Research & reports

Victoria Derr · Children Youth and Environments · Global

This book review examines Sandra Steingraber's "Raising Elijah," which addresses parental concerns about environmental crises and children's protection. The book details environmental hazards and advocates for engagement in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. It criticizes the inadequacy of policies that force parents to act as "their own regulatory agencies" and suggests that collaborative, multi-agency approaches are necessary for effective environmental protection, beyond individual actions like buying local and organic.

I Kibona, SL Mkoma, IC Mjemah · International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences · Tanzania (Morogoro)

Groundwater samples were collected from 20 wells in six wards of Morogoro municipality, Tanzania, during March-April 2010, and nitrate concentrations were measured. Nitrate levels ranged from 1.4 mg/L to 32.5 mg/L, with an average of 7.76 mg/L. These concentrations were below the upper limits set by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards and the World Health Organization.

I. K. Adewumi, Adebanji Samuel Ogbiye, E. O. Longe, David O. Omole · Covenant University Repository (Covenant University) · Nigeria (Ota)

This study assessed the impact of industrial wastewaters discharged into River Atuwara in Ota, Nigeria, on water quality using standard physical and chemical analyses and QUAL2K software. The majority of water quality parameters exceeded maximum permissible concentrations, with BOD at ≥ 31 mg/L, COD at ≥ 181 mg/L, and alkalinity at ≥ 138.4 mg/L. High concentrations of heavy metals, including Cadmium, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn, were detected, indicating an environmental hazard for riparian users.

Monica Caggiano · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · France

This brief article discusses the public health role of urban agriculture in urban contexts, where most of the world's population now lives, noting its contribution to food security in developing countries and ecological services everywhere (citing FAO, 2000). It states that the new interest in urban agriculture reflects diverse and multifaceted needs and trends, illustrated by the notable urban agriculture practices found in the densely built city of Paris.

Sinan Koont · University Press of Florida eBooks · Cuba

An assessment of Cuban urban agriculture's production and distribution outcomes finds that the most successful subprogram is fresh vegetable production, which has grown rapidly island-wide, while other subprograms remain active but less developed. Distribution occurs through thousands of points-of-sale, MALs, self-provisioning, and MAEs, with social consumption at workplaces, hospitals, and schools. Urban agriculture plays a significant role in improving Cuban diets but has not led to food sovereignty; other outcomes cited include employment generation, environmental benefits, and community building.

Ardjouma Dembélé, Oumarou Badini, Alessandro Abbà · InTech eBooks · Africa

A book chapter surveying the state of urban agriculture in African cities. As rural-to-urban migration increases demand for food quantity and quality, urban agriculture is described as able to contribute to livelihoods and economic growth; horticulture is called a vital economic sector, citing figures such as Côte d'Ivoire's fruit and vegetable exports to the EU exceeding 360,000 tons, Burkina Faso's 2007 green bean exports of over 925,000 tons, and Mali's tomato and okra production reaching over 17,000 tons and 8,600 tons respectively. The chapter also notes that the horticultural sector, including urban agriculture, faces pest attacks and phytosanitary problems and must comply with pesticide regulations and quality-control (traceability) standards required by export markets.

Haruna Haruna · · Africa

A study of soils irrigated with sewage water on Fadama floodplain land in northern Nigeria used sequential extraction to determine the mobility and availability of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc. The residual fraction held the largest pool of all five metals, but 2.7-70.2% was present in the potentially available, non-residual fraction. Contamination by cadmium and nickel was less severe than by lead, copper and zinc, and mobility/bioavailability ranked Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd.

Zane Vincēviča–Gaile, Māris Kļaviņš, Vita Rudoviča, Artūrs Vīksna · Environmental and Climate Technologies · Europe

A study quantified element content in root vegetables (onion bulbs and carrot roots) grown in farmlands and allotment gardens in Latvia, using atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It measured 17 trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, V, Zn) and 5 major elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na), finding that carrot roots contained higher amounts of several elements than onion bulbs. Differences in element content were also found between the farmland-grown and allotment-garden-grown sample subgroups, with onions grown in farmlands more affected by contaminants.

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

This review examines evidence that intensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, and fossil fuel in the US food production system, along with chemicals in food packaging, are potentially harmful to human reproductive and developmental health, and argues that policies including changes to the Farm Bill and the Toxic Substances Control Act, plus greater health-sector involvement in sourcing food from urban agriculture programs and farmers, are needed to prevent adverse reproductive effects. The abstract does not report a specific negative or null finding about urban agriculture itself — urban agriculture programs are named only as one proposed sourcing channel within the recommended policy response, not as a subject with measured outcomes.

Christina Purcell · Arrow - TU Dublin (Technological University Dublin) · United Kingdom

Background material from a paper on urban community gardens in Dublin, Ireland (2011, UK-based repository) describes Dublin's community gardens as ranging in scale from small disused residential plots (Cabra Park) to a four-acre site in Santry, taking forms from individually worked plots to communal gardens, with some space allocated to charities such as soup kitchens or to college plots. Citing prior literature, it notes an estimated 18,000 community gardens in the United States and Canada and reports that such gardens have been associated with improved nutrition, increased physical activity, greater social engagement, and better mental health, but this excerpt itself presents no original data or results measuring fruit and vegetable intake in Dublin.

Chabalani Ndlovu, Shethile Simelane, Kgosiwele Mngeni · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · South Africa

In Cape Town's high-rise neighborhoods, South Africa, where geographic constraints and socio-economic disparities limit access to fresh produce, a mixed-methods study using surveys, interviews and observation compared participants who regularly used community garden spaces with a control group who did not. Community gardens yielded an average of 50% more fresh produce per square meter than traditional urban plots, contributing to local food security, and garden users showed health changes including better nutrition and lower obesity rates.

