Research & reports

Ojuolape F. Akande, S. A. Ajayi · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Nigeria

This study measured heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) in soil and in amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus) and jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) vegetables from selected peri-urban farms around Osun State, Nigeria, to assess human health risk. Soil concentrations fell within FAO/WHO (2002) and EU (2006) agricultural background ranges, but vegetable samples showed appreciable metal levels; arsenic was below detection in all samples, amaranth showed higher retention than jute mallow for all metals except copper, the transfer-factor order was Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu, amaranth contributed the highest estimated daily intake for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, the health risk index was high for Cd and Pb but low for Cu and Zn, and the hazard index results indicate that vegetables grown on the selected peri-urban farms are not safe for consumption.

Sunette M. Laurie, Mieke Faber, Mamohkele M Maduna · South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition · South Africa

A cross-sectional survey of 90 primary schools (10 per province across South Africa's nine provinces) participating in the National School Nutrition Programme collected questionnaire data from 66 garden administrators, 55 garden workers, 687 educators and 2,547 learners, with an observational checklist completed for 66 gardens. Sixty-six schools (73%) had a food garden, ranging from 100 to 6,000 m² and growing a variety of vegetables but few fruits. Reported problems included lack of funds (59%), lack of tools and infrastructure (47%), lack of garden workers (53%) and lack of technical support (50%), and few gardens received external funding. In 50% of gardens crops grew for more than six months, and 30% supplied fresh produce to school meals more than twice a week; 54% of learners were involved in school gardens and 67% had food gardens at home, with 68.4% of learners and 86.4% of educators reporting they liked eating vegetables every day.

Emily Heying, Kendra M. Butkowski · The FASEB Journal · United States

This study surveyed 22 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members receiving weekly vegetable shares in central Minnesota, USA, administering a demographic and anthropometric survey at the season's start and four follow-up surveys on vegetable consumption and food waste, each 10 days after a share pickup. Average BMI was 26.1 ± 4.3 kg/m², average family size was 3.1 ± 1.2 persons, and average distance traveled to pickup was 3.4 ± 5.8 miles; the percentage of vegetables consumed depended on vegetable type and family size but not BMI. Leafy greens were both the most frequently included vegetable and the most frequently discarded; 80% of participants reported increased awareness of food waste from taking part in the study, but only 53% believed their food waste had actually decreased, and awareness showed no correlation with vegetable consumption or discarding behavior.

정나라, 정명일, 한승원, 김재순 · · South Korea

A resident survey in South Korea was conducted to provide basic data for building a community garden as part of a village-making project. Respondents who said they would use the garden more than once a week made up a high share, with usage frequency rising with respondent age; afternoon use on both weekdays and weekends showed high intended participation, and the garden's efficiency was found to increase when it was located within about a 20-minute walk (roughly 1 km); the study concludes that garden design should reflect each community's characteristics rather than applying a uniform layout.

Elizabeth A. Miernicki · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · United States

A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, that identifies soil contamination as a universal concern in urban agriculture and notes that the long-term benefits of alternative soil management systems such as raised beds have not been explored in the scientific literature. Its stated objective is to determine the effects of six soil management options - direct soil with synthetic fertilizer (DSF), direct soil with organic amendments (DSO), raised-bed mixture with synthetic fertilizer (RBMF), raised-bed mixture with organic amendments (RBMO), raised-bed compost-only with synthetic fertilizer (RBCF), and raised-bed compost-only with organic amendments (RBCO) - on yield of kale, garlic, pepper, cilantro and radish, on soil biological, chemical and physical properties, and on ecosystem services such as water and nutrient retention. Data collected include marketable versus cull yield, soil nutrients and organic matter, soil moisture, weed emergence, infiltration rate and bulk density, but this abstract does not report the comparative results themselves.

Katyelle Rafael, Ariella Andrade Marchioro, Cristiane Maria Colli, Bruna Tiaki Tiyo, Fernanda Ferreira Evangelista, Renata Coltro Bezagio, Ana Lúcia Falavigna-Guilherme · Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · Brazil

This study genotyped Giardia duodenalis in raw-eaten vegetables (crisp lettuce, regular lettuce, kale, chicory, and rocket) sampled from street markets and community vegetable gardens in an urban area of southern Brazil. Researchers analyzed 130 samples from street markets and 130 from community gardens (260 total), washing them in Tween 80 solution, filtering through a cellulose acetate membrane, amplifying the GDH gene by semi-nested PCR, and genotyping positive samples by PCR-RFLP. 7.3% (19/260) of samples tested positive for G. duodenalis, from both street markets (10/130) and community gardens (9/130), including both organic and non-organic products. Assemblage AI predominated, but assemblages B and E, which carry zoonotic potential, were also found. The study concludes this points to a need for investigating commercially sold raw vegetables and establishing stricter quality control.

