Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1966 results(8 / 79)
Investigation of inorganic nutrients and pollutants in private gardens in central Germany using citizen science
2025Christoph Koch, Maria da Glória Arrais Peter · Environmental Challenges · Germany
This citizen science study analyzed inorganic pollutants in private garden soils in central Germany, including front and backyards. Elevated levels of lead and copper were found in one-third of the samples, and zinc in two-thirds. Chromium and nickel concentrations were also elevated in a quarter of the samples, with some readily available substances exceeding limit values.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthDistribuição Espacial de Chumbo em Mangifera indica e Syzygium malaccense em uma Cidade de Médio Porte, Colômbia
2025Christian Valderrama, Hernan Zarate · Ambiente & sociedade · Colombia (Neiva)
This research characterized the presence and spatial distribution of lead (Pb) concentrations in Mangifera indica and Syzygium malaccense fruit trees on public roads in Neiva, Colombia. Using a census, fruit sampling, and spatial interpolation methods, lead levels were detected in all samples. Five samples exceeded the permissible limit of 0.1 mg/kg, with higher concentrations observed in industrial areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceBuilding evidence regarding nature-based solutions indicators and their implications for policy – the case of air quality
2025Corina Başnou, Geovana Mercado, Åsa Ode Sang, Thomas B. Randrup, Verónica Fabio, Adrián Cabezas, Arnau Lluch, Marc Montlleó, Juan Miguel Kanai, Riccardo Saraco, Olívia Bina, Tom Wild · Nature-Based Solutions · Europe
An overview and guidance for air pollution indicators in nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban green planning and public health were provided, using three case studies in Europe and Latin America. The study noted that approaches including multidimensional indicators in research, planning, and policies are limited, and national standards for some air pollutants are missing with little evidence for health effect thresholds. Findings also indicated that knowledge of pollutant uptake in edible plants can suggest potential human exposure risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changePengenalan Budidaya Hidroponik pada Warga Pandugo RT 07 Kota Surabaya sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Gizi Keluarga
2025Fadila Suryandika, F. Deru Dewanti, Puji Lestari Tarigan · Jurnal Aplikasi Sains dan Teknologi Agrisevika · Indonesia (Surabaya)
In Pandugo RT 07, a densely populated area in eastern Surabaya, some residents have small plots suitable for urban farming. This activity introduced hydroponics to improve family nutrition and ensure safe food supply. Residents participated in lectures and practical planting sessions on hydroponics, showing high enthusiasm.
DIYFood educationCommunityHealthUrban Greenery and Urban Agriculture
2025Ariva Sugandi Permana · · Global
This article describes urban greenery and urban agriculture as components of modern city planning, outlining their roles in environmental sustainability, food security, and public health. Urban greenery is presented as improving air quality and reducing the urban heat island effect, while urban agriculture is noted for enabling local food production and fostering community engagement. The text also discusses their benefits for mental health, carbon sequestration, and economic development, emphasizing the need for policies and regulations.
CommunityPolicyHealthClimate changeMultimodal Analysis of Emotional and Visual Responses to Urban Green Spaces in Virtual Environments
2025Chong Liu, Tzu-Yang Wang, Takaya Yuizono · IEEE Access · Global
A study with 60 participants examined emotional and visual responses to urban green spaces (UGSs) in immersive virtual environments using multimodal sensing. Participants experienced 360° simulations of urban parks, community gardens, and ecological wetlands, with data collected via electrodermal activity, pulse rate, eye-tracking, and self-reported emotions. Results indicated that landscape elements significantly influenced both visual behavior and emotional responses, with herb plants enhancing attention and positive emotions, flowering trees eliciting arousal while promoting relaxation, and artificial objects yielding limited emotional benefits.