FAO · Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · Global

FAO's programme on urban and peri-urban agriculture, presenting a framework to support city food production for food security, jobs, environment and nutrition.

· ランドスケープ研究（日本造園学会誌）73巻5号 pp.469- · Japan

A field study of how danchi outdoor (open) spaces are actually used, examining directions for regeneration through stock utilization; it found demand was highest for children's play, followed by walking and resting, pointing to the need for regeneration plans that promote diverse outdoor uses, including gardens.

Van den Berg A. E., Van Winsum-Westra M., De Vries S., Van Dillen S. M. E. · Environmental Health · Netherlands

Comparative survey of Dutch allotment gardeners and non-gardening neighbors finding gardeners, especially older adults, scored better on health, wellbeing, physical activity, and social contacts, evidencing welfare benefits of shared urban gardening.

Walker R. E., Keane C. R., Burke J. G. · Health & Place 16(5):876-884 · United States

Systematic review of 31 US food access and food desert studies using nine distinct measures, documenting disparities in access to healthy food across low-income and minority neighborhoods.

Morgan · Public Health Nutrition · Australia

Among primary-school students, the study compared nutrition education with and without a school garden, examining effects on knowledge, vegetable intake and preferences, and quality of school life.

Barbara Matthys, Benjamin G. Koudou, Eliézer K. N’Goran, Penelope Vounatsou, Laura Gosoniu, Moussa Koné, G. Gissé, Jürg Utzinger · Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology · Côte d'Ivoire (Abidjan)

Two surveys were conducted in market gardens of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the rainy and dry seasons to identify mosquito breeding habitats. The study found that urban agriculture areas may lead to higher densities of mosquito breeding sites, with "agricultural trenches" between seedbeds being the most likely sites to be positive for Anopheles larvae and mosquito pupae.

Rodica Sima, Ioana Micu, Dănuţ Maniutiu, N. Sima, Vasile Lazăr · Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Horticulture · Global

Edible landscaping integrates food-producing plants into ornamental settings, enhancing gardens with unique decorative components and offering health, aesthetic, and economic benefits. This approach considers both the aesthetic value and food production benefits of edible plants. Integrating vegetables into private property landscapes can provide a source of healthy fresh food and add aesthetic value through the cultivation of unusually colored or shaped varieties.

Wycliffe Cherono Nyaga · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Kenya (Nairobi)

This study in Nairobi, Kenya, investigated the impact of urban agriculture community gardens on elderly food security, health outcomes, and social support. Surveys and interviews with participants in four gardens revealed a significant improvement in dietary variety (p < 0.05) among elderly residents, with a 25% average increase in vegetable intake. Social support networks within and outside the gardens were also crucial for health maintenance.

A.E. van den Berg, Mariëtte H.G. Custers · Journal of Health Psychology · Global

A field experiment with 30 allotment gardeners tested the stress-relieving effects of gardening. Participants performed a stressful Stroop task and were then randomly assigned to 30 minutes of outdoor gardening or indoor reading. Salivary cortisol levels and self-reported mood were repeatedly measured. Both gardening and reading led to decreases in cortisol during the recovery period, but the decreases were significantly stronger in the gardening group. Positive mood was fully restored after gardening, while it further deteriorated during reading.

Lesley Batten, Maureen Holdaway · Health Promotion International · Global

This article explores the multiple timelines (contract, evaluation, program phases, and seasons for a community garden project) in a health promotion program and their effects on implementation and community participation. Timelines, while assisting planning, can also constrain action or force prioritization. The study demonstrates the complexity of these timelines and highlights the importance of skilled facilitation in community development-based programs.

Sarah Rabkin · · United States

Amy Courtney, founder of Freewheelin’ Farm, a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, delivers shares by bicycle-drawn trailer. Courtney, a 1997 graduate of UCSC’s Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture, started the farm in 2002 with minimal motorized vehicles, utilizing used equipment and recycled materials. She and her partners continue to haul all CSA shares six miles into Santa Cruz by bicycle. Courtney's work is driven by a commitment to social justice, community health, and cultural vitality. The farm collaborates with "Food, What?!"—a youth empowerment program, and hosts cultural and educational initiatives.

Zhou Pei · · China (Shanghai)

A study conducted in Orchard Village, Nanhui District, Shanghai, from July to September 2009, investigated the effects of phosphorus non-point source pollution on groundwater in an urban agricultural region. Total phosphorus concentrations averaged 1.31 mg/L and phosphate concentrations averaged 0.42 mg/L, with phosphate significantly exceeding the V class surface water standard (0.4 mg/L), rendering the water unsuitable for drinking. Phosphorus non-point source transport was linked to land-use types, with phosphorus content near orchards changing with increased rainfall, and farmland phosphorus loss accelerating with runoff, fertilization, and water leach.

Johanna Lööw · · Sweden (Malmo)

This thesis presents a case study of the Barn i Stan urban agriculture project in Seved, Malmo, Sweden. Using interviews, observation, and participant observation, the study found that residents perceived the cultivation project made Seved nicer, acting as a meeting place and fostering conversation. Urban cultivation contributed to people's well-being and sense of belonging, integrated different nationalities, and taught about nature and food production, increasing pride and liveliness in the district.

A. Morton, Betty Franky, Emily Fisher, Erin Doran, Heather Sites · Digital Commons at University of Maryland Carey Law (University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law) · United States (Baltimore)

The student film “Baltimore Urban Gardening” highlights the benefits of creating spaces for and using locally grown produce.