Research & reports

John Misenheimer, Clay Nelson, Evelyn Huertas, Myriam Medina-Vera, Alex Prevatte, Karen D. Bradham · Geosciences · Puerto Rico

Total and bioaccessible arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) levels, and their uptake by 10 commonly grown garden plants, were examined in three urban community gardens in Puerto Rico. Total As ranged from 2 to 55 mg/kg and Pb from 19 to 172 mg/kg in soils. Leaves accumulated higher concentrations of As and Pb than edible flesh, with culantro leaves showing the highest concentrations (3.2 mg/kg dw As, 8.9 mg/kg dw Pb).

Pauline Marsh, Sebrina Brennan, Miriam Vandenberg · Australian Journal of Primary Health · Australia

Researchers at the Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, used a participatory research framework to explore the potential of Community Gardens to function as comprehensive primary healthcare (CPHC) environments. Therapeutic features of Community Gardens and their correlations with CPHC were identified, concluding strong synergies between the aims and activities of Community Gardens and CPHC. Augmenting the therapeutic capacity of these sites requires adequate resourcing, skill development, suitable design, funding, policy support, and innovative partnerships with health professionals.

Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler, Jared T. McGuirt, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jennifer Garner, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global

This qualitative study examined nutrition educators' (n=20 in telephone interviews, n=17 in focus groups) experiences, knowledge, and beliefs about local foods. Most educators identified as local food advocates, but few had direct experience with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Variability across seasons, financial issues, and risk of spoilage were identified as challenges of using seasonal, local foods within programming.

Monika Egerer, Stacy M. Philpott, Peter Bichier, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Brenda B. Lin · Sustainability · United States (California)

This study investigated the role of community gardens in providing human well-being benefits across three counties in the California Central Coast. Multiple aspects of self-reported gardener well-being were measured in relation to the social opportunities of surrounding neighborhoods and the biophysical features of the landscapes where gardens were embedded. The results documented improvements in gardener well-being through gardening across social and biophysical gradients. Gardeners were motivated by diverse reasons, including connecting to nature, improving food access, or enhancing time spent with family.

A. Gargano · Graduate Medical Education Research Journal · United States (Omaha)

A pilot study was conducted in Omaha, Nebraska, to assess the effectiveness of The Big Garden's "Garden to Table" program, which teaches students in five Omaha Public Schools how to grow, harvest, cook, and preserve crops. A direct observation tool was developed and piloted at one site to record children's attitudes, knowledge, and behavior towards fruits and vegetables during lessons.

Ivana George · Journal of international women's studies · United States (Miami)

The documentary film "Greening a Food Desert" showcases Cerasee Farm, an inner-city farm in Liberty City, Miami, Florida, a neighborhood designated as a "Food Desert" by the USDA. The film illustrates how community member Roger Horne established this urban farm to provide residents with affordable produce, gardening training, and nutrition and environmental education. It also features stories from other community members about the farm's impact on their lives and the community.

Sugandhi del Canto, Rachel Engler‐Stringer · Policy Press eBooks · Global

Restrictive covenants, a corporate real estate practice, are identified as a significant barrier to establishing new food stores in older neighborhoods globally. These covenants place conditions on land use, such as prohibiting food sales or grocery store development, making it harder to address existing nutrition deserts. Government support is needed to limit these covenants and develop alternative food channels, including urban agriculture.

Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Pere Muñoz, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall · Journal of Cleaner Production · Spain (Barcelona)

This study measured heavy metal content in air and hydroponic lettuce leaves at four sites in Barcelona, including high-traffic areas, to assess potential contamination from atmospheric pollution. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in lettuce leaves were below EU-legislated limits in all cases, and air concentrations were less than 50% of legislative limits. The study concluded that Barcelona's air heavy metal content is low and not a source of contamination for urban crops, even near high-traffic areas.

Franco Bagnoli, Ada Baldi, Ugo Bardi, Marina Clauser, Anna Lenzi, Simone Orlandini, Giovanna Pacini · Journal of Sustainable Development · Italy

This project, initiated by a Science Shop proposal in Florence, Italy, explored urban gardening in Florence and Prato. It involved various stakeholders to uncover the multidisciplinary aspects of urban gardening, which extends beyond traditional economic reasons to include educational, nutraceutical, therapeutic, and social relevance. The study identified urban gardening as a subject touching on agriculture, botany, psychology, chemistry, city planning, and politics.

