Research & reports

Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio, Nathalie Dagmang · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Philippines (Metro Manila)

This article examines two cases of radical urban agriculture in Metro Manila, Philippines, where urban poor communities strive for food sovereignty and assert rights over contested urban lands. It highlights that the spatiality of material constraints in cities acts as a mediating factor, influencing the formation of rural-urban alliances and the sustainability of urban resistance efforts. The study reveals challenges in establishing and maintaining these alliances due to urban material limitations.

Janna Holmstedt, Jenny Lindblad, Christina Fredengren, Cecilia Åsberg, Malin Lobell, Karin Wegsjö · · Global

This chapter explores the notion of ecosystem conviviality through soil-centered practices in urban gardening and art, using a transdisciplinary and mixed methodology of soil arts. This concept helps draw attention to sites of local empowerment and ecological belonging often overlooked in urban environments. Gardeners are positioned as entangled co-creators of open-ended ecosystems, suggesting a needed shift in Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) focus from benefits and human well-being to ecosystem relations and values.

· The MIT Press eBooks · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), China (Beijing)

This account describes the challenges in building support for Rio de Janeiro's Hortas Cariocas urban farming initiative in 2016. Negotiations among environmental protection officers, education officials, and school administrators generated "fiery discussions" regarding garden placement, teacher training, and incentives. The presence of a foreign professor was used to strengthen arguments for urban farming's benefits.

Roy Hanney · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United Kingdom

This project report documents the development, presentation, and evaluation of "Rituals for Earthly Survival," a Butoh-inspired immersive audiovisual performance presented in Portsmouth, UK, in November 2024. It details the creative process, artistic approach, audience experience, and methodologies, including composting and collective creation, used to explore environmental crisis and renewal. The report serves as supporting documentation for ongoing creative practice research.

Tania Avianda Gusman, Putri Ramadhani, Sodikin Sodikin, Arif Nurudin · Society Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

This community service activity in Indonesia aimed to train SMA Muhammadiyah Kedawung students to process Manalagi mango pulp from their school garden into healthy, economically valuable crackers. The activity involved observation, socialization, training, and evaluation. The resulting crackers possessed the distinctive taste and aroma of Manalagi mango, demonstrating nutritional and economic value.

Moritz von Cossel, Rocío Díaz‐Chavez, Bastian Winkler · Agriculture · Global

This Special Issue serves as a timely follow-up to a previous exploration of “Social–Ecologically More Sustainable Agricultural Production.”

Polyana Rocha Oliveira, Dejeane de Oliveira Silva, Melissa Neves Tavares · Health Residencies Journal - HRJ · Brazil

This study described a nutritionist's experiences in preventing and controlling Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Arterial Hypertension within a Family Health Strategy in Brazil, from April 2023 to May 2024. Interventions included health education, various consultations, the implementation of a "Health in Motion" group, and the creation of a community garden. The community garden strengthened bonds and promoted direct food education among residents.

Gonzalo Lizarralde, Sara Latorre, Neidy Clavijo, Benjamín Herazo, Manuel Pérez, Kevin Gould, Myriam Paredes, Elsa Monsalve, Nicolás Ordoñez, Roberto Burdiles, Claudio Araneda, Lisa Bornstein, Ricardo Dueñez, Adriana Patricia López Valencia, Oswaldo López, Andrés Olivera, Pedro Tex Martinez, Gloria Artze · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Latin America and the Caribbean

This study investigated the emergence, legitimization, and survival of alternative food systems in low-income settlements across Latin America and the Caribbean. Researchers conducted 340 interviews and 312 questionnaires, following 18 bottom-up initiatives related to food production, distribution, transformation, and consumption in urban and peri-urban areas of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Chile. Empirical results demonstrated the inadequacy of existing regulations and policies to comprehend the dynamic resistance occurring in the "in between" spaces of both identities and urban structure.

José Cleydson F. Silva, Kleiton Lima de Godoy Machado, Anna Flavia de Souza Silva, Raquel Dias, Victor Ricardo Bodnar, Wallison Oliveira Vieira, María Alejandra Moreno-Pizani, Jenifer Dias Ramos, Ivani Pauli, Lucas Cavalcante da Costa · Sustainability · Global

This global review explores innovative advancements in agriculture and food technology, including urban farming, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and food production in extreme environments. It examines advances in biotechnology, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and the role of AI in precision farming to improve crop yields and nutrition. The review also discusses the importance of policy, regulation, and community-driven approaches for a resilient global food system.

