Research & reports

Virginia Webb · New Zealand sociology · New Zealand (Palmerston North)

This research in a Palmerston North, New Zealand community garden examined the struggle over norms and power relations, specifically regarding tobacco cultivation. It found that the garden hierarchy's reluctance to accommodate alternative perspectives on tobacco cultivation revealed a troubling politics of race and class. This reluctance meant the garden's potential to disrupt social hierarchies was unrealized, highlighting how health notions can become a basis for social control.

Emilee Bell · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global

Carol Hand’s book "Growing Green: Urban Gardening" weaves a history of gardening with practical application, inviting readers of all ages to introduce gardens into their lifestyles. The book explains global gardening traditions and future trends, emphasizing the many benefits of gardening, new vocabulary, and do-it-yourself methods. It discusses community, school, home, and personal garden options, as well as strategies for combating challenges urban dwellers might face, such as pollution, space, and vandals.

Jaime M. Booth, Darren Chapman, Mary L. Ohmer, Kai Wei · Journal of Community Practice · Global

This study surveyed 115 regular, occasional, and non-community garden participants in a disadvantaged neighborhood to examine the relationship between participation levels and health behaviors, psychological well-being, and community perceptions. Regular and occasional participants reported better mental health. Occasional participants reported higher vegetable intake, while regular participants reported a stronger sense of community.

Pepijn Schreinemachers, Bal Bdr, Desang Dorji, Hsiao-pu Chen, Thinley Dukpa, Namgay Thinley, Passang Lhamo Sherpa, Ray-Yu Yang · Food Security · Bhutan

A study in Bhutan investigated the combined effect of school gardens, complementary lessons, and promotional activities on the eating behavior and nutritional status of 468 schoolchildren aged 9-15. Data from 9 control and 9 treatment schools using a randomized controlled trial design showed that the intervention significantly increased children's awareness of vegetables, knowledge of sustainable agriculture, and preferences for healthier foods. There was an 11.7-percentage point increase in the probability of children including vegetables in their meals, but no change in the number of different fruits or vegetables consumed.

Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Mushahid Anwar, Farrukh Jamal, Fahad Ajmal, Juergen Breuste · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Pakistan

This investigation in Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan, explored the benefits and perceptions of a government-initiated kitchen gardening project. A mobile phone survey found that most growers used seed kits for home consumption, were satisfied with the quality and price, and certified the project's efficiency in providing fresh vegetables. The project was deemed successful and continues to benefit residents and encourage urban agriculture.

Lucy Diekmann, Rob Bennaton, Jessica Schweiger, Cole Smith · Journal of Human Sciences and Extension · United States (California)

This article illustrates how Extension in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, develops urban agriculture programming and engages in food-system-related partnerships. The Extension practice in this metropolitan region aligns with research findings on local food system involvement, focusing on educational opportunities and collaborative work with community and government partners. This case study provides insights for Extension personnel designing urban food system programs.

Nele Huys, Katrien De Cocker, Marieke De Craemer, Marleen Roesbeke, Greet Cardon, Sara De Lepeleere · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Belgium (Ghent)

In four primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, twelve interviews with 14 key members and five focus groups with 38 children (fifth to sixth grade, 10-13 years old) were conducted to investigate school garden implementation practices and perceptions. School gardens were primarily initiated to involve children in nature, not to improve vegetable consumption. Participants were positive about school gardens but also experienced various barriers, including difficulties with startup, maintenance during summer holidays, and integration into the school curriculum.

Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler, Emily H. Morgan, Karla L. Hanson, Alice S. Ammerman, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Florence Becot, Leah M. Connor, Jennifer Garner, Jared T. McGuirt · BMC Public Health · United States

Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) is a community-based, randomized intervention trial designed to assess the impact of subsidized community supported agriculture (CSA) coupled with nutrition education to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies. Conducted in New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington, the study targets low-income families with children aged 2-12 years. Primary outcomes include children's intake of fruits and vegetables, sugar and fat, and diet quality, with data collected over three years.