Sima Pouya, Elif Bayramoğlu, Öner Demirel · Kastamonu University Journal of Forestry Faculty · Turkey

A study of the Doğan Çağlar Orthopedic Disabled School in Ankara Province, Turkey (2017) determined how outdoor space was used at the school and developed the main decisions for an environmental (landscape) design project addressing those uses. Face-to-face interviews with school management, teachers, and parents, plus a parent survey, examined contributions to children's physical, emotional, and social development according to disability type and degree. Following a process of problem identification, data collection (questionnaire and evaluation), field analysis of functions, and design master decisions, the study produced landscape-design suggestions for the school garden, highlighting the need to plan for different age groups and physical characteristics, to create spaces where children encounter nature and develop creativity, and to design school and garden spaces for children with disabilities differently from general spaces because their needs vary by disability type, both physically and psychologically.

Richard Blaustein · BioScience · United States

Against a backdrop of heightened concern about lead exposure following the lead-contaminated water supply in Flint, Michigan, a review examines prior research on whether sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) can remove lead from urban garden soil through phytoextraction, in which plants draw contaminant metals up into their shoots. Some preliminary studies suggested sunflowers could phytoextract lead, but more extensive research has been disappointing; adding the chelating agent EDTA raises lead's solubility and plant uptake but is expensive and only meaningful combined with other practices such as compost application. Retired USDA scientist Rufus Chaney states that, unlike successful cases such as alpine pennycress extracting cadmium or canola extracting radioactive cesium, no serious study supports significant lead phytoextraction.

Federica Larcher · Italus Hortus · Europe

The available abstract is a short fragment discussing air quality and the role of urban green space in supporting public education and wellbeing, and it notes that guidelines are also proposed for the planning and design of urban green space. No study population, method or measured results are given in the available text.

한국교원대학교, Dong-Kuk Hwang · Journal of Korean Practical Arts Education · South Korea

A meta-analysis of research papers published in Korea between 2001 and September 2017 examined the educational effectiveness of school gardens. Papers were identified by cross-searching the keywords "garden," "school," "elementary," and "early childhood," yielding 25 papers and 49 calculated effect sizes. Dependent variables were character development, dietary habit improvement, intellectual ability improvement, and environmental literacy, with study subject, number of participants, garden type, and instructional hours used as moderator variables. School garden education showed a large overall effect size, with character development showing the largest effect size among the dependent variables. Effects were largest when targeting early childhood subjects, groups of 15 or fewer, box-type gardens, and 10-15 instructional sessions. A publication bias test found some bias present, but the educational effect of school gardens remained large even after accounting for it.

Gideon Aghaindum Ajeagah, Chumtchoua Armel Landry, Mbouombouo Mama, Foto Menbohan Samuel, Thomas Njiné · Journal of Applied Biosciences · Cameroon

In lowland areas of Yaoundé, Cameroon, where wastewater is used for market gardening, water samples were collected from November 2013 to April 2014, with identification and bio-statistical analysis conducted in 2015-2016. Flagellated protozoan cysts, identified via Lugol staining after zinc-sulfate flotation concentration, were found at average densities of 101±70 cysts/L for Giardia intestinalis, 34±20 cysts/L for Chilomastix mesnili, 3±6 cysts/L for Retortamonas intestinalis, and 1±3 cysts/L for Enteromonas hominis, with the highest densities recorded during the short rainy season (172±108 cysts/L). Cyst density was significantly correlated (P≤0.05) with physico-chemical parameters including suspended solids, oxidizability, and turbidity. The study concludes that vegetables grown with this wastewater must be well washed, disinfected, and thoroughly cooked before consumption to reduce health risks.

Debra Flanders Cushing, Harriot Beazley, Lisa Law · · Australia

A book chapter synthesizes research on food practices, urban food landscapes, and childhood obesity in (sub)tropical Queensland, Australia, examining two community garden examples with a focus on access to healthy food. It cites the WHO position that no single intervention strategy prevents childhood obesity, and that solutions must draw on three areas: governmental structures, population-wide policies, and community-based interventions. Key barriers to children's healthy diets identified are food availability, convenience, taste preferences, peer pressure, and lack of parental or school support, with increased knowledge of fruits and vegetables shown to directly increase children's consumption of them. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research on urban green spaces and obesity.

Mariana Tarricone Garcia, Denise Eugênia Pereira Coelho, Cláudia Maria Bógus · DEMETRA Alimentação Nutrição & Saúde · Brazil

A study of three municipal schools in Greater São Paulo, Brazil, examined the dietary impact of children's experience growing food in school gardens, as perceived by parents and educators. In-depth interviews with principals, teachers, and staff, plus semi-structured in-home interviews with parents, gathered responses from 27 individuals — 19 parents and 8 educators. The school garden was found to promote reflection on eating and food through knowledge gained from direct contact with growing food crops, affecting both the children and their families. Concrete effects reported included dietary changes, greater knowledge of food and the food system, increased appreciation of the food produced, and greater motivation to try new vegetables.