Joeli Silva de Souza, Lucas Barbosa Lima · Humanas Sociais & Aplicadas · Brazil (Salvador)

This qualitative case study investigated collective work parties ("mutirões") as an intervention strategy at the Zeferina Beiru Community Garden in Salvador, Brazil, from 2016 to 2022. The study found that mutirões were a positive strategy for the garden's creation, maintenance (2015-2019), and reactivation (2022). These collective efforts involved children, youth, and neighbors from the community and surrounding areas.

Sam Vanbergen, Pablo Deschepper, Jan Van Autreve, Vera Huyshauwer, Massimiliano Virgilio, Jochem Bonte, Wannes Dermauw · Insects · Belgium

In 2023 and 2024, adult male Bactrocera dorsalis, a major fruit pest, were captured in community gardens and produce markets in Belgium. Genomic tracing via nuclear SNP analysis revealed that three adults originated from Africa and eight from Asia, indicating multiple independent occurrences. Intercepted larvae predominantly had an African origin, and a diagnostic set of nuclear SNPs was developed for origin tracing.

Letícia Malherbi Byczkovski, João Lucas Mota Nogueira da Costa, Daiana Novello · Caderno Pedagógico · Global

This study evaluated the effect of educational interventions on knowledge, consumption, acceptance, frequency of intake, planting of vegetables (focusing on endive), and help with culinary preparations among 260 schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 in public schools. The intervention based on setting up a school garden (G4) was the most effective, promoting a significant increase in knowledge about endive, acceptance, frequency of consumption, and involvement in planting a garden. Theoretical-practical activities (G2) and cooking workshops (G3) were effective in increasing children's knowledge of vegetables, but workshops also resulted in less willingness to try new vegetables.

Sara Perl Egendorf, Maha Deeb, Brooke Singer, Nkwi Flores, Marisa Prefer, Zhongqi Cheng, Peter M. Groffman · Geoderma · United States (New York City)

The Carbon Sponge pilot study, conducted at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, New York City, evaluated the effects of different plant communities on constructed Technosol formation and carbon and nitrogen cycling through an artist-led collaboration. Soils were constructed from NYC Clean Soil Bank sediments and urban municipal composts at a 2:1 ratio, creating 24 beds under 8 different planting regimes. Over the 21-month study duration, soils changed significantly in microbial biomass nitrogen content, sunflowers increased soil carbon and ammonium, and cover crop mixtures increased nitrate and ammonium.

Muḥammad Iqbāl, Nurmelati Septiana, Ana Fitrotun Nisa · Frontier Agribisnis · Indonesia (Banjarbaru)

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted from May to December 2024 on the Cempaka Berkah group in Cempaka District, Banjarbaru City, Indonesia. This research aimed to analyze communication practices and patterns in the implementation of an urban farming program. The results indicated that active participation by group members led to a generally well-functioning communication process, though it still faced some communication barriers. The dominant communication pattern used by the group was a wheel pattern, where one person served as the information hub.

Robert J. Moriarity, Meaghan J. Wilton, Eric N. Liberda, Tim Drew, Ada John, Howard Jeddore, Atanu Sarkar, Jim D. Karagatzides, Leonard J. S. Tsuji · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada (Newfoundland)

This study aimed to develop safe community garden sites in Miawpukek First Nation, Newfoundland, Canada, addressing potential soil contamination. Soil testing revealed inorganic arsenic levels exceeding Canadian agricultural guidelines. Hügelkultur-style raised beds with imported soil were used, resulting in undetectable arsenic in potatoes grown there, while potatoes from contaminated soil exceeded safety limits. Kale grown in both raised beds and native soil remained within safety limits.

Rui Fu, N.Sureshkumar PP Narayanan, Umahdevi Jayamani, Li Lian Chew, Fadhlur Rahim Azmi, Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram · Malaysian journal of consumer and family economics/Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics · Malaysia

This qualitative study used grounded theory methodology, collecting data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 25 Malaysian consumers, to explore perceptions of urban farming's role in supply chain resilience. Consumers generally view urban farming as a vital strategy for resilience, influenced by environmental and social impacts, trust in local food, and community empowerment. However, significant barriers to widespread adoption include concerns about scalability and cost-effectiveness.