CommunityHealthGardening governance: CSO-government dynamics in Shanghai's urban renewal
2025Mengqi Shao, Linjun Xie · Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning · China (Shanghai)
This study explored the dynamics of civil society organization (CSO)-government relationships through community gardens as governance spaces in Shanghai. Through empirical case studies of three community garden projects, it revealed how political, practical, and personal spheres shape the evolving dynamics between CSOs and local governments. The research highlighted CSOs' pivotal role in mediating between the state and local communities, but noted that challenges such as power asymmetries persist.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsHealthEfectos de los Huertos Urbanos Escolares en la Educación Ambiental y la Nutrición Infantil: Un Estudio en Instituciones Públicas De Lima Metropolitana
2025María Fernanda Ríos Acuña, Rocío Elena Matos Chávez, Nicolás Manuel Herrera Robles, Carlos Enrique Quispe Vargas, Juliana Beatriz Torres Luján · Ibero Ciencias - Revista Científica y Académica - ISSN 3072-7197 · Peru (Lima)
This review article analyzed the effects of school urban gardens on environmental education and child nutrition in public institutions of Metropolitan Lima. Examining 25 national and international scientific studies using the PRISMA methodological approach, findings showed that school gardens strengthen ecological awareness and promote fruit and vegetable consumption. However, structural barriers such as lack of resources, teacher training, and sustained institutional support were also identified.
Governance failureFood educationHealthPolicyCooling benefits of Urban agriculture to inhabitants—mapping cooling potential of allotments in European functional urban areas
2025Grzegorz Budzik, Marta Sylla, Catharina J.E. Schulp · Journal of Environmental Management · Europe
The cooling potential of allotments across European Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) was assessed. Allotments provide cooling services to 4.1 million people within FUAs, including 1.7 million in Germany. Each square kilometer of allotments cools an average of 8,221 people, with the cooled area being, on average, 2.8 times larger than the allotment size. Urban agriculture was 23% more efficient than peri-urban agriculture, but only 5% of allotments cooled areas with the highest heat risk.
Climate changeCommunityHealthUncontrolled urban vegetable farming poses public health risks in Ethiopia
2025Taffere Addis, Sisay Ketema, Abayneh Melaku · Frontiers in Water · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, investigated trace metal levels in sediment, soil, and irrigated vegetables from farms along the Akaki River, evaluating public health risks. Sediment levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc exceeded threshold effect levels. Soil levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, manganese, and zinc exceeded typical world soil values, with nickel at one site exceeding EEC limits for agricultural soils. Critically, arsenic, lead, and zinc levels in some vegetable samples were above WHO allowable limits, despite soil levels being acceptable, and cadmium was the most accumulated metal in vegetables.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageGrowing together: unveiling the potential of school-based community gardens to foster well-being, empowerment, and sustainability
2025Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Transformations · South Africa (Cape Town)
This qualitative study investigated 13 school-based community gardens in low-income townships on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using semi-structured interviews. It found that while these gardens can enhance food security, nutrition, and community development, most urban community gardens in South Africa face significant challenges related to land tenure rights, often requiring negotiation for school land use. The research highlights both the advantages and the challenges of utilizing school land for community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationHealthPolicyFair food futures UK: Protocol for a mixed methods study exploring what approaches adopted by community food organisations are more likely to prevent the need for emergency food in two multicultural communities in Northern and Southern England
2025Laura Sheard, Giorgia Previdoli, Wendy Burton, Rachel Benchekroun, Maddy Power, Bob Doherty, Philip Hadley, Ariadne Beatrice Kapetanaki, Shahid Islam, Sairah Mirza, Claire Cameron, Kate E. Pickett, Angela Hutton, Charlotte Edwards, Maria Bryant · PLoS ONE · United Kingdom
This research protocol describes a mixed-methods study aiming to understand which approaches adopted by community food organizations are most likely to prevent the need for emergency food in two multicultural communities in Bradford and Tower Hamlets, England. The study will create a typology of community food organization approaches through surveys, system mapping workshops, and stakeholder interviews, and will conduct a 12-month ethnographic study in up to 10 organizations and longitudinal qualitative research with up to 35 families.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceHealthImpact of Peri-Urban Agriculture on Food Self-Sufficiency of Faisalabad
2025Maryam Noor, Liaqat Ali Waseem, Khadija Ashraf, Aqeel Haider, Komal Farhat · International Journal of Innovations in Science and Technology · Pakistan (Faisalabad)
This study assessed the impact of peri-urban agriculture on food self-sufficiency in Faisalabad, Pakistan, by collecting data from 100 peri-urban farming households and analyzing land use changes from 2018 to 2023 using GIS. Households allocated an average of 12.9 Kanals for seasonal vegetables, consuming nearly half domestically and selling the rest locally. A significant association was found between positive nutritional perceptions and regular access to fresh produce. However, limited government support, weak stakeholder coordination, and inadequate market access were identified as key barriers limiting its broader impact.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthCommunity gardens support stress coping and health – A comparison of rural and urban perceptions of benefits
2025Katie L. Butterfield, Kathryn P. Daniels · Wellbeing Space and Society · United States
This study analyzed 34 in-depth interviews with rural and urban community garden organizers across the United States to compare perceptions of health benefits. Rural participants emphasized the holistic community orientation of their gardens, while urban participants highlighted their gardens as natural spaces and a driver for interacting with nature. The findings demonstrate varying impacts of community gardens in rural and urban settings.
CommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageUrbant landbruk i det offentlige rom: erfaringer fra Oslo
2025Katinka H. Evensen, Vebjørn Egner Stafseng · · Norway (Oslo)
This chapter presents case studies from Oslo (2018–2020), exploring urban agriculture integration in public spaces through interviews with initiators and managers of eight projects. The projects are motivated by creating social meeting places and learning arenas for cultivation and ecological knowledge, and are used as a tool for local urban space development. Findings suggest that perceived publicness of spaces can be increased through deliberate design to ensure accessibility for diverse urban populations.
CommunityPolicyHealthFood educationBridging the Gap: Misaligned Perceptions of Urban Agriculture and Health Between Planning and Design Experts and Urban Farmers in Greater Lomé, Togo
2025Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Pablo De Roulet, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Land · Togo
This study in Greater Lomé, Togo, interviewed 11 experts and surveyed urban farmers to compare their perceptions of urban agriculture and health. The findings reveal a disconnect: urban farmers identify various challenges, including health-related difficulties, while experts tend to assume different health concerns, highlighting a misalignment between the perspectives of planning and design experts and urban farmers.
Governance failureHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban Gardening and Public Health—A Bibliometric Analysis
2025Daniela Haluza, Julia Ortmann, Tanja Lazic, Jonas Hillmer · Sustainability · Global
This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of urban gardening research from 1991 to 2020 using VOSviewer. The field has grown steadily since the early 1990s, with a shift in focus over the last two decades from poverty and food security to the impact of urban gardening on human well-being and quality of life, predominantly in developed countries. Recent studies indicate differentiated impacts of urban gardening on various socioeconomic groups. Despite robust evidence of public health benefits, policy implementation remains limited, and researchers emphasize the need for more quantitative data to inform decisions.
HealthCommunityFood educationWelfareUrban Farms as Social and Resiliency Spaces in San Juan, Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria
2025Ana Zepeda, Maria C. Ortíz-Rivera, Clare Cannon, Amanda Crump · The Professional Geographer · United States
This research, conducted in San Juan, Puerto Rico in July 2019, investigates how women experienced the impacts of Hurricane Maria on their urban farms (huertos urbanos). Findings show that while many women enjoy urban farming and it provides fresh produce, almost all women farmers experienced a decline in volunteer participation a few years after the farms' establishment and even more so after Hurricane Maria. Despite this, many women described the urban farms as very important for community food cultivation and gathering.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthHow do Spanish consumers perceive different lettuce cultivation systems? Insights from explicit and implicit methods
2025Juan Diego Torres, Sara R. Jaeger, Patricia Puerta, Amparo Tárrega · Applied Food Research · Spain
This study investigated Spanish consumers' perceptions of five lettuce cultivation systems using explicit and implicit methods with 105 participants. Local/small agriculture was most favorably regarded, while urban community gardens were perceived as less safe for lettuce production. High-tech greenhouses were considered safer but less sustainable, and vertical indoor farming elicited a surprise reaction due to low familiarity.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthEconomicsMultidrug resistance in bacteria associated with leafy greens and soil in urban agriculture systems
2025E. Ryan Harrelson, Qingyue Zeng, Mairui Gao, Magaly Toro, Ryan A. Blaustein · Frontiers in Plant Science · United States (Washington, D.C.)
