Research & reports

Rebecca K. Kelly, Rosie Nash · Journal of School Health · Global

This systematic scoping review searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases to characterize food literacy (FL) interventions in elementary schools for students aged 4-12. After exclusions, 116 studies were eligible, comprising 105 original interventions ranging in duration from 45 minutes to 4 years. Social cognitive theory was the most referenced theory, and common interventions included classroom lessons, games, school gardens, food preparation, and cooking classes. Most studies (96%, N=111) measured FL outcomes quantitatively; all studies addressed functional FL (N=116), while 77% (N=89) addressed interactive FL and only 28% (N=32) addressed critical FL. As the first international review of FL programs in elementary schools, it found great heterogeneity in intervention design and FL measurement, and concluded that few interventions addressed critical FL, which should be a focus for future interventions.

Allea Martin, Amy Coplen, Lauren Lubowicki, Betty T. Izumi · Health Education & Behavior · United States

A Photovoice study of the CSA Partnerships for Health program in the United States, a subsidized community-supported-agriculture scheme designed to lower the cost barrier to fresh produce for low-income households. Twenty-eight participants photographed aspects of the program over 2 to 4 weeks and discussed selected images in focus groups; they reported that the program supported positive changes in their physical and social health and helped them learn about new foods, cooking and agriculture. Based on these self-reported, qualitative accounts, the authors suggest that a reduced-cost CSA membership combined with cooking education can support participants' ability to try new foods, build skills and improve health outcomes.

Kristine Valle, Eli Mari Øverdahl, Stephanie Degenhardt, Kim Weger, Wendy Fjellstad, Sebastian Eiter · Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) · Europe

Participating in a neighbourhood and community garden produces positive social and emotional effects along with satisfaction from growing food. Adults and teenagers participating in gardening activities at Linderud farm in Oslo, Norway, most commonly reported positive experiences related to social networks, growing food, feelings/emotions, and aesthetics.

Pedada Sindhusha · Journal of Food & Nutritional Disorders · India

As India's urban population grows, demand for food and food expenditure are rising while farmland is being converted to residential, commercial or industrial use. The paper argues that rooftop vegetable farming is a feasible option to address these pressures and the contamination risks of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, by shortening food transport distances, raising food-production awareness, and supporting nutrition, health and economic status. It states that rooftop vegetable farming can supply quality, hygienic vegetables, lower household vegetable spending, improve air quality and absorb carbon, and reduce climate change effects. No data or survey results are presented.

Yuliia V. Medvedeva, Анатолій Кучер, Joanna Lipsa, Maria Hełdak · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Europe

A study assessed the safety of apples sampled across different functional zones of Kharkiv, Ukraine — from industrial areas to school gardens — for consumption. Heavy metal levels exceeded maximum allowable limits in apple samples from all sampling sites, with lead 11.47 to 38.86 times and cadmium 1.76 to 5.68 times the FAO/EU norms; the most contaminated samples came from residential areas, partly due to significant land pollution from various waste types. Hazard index (HI) values varied by age group: 24.37-70.11 for children aged 1-6, 10.28-29.59 for children aged 7-16, and 0.88-2.53 for adults aged 18-65. Non-carcinogenic risks were linked to disorders of the immune, blood, urinary, and nervous systems and to liver and kidney function, and the total carcinogenic risk from eating the apples exceeded the permissible level.

Laryssa Roberta Alves Farias, Sanádia Gama dos Santos · Revista Interseção · Brazil

A qualitative case study examines a school garden project at a rural school in Arapiraca, Alagoas, Brazil, carried out as part of the Mais Educação program (2018-2019), aimed at promoting good nutrition and environmental education practices by using unused spaces on school grounds for an organic garden. The results describe the development of pedagogical and environmental activities centered on growing vegetables for school meals, with a focus on good nutrition, health, and improving students' quality of life.

Alessio Russo, Giuseppe T. Cirella · Agriculture, 10(8), 358 · Global

An empirical study analyzing ten edible green infrastructure (EGI) urban-regeneration case studies in Italy's Campania region through the lens of community development, involvement and education. It documents how citizen-engaged urban gardens contribute to public health (stress reduction, physical activity) and the regeneration of derelict land, with sustainability strengthened by far-sighted urban planning across all five provinces.

Santiteerakul S., Sopadang A., Yaibuathet Tippayawong K., Tamvimol K. · Sustainability (MDPI) · Thailand

Case study of Thailand's Wangree Health Factory plant factory showing how smart technology enhances productivity, product quality, resource-use efficiency, food safety, and employee quality of life, evidencing the business performance of corporate urban farming.

Toyoda M., Yokota Y., Barnes M., Kaneko M. · HortTechnology · Japan

Real-office study in Japan showing that intentional contact with a small desk plant reduces office workers' psychological and physiological stress, supporting planting and gardening interventions in the workplace.

小杉 理理子 · 日本不動産学会誌 34巻2号 p.108 · Japan

Introduces the Kamigo Neopolis machizukuri agreement between Yokohama City and Daiwa House Industry, reporting collaboration among residents, government, and the developer to regenerate a suburban detached-housing district through gathering spaces and community building.

Tharrey M., Sachs A., Perignon M., Simon C., Mejean C., Litt J., Darmon N. · BMC Public Health · France (Montpellier)

A quasi-experimental study in Greater Montpellier comparing 66 new community garden participants with 66 matched controls found no significant shifts toward more sustainable lifestyles (diet, physical activity, well-being) after one year of garden participation.

Pham T.T.H., Turner S. · Land Use Policy · Vietnam (Lào Cai)

Research in Lào Cai, a small border city in northern Vietnam, finds that access to 'safe and clean' vegetables—motivated by distrust of pesticide use—is the primary driver of urban food growing, rather than subsistence food needs.