Caitlin Morgan · Gastronomica The Journal of Food and Culture · United States (upstate New York)

This study is a case study of Essex Farm, a full-diet Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation in upstate New York. The farm struggled to balance its ecological and social values with the economic imperatives and pressures of surviving in a competitive, capitalist market. Consequently, the farm's social fabric, critical to its initial success, began to fray over time.

Silvia Barbero, Federica Larcher · · Italy (Turin)

This chapter explores the role of the Turin Living Lab in testing nature-based solutions (NBS) in the Mirafiori Sud district of Italy. Local schools play a significant role in testing these solutions. Seven NBS types have been implemented, including new soil, urban horticulture, aquaponics, green roofs and walls, and green corridors.

Ana Irhandayaningsih, Gani Nur Pramudyo, Puteri Inandin Nabiha, Beta Estri Adiana · Anuva Jurnal Kajian Budaya Perpustakaan dan Informasi · Indonesia (Semarang)

This research explains the process of information repackaging in urban farming practices in Bergas Kidul Village, Semarang Regency, Indonesia. It integrated Participatory Action Research (PAR) and community-based agroecology principles. Repackaging involved six iterative stages, including identifying technical knowledge sources, simplifying content, demplot trials, and producing contextual learning media such as posters, pocketbooks, and visual training.

Curnier, Sonia, Berrada, Reda · ArODES (HES-SO (https://www.hes-so.ch/)) · Netherlands (Amsterdam)

This chapter stated that creating special places in landscape architecture requires investment and investigation. It presented a spectrum of special projects, ranging from the private rooftop garden Groenmarkt in the historic center of Amsterdam, Netherlands, to the public outdoor pool Järvabadet in the multiethnic suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden.

Mumuni Adejumo · Journal of Health and Environmental Research · Nigeria (Ibadan)

This cross-sectional study surveyed 312 residents in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Nigeria, to document their knowledge and perception of using greywater for backyard cultivation of native herbs. The findings revealed that 70.7% of participants had poor knowledge about greywater and its use for cultivating local herbs, and 61% held a negative perception. Only 8% of participants reported having used greywater in their residence, with 70.8% of public servants specifically showing negative perceptions.

Coosje Dijkstra, Jutka Halberstadt, Jaap Seidell, Arnoud Verhoefff · VU Research Portal · Netherlands (Amsterdam)

In a school garden in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, children were amazed when their teacher pulled a radish from the ground and ate it. Most children followed suit and discovered that their self-harvested salad was tasty without dressing.

Tamanda Chabvuta · Western Journal of Communication · United States

This paper examined resilience narratives about a community garden in a predominantly Black neighborhood in the United States during a period of recovery from COVID-19 disruptions. Applying the communication theory of resilience, the analysis revealed themes of honoring legacy, belief in community and sharing, maintaining external collaborations, and persistence despite a lack of internal involvement. The study highlighted the critical role of external collaborators and community history in resilience efforts.

Moh. Sholeh, Nanang Indardi, Khoirul Anwar, Vacktian Diva Gumala · Jurnal Abdimas · Indonesia (Semarang)

In Banjardowo Village, Semarang, urban farming-based cultivation innovations were implemented as an adaptation strategy to limited land and flood threats. This community service research aimed to increase the capacity of the Barokah Women Farmers Group (KWT) through six stages of activities, including urban farming installation and cultivation training. The activities resulted in increased knowledge and skills in horticultural cultivation among members and strengthened the group's social cohesion, proving effective in enhancing technical capacity, empowering women, and strengthening local food security.

Sebastian Theis · PLOS Sustainability and Transformation · Global

This synthesis explores how localized environmental actions, such as community gardens, address specific sustainability challenges and contribute to environmental conservation. Analyzing 17 different programs across 40 countries, the paper highlights key challenges and pathways for adapting localized environmental actions, emphasizing the need for clear outcomes, robust tracking mechanisms, and scalable approaches. The study presents 10 core points to serve as the foundation for a generalizable framework to advance small-scale environmental actions.