Research & reports

· Wikipedia (italiano) · Italy

An Italian Wikipedia article on the cascine (traditional farmsteads) of Milan, of which about a hundred survive today, 59 of them municipally owned. Eighteen are derelict, while the rest are used as libraries, recreation centres, facilities for the elderly and disabled, or housing; thirteen remain active farms engaged in rice cultivation, dairy farming, or horse breeding. The oldest, Cascina Chiesa Rossa, dates to the 10th century, with other major cascine built between the 11th and 15th centuries.

Mar Loren-Méndez, Celia Chacón-Carretón, Pablo Manuel Millán Millán · ACE Arquitectura Ciudad y Entorno · Spain (Málaga)

This study examines the urban dimension of agricultural heritage, specifically urban orchards, in cities where agrarian activity is deeply intertwined with their origin and evolution. Using Nerja, Málaga, Spain, as a case study, the research highlights that accelerated urban transformation in recent decades has led to a rupture, undermining agrarian logic by abandoning historical growth practices. The study emphasizes the fundamental role of agrarian activity in built environments and advocates for the protection of urban orchards.

Janine Opitz, Monika Egerer · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Germany

An online survey of 111 responding projects from Germany's urban community gardening network examined the presence and diversity of nut tree species and the motivations and challenges for adopting and expanding them. Nut trees existed in almost half of the responding projects, but in small numbers with low yields, hindered by limited space, local laws and regulations, and interaction with other garden species, and only 50% of projects planned to incorporate more nut tree species in the future.

· Wikipedia (Italian) · Italy

Cascina Linterno originated as a 12th-century monastic rural settlement and is a 13th-century Lombard closed-courtyard farmhouse now owned by the City of Milan and run by the Associazione amici della Cascina Linterno for cultural and historical activities. It is traditionally identified as the poet Petrarch's residence during his time in Milan (1353-1361) and is protected under both monumental and landscape preservation decrees.

Raggi L., Spataro G., Tiranti D., Negri V. · Biodiversity and Conservation 33:2709-2738 · Europe

Reviews the status of on-farm landrace conservation in the EU, including the materials conserved, who maintains them and why, and EU policies governing the commercialization of landrace seeds.

Mesut YILDIZ, Tayfun Özkaya · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Turkey

This participatory action research was conducted with five community-supported food groups formed by consumers in İzmir province, Turkey, and associations/groups producing wheat landraces in Çanakkale, Balıkesir, and Kars provinces. The research aimed to identify common problems that reduce the separation between wheat production and consumption and to determine how to increase the use of wheat landraces and their products.

JC Niala · Ecozon European Journal of Literature Culture and Environment · United Kingdom (Oxford)

This essay explores a case study where an allotment in the style of 1918 was recreated at a charity allotment site in Oxford, United Kingdom, during the 2020-2021 growing season. The researcher planted open-pollinated non-hybrid heritage seeds from that era, reflecting on the soil as a repository of memory through academic and creative responses. The plot became a living memorial visited by diverse members of the public, engaging with themes such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, and the First World War.

· Wikipedia (Italian) · Italy

Cascina Chiesa Rossa is a farmhouse-and-church complex built between the 9th and 13th centuries, acquired by the City of Milan in 1960. Since 2009 it has operated as a public park including an orchard and wooded area, a bar, and a library, with a preservation committee founded in 1988 overseeing conservation and cultural activities. It is an example of a historic agricultural building repurposed as public civic space.

Tripodi P., D'Alessandro A., Francese G. · Frontiers in Plant Science 13:1031776 · Italy

Integrated genomic and biochemical analysis of heirloom tomatoes linking fruit shape and size to sugars, organic acids, and aroma compounds. Demonstrates heirlooms as germplasm resources for high food quality and sustainable agriculture.

Scarano A., Semeraro T., Chieppa M., Santino A. · Horticulturae · Italy

Review of neglected and underutilized plant species from the Apulia region of southern Italy, highlighting their adaptive, nutritional, and economic potential and the case for re-including them in the daily diet.

