Research & reports

Minseo Kim, J. Cho, Hyo Min Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global

This study developed and assessed four artificial soil mixes (ASMs) using eight common materials to optimize plant growth and carbon reduction in urban green spaces. ASM_A showed comparable or superior plant growth to control soil, attributed to high organic matter and cation exchange capacity. ASM_D had the highest carbon content (27.60 wt%) for long-term sequestration but was limited in early plant growth due to lower nitrogen and phosphate.

Hue Younsun · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · Australia (Gold Coast)

A study analyzed six community gardens in the Gold Coast, Australia, using literature review, field observations, and interviews with managers and participants. It found that these gardens function as multifunctional platforms integrating environmental, social, and economic values, rather than solely urban agriculture sites. The findings suggest the need for integrated operational strategies for Korean community gardens.

Sophie Joimel, Tania DE ALMEIDA, Baptiste Grard · · Global

Urban soils are characterized by high heterogeneity and diverse source materials, leading to a wide range of physical, physicochemical, and biological properties. These soils support diverse forms of urban agriculture and can provide various ecosystem services beyond their productive function.

Elena Petelos, Danai Antonaki, Erasmia Angelaki, Christos Lemonakis, Alexandros Garefalakis · Sustainability · Global

This study explored how private sector initiatives in tourism can contribute to public health and SDG 3 through sustainable agricultural practices. Using a mixed-methods approach combining a systematic literature review and a case study, it examined how integrated strategies like pesticide-free farming reduce environmental health risks and improve nutritional quality. Findings indicate that business-led sustainability models can support systemic change when based on clear metrics and cross-sector collaboration. However, the absence of pre-2019 baseline data and direct health outcome measurements limits causal inference.

H.J. Thwaites, Jungho Suh, G.M. Coote, Melissa Nursey‐Bray, Timothy R. Cavagnaro, M.J. Salomon · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global

This systematic quantitative literature review explores urban food forests, defined as woody food-producing species in urban landscapes, identifying their realized and potential impacts across ecosystem services, food security, health, society, and culture. The research found that urban food forests are highly valued for providing local foods and medicine, as well as regulating services, and contribute to biodiversity, economic and social inclusivity, and human well-being. The review highlights urban planning and design as a central research theme and identifies a need for more quantitative research and integration into local legislation.

Marcus Robinson, Jacky Bowring, Shannon Davis, Sarah Edwards · Landscape Research · Global

This narrative review explored how urban expansion at the rural-urban fringe drives the loss of productive agricultural land, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The review examined how these competing interests can be negotiated spatially, emphasizing the role of multifunctional green infrastructure to integrate both food production and ecological function across the urban-rural continuum.

Chivers, Ruth, Laing, Olivia 1977-, British Library · · Global

Ten award-winning designers present original garden designs for public and private spaces, extending up to 50 years into the future. These designs aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, encourage biodiversity, and address issues of legacy, land ownership, changing societal needs, and individual well-being. The paper emphasizes the power of gardening to nurture nature and adapt to change.

Azemfack Jules Arnol, Mbouobda Hermann Désiré, Dobgima John Fonmboh, Muyang Rosaline Forsah, Fotso · African Journal of Biology and Medical Research · Cameroon

This study aimed to isolate and characterize Rhizobium bacteria from Phaseolus vulgaris root nodules to produce nitrogen biofertilizer as a chemical fertilizer substitute. Nodules from the University of Bamenda's school garden were used to purify and characterize Rhizobium, which were then used with charcoal powder to produce biofertilizer. Morphological characterization revealed fast-growing, translucent, mucoid, Gram-negative bacteria consistent with Rhizobium, and three concentrations of biofertilizer with a six-month shelf life were produced.

Emoke Dalma Kovacs, Melinda Haydee Kovacs · Horticulturae · Romania (Cluj-Napoca)

This study in an urban orchard in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, investigated how five Prunus species and soil depth (0–30 cm) affect microbial biodiversity and metabolomic signatures using 225 soil samples. It found significant tree species-specific effects on soil microbial biodiversity, with bacterial biomarkers dominating and apricot tree soils showing the highest microbial activity. Metabolomic analysis identified 247 distinct metabolites, revealing unique organic acid profiles for sour cherry and quinone accumulation for cherry, with depth also influencing microbial communities and metabolite composition.

Antonio Andréa Belló, Aline Batch · Trees Forests and People · Syria (Aleppo)

This study documented 257 plant species in Aleppo's Central Public Park, Syria, through systematic field surveys and floristic analysis. Despite conflict, the park exhibited exceptional plant diversity, with Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae being the most represented families. The findings revealed a dominance of herbaceous species and perennials, and identified five native gymnosperm trees and approximately 7% rare or underrepresented flora, underscoring the need for integrated management strategies.

