Research & reports

DANDARA TEIXEIRA MALVINO · DIGNIDADE RE-VISTA · United States (Champaign)

This article aims to analyze the strategies created by low-income Black communities in Champaign, Illinois, to confront food deserts through the creation of urban community gardens, as a form of resistance to food insecurity.

Linda Goldman · · United States (Baltimore)

This chapter presents how young people can reduce stress and worry by practicing mindfulness and meditation. The Holistic Life Foundation (HLF), a non-profit organization in Baltimore, Maryland, is highlighted as a pioneering model for incorporating meditation, mindfulness, yoga, school gardens, and nature into school systems' daily routines and curricula. Students plant in school gardens, clean outdoor environments, and take trips to visit nature, enhancing the mindfulness approach.

T. E. H. Williams · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States

The Morrow Community Garden, established in 2012, expanded from 14 to 32 beds, enabling residents to grow produce and donate to a local clinic. Facing unstable membership, limited space, and reliance on membership dues, the garden requires an action plan to achieve its goals. An action plan was created to help stabilize membership, expand the garden, educate residents, and create a youth engagement program.

Catherine Campbell, Alia DeLong, John Diaz · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Florida)

This qualitative needs assessment, based on semi-structured interviews with 29 commercial urban agriculture (CUA) producers in Florida, characterized CUA operations. The study identified that CUA operations face common small farm barriers, alongside additional challenges from local government regulations and tensions with non-traditional agricultural land use. Despite these difficulties, CUA operators perceive their urban location as a key benefit and see opportunities for future business and market expansion.

David Calderón, Fredi Portilla · · South America

This abstract discusses the isolation faced by older adults in modern society and the lack of recognition for their traditional knowledge, particularly concerning urban agriculture. It notes that the contributions of older adults are overlooked in a technology-driven contemporary society.

Yannick Baumann, Emanuel Guay · Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales · Canada

This is a book or article titled "Perspectives critiques et analyse territoriale. Applications urbaines et régionales," edited by Hélène Bélanger and Dominic Lapointe, published in 2019 by Presses de l’Université du Québec. It is an article from the journal "Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales" on the theme "Urban agriculture: towards a reconfiguration of social and territorial ties."

Kamari Maxine Clarke · Anthropologica · United States (Philadelphia)

This paper discusses the MOVE organization, founded by Vincent Leaphart (John Africa) in West Philadelphia in the early 1970s. MOVE combined philosophies of Black nationalism, raw foods, urban farming, and opposition to modern science and capitalism. This community formation came to an end on May 13, 1985.

Vidhya Jagannathan · Georgia Library Quarterly · United States

The Cobb County Public Library Garden is a community garden that expands library services and promotes patron collaboration. This garden was envisioned for teaching, demonstrating, donating, and involving families in growing food and experiencing the satisfaction of harvesting produce. Library gardens serve as a natural setting for promoting nutritional literacy and hands-on environmental learning, reflecting the Cobb County Public Library's mission.

André Torre, Brenno Fonseca · Sociologia Ruralis · Brazil (São Paulo)

A study on the development of peri-urban agriculture in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, Brazil, was conducted based on expert interviews, analysis of the regional daily press, and local information sites and blogs. It was found that territorial opposition between different land uses is one of the main factors preventing food production in urban and peri-urban areas. The study investigated local conflicts, their location, their link to agriculture, the consumption of agricultural soils, and the typology of opponents and supporters of this activity.

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.

Lady L. S Gundim, Renata Priore Lima · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (São Paulo)

This article investigates the benefits of vertical farms as a sustainable food production model in cities, using a literature review and a case study of Pink Farms in São Paulo/SP, Brazil. Results indicate benefits such as energy and land use optimization, but also highlight ecological, social, and landscape limitations.

Naomi Reyes, Montserrat Ganderats‐Fuentes, Francesco Acciai, Jessica Eliason, Punam Ohri‐Vachaspati · Journal of School Health · United States (New Jersey)

This study examined school garden prevalence in 148 K-12 schools across four low-income New Jersey cities between 2010-2011 and 2017-2018, before and after the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010. Garden prevalence increased from 19% in 2010-2011 to 32% in 2013-2014, but this increase was not sustained over time. Furthermore, schools with a majority Hispanic student enrollment had approximately half the odds of having a garden compared to schools with a majority Black student enrollment.

Felipe Facci Facci Inguaggiato, Tatiane Ferreira Olivatto · PIXO - Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade · Brazil

This reflective bibliographic review examines Brazil's historical and urban housing policies, which have contributed to the disconnect between urban and rural populations. It also identifies initiatives, such as agricultural modernization, farmers' markets, and urban agriculture, that aim to reconnect rural and urban spheres and promote socio-spatial transformation.

Leila Graziele de Almeida Brito, Marilete Calegari Cardoso, Mainara Mizzi Rocha Frota, Leandro Nascimento Bertoldi · Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research · Brazil

This paper reports on the experience of establishing an organic community garden at the Casinha do Sol Children's Living Center, UESB, Brazil, with the support of the Calanguinho project. Using a collaborative work methodology, the project fostered partnerships between the nursery, families, and the university. This initiative facilitated the development of active practices and reflection, promoting ecological and sustainable awareness among the nursery, families, and the academic community.

Paulo Silvano Magno Fróes Júnior, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Cyntia Meireles Martins, Amanda da Silva Nogueira, Santos, Marcos Vinicius Puydinger dos, 1987- · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Belém)

This research aimed to identify and characterize the commercial channels and margins of urban agriculture in the Curuçambá agricultural community, Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil. Information was gathered through interviews with 63 urban farmers, representing 52.5% of local farmers. The results showed that 92.44% of agricultural production was dedicated to jambu, lettuce, green onion, chicory, and cariru, primarily commercialized through fairs in the Belém Metropolitan Region, institutional markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and direct sales to consumers.

