Research & reports

Joshua Garcia, Mariel Mondragon-Becerra, I. Rojas Martínez, Mallika Nocco, Cristina Lazcano · Applied Soil Ecology · United States (California)

A greenhouse trial was conducted in urban agricultural soil from the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, to investigate the effects of organic amendments derived from local municipal waste products on the soil microbiome, tomato productivity, and quality. Liquid food waste hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost increased microbial abundance in the soil compared to mineral fertilizer. While mineral-fertilized tomato plants generally had higher productivity and yields, plants treated with the hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost showed enhanced fruit soluble sugar content (°Brix).

Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Natal)

This case study of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Natal, Brazil, aimed to identify and characterize the benefits these initiatives provide to the territory and to overview three ecosystem services related to microclimate, soil, and water. Using a hybrid methodology combining biophysical modeling and listening to the voices of experienced protagonists, the study identified a significant potential for urban and peri-urban agriculture to contribute to urban development. This research deepens the understanding of the benefits urban agriculture can offer cities, including its potential to mitigate or solve typical urban problems.

Bruno Dias Magalhães, D. B. Almeida, Gabriel Mattos Ornelas, Lara Andrade Silva Viana, Flávia de Paula Duque Brasil, Carneiro, Ricardo José, 1955-, Fundação João Pinheiro, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Fundação João Pinheiro, Fundação João Pinheiro, Fundação João Pinheiro · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil

An analysis of the process of building the Participatory Guarantee System (SPG) for organic/agroecological production in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region (RMBH), Brazil. The SPG's construction traces back to 2004, driven mainly by social movements and civil society actors engaged with urban agroecology; in 2018 the Belo Horizonte municipal government initiated the first protocol of intentions to strengthen agroecology in the RMBH, creating an Inter-institutional Support Committee with SPG consolidation as one of its goals. The article traces this articulation trajectory, emphasizing civil society and social movements' role in what it frames as a "peri-institutional" space, examining how the Committee builds capacities as agroecology draws closer to the state, while also questioning how much real autonomy and agency the people who actually produce and sell within this arrangement retain.

Antônio Pampana · Revista VérticeFIB · Brazil

This review essay traces the history of urban agriculture in Brazil—from backyard cultivation of Portuguese origin, through its post-industrial decline, to worsened food insecurity during the Covid-19 crisis—and argues that agroecological urban agriculture (AUA) can combine sustainable management with social benefits, increased biodiversity, and diversified food production including unconventional food plants (PANCs). It cites the green infrastructure project in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, and the Oriente corridors project in metropolitan Medellín, Colombia, as examples of AUA in strategic green-infrastructure planning, while noting that AUA remains largely absent from urban public policy.

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) · California Code of Regulations, Title 14 (via Cornell Law) · United States

A California regulation setting the physical contamination limit for compost: material larger than 4 mm must not exceed 0.5% by dry weight, of which film plastic must be no more than 20%. Operators must sample every 5,000 cubic yards.

Closed Loop Partners, Composting Consortium · Closed Loop Partners / Composting Consortium · United States

Closed Loop Partners' Composting Consortium conducted the largest known North American field test of certified, food-contact compostable packaging, analyzing over 23,000 units across nine commercial composting facilities. While roughly 70% of food waste composters already accept such packaging, the report says public data on actual disintegration performance and optimal composting conditions had been limited. Data will feed a public database and the first ASTM field test standard for compostable packaging.

Agência Senado · Agência Senado (Senado Federal) · Brazil

An Agência Senado article reporting that Law 14,935/2024, sanctioned on July 26, 2024 and published in the official gazette on July 29, 2024, created Brazil's National Policy on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (PNAUP). The law defines urban and peri-urban agriculture as farming and livestock activity integrated into the urban ecological and economic system, and lists seven objectives including expanding food security for vulnerable urban populations, occupying idle urban spaces, generating alternative income, linking production to public procurement, promoting family labor and cooperatives, encouraging agroecological production, and spreading organic-waste recycling.

