Research & reports

Benjamin Marc Kocher, Jacob Anthony Booker · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)

This senior project planned, designed, and constructed drainage and pedestrian access improvements at City Farms SLO, a nonprofit in San Luis Obispo, California. Prior to construction, the site experienced stormwater pooling and erosion in a central area. The team excavated an 80-foot trench drain, installed a 15-foot corrugated HDPE culvert, built a seven-foot pedestrian bridge, and created a 17-foot gravel pathway. These upgrades effectively mitigated stormwater pooling and erosion while enhancing safe pedestrian access for visitors and program participants.

Jennifer Morrison Daspin, Mariela Jiménez-Rivero, Bonnie Martin, Michele Hockett Cooper, Katie Nikah, Lyndsey Waugh, J. N. Davis · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · United States

A cross-sectional survey of 364 US school administrators, teachers, and garden coordinators identified attributes predicting thriving school gardens. Logistic regression analyses showed that each additional subject and grade taught increased the odds to thrive by 21-22%, an annual budget over $1,000 by 42 times, and higher administrative support by 42 times. Administrative support, budget, volunteer support, and garden workdays are integral to garden sustainability.

Natalie Meyer, Simona Trandafir · Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy · United States (Rhode Island)

A choice-based survey of over 600 US residents from Rhode Island examined preferences and perceived value for green rooftop (GR) space allocations for agriculture, solar energy, and recreation. Latent class modeling revealed that Class 1, representing 20% of respondents, was generally unsupportive of GR installation and expressed disutility towards GR space allocation for solar energy. Both classes uniformly favored allocating GR space for agriculture production and showed a positive willingness to pay for this feature.

Tiago Souza Nascimento, Valdner Daízio Ramos Clementino, João Afonso Nogueira da Silva, Paulo Henrique de Farias Martins, Douglas Santana Peixoto, Rennery Matheus Araújo Domingos · RECIMA21 - Revista Científica Multidisciplinar - ISSN 2675-6218 · Brazil

This study developed and evaluated the initial acceptability of the Hortalix chatbot as a technical and managerial support tool for urban gardens in Petrolina – PE, Brazil. The research involved all 12 active urban garden producers in the municipality. Results indicated high initial acceptance, particularly for ease of use and technical value, though structural factors like internet connectivity limitations could affect continuous use.

Marcos Antonio Vieira Batista, Anne Stefany da Silva Vieira, Josefa Aparecida Araujo Lima, Jaziel Batista Gomes, Luiz Henrique Aguiar, Helena Higino Bezerra Fernandes, Antonia Luana da Silva, Marcos Antônio Dantas · Revista Contemporânea · Brazil

An experiment conducted at IFCE - Campus – Iguatu - CE, Brazil, from April to May 2019, investigated the decomposition rate of mata-pasto (Senna uniflora) as green manure for chives (Allium fistulosum L.). Five treatments with different incorporation periods were tested. The results showed that incorporating mata-pasto 21 days before planting yielded the greatest plant height (33.7 cm), number of leaves (22.2), and aerial dry mass (1.54 g plant⁻¹), not statistically differing from 28 days before planting.

Evelyn Seilhe Guerreiro, Márcio Luis Valença Araújo, Adilson Oliveira de Almirante, Eduardo Oliveira Teles, Aloísio Santos Nascimento Filho, Hugo Saba Pereira Cardoso · Journal of Bioengineering, Technologies and Health · Brazil

This study analyzed the integration of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), community gardens, and public health policies, using case studies from Brazilian cities such as Salvador, Recife, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. CEA contributes to enhanced productivity in small spaces with reduced water and input consumption, while community gardens strengthen social cohesion, mental health, and local food supply. However, challenges remain regarding high implementation costs, regulatory gaps, and lack of institutional support.

Maria de Nazareth Oliveira Maciel, Daniel Pereira Pinheiro, Luann Yago Oliveira Maciel · Veredas do Direito Direito Ambiental e Desenvolvimento Sustentável · Brazil

This study analyzed the contributions and challenges of urban agriculture for food security in three municipalities of the Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil. Using multivariate factor analysis with 120 producers from November 2023 to February 2024, findings indicated urban agriculture ensures food security and reduces food scarcity concerns. However, the activity lacks public policy incentives for seed acquisition and land titling, hindering its advancement.

Abby M. Lohr, Jazlyn Vargas-Robles, Gladys B. Asiedu, Yahye Ahmed, Hana Dirie, Luz Molina, Graciela Porraz Capetillo, Josh Schachter, Mark L. Wieland, Irene G. Sia · Health Promotion Practice · United States (Minnesota)

This Photovoice study in Southeast Minnesota, US, conducted in fall 2023, collaborated with 14 Hispanic/Latino and Somali immigrant health promoters to document their health-related assets and needs. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: healthy choices, inclusion of people and cultural celebrations, and access to opportunity. Participants desired expanded community garden programming, environmental protection, accessible healthy options, access to culturally appropriate foods, and increased access to jobs, affordable housing, and healthcare.