Sinesio F., Cammareri M., Cottet V., Fontanet L., Jost M., Moneta E., Palombieri S., Peparaio M., Romero del Castillo R., Saggia Civitelli E., Spigno P., Vitiello A., Navez B., Casals J., Causse M., Granell A., Grandillo S. · Foods 10(11):2521 · Europe

Assessed traditional and modern tomato varieties in France, Spain, and Italy at physicochemical, trained-panel, and consumer levels. Multi-level approach revealed how sensory traits drive perceived quality across regionally familiar cultivars.

Ferrer Valverde M.A., Sánchez-Palomo E., Osorio Alises M., Chaya Romero C., González-Viñas M.A. · Foods 10(8):1683 · Spain

Characterized the traditional Trujillo melon from La Mancha, Spain, over three harvests, identifying 55 volatile compounds. Sensory profile featured jam, cucumber, sweet, and honey aromas, documenting quality of a regional heirloom melon.

Rosa-Martínez E., Adalid A.M., Alvarado L.E., Burguet R., García-Martínez M.D., Pereira-Dias L., Casanova C., Soler E., Figàs M.R., Plazas M., Prohens J., Soler S. · Frontiers in Plant Science 12:633957 · Spain

Evaluated 44 Mediterranean 'de penjar' long shelf-life tomato varieties under two nitrogen levels. Local varieties exceeded commercial ones in sweetness-to-acidity ratio and vitamin C, with lycopene varying over four-fold, supporting low-input breeding.

Martínez-Ispizua E., Martínez-Cuenca M.-R., Marsal J.I., Díez M.J., Soler S., Valcárcel J.V., Calatayud Á. · Molecules 26(4):1031 · Spain

Evaluated bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of Valencian pepper landraces relative to commercial types. Landraces displayed rich diversity in nutritional and functional compounds, reinforcing the value of regional Capsicum genetic resources.

ELISABETH MEYER-RENSCHHAUSEN · Materia Arquitectura · Germany (Berlin)

This paper discusses the historical presence of gardens and urban agriculture in cities, from ancient civilizations to modern times. It notes that after disappearing in the late 19th century, family gardens were replaced by garden city movements, and after WWII, land was offered for cultivation. The paper suggests that the growing demand for garden plots in the 20th and 21st centuries and the global community gardening movement represent a new type of urban agriculture.

Lelario F., De Maria S., Rivelli A.R., Russo D., Milella L., Bufo S.A., Scrano L. · Toxins 11(4):230 · Italy

Identified 19 glycoalkaloids in fruits of commercial eggplant 'Mirabella' and local landrace 'Melanzana Bianca di Senise' via LC-FTICR-MS/IRMPD, assessing anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities. Documents bioactive phytochemistry of a traditional eggplant landrace.

Celmeli T., Sari H., Canci H., Sari D., Adak A., Eker T., Toker C. · Agronomy 8(9):166 · Turkey

Compared protein, fat, fatty acids, selenium, iron, and zinc in 10 bean landraces and 5 modern varieties from Turkey. Landrace LR05 surpassed modern varieties in selenium, zinc, and protein, highlighting landraces as nutritional breeding resources.

Klepacki P., Kujawska M. · Journal of Ethnobiology 38(1):123-137 · Poland

Surveys 46 allotment gardeners in three Polish cities, recording 257 botanical taxa (ornamental, food, medicinal), demonstrating urban allotment gardens as significant reservoirs of botanical and landscape diversity in cities.

Casals J., Rivera A., Figàs M. R., Casañas C., Camí B., Soler S., Simó J. · Frontiers in Plant Science 9:1491 · Mediterranean

Compares lettuce landraces and modern varieties under Mediterranean winter organic farming, evaluating their agronomic and use value from the combined viewpoints of breeders, consumers and farmers.

Scheromm P. · Développement durable et territoires · France (Montpellier)

Based on 40 semi-structured interviews, this study examines the agricultural motivations and practices of urban dwellers participating in collective gardens in Montpellier, revealing how city residents reconstruct an agricultural identity through gardening.

Hammer K., Knüpffer H., Xhuveli L., Perrino P. · Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 43:329-336 · Mediterranean

A classic study comparing collecting missions decades apart in Albania and South Italy, quantifying genetic erosion of landraces at 72.4% and 72.8% respectively.