Câmara dos Deputados (Agência Câmara de Notícias) · Agência Câmara de Notícias, Câmara dos Deputados (Brasil) · Brazil

A Brazilian Chamber of Deputies news article reporting that Law 14.935/24 — originating from Bill PL 906/15 introduced by federal deputy Padre João — was published on July 29, 2024, creating a National Policy on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture. Its stated objectives include expanding food security for vulnerable urban populations, putting unused urban and peri-urban land to use, generating alternative income for urban residents, linking food production to public procurement (schools, hospitals, prisons), supporting family farming and solidarity-economy organizations, promoting environmental education and organic farming, and encouraging reuse of organic waste and rainwater; implementation is to be decentralized across federal, state and municipal governments, civil society and educational institutions.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Queretaro)

Shows how urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems in the semi-dryland, medium-sized city of Queretaro, Mexico.

Alex Salviano da Silva, Célia Regina Batista dos Santos · Revista Macambira · Brazil (Irecê)

This study investigated the contributions of interdisciplinary interventional actions, mediated by organic garden construction, to public school students' teaching and learning processes and their interest in environmental education within the context of remote education in Irecê, Brazil. Using a qualitative, interventionist action research methodology, activities integrating subjects like Biology, Mathematics, Geography, History, and Arts were conducted remotely and in person. Findings identified significant changes in school management, suggesting new perspectives for environmental education, and students showed increased awareness of their actions concerning school and home environments.

Magda Beatriz de Almeida Matteucci · · Brazil (Trindade)

This case study characterized the diversity of agricultural products from family urban agriculture in Trindade-GO, Brazil, by applying 20 questionnaires to urban properties. Producers in Trindade adopt diverse production practices, notably cultivating lettuce, cilantro, kale, and chives. They primarily use simple, ecological techniques for fertilization and pest/disease control, including organic fertilizers, to avoid harmful and costly agrochemicals.

Leigh Whittinghill, Major Ballard, Anju Chaudhary, Smriti Kandel, Caitlin Mullins, Pradip Poudel · HortScience · United States

This study analyzed runoff water quality from four different nutrient management treatments (conventional fertilizer, organic fertilizer, low-compost + organic fertilizer, and high compost) in raised beds and small plastic pool container plots in the United States. Water samples, collected monthly, were analyzed for pH, conductivity, color, turbidity, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium. While significant differences existed between raised beds and container plots, these did not translate to meaningful water quality differences for most variables, except for nitrate-nitrogen. The conventional fertilizer treatment showed greater or more variable nutrient leaching than other treatments.

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.

· 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.

Jordi Guimera Garcia, Natalie Bray, Yowhan Son, Aleah L. Butler-Jones, Sara Perl Egendorf, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Journal of Urban Ecology · United States (New York City)

In New York City, a study investigated plant growth (tomato, pepper, kale) in soils constructed from four municipal composts mixed with sediments from the NYC Clean Soil Bank, to assess the potential for safe urban agricultural soils. While Clean Soil Bank sediments enhanced plant growth when mixed with BRL compost, they also negatively impacted tomato aboveground biomass production by 29% in LES compost and tomato plant height by 18% in QBG compost, indicating variable effects depending on compost properties.

Larissa Bizon, Marco Aurélio Soares de Castro · Revista AIDIS de Ingeniería y Ciencias Ambientales Investigación desarrollo y práctica · Brazil

This study aimed to address gaps regarding waste generated in aquaponics systems and their management practices in Brazil. A systematic review identified waste streams, and a survey of producers in 17 of Brazil's 27 federal units confirmed sludge, packaging waste, dead fish, and unusable plant fractions as typical waste streams. The survey indicated a lack of concern for in-depth assessment of these streams to improve management practices, which tended towards adequate and inadequate disposal.

Loyane Ferreira da Matta, Monique Cleia de Pontes Bandeira CARVALHO, Josué Rodrigues Gomes, Juliana do Nascimento Chagas Pessanha, Érika Eberlline Pacheco dos Santos · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Campos dos Goytacazes)

A pedagogical garden project was implemented at Escola Municipal Santa Terezinha in Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil, to teach the importance of agroecology, the environment, and healthy eating. The project involved weekly activities where students participated in workshops, courses, meetings, study groups, and garden construction, based on a bibliographic survey of pedagogical gardens, agroecology, and urban agriculture.