Charlotte Potter, Silvia Sarapura, Camilo Jimenez Gonzalez, Justina Walker-Mohamed, Paul Benalcazer, Biinjitiwaabik Zaagging Anishinaabek, Netmizaaggamig Nishnabeg, Red Rock Indian Band · Rural Review Ontario Rural Planning Development and Policy · Canada (Northern Ontario)

The 'Braiding Food Systems' project, a community-led partnership with three Northern Ontario First Nations, used mixed-methods Participatory Action Research to examine conditions influencing food security and sovereignty. Community members identified structural constraints rooted in colonial governance, contemporary ecological pressures, and local transformation opportunities. This research demonstrates that sustained, community-led collaboration can counterbalance colonial food systems by reorganizing decisions, strengthening access, and enhancing resilience within Indigenous food networks.

Elisa Carvalho Lauer, Jaqueline Lima Liskoski, Kelliane Da Consolação Fuscaldi · Revista Campo-Território · Brazil

This study mapped and analyzed urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) legislation across municipal, state, and federal levels in Brazil, identifying 217 municipal laws in 113 municipalities, 33 state laws, and federal frameworks. The research systematized normative content into twelve thematic categories, showing AUP's integration into food security, urban sustainability, and income generation agendas. While a qualitatively consistent normative basis exists, gaps persist regarding conceptual definition, area guarantees, water access, financing, and credit. It is necessary to expand and harmonize regulations across all three spheres to consolidate AUP as a structural strategy for sustainable cities.

Mayara Grazielle Consentino Ferreira da Silva, Carlos José Saldanha Machado · Revista da ANPEGE · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This study describes and analyzes three community urban agriculture experiences in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the theoretical perspective of "Bem Viver" (Good Living). Using bibliographic review, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews, the study concludes that collective political action, supported by urban agriculture, enables the creation of a new world based on mutual aid and harmony between humans and nature.

Hoyoon Jung · The International Journal of Social Sustainability in Economic Social and Cultural Context · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)

This study analyzes Belo Horizonte, Brazil's right-to-food model, which has reduced hunger and promoted social equity through integrated food policies like subsidized food programs and urban agriculture. Despite its successes, the model faces challenges in policy sustainability, financial constraints, and political continuity, and the study notes limitations including reliance on secondary data.

Isaiah Sawyer, Reginald Andre, Yotam Shanun, Brendan Casal · Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research · United States

This project, in partnership with the UCF Arboretum in the United States, involved activities such as clearing invasive vines, weeding and remulching beds in a community garden, and documenting local biodiversity across campus areas. Participants documented their service work through a culture audit to analyze the project's impact and leadership strategies. These activities contributed to building leadership skills, analytical tools, and a deeper sense of ownership over the campus's natural beauty.

Pierrette Hondagneu‐Sotelo · Revue d’ethnoécologie · United States (Los Angeles)

This article examines urban community gardens and urban farms in Los Angeles as sites for the recreation and re-creation of homelands for Mexican and Central American immigrants. Based on ethnographic research conducted between 2010 and 2023 across several sites, the author demonstrates that these gardens function as hybrid spaces where everyday home-making practices unfold. Gardeners cultivate Mesoamerican plants, materially and symbolically reshaping urban space while forging bonds of attachment to place and community.

Larisa Alonso Moreno, Cristian Lizarazo-Ortega, Guadalupe Rodríguez Castillejos · Bioagro · Mexico

This study aimed to characterize the bacteriome of four different substrates used in urban gardens: peat, black soil (nursery), agricultural soil (northern Tamaulipas, Mexico), and a mix of agricultural soil with vermicompost and mycorrhizae. Genomic DNA was extracted and the 16S region amplified for analysis. The most prevalent phyla were actinobacteria, proteobacteria, and firmicutes, with dominant genera including Bacillus, Solirubrobacter, Rubrobacter, and Streptomyces, all linked to crop benefits.

Elmira Ramazanova, Manvitha Marni, Roger Wong, Leah Gable, Zezhen Pan, Zorimar Rivera‐Núñez, Daniel E. Giammar · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · United States (St. Louis)

A study in St. Louis, Missouri, examined total metal/metalloid concentrations and in-vitro Pb bioaccessibility in soil from twenty community gardens. Lead was identified as a metal of concern, with soil in 21% of sampled plots containing Pb concentrations above recommended thresholds for gardens. Although Pb bioaccessibility was low (< 5.4%), total metal/metalloid concentrations varied spatially within gardens, and Pb and As concentrations correlated positively with garden age, highlighting the importance of multiple plot sampling.

