Research & reports

Silke Cram, Pilar Fernández, Horacio Carranza, M.C. Gómez Hernández, Claudia Ponce de León, Ana M. Noguez Gálvez · Open Journal of Soil Science · Global

This study evaluated metal inputs, transfer, and translocation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in an urban plot during dry and rainy seasons in 2013, using treated wastewater and rainwater respectively. While soil characteristics and metal transfer/translocation factors varied temporally, leading to different metal concentrations in lettuce tissues, the results indicated that the metal concentration in lettuce tissues posed no harm to human health. However, site-specific studies are necessary for urban agriculture management.

Nunes Vital · Revista Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade · Global

This bibliographic research, conducted over four months, explored how school gardens can positively influence the development of a healthy food culture among children and adolescents. The study identified that school gardens, based on urban agriculture and agroecology principles, serve as an attractive tool for students, encouraging participation outside the classroom and offering benefits to all involved agents.

Remigio Paradelo, Antía Villada, María Teresa Barral · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global

A two-month pot experiment studied heavy metal transference from five metal-rich urban waste composts and a manure vermicompost to lettuce and Italian ryegrass under controlled conditions. Plant concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Cd increased with their concentrations in compost, while no such relation was observed for Pb. The study found that the ratio of element concentration in plant to compost was much higher for Zn, Cd, and Cu than for Pb, indicating lower bioavailability of Pb.

Hussein Mukasa Kafeero, David Kavuma, Scovia Mbabazi · Advanced Journal of Graduate Research · Uganda

This cross-sectional study in Uganda investigated the relationship between school gardens and students' self-efficacy towards weekly fruit and vegetable intake, comparing two secondary schools (one with a garden, one without). Neither group met the WHO/FAO/USDA recommendation of ≥35 servings per week. However, students exposed to gardening activities consumed more weekly servings of fruits and vegetables (P>0.05) and showed higher self-efficacy towards their dietary intake (P=0.007).

Andrew Coulter · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This article argues that the medical establishment should consider prescribing diets with a higher ratio of unprocessed plant-based foods to address urban healthcare crises, chronic diseases, and health inequalities. Research indicates that vegetarian diets are associated with decreased mortality, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. Additionally, plant-based diets offer more affordable protein sources compared to meat and seafood.

Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, Pepijn Schreinemachers · · Nepal

A paper synthesising impact evaluations using cluster randomized controlled trials of school garden programmes in Nepal, described as the largest evaluation of school garden programmes to date. School garden interventions significantly improved children's knowledge of food and agriculture and their awareness of and stated preference for fruits and vegetables, but in none of the countries studied did these improvements translate into increased frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption or into eating a greater variety of fruits and vegetables. This null result on consumption matches findings from two major reviews of school garden programmes in developed countries; the paper suggests that a more holistic intervention design addressing household-level food supply and parents' food choices may be needed for such programmes to improve children's healthy eating.

Emilita Monville‐Oro, Imelda Angeles‐Agdeppa, Irish P. Baguilat, Julian Gonsalves, Mario V. Capanzana · · Philippines

A chapter examining how the evidence-based Integrated School Nutrition Model (ISNM) - combining bio-intensive gardens, supplementary feeding with iron-fortified rice and indigenous vegetables from school gardens, and nutrition education - was scaled up from one province (Cavite) to an entire region of five provinces in the Philippines. Fifty-eight "lighthouse schools" serving as hubs for research, learning, and scaling now influence 2,732 public elementary schools with a total student population of 1,839,445. Through capacity building and multi-stakeholder partnerships, the Department of Education pursued a programme to establish 221 lighthouse schools nationwide, with additional investment and adoption from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Nutrition Council.