Dwi Iriyani, Pangesti Nugrahani · Jurnal Matematika Sains Dan Teknologi · Indonesia

This descriptive quantitative study compared the nutritional values of organically and non-organically grown leaf vegetables—water spinach (kangkung), mustard greens, and spinach—cultivated in urban agriculture in Surabaya, Indonesia. Using spectrophotometric measurement (at 480, 645, and 663 nm) for total chlorophyll and carotenoid content and DCPIP titration for vitamin C, the study found water content above 80% in all samples, the highest vitamin C in non-organic mustard greens (2.45 µg/g) and the lowest in organic spinach (0.68 µg/g), the highest chlorophyll in non-organic spinach (23.81 mg/L) and the lowest in non-organic kangkung (3.29 mg/L), and the highest carotene in non-organic spinach (263.52 μmol/L) and the lowest in non-organic mustard greens (168.02 μmol/L)—concluding that no single leaf vegetable type, organic or non-organic, had the best values across all nutritional measures.

Algert S., Diekmann L., Renvall M., Gray L. · California Agriculture 70(2):77-82 · United States

Survey of 85 community and 50 home gardeners in San Jose, mostly low-income. Gardeners roughly doubled their vegetable intake to meet dietary guideline servings, with improved household food security.

Ba A., Cantoreggi N., Simos J., Duchemin E. · VertigO – la revue électronique en sciences de l'environnement · Senegal (Dakar)

This study found that urban farmers in Dakar's Niayes zone face serious occupational health risks from unregulated pesticide use and contaminated irrigation water, with groundwater pollutant levels reaching up to 75 times WHO standards, while farmers themselves underestimated their own exposure risks.

Filkobski I., Rofè Y., Tal A. · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · Israel

A survey of 44 community garden coordinators across Israel found that community gardens serve as community anchors and sites of encounter for diverse urban populations. The study documented their characteristics and functions within the Israeli urban context.

Brown S.L., Chaney R.L., Hettiarachchi G.M. · Journal of Environmental Quality, 45(1):26-36 · United States

A review examining the risk that urban soil lead poses to urban agriculture. It concludes that adding compost, organic matter and phosphorus improves soil properties and reduces both the bioavailability of soil lead and fugitive dust, so urban agriculture is unlikely to raise children's blood lead. The findings support the safety of compost-centred soil management in urban gardens.

Nicklett E.J., Anderson L.A., Yen I.H. · Journal of Applied Gerontology, 35(6):678-690 · Global

A scoping review of studies published 2000–2013 examining links between planned gardening activities and older adults' physical health. Of eight eligible studies, four assessed energy expenditure and four assessed physical functioning, indicating gardening can contribute to older adults' physical activity and functional maintenance. It grounds the case for urban gardens and community plots as sites for older adults' health promotion.

Elena T. Carbone, Gloria T. DiFulvio, Toni Susi, Jerusha Nelson-Peterman, Joan Lowbridge-Sisley, Jessica Collins · International Quarterly of Community Health Education · United States (Springfield, MA)

This evaluation examined an urban Farm-to-Preschool and Families program in Springfield, Massachusetts, aiming to identify factors that facilitate its adoption and to offer guidelines for successful implementation of such programs more generally. Using classroom observations of preschoolers, teacher and food-service interviews, and administrator surveys, the findings suggest that a strong programmatic infrastructure, administrative support, and external support from families are important to sustaining the program.

· Agronomy for Sustainable Development · China (Zhejiang)

A study evaluating leafy vegetable production on rooftops in Zhejiang, China. It reports that rooftop-grown greens can be profitable and less contaminated than conventionally farm-grown vegetables.

· Journal of Community Health · United States

A mixed-method evaluation of a church-hosted refugee gardening project serving primarily Karen and Bhutanese populations, using early- and late-season surveys and seven end-of-season focus groups.

· Quality of Life Research · Taiwan

A study in southern Taiwan testing horticulture therapy on nursing home older adults' activities of daily living, happiness, meaning of life, and interpersonal intimacy, with the intervention group receiving weekly one-hour sessions for eight weeks and showing significant improvements.

Victoria Egli, Melody Oliver, El‐Shadan Tautolo · Preventive Medicine Reports · New Zealand (Auckland)

From April to August 2015, a model illustrating the many wellbeing benefits of community garden participation was developed based on a global, critical literature review. This model grouped the benefits into factors influencing the nutritional health environment and factors influencing the social environment. In October 2015, the model was presented to a diverse group of community members in the Tāmaki region of Auckland, New Zealand, to test its comprehension and gather feedback.

Helena Nordh, Kristin Tuv Wiklund, Kaja Elisabeth Koppang · Landscape Research · Norway

This study interviewed 33 plot holders in Oslo, Norway, to explore their reasons for engaging in urban allotment gardens (AGs) and the perceived benefits. Reasons included a desire for a safe play environment for children, a place to cultivate, and outdoor contact. Benefits were related to meaningful activities, social networks, and respite from urban life, indicating physical and psychological health benefits.