Blaise Pascal Bougnom, Laura J. V. Piddock · Environmental Science & Technology · Global

This global perspective highlights the significant role of wastewater in urban agriculture as a factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Approximately 50-90% of antibiotics are excreted and end up in water ecosystems, particularly in low and middle-income countries with high antibiotic consumption. The aquatic environment acts as a reservoir and channel for the spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance traits.

Patricia DeCosta, Per Møller, Michael Bom Frøst, Annemarie Olsen · Appetite · Global

This review of 120 experimental studies on children's eating behaviors found that controlling strategies for positive change appear counterproductive. Hands-on approaches like gardening and cooking programs may encourage greater vegetable consumption more effectively than nutrition education. Providing children with free, accessible fruits and vegetables was experimentally shown to positively affect long-term eating behavior.

Milan Geršl · · Czech Republic (Brno)

A study in Brno, Czech Republic, assessed toxic metal levels and soil attributes (pH, ORP, conductivity) in specific allotment garden areas using XRF analysis. Four out of eight metals (Cd, Cu, V, and Zn) exceeded legal norms, with cadmium (Cd) being the most hazardous at 12.69 mg/kg against a legal norm of 0.5 mg/kg. Despite high levels, the mobility of these metals was expected to be low given the detected soil attributes.

Kellen Zale · Maine law review · United States

This presentation connects Senator Muskie's legacy in urban development and Model Cities to contemporary urban development legislation. It highlights that while urban development legislation can originate from any government level, local governments are crafting innovative responses to urban challenges. Examples include Detroit's blight reduction, Seattle's living wage ordinance, San Francisco's urban agriculture zoning, and New Orleans' mixed-use public housing redevelopment.

Muhammad Asif Khan Rai Muhammad Amir · International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) · Pakistan (Faisalabad)

To investigate heavy metal residue levels in cauliflower grown in the peri-urban area of Faisalabad district, Pakistan, 30 cauliflower samples were collected from 10 selected farmers. Analysis revealed variable heavy metal residue levels (nickel, lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, and mercury) in the samples, indicating that the cauliflower was contaminated with multiple heavy metals. This contamination is attributed to the use of untreated sewage water for cultivation, which is the single largest contributor to heavy metal accumulation in cauliflower.

Magdalena Szczepańska · Europa XXI · Poland

In Poland's Poznań agglomeration, agricultural functions tend to be marginalized in urban development concepts and documents due to urbanization. Despite their ecological, health, landscape, recreational, and social functions, family allotment gardens are alarmingly perceived as restricting urban spatial development. This study presented the current state of family allotment gardens in the Poznań agglomeration and offered recommendations for spatial policy.

Dwi Iriyani, Pangesti Nugrahani · Universitas Terbuka Repository (Universitas Terbuka) · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This study aimed to compare the vitamin C content of spinach, water spinach, and mustard greens produced by urban agriculture in three areas of Surabaya, Indonesia. Vitamin C analysis was performed using the DCPIP titration method. The results showed no significant difference in vitamin C content among the three types of vegetables, but differences in planting locations caused variations in vitamin C content.

Dan Luo, Haifeng Zheng, Ye Chen, Philippe Deleporte, Tianpeng Xie, Siobhán Staunton, G. Wang · Soil Use and Management · China (Fujian Province)

A large-scale survey across 515 sites and 24 crop species in Fujian Province, SE China, assessed nickel (Ni) accumulation in food crops and associated dietary health risks. Crop Ni content was influenced by both soil Ni (DTPA-extractible) and plant species, though PCA did not show strong correlations between soil-to-crop transfer factors and soil properties. The study concluded that dietary intake of foods with mean Ni content could lead to health risks, particularly for children, and that sandy soils rich in organic matter with high Ni content are unsuitable for growing rice and legumes.

Nur Faizah Marwan, Bagas Setiono, Nur Indah · Jurnal Ilmiah Penalaran dan Penelitian Mahasiswa · Indonesia

Code Village in Indonesia faces severe river pollution, with heavy metal levels at 6-9 mg/l, exceeding the 3 mg/l standard. This paper proposes the "ECOBLUE" concept, which combines Blue Open Space (BOS) optimization with urban farming, prioritizing waste management to improve living standards. The concept involves managing organic waste for fertilizer and recycling plastic for vertical gardens, aiming to enhance health, education, and prosperity in Code Village.