Suzanne Mallick, Philip Marsh, Dave Kendal · Figshare · Australia

This report presents the first phase of a research project examining how a community garden project at the Melville St student accommodation could benefit the health and wellbeing of students and the broader community, as part of the University of Tasmania's shift in focus from Sandy Bay to the Hobart CBD. Before the garden was installed, the team collected qualitative, quantitative and observational data through interviews, focus groups, observational studies of public space use and an online survey, intended to inform future management of the site; a second phase collecting post-installation data was planned for late 2020, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

Blesilda M. Calub, Leila S. Africa, Bessie M. Burgos · · Global

A chapter on the School-Plus-Home Gardens Project (S+HGP) in the Philippines, which promotes greater parent engagement in home and school gardening to sustain nutritional gains under the Department of Education's nationwide School Garden Program and School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP). At the end of a 3-month feeding period, 62% of severely wasted and 70% of wasted child beneficiaries reached normal nutritional status; however, 9 of 14 surveyed schools had repeat beneficiaries from the previous year's SBFP (36–38%), and 14% had been repeat beneficiaries for three consecutive years, due to lack of food at home during the rest of the year, severe illness, and parents' attitudes and values. Factors contributing to successful parent engagement included regular parent-teacher consultations, a participatory development approach, training, parent-child cooking contests using garden produce, and collaboration with local government units.

João Flávio Bomfim Gomes, Renata da Silva Brant Gomes, Alex Oliveira de Souza · Horticultura Brasileira · Global

A review-style introduction on the multifunctionality of urban horticulture. It cites United Nations (2015) projections that 66.36% of the world population will be urban by 2050, up from 53.60% in 2014, and an FAO 2015 report estimating about 795 million people worldwide facing food insecurity. It states that FAO (2015) puts global urban agriculture practice at 800 million people, and frames the practice as multifunctional - supplying food, supporting biodiversity, improving land and water use, and raising income and quality of life for urban farmers - without presenting original empirical data.

Joanne Dolley · Geographical Research · Global

This study argues that community gardens can function as "third places" that facilitate informal interactions among neighborhood residents. When community gardens serve as third places alongside their placemaking features, they help connect new residents to a place, easing challenges associated with population mobility, such as social isolation.

Joseph Richmond Fianko, Mavis Korankye · West African Journal of Applied Ecology · Ghana

A study assessed the environmental and health impact of urban and peri-urban irrigated agriculture in Ghana by analyzing the physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of irrigation water in the Greater Accra Region, calculating a comprehensive pollution index (CPI) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Water samples used for informal irrigation contained significant microbial loads: total coliform ranged from 25×10² to 1209×10² cfu/100ml and E. coli from 2×10² to 651×10² cfu/100ml, with a mean total coliform level (517.917×10² cfu/100ml) far exceeding the recommended maximum guideline values of 5,000 and 1,000 cfu/100ml for irrigation water. CPI values ranged from 0.16 to 0.43 (average 0.27), indicating moderate pollution; about 42% of samples were classified as sodic waters, and SAR values of 3.42 to 24.75 meant nearly all samples exceeded the threshold (SAR > 4) associated with reduced water infiltration and soil permeability problems. The water is described as under persistent pollution pressure from expanding human activity, posing high risks to the health of the environment, farmers, traders, and consumers.

Cepic S., Tomicevic-Dubljevic J., Zivojinovic I. · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · セルビア・ベオグラード

A study of the demand for collective urban gardens in Belgrade, a city with little allotment tradition, and of what prospective gardeners want. It reports that existing garden members are mostly aged 30–50, employed and highly educated, and that health and socialisation are the main motivations, while economic factors are not raised as relevant.

Murray J., Wickramasekera N., Elings M., Bragg R., Brennan C., Elsey H. · Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(4):e1061 · Global

A systematic review assessing how care farming (social farming) affects quality of life, depression and anxiety across different service-user groups. It finds that agriculture-based welfare support may improve mental health and social interaction, while highlighting the need for more robust evidence.

Ina Säumel, Suhana E. Reddy, Thomas Wachtel · Sustainability, 11(4), 972 · Global

A foundational paper of the EU EdiCitNet project that positions citizen-led food production (Edible City Solutions) as urban infrastructure generating socio-cultural ecosystem services—social cohesion, education, health—alongside regulating services such as stormwater management and biodiversity. It offers a framework in which participatory productive green space underpins social resilience and sustainable food-system transitions.

