The Role of Community Gardens on Environmental and Human Health in Urban Settings in the United States

Abstract

To feed a growing population, the global food system relies on High Yield Variety crops (HYVs), fertilizers, pesticides, controlled irrigation, heavy machinery, and numerous other cultivation practices that have been shown to harm the health of the environment and humans alike. The United States is the world’s largest food exporter totaling over $174 billion in 2023. This production of agricultural products, however, is focused largely on commodity crops while 60% of the fruits and 35% of the vegetables consumed in the United States are imported. The long distances that U.S. food travels have significant environmental impacts and also make the U.S. food system highly vulnerable to external shocks. This vulnerability was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when supply chains collapsed because migrant farm workers could not reach their destinations due to travel restrictions; and large-scale, highly centralized food processing facilities had to shut down due to high COVID-19 infection rates. My research explored one aspect of local food systems that can guard against supply chain shocks and stabilize the availability of fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables in U.S. cities where 80% of U.S. consumers live, namely community gardens. Research questions included: (1) how do the individual, social/community, and environmental benefits of community gardens, identified in the peer-reviewed literature published between 2000-2024, motivate gardeners; and (2) did Washington, D.C. residents’ attitude toward gardening and urban food systems change during and since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic? I examined this second research question through survey of gardeners which asked about their attitude toward gardening and possible changes in attitude during and since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadly, I hypothesized that community gardens play in improving individual, community, and environmental health; and that Washington, D.C. gardeners sought the benefits of gardening during the pandemic, shifting to finding alternative local food solutions. A review of the literature between 2000-2024, which was conducted in 5-year increments, revealed a growing interest in community gardens and a broadening scope of research to determine the full extent of benefits that community gardens can have on their communities. One of the core themes that emerged was that community gardens can positively impact human, environmental, and community health when the role of the garden meets the needs of the community members. The review indicated that the motivating factors for gardeners evolved as urban gardeners responded to societal trends. In the early 2000s, the primary research focus was on community building and the physical health benefits of gardening. This shifted after 2010, as researchers and gardeners alike were interested in the environmental and public health benefits of gardening. After the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers focused more on the mental health and wellbeing and community resilience benefits of urban gardening. To understand the role of community gardens in Washington, D.C., and the factors that motivated gardeners, both pre-and post-pandemic, I surveyed local gardeners. Initial results indicated that participants primarily garden to feel closer to nature and increase their access to healthy food. The pandemic highlighted their desire to connect more closely with where their food was coming from and generally increased their interest in gardening.