Rebecca Seguin, Emily Morgan, Karla Hanson, Alice Ammerman, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jane Kolodinsky, Marilyn Sitaker, Florence Becot, Leah Connor, Jennifer Garner, Jared McGuirt · Figshare · Global

This document compiles publication, presentation, and dissemination guidelines for an innovative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) cost-offset intervention aimed at preventing childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthening local agricultural economies.

Katherine Frances Petroka, Rania Campbell-Bussiere, Dan Dychtwald, Brandy‐Joe Milliron · Nutrition and Health · United States (Philadelphia)

This 2017 qualitative study in Philadelphia, USA, investigated barriers and facilitators to healthy eating among 24 low-income seniors (65-75 years old) in subsidized housing, which included a community garden and food pantry. Personal barriers included food cost, physical limitations, and low self-efficacy, while external barriers involved lack of transportation and market distance. Facilitators focused on food preparation, and participants expressed interest in community nutrition programming.

Klaus Lorenz · · Global

This chapter provides an outlook on how soil-based agriculture for growing food crops in urban areas can be strengthened. Credible assessments of the importance and extent of urban agriculture (UA) are challenging due to numerous and disparate definitions of UA. UA offers many benefits, particularly contributing to urban food security in high-income countries by providing fruits and vegetables. Urban soil properties differentiate the type and value of food produced, but urban soil quality can be improved for crop production.

Maud Chalmandrier, Marine Canavèse, Yves Petit‐Berghem, Élisabeth Rémy · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Global

This study, using case studies of public action and gardeners' relationships with urban soil, argues that the concept of "urban agriculture" smooths over inherent tensions to promote its development as an action category. This approach tends to minimize differences in meaning among actors regarding their cultivation practices and, critically, relegates the crucial question of urban soil quality and its suitability for food crops to a secondary concern.

Erin Vernoni, Jessica Price, Shoko Kumagai · · Global

A systematic review of quantitative peer-reviewed Farm to School (FTS) research found ambiguity and variability in FTS inputs. This makes it difficult to generalize outcomes for policymakers. The study proposes a pre-tested intensity measurement tool to standardize research in this area.

Ann Forsyth, Emily Salomon, Laura Smead · · Global

Green spaces and recreational facilities offer various health benefits, including urban cooling, opportunities for physical fitness and ecological education, improved water and air quality, refuge from traffic and noise, and enhanced mental health. An analysis of 10 British studies on green exercise found that as little as five minutes of outdoor activity was sufficient for mental health improvements. While increased recreational activity is less consistently linked to the built environment, with other factors like cost and personal preferences being more significant, access to recreational facilities can still provide opportunities for recreation.

Daisuke Machida, Tohru Yoshida · PubMed · Japan

A cross-sectional study in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable (FV) gardening and health-related factors among men aged 50-74. Community gardeners showed significant positive correlations between gardening frequency/time and perceived changes in FV intake and physical activity. Logistic regression models indicated that community gardeners had significantly greater physical activity, and other types of gardeners had greater FV intake, perceived neighborhood social cohesion, and less sitting time compared to non-gardeners.

Amadou Diallo Alpha, Bibbal Delphine, Tall Lô Fatou, Mbengue Mbaye, Moustapha Sarr Mohamed, Diouf Moussa, Sambe Yacine, Kérourédan Monique, Alambédji Rianatou, Yaya Thiongane, Éric Oswald, Brugère Hubert · African Journal of Microbiology Research · Senegal (Dakar)

This study in Dakar, Senegal, detected and characterized pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli from slaughterhouse wastewater and municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Researchers screened 268 E. coli isolates from the slaughterhouse and 272 from the WWTP for genetic markers, and 40 isolates from each site for antimicrobial resistance. While pathogenic and resistant E. coli were found in raw slaughterhouse wastewater, the final treated water from the WWTP, used for urban gardening, did not contain E. coli, indicating low sanitation risks after treatment.