Beyond community gardens

Abstract

The urban landscape is being transformed formally and informally to increase production and access to locally sourced produce. Although cultivation of urban produce lowers the carbon footprint of food production by removing transportation to market, there is a lack of studies that investigate both toxic element profiles and nutrient content of produce in these nontraditional settings. In this study, we examined the lead (Pb) content and essential nutrient profiles of fruit harvested from the Greater Boston urban landscape in settings ranging from city streets to urban parks to residential and commercial properties. Partnering with League of Urban Canners, a local urban harvesting organization, we created, followed, and assessed a modified participatory action research model that we call the flashlight model. Fruit samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence, a novel, environmentally sustainable, and economically feasible method to investigate the elemental composition of produce. Results indicated that on a fresh weight basis, averages for all urban fruit harvested in this study (with the exception of urban apples) had lead concentrations ([Pb]) below the maximum limit set by the European Commission. Daily Pb intake from consuming a serving of urban fruit was comparable to daily Pb exposure from drinking water at the maximum contaminant level. Across a suite of plant nutrients (including calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc), urban harvested apples and pears were 19% enriched on average compared to market samples. This study suggests that urban fruit and public produce in general could be further developed to facilitate science-based community transformations, as well as supporting the consumption of locally sourced, nutrient-rich produce and promoting food sovereignty.