantal D. Reid · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This study examined women farming in the United States to analyze if their practices align with agroecology, using the FAO’s 10 Elements of Agroecology and the TAPE tool. A mixed-methods case study design collected web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. Participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities, aligning with FAO elements. Farm size and region were significant in the prevalence of agroecological practices; farms of 50–100 acres were most likely to integrate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricultural practices.

Sean M. Crotty · California History · United States (California)

Pascale Joassart-Marcelli's book "The $16 Taco" examines how food and power intersect to create landscapes of hunger and plenty in U.S. cities, using San Diego as a case study. It argues for the centrality of food in broader structural issues of social, political, and cultural inequalities, which manifest as material inequality. The book explores the impacts of food apartheid, a system of segregation that prevents certain groups from accessing nourishment, and explains the role of racist real estate practices in devaluing neighborhoods of immigrants and people of color.

Maria Cecília Barreto Amorim Pilla, Cilene da Silva Gomes Ribeiro, Taciane Eloisa de Camargo · Ágora · Brazil

This research aims to analyze the historical, economic, and sociocultural processes that create the gender dimension within sustainable development and the emancipation of vulnerable women. It highlights that urban agriculture initiatives, such as community gardens, mobilize communities to transform degraded spaces into healthy ones, providing vegetables and fostering social interaction. The study emphasizes the need for women's inclusion in public policy to achieve legal, political, and social equality, thereby empowering them and reducing vulnerability.

Sarah Dimick · Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction · United States (Minneapolis)

This study reflects on guerrilla gardening and its narratives by intersecting Eleanor Catton’s novel Birnam Wood with descriptions of gardens at police killing sites in the greater Minneapolis metro area. It argues that guerrilla garden infrastructures sprout in the soil of highly unequal power, often in the wake of the fatal exercise of state power, and in the shadow of a foreshortened environmental future. These are DIY infrastructures constructed by people weathering entwined environmental, political, and economic crises in the 21st century.