Research & reports

Durga Bastola · Murray State's Digital Commons (Murray State University) · United States (Kentucky)

This study evaluated the effects of contrasting tillage intensities on soil structural characteristics and pore space distribution across six agricultural systems at Pullen Farm in Murray, Kentucky. Soil samples were collected from low-disturbance no-till systems and high-disturbance conventional tillage systems to determine bulk density, total porosity, and soil water-holding capacity. Results showed that no-till systems maintained significantly lower bulk density and greater total porosity, while conventionally tilled systems exhibited increased bulk density and reduced pore space. This indicates that tillage-induced disturbance directly modifies soil structure and pore continuity, leading to reduced pore space and impaired water dynamics.

Héctor Bernal-Mendoza, Daniel Jiménez-García, Natyeli Matus Angulo, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · Agroecología · Mexico (Puebla)

This study evaluated the sustainability of 18 urban gardens in Puebla, Mexico, from 2020 to 2021. The MESMI methodology was applied using 14 indicators across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Two alternative systems were identified: transitional to conventional and transitional to agroecological, with the latter showing the highest values in 7 indicators and thus concluded to be the most sustainable.

Marwen Elkamel, Luis Rabelo · Sustainability · United States (South Florida)

This paper presents a mathematical programming model to optimize the design and sustainability performance of the urban food–energy–water (FEW) nexus. The model incorporates a micro supply chain and addresses the supply-demand balance within existing and future FEW systems using cost and carbon footprint indicators. It is applied to an urban agriculture network in South Florida, integrating renewable energy technologies, combined heat and power units, reclaimed wastewater and stormwater, and electric vehicles. The optimization process identified effective infrastructure investment, resource allocation, and technology configurations to support circular economy and sustainability.

Jesús De la Rocha Illanes · Revista de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales IBU · Mexico (San Cristóbal de Las Casas)

A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study was conducted on four community urban gardens in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, to understand how agroecological scaling occurs and what practices comprise it. The research found that agroecological scaling in these gardens is essentially horizontal and deep, occurring at a microsocial level, person-to-person, and intergenerationally; however, the vertical facet of this process appears to be weakened. Agroecological practices include collective/collaborative composting of organic matter, ecotechnology engineering, links with local socioeconomic and solidarity networks, digital presence, reintegration of agricultural ceremonies/rituals in the urban context, and collective actions against eviction attempts.

Tiare Silvasy · Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society · United States (Florida)

An educational campaign was conducted in Florida to teach people how to grow food in an environmentally friendly way, specifically tailored for edible crops. The campaign covered topics such as efficient irrigation, planting the right variety at the right time, advanced soil building techniques, and integrated pest management strategies. Science-based information was made available online through multiple formats, including EDIS publications, an infographic, blogs, PowerPoint presentations, and YouTube webinar recordings. This campaign reached thousands of people and provided information to encourage environmentally friendly decisions in edible landscapes.

Benjamin Marc Kocher, Jacob Anthony Booker · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)

This senior project planned, designed, and constructed drainage and pedestrian access improvements at City Farms SLO, a nonprofit in San Luis Obispo, California. Prior to construction, the site experienced stormwater pooling and erosion in a central area. The team excavated an 80-foot trench drain, installed a 15-foot corrugated HDPE culvert, built a seven-foot pedestrian bridge, and created a 17-foot gravel pathway. These upgrades effectively mitigated stormwater pooling and erosion while enhancing safe pedestrian access for visitors and program participants.

Marcos Antonio Vieira Batista, Anne Stefany da Silva Vieira, Josefa Aparecida Araujo Lima, Jaziel Batista Gomes, Luiz Henrique Aguiar, Helena Higino Bezerra Fernandes, Antonia Luana da Silva, Marcos Antônio Dantas · Revista Contemporânea · Brazil

An experiment conducted at IFCE - Campus – Iguatu - CE, Brazil, from April to May 2019, investigated the decomposition rate of mata-pasto (Senna uniflora) as green manure for chives (Allium fistulosum L.). Five treatments with different incorporation periods were tested. The results showed that incorporating mata-pasto 21 days before planting yielded the greatest plant height (33.7 cm), number of leaves (22.2), and aerial dry mass (1.54 g plant⁻¹), not statistically differing from 28 days before planting.

Larisa Alonso Moreno, Cristian Lizarazo-Ortega, Guadalupe Rodríguez Castillejos · Bioagro · Mexico

This study aimed to characterize the bacteriome of four different substrates used in urban gardens: peat, black soil (nursery), agricultural soil (northern Tamaulipas, Mexico), and a mix of agricultural soil with vermicompost and mycorrhizae. Genomic DNA was extracted and the 16S region amplified for analysis. The most prevalent phyla were actinobacteria, proteobacteria, and firmicutes, with dominant genera including Bacillus, Solirubrobacter, Rubrobacter, and Streptomyces, all linked to crop benefits.

