Research & reports

Shikha Srivastava, Scot Nelson · ScholarSpace (University of Hawaii at Manoa) · United States (Hawaii)

This article discusses Cercospora leaf spot, a common fungal disease affecting eggplant in home and community gardens in Hawaii. It describes the pathogen and disease symptoms, offering integrated practices to improve plant growth and yields for gardeners.

Catherine Rwamba Githuku · Abstracts of postgraduate thesis · Kenya (Nairobi)

This study investigated soil and crop pollution levels resulting from untreated wastewater reuse for irrigation in Kibera and Mailisaba wastewater irrigation farms in Nairobi, Kenya. Analysis of irrigation water, soil, and crop samples (maize, kales, black nightshade, arrowroots) revealed that the Electrical Conductivity (EC) of irrigation water at Mailisaba exceeded recommended levels. Farmers reported adverse effects on crops due to wastewater quality, and despite awareness of health risks, many farmers confessed to not using protective clothing.

Anna‐Katarina Schilling, Helmut Hotzel, Ulrich Methner, Lisa D. Sprague, Gernot Schmoock, Hosny El‐Adawy, Ralf Ehricht, Anna-Caroline Wöhr, Michael Erhard, Lutz Geue · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · Germany

This study investigated the presence of zoonotic agents in small ruminants kept on city farms in southern Germany, sampling feces and nasal liquid from 48 animals (28 goats, 20 sheep) across 7 city farms and one activity playground. Findings revealed that 100% of sampled sheep and 89.3% of goats carried Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Staphylococcus spp. were detected in 75% of both sheep and goats, and Campylobacter spp. in 25% of sheep and 14.3% of goats. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Coxiella burnetii was found.

John Jacob, Samuel E. Kakulu · American Journal of Chemistry · Nigeria

Soil and vegetable samples (spinach, jute mallow, and tomato) were collected from farms and gardens across 20 zones within Kaduna, Nigeria, plus two rural control villages about 30 km from the city, and analyzed for heavy metals by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Pollution Load Index results showed soils in the city farms were moderately enriched with cadmium and chromium and strongly enriched with lead and nickel from anthropogenic sources. Mean soil concentrations of lead and cadmium exceeded WHO/FAO permissive limits for agricultural soil (nickel and chromium did not), while vegetable metal concentrations exceeded the permissive limits for every metal except nickel — a finding flagged as concerning given the toxicity of lead and cadmium in particular, which have no known biological use.

Amadou Diop, Seyni Ndiaye · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal

A study replicating earlier field surveys on crop yields and nutritional benefits of urban farming in Dakar, Senegal, using standardized sampling across selected urban villages. Crop yields from the replicated plots showed an average increase of 15% over initial estimates, with significant variation between crop types such as vegetables versus grains. Nutritional analysis found that urban farming increased micronutrient content in staple foods by up to 20%, particularly in leafy greens and fruits.

Gail Langellotto, Abha Gupta · HortTechnology · United States

Using peer-reviewed studies of garden-based nutrition education programs delivered to children in the United States, a study applied meta-analytical techniques to examine effects on children's nutrition knowledge, preference for fruit and vegetables, and consumption. Compared with experimental controls (no nutrition education) and nutrition education programs without a gardening component, a vote-counting analysis found most outcomes nonsignificant in the control and nutrition-education-only groups, but positive and significant in the gardening group. The quantitative meta-analysis was limited by the small number of studies reporting full descriptive statistics, but one robust result stood out: gardening increased vegetable consumption in children, while the impact of nutrition education programs alone was marginal or nonsignificant.

Anthonia N. Asadu, E. M. Igbokwe, Jane M. Chah, I A Enwelu · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Nigeria

A study of Enugu Urban, Nigeria, examining farmers' perceptions of the health and environmental hazards posed by keeping livestock in urban areas, and the implications for climate change mitigation. Seventy-five heads of household were freely sampled and interviewed, with data analyzed using percentages and means. Most farmers kept improved chicken breeds under an intensive system. All respondents were aware of health and environmental implications of urban livestock keeping, but only 4.0% were aware that livestock could contribute to climate change. Reported environmental issues included crop destruction (89.3%), filth in urban areas (89.3%) and noise (88.0%); health issues included disease spreading (50.7%), accidents (46.7%) and bad smell (86.7%). Perceived control measures included proper waste disposal (mean 1.79), seeking veterinary services (mean 1.85), regular shed cleaning (mean 1.80) and provision of extension services (mean 1.85). The study recommends integrating urban agriculture into urban health and environmental policy and having extension services raise awareness of livestock's climate impact among urban keepers.