Elías Machado · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil (Guarapuava)

This study examines the relationship between climate change, urbanization, and urban and peri-urban agriculture in Guarapuava-PR, Brazil. It emphasizes how regional atmospheric variability intensifies existing socio-environmental vulnerabilities. Guarapuava's climate, characterized by high thermal amplitude, frequent frosts, and irregular rainfall, significantly conditions agricultural production systems, especially in urban and peri-urban areas, negatively affecting productive cycles.

Ada Folques, Mario R. Paredes, Vanessa Apaolaza, Patrick Hartmann · Business Strategy and the Environment · United States

This study examined demand-side drivers of consumers' willingness to pay for food forest produce in the United States, using a quota-based online panel sample of 845 adults. It focused on nature connectedness, perceived health risks from monoculture farming, climate change concern, and need for uniqueness. All four factors positively influenced willingness to pay, with nature connectedness being the most influential. The impact of climate change concern on willingness to pay was stronger among consumers with low uniqueness-seeking and weaker among those with high uniqueness-seeking.

Alexa McLaughlin, Stephanie Ward Chiasson, Jeanne Godin · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (New Brunswick)

This process evaluation assessed the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the New Brunswick School Food Pilot Project (NBSFPP) using the RE-AIM framework in eleven schools across New Brunswick, Canada. While school administrators reported positive impacts on program optimization, student leadership skills, food literacy, and eating behaviors, no significant effect was found on teachers’ perceptions of students’ diet or academic outcomes. Program sustainability was largely dependent on receiving funding.

Enaira Liany Bezerra dos Santos, Maria Betânia Ribeiro Torres, Rodrigo Guimarães de Carvalho, Mayra Alves Pinheiro · International Journal Semiarid · Brazil (Mossoró)

This study analyzed the potential for food cultivation in public squares in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Researchers mapped 42 public squares, measured free areas via satellite imagery and on-site visits, and projected productive potential based on a model garden. Findings showed 16 squares have potential for gardens, with a total free area of 4,898.00 m², cultivable area of 2,742.82 m², and a productive potential of 31.93 tons of food per year.

Jake Simkins, Elijah Burt, Finnbarr Kelly · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Construction Management students undertook the City Farm SLO Sheep Shed Foundation Slab project to improve a livestock shelter's structural integrity. The project involved removing an existing shed, preparing subgrade in muddy winter conditions, and constructing a reinforced 5-inch, 4500 PSI concrete slab with drainage. This hands-on endeavor demonstrated technical competency in construction and site logistics, with lessons learned including equipment coordination and adapting to site constraints.

Piedley Macêdo Saraiva, Aline Maia de Macedo, Cicera Giovanna Michelly Ferreira de Oliveira, Enzo Fernandes Sá, Laysa Yanne Silva Moreira, Thayla Sousa de Oliveira, Rayna Petrola Rocha Dias Milfont · Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação · Brazil

This study analyzed the implementation of a vertical garden in a nursing home in Juazeiro do Norte-CE, Brazil. The intervention contributed to the reuse of construction waste, the production of toxic-free food, and increased opportunities for interaction among residents and caregivers. However, it also revealed limitations related to the vulnerability of the target audience, scheduling incompatibilities with the academic team, and the institution's dependence on continuous garden maintenance.

Malone M., Johnson B., Richard SI., Garcia N., Hamlin S. · Journal of Environmental Management · United States (Seattle)

Compares heavy-metal concentrations in vegetables grown in urban community gardens in the Seattle metropolitan area with produce from the grocery stores participants regularly used — a question set by the partnering farmers themselves. Metal concentrations frequently exceeded health guidelines in both, but were generally higher in the community-garden produce. Cadmium and lead posed the greatest risk and may exacerbate health risks for some populations.

Michelle A. Fleming, Colleen Saxen, Dusty Columbia Embury · Science and Children · United States

An article examining a practice combining nature-based observation with creative writing in a kindergarten classroom at an urban public school in the United States. Centred on a school garden inhabited by a spider and a squirrel, the activity had kindergarteners record scientific observations of the garden's resident flora and fauna before creatively writing fable stories inspired by those observations. The kindergarteners were reported to be highly engaged, to have improved their scientific understanding, and to have learned to communicate information creatively; the cross-curricular activity is described as deepening students' understanding of how living things survive in the school garden and developing their observation and critical-thinking skills.

AltTech LLC & Subsidiaries, The People's Coalition of Planet Earth · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United States

This paper presents Project Ubuntu's "Big Green Web," a proposed nationwide U.S. framework of interconnected, renewable-energy-powered community-governed food forests intended to provide free, open-access food production for communities of color, drawing on principles of food sovereignty, environmental justice and mutual aid; the paper examines the framework's theoretical foundations and operational structure as a proposed model rather than reporting outcomes from an implemented program.