Piedley Macêdo Saraiva, Aline Maia de Macedo, Cicera Giovanna Michelly Ferreira de Oliveira, Enzo Fernandes Sá, Laysa Yanne Silva Moreira, Thayla Sousa de Oliveira, Rayna Petrola Rocha Dias Milfont · Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação · Brazil

This study analyzed the implementation of a vertical garden in a nursing home in Juazeiro do Norte-CE, Brazil. The intervention contributed to the reuse of construction waste, the production of toxic-free food, and increased opportunities for interaction among residents and caregivers. However, it also revealed limitations related to the vulnerability of the target audience, scheduling incompatibilities with the academic team, and the institution's dependence on continuous garden maintenance.

Joshua Garcia, Mariel Mondragon-Becerra, Ivan Moya martinez, Connie Tsz Fai Wong, Zoe Caron, Katherine Kravitz, Elaine Owyang, Olukayode Jegede, Rebecca Ryals, Cristina Lazcano · Discover Sustainability · United States

A 2026 study conducted with Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF), a small urban farm in the San Francisco Bay Area, US, tests whether regenerative agriculture can support soil health and biodiversity in an urban landscape, comparing uncultivated soils, soils managed regeneratively for four years (Regen.4), and soils managed regeneratively for 10 years (Regen.10). Soil chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, and lead concentration differed significantly between plots, likely reflecting each plot's management and land-use history. While total soil carbon did not differ between plots, Regen.4 had a higher proportion of labile carbon than the uncultivated plot along with a greater abundance of soil microorganisms and nematodes, and Regen.4 soils also showed improved physical properties — higher aggregate stability and lower compaction — compared with both the uncultivated plot and the Regen.10 plot.

Candice M. Duncan, Fatemeh Ghezelsofla, Hlengilizwe Nyoni, Jazmin Escobar, Odette Mina · Toxics · United States

A study measuring per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in irrigation water at two organic farms in Maryland, USA, with no known direct PFAS input, and assessing health risk via a Hazard Index (HI). At agricultural site 1 (AG1), the most abundant compounds were PFBS (37 ng/L), PFBA (24 ng/L) and PFHxA (22 ng/L); the HI showed compliance for branched PFHxS (0.39) but non-compliance for linear PFHxS (1.51). At agricultural site 2 (AG2), despite no known industrial or PFAS-related facilities nearby, HFPO-DA (GenX) was detected at 28 ng/L, and the HI exceeded the compliance threshold (HI = 2.83), with GenX accounting for most of the calculated risk. The findings show HI exceedances occurring at small farm sites with no identifiable contamination source.

Iasmin Emanueli Becker, Luciana Nunes de Oliveira, Jordana Marques Kneipp, Augusto Costa Bernardy, Edgar Cesar Rodrigues Maia, Juarez Felisberto · Revista Tópicos. · Brazil

As urban flooding, heat islands and water scarcity become more frequent in socioeconomically vulnerable peripheral areas, this qualitative case study analyzed how an agroecological community garden contributes to urban environmental resilience and efficient use of natural resources. Focusing on the Horta Comunitária Urbana Agroecológica Renova Vidas garden in Brazil, the study combined document analysis, non-participant observation and interviews, analyzed through content analysis. The garden was found to promote recovery of degraded land, conservation of natural resources and efficient water use, illustrating how local practices can contribute to urban resilience.

Scott Etkin · West Side Rag · United States

NYC's Department of Sanitation resumed mandatory composting enforcement in January 2026 after a pause. The Upper West Side shows a 13.5% capture rate as of spring 2025, above the citywide rate of about 10%, with monthly collected tonnage rising from 129 tons (Oct. 2024) to over 318 tons (Dec. 2025); 414 summonses had been issued through Feb. 10, 2026.

US Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

In 2009, there were approximately 1,908 municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) in the continental United States, managed by the states under RCRA Subtitle D. Federal criteria (40 CFR Part 258) set requirements including location restrictions and leachate management.

Santropol Roulant · Santropol Roulant · Canada

Santropol Roulant's rooftop farm in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood combines intensive garden beds with container gardening and keeps beehives. Produce grown there feeds the organization's meals-on-wheels kitchen, and kitchen scraps are composted in the basement and returned to the rooftop farm, forming a closed food-waste loop.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · United States

This EPA page explains composting: food waste is responsible for 58% of landfill methane emissions and makes up 24.1% of municipal solid waste. Of the 66.2 million tons of food waste generated in the US in 2019, only 5% was composted. Compost adds organic matter and boosts soil microbial diversity, reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and — because it is typically processed near where it is generated — supports local economies.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · North America (Sacramento, California, USA)

Field research conducted at two urban farms in Sacramento, California, USA. Investigates effects of locally produced compost and biochar amendments on soil health and plant nutrient uptake. Demonstrates feasibility of combining sustainable resource cycling with crop productivity in community-based urban agriculture systems.