This study analyzed 87 multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains from leafy greens (n=29), root zone soil (n=42), and bulk soil (n=16) in Washington, D.C. urban agriculture systems using whole genome sequencing. The isolates, spanning 4 phyla and 14 genera, carried diverse antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The results indicate that MDR bacteria are present in urban agriculture systems, including on fresh produce, dominated by soil-associated taxa carrying diverse ARGs and MGEs, which suggests implications for resistance mobilization.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityCultivating communities: Understanding motivations in urban gardening among low-income residents in Cape Town, South Africa
2025Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · South Africa (Cape Town)
This study investigated the motivations for urban gardening among low-income residents in Cape Town's Cape Flats, South Africa, using survey data from 97 participants and interviews across 34 community gardens. While 29 out of 34 gardens prioritized income generation, a tension was found between institutional economic objectives and individual gardeners' motivations. Although 76.3% cited economic reasons, all respondents also valued social, health, and environmental benefits, perceiving gardening as a means to enhance well-being and promote sustainable practices despite structural barriers.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyImplementation and Sustainability of Gulayan Sa Paaralan Program Implementation: A Case Study
2025Victoria Milka Santiago · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Philippines
This qualitative case study explored the implementation and sustainability of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) in a public secondary school in Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Data from interviews, focus groups, and artifact analysis revealed that GPP's success relied on strong curriculum integration, stakeholder ownership, innovative farming, and regular monitoring. Identified barriers included limited infrastructure, funding gaps, and inconsistent administrative backing.
Food educationCommunityHealthMicrogreens for nutritional resilience: A comprehensive review
2025Bhoirab Gogoi, Shourov Dutta, Trishnalee Saikia, Rituparna Saikia, Sanjoy Borthakur, Manoranjan Neog · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Global
A comprehensive review synthesized literature on the taxonomic diversity, cultivation practices, nutritional and phytochemical composition, health benefits, and postharvest management of microgreens. Microgreens possess significantly higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than their mature counterparts. For instance, radish microgreens contained 147 mg of vitamin C per 100g fresh weight, red amaranth microgreens offered up to 50 mg of iron, and sunflower microgreens provided around 65 mg of calcium.
HealthUrban–rural linkageCultivating wellbeing: healing effects of an urban māra kai (community garden) in community housing in Aotearoa New Zealand
2025Lori Leigh, Edward Randal, Amber Logan, Karen Witten, Crystal Victoria Olin, Elinor Chisholm, Philippa Howden‐Chapman · Local Environment · New Zealand
An Indigenous-led community garden (māra kai) in an urban social housing environment in New Zealand was examined. Guided by an Indigenous model of wellbeing and using go-along interviews, the study found that this community initiative uplifted the autonomy, confidence, and wellbeing of community housing residents. This was achieved by fostering healthy relationships with themselves, their immediate community, and the wider community across the city.
CommunityHealthWelfareCadmium and lead pollution in environmental and food matrices in Kakamega Town of Kenya highlighting risks in rapidly urbanizing regions of Africa
2025Doreen N. Meso, Enos W. Wambu, Gelas Simiyu, Shem M. Mwasi, Thomas Munyao · Discover Environment · Kenya (Kakamega Town)
This study assessed heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils, water, and pumpkin leaves from 21 sites across three zones in peri-urban Kakamega Town, Kenya. It found cadmium pollution in all water samples, and lead and nickel pollution in sections of soil and leafy vegetable samples. Lead pollution was linked to vehicular emissions near the town center, while cadmium enrichment in informal settlements implicated inadequate waste management. Sequential extraction showed 31–35% of soil cadmium was in exchangeable fractions, posing a risk of bioavailability, highlighting persistent heavy metal contamination with implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agriculture