Research & reports

Patrice Sutton, David Wallinga, Joanne Perron, Michelle Gottlieb, Lucia Sayre, Tracey J. Woodruff · Health Affairs · United States

This article examines evidence that the intensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, and fossil fuels in food production, as well as chemicals in food packaging, are potentially harmful to human reproductive and developmental health. The US food production system, while relatively low in cost, often yields food that is high in calories and low in nutritional value. The authors conclude that policies to advance a healthy food system are necessary to prevent adverse reproductive health effects.

Heidi M. Blanck, Olivia M. Thompson, Linda Nebeling, Amy L. Yaroch · PubMed · United States

This study analyzed data from 1,994 US adults from the National Cancer Institute's Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey to assess the use of farm-to-consumer venues for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It found that 27% of grocery shoppers reported at least weekly use of these venues during summer. Older adults and those in the Northeast were most likely to use them weekly, with no differences observed by sex, race/ethnicity, education, or income.

Marina de Fátima Brandão Carneiro, Igor Martins de Oliveira, Gabriel Alves Veloso · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Brazil

This article discusses food and nutritional security, urban poverty, and their relationship with urban agriculture, which arises from the urbanization process. It analyzed quantitative data from the Pan-American Health Organization and Pastoral da Criança in two neighborhoods of Montes Claros, Brazil, to map poverty distribution and child malnutrition. It concludes that the search for more effective and continuous alternatives for food insecurity is increasingly urgent, as hunger has only increased globally despite various initiatives.

Lori Annis · DigitalCommons@Linfield (Linfield College) · Global

This project proposes elementary school students participate in planning, producing, preparing, and tasting school garden produce. Food preferences for familiar and novel varieties were surveyed before and after the garden program, and percentage changes were measured. Student participants are hypothesized to gain enhanced consumption habits and food preferences for produce in their diets.

Nafiu Abdu, John O. Agbenin, Andreas Buerkert · Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science · Nigeria (Kano)

A study evaluated the distribution and origin of trace elements (Ti, Fe, Nb, Pb, Rb, Sr, Y, and Zr) in five long-term wastewater-irrigated urban vegetable gardens in Kano, Nigeria. Surface soil concentrations of Ti, Fe, Pb, and Y were high compared to comparable soils elsewhere, but soil pollution assessment yielded no evidence of anthropogenic input of the studied trace elements. Enrichment factor, contamination factor, and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) revealed little to no contamination with trace elements.

L Ndiaye M, Y Dieng, S. Niang, Rak H, Mauro Tonolla, Raffaele Peduzzi · African Journal of Microbiology Research · Senegal (Dakar)

A survey in Dakar, Senegal, assessed the effect of irrigation water quality on Salmonella spp. incidence in lettuce. Microbiological analysis revealed that 35% of irrigation water was contaminated by Salmonella spp., with no significant difference between groundwater and wastewater. Lettuce from Dalifort and Grand-Yoff markets showed significantly higher contamination rates than those from Sham and Zinc markets. The study concluded that irrigation water and manure are potential sources of contamination, and lettuce may serve as a vector for pathogen transmission to consumers.

Catherine Féart, Pascale Barberger‐Gateau · World review of nutrition and dietetics · Global

This publication contains selected papers from the 'Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People' conference held in Ancient Olympia, Greece, in October 2010. Topics include the relationship between architecture and agriculture, food production systems and urban agriculture, physical activity, nutrition, genetic variation, and other determinants of human health. The papers indicate that optimal nutrition aligns with ecologically and economically sustainable agriculture, and highlight the need for scientific and political institutions to integrate research into urban planning, agriculture, and healthcare systems.

김혁수, 김영남, 김진원, 김계훈 · 한국토양비료학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)

This study investigated the physicochemical properties and heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) contents in 21 urban agricultural soils in Seoul. The total heavy metal concentrations in these soils were found to be lower than the warning levels specified by the Soil Environmental Conservation Act of Korea for area 1. Phytoavailable concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn were also reported.

Marie-Christine Zélem, Zelem, Marie-Christine · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Senegal (Dakar)

This study identifies numerous constraints hindering the widespread adoption of organic waste utilization in agriculture in the peri-urban area of Dakar, Senegal. These constraints include the nature, availability, and accessibility of organic waste, poorly controlled urbanization, effects of seasonal variation, resistance to changes, and medical risks. The project, which combines agriculture with city waste management, faces these challenges.

Noelle Corrigan · Arrow - TU Dublin (Technological University Dublin) · Global

Community gardens are locally organized initiatives where land is used to produce food or flowers in urban environments, varying widely in size and offerings. In Britain, there are 59 city farms and nearly 1,000 community gardens, while an estimated 18,000 exist across the US and Canada. Dublin has seen relatively recent development, with initial projects appearing since 2007. Urban agriculture is stated to provide physical, mental, and emotional health benefits to individuals and communities.

Christophe‐Toussaint Soulard, Christine Margétic, Élodie Valette · Norois · Global

This introduction discusses the concept of urban agriculture in the context of innovation and sustainability. It notes that some authors refer to a "new agrarian frontier" to describe the challenge of re-establishing close links between cities, nature, and agriculture for the food and health of urban populations. The concept of urban agriculture is presented as embodying this idea.

Éric Duchemin · · Global

This paper discusses how urban agriculture improves the economic situation and health of poor and vulnerable families in both industrialized and developing countries. It suggests that policies reconciling urbanity and rurality can reduce food insecurity and better integrate the most vulnerable populations, contributing to sustainable development.