Emory Walker, Mara Welty, Emma Creviston, Jacob J. Adler · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Lafayette)

This project examined how straw cover affects the soil microbiome of a community garden, using EcoPlate carbon-source utilization analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing on samples from the Erie Street GrowLocal community garden in Lafayette, Indiana. Straw cover increased soil moisture content and significantly increased bacterial alpha diversity, with a shift toward carbohydrate preference, though beta diversity showed no difference between conditions. The authors conclude that straw coverage can improve soil microbial biodiversity and moisture, potentially benefiting yields and food quality for communities.

Leigh Whittinghill, Megan Goins, Shawn Lucas · HortScience · United States

This study examined how two urban agriculture production systems (raised beds and container plots) and four nutrient-management treatments (conventional fertilizer, organic fertilizer, peat-and-compost plus organic fertilizer, and peat-and-compost only) affected yields of relay-cropped leafy greens across the 2018–2019 seasons. Significant differences between systems and treatments were few and inconsistent, but results suggest small plastic-pool containers are suitable for urban greens production and tentatively support organic fertilizers and compost as a nutrient source.

Estenia Ortiz, Adriana Mayr Mejia, Emma Borely, Liam Schauer, Lena Young Green, Maya Trotz · Sustainability · United States (Tampa)

Motivated by a community's desire to co-locate community gardens with stormwater pond spaces, this study monitored water quality of a 23.4-hectare stormwater detention pond in East Tampa, Florida over one year and compared it to US EPA reuse recommendations and water quality criteria. pH and conductivity were acceptable for irrigating crops and heavy metals were below maximum reuse levels, but E. coli concentrations exceeded irrigation requirements and synthetic organic compounds exceeded human health criteria.

Metson G., Sieczko A., Small G. · npj Urban Sustainability · United States and Sweden

Field measurements in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Linkoping, Sweden showed that fertilized urban agriculture plots leached nitrogen and phosphorus, with legacy soil-management effects amplifying phosphorus losses, indicating urban growing can contribute to water-body eutrophication.

Sara Perl Egendorf, Maha Deeb, Brooke Singer, Nkwi Flores, Marisa Prefer, Zhongqi Cheng, Peter M. Groffman · Geoderma · United States (New York City)

The Carbon Sponge pilot study, conducted at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, New York City, evaluated the effects of different plant communities on constructed Technosol formation and carbon and nitrogen cycling through an artist-led collaboration. Soils were constructed from NYC Clean Soil Bank sediments and urban municipal composts at a 2:1 ratio, creating 24 beds under 8 different planting regimes. Over the 21-month study duration, soils changed significantly in microbial biomass nitrogen content, sunflowers increased soil carbon and ammonium, and cover crop mixtures increased nitrate and ammonium.

Luyanne Catarina Lourenço de Azevedo · Revista Brasileira de Educação em Geografia · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

The "Sidney Bueno School Garden Project," carried out at Municipal School São Paulo in Rio de Janeiro between 2022 and 2023, aimed to create a garden based on agroecology and permaculture principles. Integrating school geography concepts and curriculum content related to environment and sustainability, the project sought to develop an understanding of interactions between space, society, and nature. Student involvement promoted cartographic literacy and stimulated autonomy.

Paloma Ribeiro TARRÃO, D. Ferreira, Rita de Cássia Pereira de Pereira de Almeida · Revista ORG & DEMO · Brazil (São Paulo)

This article analyzed the implementation of the Gera Juncal community garden in São Mateus, São Paulo, between October 2021 and September 2022, using participatory action research and a case study approach. The findings indicated the adequacy of "School" Time and Community Time relationships, learning agroecology and solidarity economy principles, and the effectiveness of these practices in food production. It also showed changes in individual and group conduct, trainer training, and fostered public policy development for food sovereignty.

Lucas Velasques, Janaína Wohlenberg, Osmar Manoel Nunes, D. Friedrich, Norton Víctor Sampaio · Revista Científica Agropampa · Brazil (Dom Pedrito/RS)

This field study, involving 20 residents of Dom Pedrito/RS, Brazil, who practice home gardening, aimed to identify motivational factors, difficulties, and benefits. The main difficulties reported were the time required for cultivation and the presence of pests and insects. While benefits included consuming healthy food, health improvements, and supermarket savings, the significant challenges of time commitment and pest management indicate limitations to the widespread positive impact of home gardening.