Brittany Minnick Hanson · Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research · United States

This study of several community gardens in Orange County, Central Florida, conducted structured interviews with gardeners and semi-structured interviews with garden leaders to examine effects on food insecurity, health, and community cohesion, as well as the challenges gardens face. Results showed benefits including increased fresh produce consumption, improved physical activity, better mental health, and stronger community cohesion, but about a third of the gardeners and a majority of the leaders identified lack of participation as a challenge.

Chinedu Agbakoba, Funmilayo Olayiwala · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria

A paper framed as addressing a research gap on eco-friendly pesticide use strategies among urban farmers in Lagos State, Nigeria, health impacts, and environmental protection (2012) states that it conducted a structured literature review with thematic synthesis of key findings. However, the abstract's actual content is limited to generic mathematical-formalism language — establishing "bounded error under perturbation," a "convergent estimation process under stated assumptions," a "stable link between the proposed metric and observed outcomes," and an empirical specification described as a linear regression form (Y expressed as a linear function of X plus an error term) — and does not report specific data or results on actual pesticide practices, measured health impacts, or environmental protection outcomes among Lagos urban farmers. It closes by calling on stakeholders to prioritize inclusive, locally grounded strategies and improve data transparency.

Ferdinan Dos Santos · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Sub-Saharan Africa

This study examines the impact of school garden programmes on nutrition knowledge and food security among primary school students in rural Mozambique. While such programmes have been implemented across various regions with mixed results, this study used a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys with primary school students and their parents or guardians. Students showed a statistically significant improvement (p<0.05) in nutrition knowledge, with an average score increase of 20% on the post-intervention survey compared with pre-test results. The findings indicate that the school garden programmes positively influenced students' nutritional knowledge and contributed to their families' food security in Mozambique's rural areas. The authors state that further studies should examine long-term impacts and potential barriers to implementation.

Ann Weltin, Roberta Proffitt Lavin · Journal of Community Health Nursing · United States

A mixed-convergent parallel design intervention study tested whether participation in a community garden could improve diabetes control among members of a Midwest United States community of Marshallese immigrants. Marshallese clients recruited from a local community health center took part in a community garden, and qualitative data from field observations on cultural norms and beliefs, food perceptions and barriers to health care corroborated data gathered at diabetes follow-up medical appointments. Persons who actively participated in the community garden showed a significant reduction in HgA1c after the intervention compared with those who did not participate, though the abstract does not report the number of participants or the size of the reduction.

Qing Tian · · China (Beijing)

Based on Agricultural Location Theory, 23 matched soil-wheat sample sets were collected from Beijing's central city, suburban plain and exurban plain zones to analyze the accumulation, chemical forms and bioavailability of lead under differing intensities of human activity. Urban soil showed lead contamination with an average concentration of 35.59 mg/kg above the limit, likely from traffic and industrial emissions, and suburban agricultural soil also showed localized lead contamination from long-term sewage irrigation, with lead more mobile in urban agricultural soil than in suburban soil and least mobile in exurban agricultural soil. The average bioconcentration factor of lead in wheat seeds was a low 0.0044, but some lead concentrations in wheat seeds grown in urban and suburban agricultural soil exceeded the standard limit, indicating a potential health risk to residents in those areas.

Loran Mary Luehr, Sylvia B. Smith · Journal of Student Research · United States

A study examined the effectiveness of a four-week interactive food sustainability education program covering local foods, gardening, recycling, and world hunger, delivered to 85 elementary-age students at two schools in southern Illinois. Using a within-subjects repeated-measures design with pre- and post-program surveys analyzed in PASW (Version 18.0) and a significance level of p<0.10 given the exploratory design, the program was found most effective with fourth graders, who showed significant change across all four measured areas: understanding world hunger, effects on their surroundings, understanding of community supported agriculture (CSA), and awareness of stores carrying more local foods. Eighth graders showed significant change in two areas (effects on their surroundings and CSA understanding), and sixth graders showed significantly higher scores only in CSA understanding. The paper reports positive results for the youngest age group while flagging the more limited results among sixth and eighth graders as warranting further research.

Largo-Wight E., Chen W. W., Dodd V., Weiler R. · Public Health Reports · United States

Survey of 503 university office staff finding that as workday nature contact (gardens, plants, greenery) increases, perceived stress and general health complaints decrease, providing evidence for workplace greening and garden programs.

Litt J. S., Soobader M.-J., Turbin M. S., Hale J. W., Buchenau M., Marshall J. A. · American Journal of Public Health 101(8):1466-1473 · United States

Denver survey finding community gardeners ate fruits and vegetables 5.7 times daily versus 4.6 for home gardeners and 3.9 for non-gardeners, with social involvement and neighborhood aesthetics also shaping intake.