Heather A. Okvat, Alex Zautra · American Journal of Community Psychology · Global

This paper introduces community gardening as a method to enhance well-being and resilience at individual, social, and environmental levels. It examines empirical evidence for gardening's benefits and advocates for developing and testing social ecological models of community resilience by studying the impact of urban community gardens. The paper also discusses the potential of community garden networks to address the global climate change crisis.

Alice Hu, Ángela Acosta, Abigail McDaniel, Joel Gittelsohn · Health Promotion Practice · United States

This qualitative study identified strategies to promote locally grown produce from an urban agriculture project, Produce From the Park (PFP), among low-income neighborhood residents and community organization representatives (20 interviews, 2 focus groups, 3 participant observations) in a mid-Atlantic city in the United States. Informants identified structural and cultural barriers to purchasing healthy food, including price, location, food culture, and lack of interest, and proposed strategies such as distribution via mobile food carts and farm stands, marketing new foods through taste tests and cooking demonstrations, and youth mentorship. These strategies were inexpensive and incorporated cultural norms and local assets.

Siny Tsang, AM Holt, Eduardo Bessa Azevedo · Chronic diseases and injuries in Canada · Canada (Cobourg, Ontario)

This needs assessment in Cobourg, Ontario, interviewed food program clients to identify barriers to food access. Clients reported lack of transportation, insufficient food quantities, and inconvenient operating hours as barriers to using food programs. They also cited lack of available vegetables and fruit at home and income as barriers to consuming more produce.

Alma Clavin · Local Environment · Europe

This paper reports on the multiple impacts that community garden design may have on the subjective well-being of site users, using the capability approach as a normative framework. Qualitative research conducted in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland in early 2011 yielded new explanations for both sustainable design and well-being. Two key design aspects, agency and dynamic balance, were found to enhance both the sustainability of the community garden sites and the well-being of site users.

Greg Jackson, Amanda L. Raster, Will Shattuck · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Southern Wisconsin)

Since 2005, four insurance providers in southern Wisconsin have offered rebates to policyholders who subscribe to a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, reducing costs by up to 40%. This program, managed by MACSAC, led to increased fruit and vegetable consumption among CSA members and reduced advertising time for growers. Both the number of MACSAC member farms and the total shares offered by these farms have substantially increased, indicating the program's success in reducing grower risk and expanding production.

박은하, 오충현 · · South Korea (Seoul)

A 2011 study conducted in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea analyzed the participation status and demands regarding urban agriculture. The research involved interviews with urban agriculture site operators and participants from June to July 2011, and a survey of 153 general citizens who participated in a pocket garden event on September 3, 2011. The survey covered urban agriculture awareness, participation status, attitudes towards eco-friendly agriculture, produce safety, and activation measures.

Jemma Hawkins, Katie Thirlaway, Karianne Backx, Deborah A. Clayton · HortTechnology · Global

This study investigated the benefits of allotment gardening for healthy aging among 94 individuals aged 50 to 88 years from various activity groups. Participants completed physiological measures and psychometric scales. Allotment gardeners reported significantly less perceived stress compared to participants in indoor exercise classes (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in social support or physical activity levels, suggesting engagement with nature and psychological restoration may contribute to lower stress.

A Christian · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · United States (Des Moines)

This abstract provides captions for photos related to urban planning and food systems. It describes a meeting in Des Moines, Washington, on healthy food access, a rapid market survey at a Mississippi Gulf Coast farmers' market, and individuals involved in food system policy drafting in Waterloo Region, Ontario, and urban planning academia.

Hyuck-Soo Kim, Young‐Nam Kim, Jin‐Won Kim, Kye-Hoon Kim · 한국토양비료학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)

This study investigated the properties and total and phytoavailable contents of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) in 21 urban agricultural soils in Seoul, South Korea. The total heavy metal concentrations in the examined urban agricultural soils were found to be lower than the warning levels for area 1 according to the Soil Environmental Conservation Act of Korea. Phytoavailable-Cu, -Pb, and -Zn concentrations were also reported as 0.02-0.28, N.D-0.09, and 0.01-0.43 mg/kg, respectively.

Teofilo Cuesta Borja, Ditter Horacio Mosquera Andrade · · Colombia (Quibdó)

This article presents the results of a structural and functional characterization of urban productive systems in Quibdó, Colombia. The study analyzed vegetation by growth habit and conducted a Rapid Rural Appraisal on species utilization. Residents use mixed home gardens, rooftops, and potted plants for urban agriculture, along with animal husbandry. 58 species across 51 genera and 41 botanical families were found, distributed in three strata. These species are important for food and traditional medicine, indicating that urban productive systems in Quibdó are oriented to supply food and medicinal needs.

Annie Lowry · Digital Commons - Olivet Distinctive Heritage, Scholarship, & Creativity (Olivet Nazarene University) · United States (Illinois)

This project aimed to evaluate how gardening is integrated into classroom curriculum in several schools in Illinois and the factors leading to this integration. Qualitative data was collected from interviews with educational professionals from seven different sites, confirming previous research on the benefits of gardening and providing new insights into current and future integration of gardens into the classroom.

Hillary Anne Doerfler · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) · Global

A literature review examined the use of school garden programs for health promotion among elementary school youth. The review found that school gardens successfully improved academic achievement, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and enhanced social skills. However, significant barriers to implementation were identified, particularly in low socioeconomic status schools, including a lack of funding, insufficient gardening knowledge among teachers, and limited community and parent involvement.

Howard Frumkin, Jared Fox · Island Press/Center for Resource Economics eBooks · Global

Contact with nature may benefit health, a relationship supported by both theoretical and empirical considerations. Nature contact can take many forms in the built environment, including plantings in buildings, views from windows, biophilic building design, community gardens, and parks. Evidence supports various benefits of such nature contact, ranging from stress reduction to improved recovery from illness and surgery.