Susana Moreira Padrão · Interagir pensando a extensão · Brazil

An essay reflecting on the potential of agroecological agriculture in Brazil within the context of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its likely economic and social consequences. It presents economic and social indicators of rising unemployment and poverty, arguing that social inequality is likely to worsen in this scenario, with an immediate impact on rising food insecurity and hunger. Examples such as the Agroecological Fair at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), collective and community gardens in favelas, and productive backyards are cited as showing that actions reaching the most vulnerable population are possible to implement. The essay argues that agroecology and urban agriculture contribute effectively to promoting food and nutritional security and health, aiming at the human right to adequate food and population involvement in agroecology-based food cultivation, in pursuit of food autonomy.

Ashley Conway, Christine Nieman · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States

This literature review identifies three key barriers to keeping livestock in US urban and peri-urban agriculture—animal feed resources, water quality and nutrient cycling, and use of heavy-metal-contaminated sites—and argues that agroforestry (silvopasture) practices can help address them. The authors propose two theoretical silvopasture systems, one for urban and one for peri-urban settings, and call for future whole-system research.

Mykl Nelson, Gwynne Mhuireach, Gail A. Langellotto · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Oregon)

To characterize residential-scale urban agriculture soils, the authors sampled 27 residential vegetable gardens in two western Oregon cities, distinguishing in-ground beds from raised beds. They found these soils frequently exceeded recommended ranges for many fertility parameters—likely due to routine overapplication of compost, amendments, and fertilizers—with raised beds significantly higher than in-ground beds in carbon/nitrogen ratio, active carbon, and sulfur.

María Teresa Gómez-Villarino, Teresa Briz · California Agriculture · United States (Berkeley)

This study examined urban gardens in Berkeley, California, and Madrid, Spain, to observe how agroecological principles—efficient, sustainable use of local resources and inputs—are practiced. It reports that gardens using good ecological practices provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including cultural services such as places to socialize, and can serve as model urban agricultural centers contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Hayden Hinton · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States (Atlanta)

A study in the Proctor Creek watershed in Atlanta, Georgia, measured field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) in soils under compaction, urban agricultural use, and lawn maintenance. Urban farming significantly increased soil Kfs (mean 2.2E-4 cm/s) compared to compaction (9.1E-7 cm/s) and lawn maintenance (9.0E-6 cm/s), limiting overland flow. Grain-size distributions showed no significant difference, indicating Kfs was controlled by land-management practices, not soil texture.

Regina Lucia Santana, Roberto Andreani, João Adalberto Campato, Denise Regina da Costa Aguiar · Revista FSA · Brazil (São Paulo)

This descriptive and transversal field study, conducted at Professora Maria Expedita Silva State School in Mauá, São Paulo, aimed to implement sustainable and community actions using a school garden. The project sought to unite the school and local community in consuming and preserving the garden, fostering environmental responsibility and promoting natural diets. Results showed adolescent engagement in the educational project's sustainable actions, leading to more collaborative attitudes towards their natural environment.

Raquel Yurie Hioki, Moacir Roberto Darolt · Archives of Veterinary Science · Brazil (Curitiba)

This study, conducted in Curitiba, Brazil, and its metropolitan area, aimed to discuss the risks and benefits of legalizing urban poultry farming. Through interviews with key informants, challenges were identified across sanitary, legislative, and commercial areas, urban chicken breeders, and bird management. The main challenges cited were sanitary and environmental risks, mistreatment, irregular slaughter, and neighborhood disturbances, which could be addressed through activity regulation, registration of farms, technical monitoring, and implementation of pilot projects.

Osmar Manoel Nunes, Shirley Grazieli da Silva Nascimento, Mariana Rockenbach de Ávila, Luciellen de Lourdes Silveira Vieira, Criziane Flores Pamplona · · Brazil

This preliminary study conducted a socioeconomic analysis of peri-urban family production of organic lettuce in Dom Pedrito-RS, Brazil, using case study techniques focusing on two family farmers. Through in-depth interviews and farm visits, it was found that production relied solely on family labor with minimal chemical inputs, characterizing a transition to organic production. Despite strong competition from large distribution networks, producing and marketing organic lettuce was concluded to be profitable, constituting an alternative income source and job creation in family farming, and assisting in transforming unoccupied spaces into productive ones.