Muhammad Shahid, Camille Dumat, Nabeel Khan Niazi, Sana Khalid, Natasha Natasha · VertigO · Global

Arsenic concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limit (10 μg/L) have been frequently found in groundwater in several countries globally, exposing millions to arsenic. This study synthesizes recent interdisciplinary knowledge on arsenic, particularly for urban gardeners and farmers who may face contamination in well water or produced vegetables. Geogenic arsenic poses a major health threat in many countries, especially in Asia, and advice is proposed to avoid and reduce human exposure to arsenic in urban agriculture contexts.

Sara J. Taetzsch, Andrea S. Bertke, Karen Gruszynski · Zoonoses and Public Health · United States (Richmond)

This study investigated the potential overlap between feral cat territories and human-frequented areas in the Richmond metropolitan area, Central Virginia, using GIS. From July to November 2016, 275 feral cats were trapped for TNR clinics. Findings showed that 8.0% of feral cats had the potential to range onto public elementary or preschool property, and 81.5% of those trapped in Richmond City could roam into public parks and community gardens, indicating a risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

Simone R. de Bruin, Yvette Buist, Lenneke Vaandrager, Jan Hassink · Innovation in Aging · Netherlands

This study in the Netherlands aimed to understand the value of nature-based adult day services (ADS) for people with dementia (PwD) in urban areas. Researchers interviewed 40 PwD and their carers, who indicated that these services positively affect PwD's health and wellbeing by stimulating physical activity, social interaction, a sense of dignity, relaxation, and a sense of meaning in life.

Ayasha Siddiqua · Nakhara Journal of Environmental Design and Planning · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This paper explores the concept of eco-urban-agriculture for sustainable cities, focusing on its integration into urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. It discusses the theoretical background of urban agriculture and practiced models globally, aiming to demonstrate how a city can generate food, improve health, and utilize waste. The study seeks to develop an understanding of this concept within Dhaka's dense urban fabric.

이윤지, 이정훈, 박춘근, 정진태, 장재기 · 인간식물환경학회 학술대회 · South Korea

This study addresses the growing social interest in cultivating plants indoors for mental and emotional well-being and environmental improvement, particularly in South Korea. While research on selecting native plants and cultivation environments for urban agriculture is ongoing, studies on indoor cultivation of medicinal plants are scarce. Most medicinal plants are typically harvested from the wild or grown outdoors, unlike other horticultural plants.

Pierre Paul Audate, Melissa Anne Fernandez, Geneviève Cloutier, Alexandre Lebel · JMIR Research Protocols · Global

This protocol outlines a research strategy for a scoping review to characterize the beneficial and adverse impacts of urban agriculture (UA) on health and its determinants across various disciplines. The method involves a systematic search of seven electronic databases, followed by a three-step screening by two independent reviewers, and data extraction on bibliography, participants, study type, results, and countries. The findings are expected to identify research and knowledge gaps for future UA research.

M. L. Dotaniya, V. D. Meena, S. Rajendiran, M. Vassanda Coumar, Asha Sahu, J. K. Saha, S. Kundu, Hiranmoy Das, A. K. Patra · Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science · India (Bhopal)

A case study in peri-urban agricultural lands near Patranala, Bhopal, India, investigated the impact of over 50 years of untreated sewage water irrigation on soil properties. Findings showed higher concentrations of heavy metals in surface soils of sewage-irrigated fields, posing a major concern. Conversely, soil microbial population, enzymatic activities, and organic carbon content were also higher, indicating enhanced carbon sequestration.

Mitra Mobin, Maria Walderez Szeszs, Juliana Possatto Fernandes Takahashi, Marilena dos Anjos Martins, Daise Damaris Carnietto de Hippólito, Jhonatas Cley Santos Porto, João Batista Mendes Teles, Sidney Gonçalo de Lima, Márcia de Souza Carvalho Melhem · PubMed · Brazil

A 2014 study in a community garden in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, investigated the antifungal susceptibility of Candida species isolated from horticulturists with onychomycosis. Samples were identified using phenotypic methods, MALDI-TOF MS, and PCR, and their susceptibility to four antifungal drugs was determined. All isolated Candida species were found to be sensitive to the tested antifungal drugs, with no resistance observed.