Ratcliffe M.M. · Health Promotion Practice · USA

A study of garden-based education for middle school-aged students; 236 completed a Garden Vegetable Frequency Questionnaire and 161 a taste test, showing improved recognition, attitudes, preferences, and willingness to taste vegetables, plus greater variety eaten.

Leigh Whittinghill, D. Bradley Rowe · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global

Urban agriculture faces limitations including competition for space, lack of formalized land use rights, and health hazards from food contamination. Green roof technology is proposed as a method to alleviate these issues, potentially reducing the use of contaminated land and water at ground level. However, for large-scale implementation, installation costs must be reduced, roof weight limitations assessed, and appropriate management practices developed.

Simon Mariwah, Jan-Olof Drangert · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Ghana

A study in a peri-urban agricultural community in Ghana explored attitudes towards sanitized human excreta as fertilizer, collecting data from 154 households. It found a general negative attitude towards fresh excreta and its handling. While residents accepted excreta could be used as fertilizer, they were unwilling to use it on their own crops or consume such fertilized crops.

Bethaney Turner · Local Environment · Australia

Based on an ethnographic study of community gardeners in the Australian Capital Territory, this article argues that fostering an embodied form of sustainability, which accounts for individual embodied engagement in these collective spaces, is critical for achieving sustainable urban living outcomes. It suggests that individual embodied engagement in collective spaces like community gardens can contribute to reconnection to the socio-cultural importance of food. This process may offer pathways to developing broader engagement with the food system and a long-term commitment to sustainable living practices.

Christophe Antonio‐Nkondjio, Billy Tene‐Fossog, Cyrille Ndo, Benjamin Menze Djantio, Serge Zebaze Togouet, Parfait Awono‐Ambene, Carlo Costantini, Charles S. Wondji, Hilary Ranson · Malaria Journal · Cameroon

This study assessed the influence of urban pollution and agriculture on malaria vector distribution and insecticide susceptibility in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon, from October 2009 to December 2010. Researchers sampled 1,546 anopheline larval breeding sites and analyzed water parameters. Findings showed mosquitoes from cultivated urban areas exhibited the highest insecticide resistance levels, with urban agriculture, rather than pollution, suggested as the major factor driving resistance.

Stephen Odede. Shisanya, Sheryl L. Hendriks · Development Southern Africa · South Africa

This study evaluated the contribution of community gardens to alleviating food insecurity for 53 community gardeners in Maphephetheni, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, it was found that 89% of these households were anxious about food supplies, consumed insufficient food, and were severely food insecure. Additionally, 72% consumed poor quality food. Community gardens were unable to solve the problem of food insecurity, but their contribution to consumption cannot be entirely ignored.

Louiza M. Boukharaeva, Marcel Marloie · Espaces et sociétés · Russia

In Russia, the collective management of urban gardens provides places for relaxation and food production, attracting all population categories. These gardens are considered socially compensatory, stabilizing, and therapeutic, acting as shock absorbers for social, economic, and food crises.

Chris Szczygiel · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)

Greening vacant lots is one of the most cost-effective ways for the city of Buffalo to improve its neighborhoods. A program to clean up, green up, and maintain vacant lots can combat blight, raise property values and tax revenue, lower crime rates, and improve residents' quality of life. Greening lots can provide various community benefits, including jobs, educational opportunities, and a local source of fresh, nutritious food.

Rachael Jaenke, Clare E. Collins, Philip J. Morgan, David R. Lubans, Kristen L. Saunders, Janet M. Warren · Health Education & Behavior · Australia (New South Wales)

This study investigated gender differences in the impact of a school garden and nutrition curriculum on fruit and vegetable intake, willingness to taste, and taste ratings among 127 children (11-12 years, 54% boys) in regional New South Wales, Australia. A significant gender difference was found only for carrot taste rating, with girls rating it higher, but no significant gender differences were observed for fruit and vegetable consumption or willingness to taste other vegetables. While a group effect was seen for overall willingness to taste and taste ratings for several vegetables, no significant treatment-time effect was found for vegetable intake in either gender.

Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine · FLASH - Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship & History (Fordham University) · Global

This article examines how existing land use plans and regulations can promote healthier and more sustainable communities through the regional foodshed movement. It discusses specific land use strategies applicable in urban and suburban settings globally, focusing on facilitating local and regional food production and distribution. These strategies include supporting smaller-scale community gardens, residential agricultural uses, and farmers markets, moving beyond traditional farmland preservation.