Research & reports

Sofía Aguado, Helena Cotler, Marta Astier, Alejandro Padilla‐Rivera · Circular Economy and Sustainability · Latin America

This literature review examined methodologies applicable to municipal composting systems linked to urban agricultural production, with a specific focus on the Latin American context. It revealed a lack of structured methodologies to assess the circularity of municipal organic waste management systems and their connection with urban agriculture, particularly in heterogeneous contexts like Latin American cities, despite numerous existing evaluation methods. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is commonly used but often prioritizes environmental impacts, neglecting social, economic, and circularity dimensions.

María del Rosario Rivera Landa, Rodolfo J. Cancino López, Miguel Aragón-Sánchez, Agustín Aragón‐García, Arturo Huerta de la Peña, Atilano Contreras‐Ramos · ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N S ) · Mexico (Puebla)

This study aimed to identify a Chrysopidae species present in an urban garden plot in Puebla State, Mexico, and describe its larval stages. Collections were made in the study area, followed by laboratory rearing, identification, and description of the larval stages of Chrysoperla exotera (Navás, 1914). This species is reported for the first time in Puebla State, and an update to Tauber (1974)'s identification key for Chrysoperla larval stages was performed.

Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil

This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.

Ana Caroline Ferreira Rodrigues Acosta, Álvaro Ribeiro Nicotti · Revista Educação e Saber – REdeS · Brazil

This paper presents the "Movimento dos Quintais Brincantes" (Playful Backyards Movement) in Brazil, focusing on an experience in 2023 at Quintal Aroeira in Imbé-RS. The project involved five families and children aged 2-6, offering free play, outdoor activities, organic food from a community garden, and family participation in space maintenance and activity planning. After one year, it was concluded that this space contributed to children's autonomy, creativity, health, cooperation, and the creation of bonds among families, educators, and the surrounding community.

João Manoel da Silva, Maria Celia de Paula Rocha, Mariana de Aquino Freitas, Érika Sabrina Felix Azevedo, Rafael Balbino Cardoso, Vitória R. R. de A. R. Ramalho · Revista de Gestão e Secretariado (Management and Administrative Professional Review) · Brazil

This project diagnosed the socioeducational profile, prior knowledge, and training needs of residents in several municipalities of the Alagoas semi-arid region (sertão alagoano) of Brazil, using an electronic questionnaire and a quali-quantitative analysis of responses, followed by thematic training cycles on "Cultivation in Small Spaces," "What to Plant," and "Ecological Management" to spread agroecological practices in urban, peri-urban, and backyard-garden settings. Results showed most participants already had some cultivation space and strong interest in sustainable practices such as composting and organic fertilization, though some showed technical limitations; women and young people predominated among respondents, and all participants expressed interest in further training, prioritizing digital materials such as explanatory videos and educational booklets.

Daniel Sgrancio Uliana, Rhaiza Marcia Passos Leal, Sara Jarske Gering, Érica Aguiar Moraes, Jackline Freitas Brilhante de São José · Revista Guará · Brazil

This experience report covers activities of the Brazilian university extension project "PANCCult: Cultivating Knowledge and Flavors of Unconventional Edible Plants," carried out from November 2021 to January 2024, which conducted social media outreach, organized and participated in events sharing nutritional and culinary information, carried out activities in an urban community garden, and produced scientific materials on unconventional edible plants (PANC) and urban community gardens. The report concludes the project contributed to disseminating knowledge about PANC and provided professional-training opportunities for extension students while encouraging sustainable use of plant biodiversity.

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

An EPA summary of its 2024 survey of anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste in the U.S., covering 313 identified facilities with 65 operating facilities responding (24% response rate). Excluding beverage-industry waste, processed tonnage rose from about 1.36 million tons in 2022 to about 1.43 million tons in 2023.

Jacob Wallace · Waste Dive · United States

NYC's Department of Sanitation began enforcing mandatory curbside organics separation on April 1, 2025, issuing nearly 2,000 summonses in the first week, but Mayor Adams paused broad enforcement through 2025 on April 18, limiting fines to persistent violators. The city had distributed about 190,000 free bins and sold 63,000 more, and organics diversion had risen 65% from FY2022 to FY2024.

US Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed on October 21, 1976, amending the 1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act, and established three programs: solid waste (Subtitle D, landfill criteria), hazardous waste (Subtitle C, cradle-to-grave management), and underground storage tanks (Subtitle I).

US Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

U.S. municipal solid waste (MSW) generation reached 292.4 million tons in 2018. The landfilling rate fell from 94 percent in 1960 to 50 percent in 2018, while the combined recycling and composting rate rose from just over 6 percent in 1960 to 32.1 percent in 2018, including 25 million tons composted and 69 million tons recycled.

Amato-Lourenço L.F., Franca G.C., Seckler M.M., Mauad T. · Environmental Challenges, 14:100864 · Brazil

An analysis of a resident-led, decentralized community composting initiative begun in 2018 in São Paulo, using thermophilic decomposition (the UFSC method) in public squares. It presents a civil-society-driven waste-management model with positive environmental and social outcomes.

Carolyn A. Zeiner, Maria N. Kisch, Ethan D. Lynch, Paliza Shrestha, Gaston E. Small · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Minnesota)

This study characterized soil microbial activity profiles—microbial abundance, soil respiration, extracellular enzyme activity, and crop yield—in an urban agriculture system in Minnesota, USA, using recycled organic compost (manure or municipal) at high or low rates. A high application rate of manure compost supported 6–10× higher basal respiration, and microbial biochemical function predicted 50% of the variability in bell pepper yield while community size alone was a poor predictor, indicating that "more is better" does not necessarily hold for soil microbial health.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · South America

Study examining the use of urban food waste compost in urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina. Analyzes waste-to-resource conversion and organic cycling potential.