Audate P. P., Fernandez M. A., Cloutier G., Lebel A. · BMC Public Health 19:672 · Global

Scoping review synthesizing 101 studies. Urban agriculture showed positive impacts on food security, fruit and vegetable consumption, dietary diversity and child nutrition, but methodological rigor of evidence was limited.

Nordhagen S., Thiam K., Sow S. · Food Security · Senegal (Dakar)

A post-project survey in Dakar found that microgardens were largely abandoned (5% continued use) while poultry activities persisted strongly (75%) due to income-generation potential, suggesting urban nutrition interventions must align with economic incentives to achieve lasting adoption.

Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, Rocío Pineda‐Martos, Axel Timpe, Bernd Pölling, Katrin Bohn, Mart Külvik, Cecília Delgado, Celestina Pedras, Teresa A. Paço, Mirjana Ćujić, Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Antonios Chrysargyris, A. Peticilă, Gitana Alenčikienė, Hendrik Monsees, Ranka Junge · Blue-Green Systems · Global

This article discusses urban agriculture's role in creating sustainable and climate-friendly cities, drawing on 20 years of research and practice. It highlights that urban agriculture can minimize climate change effects and improve urban quality of life. Effective land use and spatial planning are crucial for establishing food production sites within cities, integrating resource streams like water, waste, and energy.

Alessandro Filazzola, Namrata Shrestha, J. Scott MacIvor · Journal of Applied Ecology · Global

A meta-analysis of 33 relevant studies, selected from 1,883 published manuscripts, investigated the effects of green infrastructure (GI) on urban biodiversity. The analysis found that GI significantly improves biodiversity compared to conventional infrastructure and, in some cases, shows comparable biodiversity measures to natural counterparts. However, many studies were excluded due to neglecting conventional experimental design frameworks, such as controls, replication, or adequate sampling effort.

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.

Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Bernadett Kis, József Rácz, György Bárdos · Egészségfejlesztés · Global

This qualitative study explored the role of social support in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation by conducting 35 semi-structured interviews with CSA members. The thematic analysis revealed three types of social support patterns within members' partner/marital relationships. The findings suggest that CSA membership can redefine individual/family consumption patterns, and the characteristics of social support influence the maintenance and duration of membership.

Zaidi Tajuddin, Sarmila Md Sum, Rosmiza Mohd Zainol, Hamzah Jusoh · · Malaysia

This article reviews the issue of community involvement in urban community garden projects, focusing on social determinants that influence project sustainability. Analysis of past studies contributed to a better understanding of significant factors affecting the community in the People’s Housing Program area. It concludes that future research is needed to study the community gardening experience in Malaysia and the factors affecting community involvement.

Camille Dumat, Antoine Pierart, Muhammad Shahid, Sana Khalid · · Global

Urban agriculture, while a strategy for sustainable food production, faces a serious threat from natural and anthropogenic pollution sources in urban and peri-urban environments. These sources release hazardous organic and inorganic contaminants, leading to a high likelihood of human exposure. Consumption of vegetables grown on polluted urban soils or those that have intercepted metal-rich atmospheric particles represents a potential route of pollutant exposure and human health hazard.

Miguel Izquierdo‐Díaz, Peter E. Holm, Fernando Barrio‐Parra, Eduardo De Miguel, Jonas Duus Stevens Lekfeldt, Jakob Magid · Journal of Environmental Quality · Global

This study evaluated air pollution in urban green areas using edible plants. Analysis of 36 unwashed leaf samples showed that plants exposed next to roads had higher contents of traffic-related elements, and outdoor samples were enriched in marine aerosol ions. Cadmium and lead concentrations did not exceed European legal maximum levels for vegetables, indicating their consumption would be safe.

Alexandra Klann, Linh Gia Vu, Mollie Ewing, Mark Fenton, Rachele Pojednic · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global

This review examines best practices from urban initiatives to increase walkability for older adults, focusing on their implementation in rural, resource-limited communities. The literature review revealed that simple, built environment approaches such as microscale and pop-up infrastructure, municipal parks, and community gardens can increase physical activity in urban neighborhoods for older adults. These strategies suggest great potential for rural communities.