Tori Taniguchi, Alyson Haslam, Wenjie Sun, Margaret Sisk, Jann Hayman, Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan · Nutrients · United States

The six-month FRESH study in the United States evaluated the impact of a farm-to-school nutrition and gardening intervention for Native American families. It involved 193 children and 170 adults from Osage Nation Early Childhood and Education programs, finding that intervention children significantly increased vegetable intake for squash and beans, and showed increased willingness to try beans.

Laís Caroline Marianno de Olivera, Gislaine Costa de Mendonça, Renata Cristina Araújo Costa, Regina Aparecida Leite de Camargo, Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes, Fernando António Leal Pacheco, Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra · Land Use Policy · Brazil

This study investigated the impacts of 35 years of urban expansion in Brazil's Administrative Region of Ribeirão Preto, linking it to agricultural land loss and environmental consequences. Using Landsat images and GIS, the research found rural area losses exceeding 350 km2, with equivalent production and economic losses of approximately 1.1 Mton/year and 230 MR$/year. Significant environmental impacts included the destruction of over 9100 km of natural watercourses, nearly 630 km2 of Permanent Preservation Areas, and the occupation of Guarani Aquifer recharge areas with impermeable surfaces, affecting approximately 7000 headwaters.

Jaimie N. Davis, Katie Nikah, Matthew J. Landry, Sarvenaz Vandyousefi, Reem Ghaddar, Matthew Jeans, Michele Hockett Cooper, Bonnie Martin, Lyndsey Waugh, Shreela V. Sharma, Alexandra E. van den Berg · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · United States (Austin)

A cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in Austin, TX, United States, from 2016 to 2019, with primarily low-income, Hispanic children, examined the effects of the school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking program 'TX Sprouts' on academic performance. Sixteen elementary schools were randomly assigned to either the intervention (8 schools) or control (8 schools) group, with the intervention consisting of 18 one-hour lessons in an outdoor teaching garden throughout the academic year. Results showed that schools receiving the intervention had a 6.5-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores compared with control schools (P = .047). However, there were no significant differences in reading scores for fifth-grade students or math scores for either fourth- or fifth-grade students between groups.

Leonardo Alfaiate Ferreira Borges, Roberto Barboza Castanho, Joelma Cristina Santos · Geosul · Brazil

This study aimed to understand the dynamics of urban agricultural products in Ituiutaba-MG, Brazil, particularly in the western sector, through dialogues with producers. Using a methodology that included bibliographic review, data collection, field visits, and producer interviews, the research developed a profile of urban agricultural production in the city, detailing its models and functions. The study highlights urban agriculture's role in economic and social decentralization and its contribution to food with fewer agricultural chemicals.

Andrea Valencia, Jiangxiao Qiu, Ni‐Bin Chang · Ecological Indicators · United States (Miami)

This study focused on food security within an urban agriculture network in the greater Miami metropolitan area, United States. Considering existing governance structures, sustainability indices were quantified for clustering urban agricultural sites (UASs) and identifying cluster priorities based on vulnerability or risk levels using multicriteria decision-making. Eight clusters were selected for visualizing UASs ranked by multicriteria decision-making under governance scenarios prioritized for climate change, social equity, and economic development impacts, highlighting the role of governance structure in incentive programs for enhancing overall UAS sustainability performance.

Paulo Silvano Magno Fróes-Júnior, Fabrício Khoury Rebello, Marcos Antônio Souza dos Santos, Cyntia Meireles Martins, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, João Paulo Borges de Loureiro · Conjecturas · Brazil (Belém)

This study interviewed 63 urban farmers in Curuçambá, Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil, analyzing business management and entrepreneurial skills amidst urbanization and crime risks. It found that 98.41% of businesses are family-managed, but 52.38% have little management experience, with 76.19% never keeping financial records and 81.71% never seeking technical assistance. A significant 33.33% of farmers rated criminality as "very high" severity, indicating that a lack of public safety severely limits commercial performance and investment in urban agriculture.

Rafael Lima Oliveira, Gabrielly Dos Santos Lima Oliveira, José Raimundo Oliveira Lima · P2P E INOVAÇÃO · Brazil

This study investigated the role of cooperativism as an element for strengthening urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) in Brazil. Findings revealed that the absence of public policies and credit availability are limiting factors for AUP. Increased production and product outflow are also difficulties faced by these farmers, which could potentially be resolved through cooperation.

Julia R Bryant · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States (Atlanta)

This paper explores how urban farming in Atlanta, Georgia, shows evidence of neoliberal shaping and retooling. Through qualitative analysis, including a case study, interviews with farmers, participant observation, and archival data collection, it examines how the city and the farm are understood from the perspective of the farmer to understand the degree to which these contestations are resisting neoliberalism. The research suggests that while urban farming can provide spaces for contestation to neoliberalism, scholars should more fully consider the hybridized nature in which urban farmers understand their work.

Kimberly Hill-Tout, Claudia Towne Hirtenfelder, Kiera E. B. McMaster, Megan Herod · Gastronomica The Journal of Food and Culture · Canada

In April 2021, a panel discussion on food security in Canada took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to make visible the vulnerabilities and structural injustices embedded within Canadian foodscapes through different perspectives on food security and justice. COVID-19 rendered many of the structural injustices of food security in Canada more visible.