Matteo Clementi, Valentina Dessì, Mariana Pereira Guimarães · TERRITORIO · Global

The bize_UrFarm research explores urban agriculture's potential to integrate into urban and building metabolism by utilizing water, soil, and waste, and to strengthen urban green infrastructure. This research introduces building surfaces as a resource for urban agriculture, challenging the previous view of them as impediments in urbanized contexts.

Emilie E. Ellis, S. Campbell, Jill L. Edmondson · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · Global

A large-scale assessment across three cities found up to a 43% reduction in species richness of bees, hoverflies, and nocturnal moths in urban horticultural sites along urbanization gradients. These declines are driven by taxon-specific landscape changes like reduced tree canopy and semi-natural habitat. Moths and hoverflies were particularly sensitive to urbanization compared to bees, indicating a wide range of pollinators are under threat in urban landscapes.

Susan Jagger · The Canadian Journal of Action Research · Global

This paper points out the limited research on the experiences of young learners in participatory action research (PAR) in environmental education. It shares the reflections of the Eco Research Organization, a group of grade six researchers, and their adult co-researcher, Susan Jagger, on their engagement in PAR in a longitudinal study of their school garden and nature in their community.

S. GopalaSundara Raj, Halavath Tharunkumar, R. P. Srivastava, Mukesh Kumar Singh, Manindra Nath Upadhyay · Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · Global

This study explores the economic and environmental benefits of green cultivation, encompassing organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and sustainable land use. Economically, it offers increased profitability, improved market opportunities, and enhanced food security, while environmentally, it supports biodiversity, improves soil health, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Case studies from Spain and Egypt demonstrate the effectiveness of these sustainable farming methods.

Jelena Salmi, Anna Krzywoszynska · Environmental Science & Policy · Finland

A discourse analysis of 103 governance and grey literature documents in Finland examined the politics of soil biodiversity indicators. The study found that eDNA is the preferred scientific basis for soil biodiversity governance in Finland due to alignment between scientific and policy groups. However, land workers' organizations criticize eDNA methods, arguing they risk obscuring local specificity and creating environmental and social injustice, potentially alienating land management groups.

Cristian Granados Martínez, Meyer Guevara-Mora, Eugenia López‐López, José Rincón Ramírez · Water · Colombia

This study evaluated aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in the Ranchería River, Colombia, across conserved, urban/agricultural, and mining zones during the dry season (January–March 2021). Urban/agricultural zones showed the lowest richness (35 genera) and were characterized by disturbance-tolerant species, particularly Melanoides. Land use types constituted the primary driver of community structure, with a 24.1% pure effect, exceeding physical, chemical, and land cover variables.

Magboul M.S. Siddig, Stephen Boahen Asabere, Abdullah S. Al-Farraj, Eric C. Brevik, Daniela Sauer · Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances · Sudan

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined 76 publications on soil heavy metals in Sudan published between 1996 and 2024, assessing concentrations of 10 heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) across 9 land-use types including urban agricultural, industrial, roadside, tannery, waste dump, rural agricultural, coastal sediment, gold mining, and river sediment areas. Average heavy metal levels across all land uses exceeded common soil ranges, with Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Pb surpassing WHO/FAO limits. In urban agricultural soils, Cd averaged about 158 times and Hg about 340 times typical background ranges, while industrial, gold mining, and waste dump land uses exceeded a serious ecological risk threshold (PERI greater than 900). Cd and Hg together accounted for over 70% of PERI in waste dump and gold mining sites.

Na Wei, Madelynn Nakaji-Conley, Jiaqi Tan · Microbial Ecology · Global

In urban farming fields of different ages and multiple genotypes, the relative abundance, richness, and microbial networks of putative plant pathogenic, mycorrhizal, and saprotrophic fungi in the rhizosphere were tracked over two years. Pathogenic fungal abundance was higher in older fields than younger fields, consistent with pathogen accumulation over time, while mycorrhizal fungal abundance decreased in older fields and saprotrophic abundance remained similar between younger and older fields. Mycorrhizal fungal richness declined in older fields and over the two years, with a corresponding decrease in network links, whereas saprotrophic fungi showed increased network links in older fields and pathogenic fungal networks remained similar across fields.

Stefano Follesa, Leila Farahbakhsh, Xinxin Song · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

A paper examines urban agriculture as a process capable of promoting environmental sustainability, social inclusion and the circular economy, proposing ways to use and develop it. Through an interdisciplinary approach based on "demand maps," it presents an implementation model aligning users' needs with design solutions. Critical analysis of case studies identifies benefits including reducing urban heat islands, supporting biodiversity, enhancing food security, fostering social cohesion, and aiding the development of vulnerable communities. The guidelines presented aim to encourage the use of demand maps in urban decision-making processes to support participatory, inclusive and sustainable strategies.