Dissanayake L., Dilini S. · Open Journal of Social Sciences · Sri Lanka (Kandy)

A questionnaire-based study in the Kandy municipal area found that urban home gardens significantly contributed to household food security and quality of life during COVID-19 lockdowns, with social well-being and mental health benefits highlighted across all satisfaction levels.

Scott T.L., Masser B.M., Pachana N.A. · SAGE Open Medicine, 8:2050312120901732 · Australia

A study of older Australians examining links between home and community gardening and psychosocial and physical well-being. Older gardeners reported greater self-esteem, sense of productive endeavour, social engagement and exercise, associated with more positive attitudes to ageing. It shows allotments and gardening groups can protect older adults from isolation and support positive ageing.

Kate G. Burt, Kathleen Delgado · Electronic Green Journal · United States (New York)

This study developed and validated a survey measuring the social and dietary outcomes of community garden participation in relation to food-system equity, testing it with community gardeners in New York City (n=38). The resulting 25-item Just Community Gardening Survey showed high test-retest reliability and internal consistency and covers domains such as social cohesion, collective efficacy, dietary intake, and food access, incorporating food-justice aspects not assessed in prior research.

Savanah St. Clair, Maryam Saraylou, Daila Melendez, Norman Senn, Serina Reitz, Destini Kananipour, Angelo Alvarez · Applied and Environmental Soil Science · United States (Los Angeles)

This research characterized the arable soils at Los Angeles Pierce College to address health and food-security challenges, using soil physical/chemical measurements, microbial cultivation, and 16S rDNA sequencing on a citizen-science platform. It found plant-growth-promoting, antibiotic-producing and bioremediating bacteria—including abundant Streptomyces, Bacillus and Methylobacteria—across fields with distinct microclimates, and tests indicated that plant-based oils could control antibiotic-resistant bacteria more effectively than common antibiotics. The authors say the results can guide future trials and product development by identifying target soil microorganisms and the most viable fields.

· Sustainability · China (Guangzhou)

Surveys residents' perceptions of integrating urban agriculture into micro-transformation of old communities in Guangzhou, discussed through the lens of building a healthy community.

· Journal of Economic Entomology · USA

Tests low-cost, spun-bonded-fabric low tunnels as a physical barrier against airborne insects on Brussels sprouts. Finds they reduce insect populations, insecticide applications, and chewing damage.

· Journal of Clinical Medicine · Japan

An RCT assigned 89 older adults with depressive symptoms and mild memory decline to exercise, horticultural, or control groups; the horticultural program comprised 20 weekly 90-minute sessions of field cultivation, growing, and harvesting.

Tu P.-C., Cheng W.-C., Hou P.-C., Chang Y.-S. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Taiwan

A study in Taiwan with 27 elderly participants (aged 60-76) evaluating four horticultural activities, measuring effects on salivary amylase activity, pulse rate, and mood (POMS), with artistic-creation and food-tasting types showing promise for relaxation and stress reduction.

· Environmental Science & Technology · United States

Using a tiered model, the study shows that consuming vegetables grown in PFAS-impacted soil or irrigation water can be an important human exposure pathway, raising concern over produce from contaminated sites.

Cooper A., Felix D., Alcantara F., Schroeder J. · Plant Direct · USA (San Diego)

At an urban community garden in San Diego, in-ground vegetables and fruit trees accumulated lead and arsenic, showing urban garden soils can contaminate food crops; raised beds with clean soil eliminated detectable contamination.

Alison Carver, Alanna Lorenzon, Jenny Veitch, Ashley Macleod, Takemi Sugiyama · Aging & Mental Health · Global

A narrative review that searched six databases through 2017 and identified nine studies on exposure to greenery — gardens and green space — and mental health among residents of aged care facilities. Seven of the nine reported favourable associations between garden use and outcomes such as quality of life, but most relied on observations by staff and family rather than validated mental health instruments. One study found a reduction in depression linked to garden participation, while another found no change in physiological stress. The authors conclude that more robust evidence based on valid and reliable mental health measures is needed.

Doris González-Fernández, Ana Sofía Mazzini Salom, Fermina Herrera Bendezu, Sonia Huamán, Bertha Rojas Hernández, Illène Pevec, Eliana Mariana Galarza Izquierdo, Nicoletta Armstrong, Virginia Thomas, Sonia Vela Gonzáles, Carlos Gonzáles Saravia, Marilyn E. Scott, Kristine G. Koski · Frontiers in Public Health · Peru (Lima)

In peripheral settlements of the Pachacámac district of metropolitan Lima, Peru, community health promoters delivered a sequence of (1) home and community gardens, (2) 'conscious nutrition' and (3) parenting workshops (ICDP), comparing 113 children aged 0–3 in intervention communities with 127 in control communities at baseline, 8 and 12 months. The interventions significantly reduced the risk of food insecurity (adjusted risk ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.08–0.51) and of language delay (0.39, 0.19–0.82), but did not significantly improve motor or social/cognitive delay. Multiple micronutrient supplement use lowered motor delay risk (0.12), while households with more pets had higher risk of motor delay (3.24), social/cognitive delay (2.72) and food insecurity (1.73). Because gardens were bundled with nutrition and parenting components, the contribution of the gardens alone cannot be isolated.

Yutaka Sho, James Setzler · · Rwanda

This chapter describes the work of General Architecture Collaborative (GAC), a nonprofit firm operating in Rwanda since 2008, which aims to make architecture accessible to traditionally excluded communities. GAC collaborates with local partners to invest in communities, exemplified by a health center that uses open spaces for community gardens and a demonstration kitchen for healthy eating workshops. This work highlights GAC's role as an interface within the international development industry's building culture.