· The Professional Geographer · North America

Explores how home gardens in low-income communities unlock potential for urban sustainability. Analyzes interconnections between food access and environmental sustainability.

Yang et al. · GeoHealth · United States (Massachusetts)

Decadal study of Boston's municipal composting program. Lead concentrations consistently exceeded EPA soil benchmarks. Program halted in 2012. Highlights importance of compost safety for urban agriculture.

Eduardo Torres, Orientadora: MSc, Ana Maria Ferreira de Gomes, Efraim Lagos · Revista fisio&terapia. · Brazil

This research implemented Environmental Accounting as an educational tool at Pedro Aguirre high school in Manicoré, Brazil, to raise awareness about ecological issues and promote sustainable practices. Sustainable practices introduced included selective waste collection, educational signs, and the creation of a community garden. The methodology included exploratory and descriptive research with qualitative and quantitative analysis of students’ environmental education knowledge and the effectiveness of implemented practices.

Thayná da Cruz Ferreira, Gleiciane Rodrigues dos Santos, Alessandra Jackeline Guedes de Moraes, Fernando de Souza Santos, Danielle Pereira Mendonça, Matheus Yan Freitas Silva, Gledson Luiz Salgado de Castro, Telma Fátima Vieira Batista · Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental · Brazil

This study in Ananindeua, Brazil, evaluated the growth of Acmella oleracea (jambu) under protected and unprotected cultivation systems, applying entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) and the growth promoter Trichoderma asperellum. All three microorganisms promoted jambu growth in both cultivation systems and seasons. Metarhizium anisopliae notably enhanced all growth variables, particularly in protected cultivation during the rainy season, and A. oleracea generally performed better in protected systems across all treatments.

Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)

The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.

Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)

This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.

Gianluca Di Fiore, Kathrin Specht, Cesare Zanasi, Óscar José Rover · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Florianópolis)

A study in Florianópolis, Brazil, surveyed 206 individuals (102 urban agriculture practitioners, 104 non-practitioners) to analyze the influence of urban agriculture on household organic waste management behaviors. The findings indicate that urban agriculture practitioners are more likely to separate and self-treat organic waste and use compost for gardening, regardless of housing conditions. Housing conditions, however, influenced the use of public facilities for organic waste management.

Marycruz Abato Zárate, Noel Reyes Pérez, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Doris Guadalupe Castillo Rocha, Reyna Ruth Hernández Pérez · Revista Científica Estelí · Mexico

This qualitative study described a family's experience with urban agriculture and solid waste management in Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico, through an open interview with a four-member family. The experience, spanning from 2001, included solid waste separation, composting, vermicomposting, rainwater harvesting (24 m3/year), and cultivating over 40 species of medicinal plants. The study found that urban gardens offer multidimensional benefits, including biodiversity protection, biocultural memory preservation, and spaces for learning and social participation.

Qingyue Zeng, Kevin Lam, Autumn Salcedo, Rohan V. Tikekar, Shirley A. Micallef, Ryan A. Blaustein · Journal of Food Protection · United States (Washington D.C.)

This study explored the impacts of biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs) on antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in leafy vegetable production environments across seven urban farms and community gardens in the Washington D.C. area. Amended plots showed significantly higher concentrations of total heterotrophic bacteria than bulk soil, which was associated with reduced fractions of tetracycline-resistant bacteria and case-specific trends for reduced ampicillin-resistant bacteria and coliforms. Soil pH positively correlated with tetracycline-resistant bacteria in amended soils, suggesting pH-targeting management strategies could control related risks.

Bárbara Rios Lacerda, Rafael Sanginez Zebalos Lourenço, Aleffy Helberty Alves da Silva, Ana Cláudia Barroso · Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação · Brazil (Porto Velho)

This experience report details the implementation of a sustainable vertical community garden and a composting system at a municipal school in Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil, as part of the "Urban and Community Gardens: Cultivating Connections" project. The project aimed to provide food and food education, promote practical skills, environmental awareness, and healthy eating habits for students. Despite difficulties such as finding new locations and shortened deadlines, which limited contact with students and the local community, the project successfully established a sustainable garden for community consumption and environmental education for those involved.

Alessandra Russi, Danni Da Silva · Agroalimentaria · Brazil

This qualitative-quantitative study characterized school gardens in public education networks across twenty-four municipalities in Brazil's Serra Gaúcha region using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data revealed most schools were located in urban areas, predominantly served elementary school students during the daytime, and lacked guidance from qualified professionals and agroecological management for their gardens. Based on these findings, four educational brochures on agroecological techniques were developed for elementary students.

Daniele Silva de Almeida, Diana da Silva Ribeiro, Ellen De Oliveira Marques · Nexus · Brazil (Itacoatiara-AM)

This study discusses the experiences and learnings from creating a mandala community garden at the Chico Xavier social work institution in Itacoatiara-AM, Brazil. Motivated by a local need for agroecological awareness, the project involved dialogical classes, soil planning, mandala-shaped bed formation, and vegetable distribution. Results included sustainable planting, environmental and artistic awareness, and the promotion of environmental education in the Amazonian context.