Md. Maruf Billah, Al Muzahid, Md. Nasrul Millat, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman‬ · Journal of Environmental Science Health & Sustainability · Bangladesh

A structured face-to-face survey of 200 randomly selected residents in Bangladesh, conducted in 2024 and analyzed with SPSS version 29, examined perceptions of urban agriculture. 34.5% of respondents fell into the early-adopter category; rooftop gardening was the most widely adopted practice (93.5%), followed by homestead gardens (80%) and container gardens (66.5%). 94.5% perceived urban agriculture as contributing medium to high to environmental sustainability, and 92.5% saw reduced cost of living as its main benefit. Innovativeness, training exposure, extension access, media contact, education, group membership and market access were identified as adoption factors, while 89% of respondents reported facing medium to high constraints to adoption.

Isabelle van der Zanden, Gelieke G.T. Steeghs, Lieke Moereels, G. F. Veen · Agroforestry Systems · Global

This study examined litter decomposition dynamics in food forests, perennial multi-layered food production systems gaining popularity as alternatives to intensive, input-dependent agriculture that rely on nutrient recycling via litter decomposition. Litter from Alnus glutinosa (black alder), Corylus avellana (common hazel), and Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut), ranging from high to low litter quality, was decomposed in food forests planted on former grasslands and compared with neighboring grasslands. Litter bags of varying mesh size were used to assess the relative contribution of microbes and micro-, meso-, and macrofauna to short-term litter mass loss, and abundance and biomass of key decomposer groups were quantified. Decomposer communities differed between land use types: food forests harbored a higher abundance of oribatid mites but a lower abundance and biomass of earthworms and lower arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biomass than grasslands. Overall litter mass loss differed little between the systems, except that high-quality litter accessible to the full decomposer community lost more mass in grasslands. The lowest-quality litter (sweet chestnut) decomposed slowest, with its rate unaffected by mesh size or land use. High-quality leaf litter generally decomposed faster in grasslands than in food forests, and the distinct decomposer communities in young food forests did not favor breakdown of recalcitrant litter.

Bethaney Turner · · Australia

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in community gardens in Canberra, Australia, this chapter examines how community gardens support future-focused, more-than-human heritage making, preservation and transmission. It shows that everyday, food-based informal economies of participation are capable of nourishing soil, gardeners' well-being, and broader human and non-human communities, and it proposes a concept termed ecological belonging that attunes gardeners to multispecies relations extending beyond the temporal and spatial boundaries of contemporary gardening sites.

Bharti Gautam, Neha Negi, J. Mohan, Babita Bharti, Amit Kumar, Ridhima Arya · International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research · Global

A review paper surveying sustainable urban agriculture and gardening practices against a backdrop of rapid urbanization linked to climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. It covers composting, rainwater harvesting, rooftop gardening, hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical farming, and discusses the role of integrated pest management, smart irrigation systems, and urban agroforestry. The review states that integrating nature-based solutions — urban farms, vertical gardens, and green roofs — into the urban landscape can lessen environmental problems such as poor air quality, flooding, and the urban heat island effect, and that urban horticulture plays an important role in food security, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.

Bal Krishna Joshi · Genetics Plant Breeding and Seed Science · Global

A paper documenting good practices for food systems transformation using a ROSE (review, observation, survey, and experience) approach, framing the food system as encompassing six key components: crops, livestock, agro-insects, agro-microbes, forages, and aquatic agricultural genetic resources (AGRs). It notes that efforts to increase yield have relied on developing and expanding mono genotypes — single uniform genotypes across large areas — of a few crops such as rice, wheat, and maize with chemical inputs, but that as agriculture has advanced, many localized AGR-based food systems and farmers' rights have been neglected. Promoting and maximizing genetic diversity and localized food systems is described as crucial for food, nutrition, health, business, and environmental security. Effective food systems are characterized by site-specific staple foods, diverse genotypes, product diversification, incentives, circular and inclusive agriculture, waste reuse and recycling, and urban agriculture. The paper suggests that respecting every aspect of farmers' contributions — treating a farmer's household as a "shop" — would be a beneficial strategy.

Wen‐Pei Sung, Ming-Cheng Liao, Hsian-Ling Peng, Chung-Tien Huang, Yun-Jung Chuang, J Wang · Sustainability · Global

Against a backdrop of intensifying urban heat island effects and residents' mental health problems amid urbanization, this study examined the impact of an Urban Food Forest Program on urban environmental comfort, heat island mitigation, and the mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents. Using on-site field measurements and questionnaire surveys, it analyzed the environmental comfort of green spaces in urban heat island hotspots and assessed participants' mental health. The Urban Food Forest Program significantly reduced surrounding environmental temperature, with an average cooling effect of 2.4°C particularly in soil areas, and reduced heat island intensity in the surrounding area by 15%. In the mental health survey, male participants scored significantly higher than female participants (p = 0.017), and middle-aged and elderly participants who took part more than five times per week scored 17% higher, significantly better, than low-frequency participants. The study notes that its relatively small sample size and limited observation period may affect the generalizability of its findings, and that it focused on one specific urban area that may not represent the broader urban context.