Fernanda Maciel Mendes Costa, Ana Paula Leite Fabrini, Tânia Vital, Aline Neves Costa, Tatiana Perassolo, Rodrigo Borghezan · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

This experience report describes the introduction of Unconventional Food Plants (PANC) into a school environment in Campo Grande, Brazil, through culinary workshops for staff and lectures for students. The initiative aimed to promote healthy eating and prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. As a result, Taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) was included in the public call for supply to municipal schools, ensuring frequent PANC consumption for approximately 1100 students.

Simon Kojo Appiah, Eric Nimako Aidoo, Derrick Asamoah Owusu, M. W. Nuonabuor · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana (Kumasi)

This paper assesses the spatial distribution of heavy metals and potential ingestion risks in Kumasi, Ghana, using geostatistical techniques on topsoil samples. Results from univariate and multivariate semivariogram models showed strong spatial dependence with autocorrelations ranging from 100 to 300 meters. The produced risk maps indicate strong spatial heterogeneity for most soil heavy metals, with extremely high contamination risk found near commercial areas.

A. Laitif Qureshi · Digital Commons - Wofford College (Wofford College) · United States

This research investigated how residents in Victoria Gardens and Cleveland Heights, located in the Northside area of the United States, perceive the Hub City Farmers’ Market and Monarch Café. The Northside, previously considered a food desert, is no longer classified as such due to the establishment of Harvest Park, which includes these facilities. The study aimed to gain insight into how Harvest Park benefits the Northside community and to explore suggestions for future improvements to attract more residents.

Sandra Kurfürst · · Vietnam (Hanoi)

This chapter explores the production sites of vegetables perceived as clean and safe by Vietnamese consumers, specifically urban gardens in Hanoi and rural areas. It identifies a semantic shift in gardens from aesthetics to utility due to food anxiety and examines access to and social control over public and sacred spaces used for gardening. Urbanites also rely on personal rural-urban food supply networks for food safety, with the rural signifying safe foods based on its image as a place of intimate social relations and nature.

Jane Entwistle, Patrick M. Amaibi, John R. Dean, Michael E. Deary, Daniel Medock, Jackie Morton, Ilia Rodushkin, Lindsay Bramwell · Environment International · United Kingdom

This study assessed gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites (UAS) to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria. Researchers sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens in the United Kingdom and measured blood lead levels (BLL) of 43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbors. While 98% of sampled soils had lead concentrations above the current UK UAS soil guideline (80 mg/kg), all participants' BLL were below 0.1 mg/kg despite high soil lead. The study indicated that soil-to-plant concentration factors (SPCFs) used for UAS significantly over-predicted lead uptake.

グエン トラン イェン カン, 涼 村田 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Tokyo)

This study clarifies users' roles in urban space creation by examining two renovated open spaces with urban gardening (OSUG) in Tokyo. Through a mixed survey, the spatial settings and user experiences were analyzed, revealing quality parameters such as "usage," "space affordance," and "image of identity." These factors illustrate seven OSUG scenarios, from private resting spots to public playgrounds and community gardens.

Mustafa Ürey · DergiPark (Istanbul University) · Global

A descriptive content analysis of 162 articles published between 2000 and 2015 in 21 journals examined trends in school gardening practices. The analysis found that school garden practices aim to develop academic performance and healthy living skills, primarily involving pre-school and primary school students. These practices were found to positively affect academic performance, healthy living skills, and individual and social skills development.

Lucas Bras Barbosa, Sérgio Syddney Borges de Araújo, Evelyn Maria Alexandre da Silva Lima, Erikson Kadoshe de Morais Raimundo, Alexandre Eduardo de Araújo, Carlos Roberto Marinho Silva Filho · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Paraíba)

This study analyzed the resocialization aspects for eight prisoners in the Public Penitentiary of Bananeiras-PB, Brazil, through labor activities in educational community gardens. Using a qualitative approach, it found that remuneration was not a primary factor for prisoners; instead, sentence remission, improved food, and occupation of time and mind were the most important aspects.