CGIAR Initiative on Resilient Cities

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/117904

Part of the CGIAR Action Area on Resilient Agrifood Systems

Primary CGIAR impact area: Poverty reduction, livelihoods and jobs

https://www.cgiar.org/initiative/16-resilient-cities-through-sustainable-urban-and-peri-urban-agrifood-systems/

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 171

Psychometric properties of early childhood development assessment tools in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
(Journal Article, 2025-05) Bliznashka, Lilia; Hentschel, Elizabeth; Ali, Nazia Binte; Hunt, Xanthe; Neville, Sarah Elizabeth; Olney, Deanna K.; Pitchik, Helen O.; Roy, Aditi; Seiden, Jonathan; Solís-Cordero, Katherine; Thapa, Aradhana; Jeong, Joshua
Objective Valid and reliable measurement of early childhood development (ECD) is critical for monitoring and evaluating ECD-related policies and programmes. Although ECD tools developed in high-income countries may be applicable to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), directly applying them in LMICs can be problematic without psychometric evidence for new cultures and contexts. Our objective was to systematically appraise available evidence on the psychometric properties of tools used to measure ECD in LMIC. Design A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data sources MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, SciELO and BVS were searched from inception to February 2025. Eligibility criteria We included studies that examined the reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of tools assessing ECD in children 0–6 years of age living in LMICs. Data extraction and synthesis Each study was independently screened by two researchers and data extracted by one randomly assigned researcher. Risk of bias was assessed using a checklist developed by the study team assessing bias due to training/administration, selective reporting and missing data. Results were synthesised narratively by country, location, age group at assessment and developmental domain. Results A total of 160 articles covering 117 tools met inclusion criteria. Most reported psychometric properties were internal consistency reliability (n=117, 64%), concurrent validity (n=81, 45%), convergent validity (n=74, 41%), test–retest reliability (n=73, 40%) and structural validity (n=72, 40%). Measurement invariance was least commonly reported (n=16, 9%). Most articles came from Brazil, China, India and South Africa. Most psychometric evidence was from urban (n=92, 51%) or urban–rural (n=41, 23%) contexts. Study samples focused on children aged 6–17.9 or 48–59.9 months. The most assessed developmental domains were language (n=111, 61%), motor (n=104, 57%) and cognitive (n=82, 45%). Bias due to missing data was most common. Conclusions Psychometric evidence is fragmented, limited and heterogeneous. More rigorous psychometric analyses, especially on measurement invariance, are needed to establish the quality and accuracy of ECD tools for use in LMICs.
Impact of home gardens promoted among urban residents in Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Journal Article, 2025-04-30) Pepijn Schreinemachers; Sandhya S. Kumar; Nasir Md. Uddin
Promoting gardening among urban residents holds the potential to improve urban diets in low- and middle-income countries, but there is a lack of evidence of impact. This study tests the hypothesis that training urban residents in gardening increases their intake of fruit and vegetables. It uses panel data for 254 control and 425 treatment households from four city corporations in the Dhaka metropolitan area of Bangladesh. Urban residents, 85% of whom were women, were interviewed before the start of an urban gardening program and one year after training and inputs were provided to the treatment group. The study estimated the average treatment effects using a difference-in-difference estimator. Of the 38 outcomes tested, 20 are significant (p<0.05) with 19 indicating a beneficial effect and one indicating an adverse effect. Among the beneficial effects, there is an increase in the diversity of fruits and vegetables produced (+5 species, p<0.01), the frequency of harvesting (+0.64 times/week; p<0.01), and increased sharing of produce with neighbours (+8%, p<0.01). Regarding food and nutrition, there is an increase in women’s dietary diversity score (+0.37 on a 0–10 scale; p<0.01), women’s minimum dietary diversity (+4%; p<0.01), and in the number of portions of cooked vegetables eaten (+0.96 portions/day; p<0.01). The gardening intervention also contributes to a range of perceived social, personal, and psychological benefits. The adverse effect is an increase in ultra-processed food consumption (+19%, p=0.04). Nevertheless, the results confirm that urban gardening interventions can improve the quality of urban diets alongside other benefit.
The rural food environment and its association with diet, nutrition status, and health outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review
(Journal Article, 2025-03-13) Choudhury, Samira; Bi, Afrin Zainab; Medina-Lara, Antonieta; Morrish, Nia; Veettil, Prakashan C.
"Background: The food environment consists of external and personal domains that shape food purchasing decisions. While research on food environments has grown rapidly within high-income countries (HICs) in response to increasing rates of overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), critical research gaps remain. The role of food environment on diet, health and nutrition has been understudied in LMICs. To date, there has not been a systematic review specifically focusing on rural LMICs. This systematic review aims to synthesize findings from studies examining the association between rural food environment domains and diet, nutrition and health in LMICs or effects of food environment interventions on these outcomes. Methods: Searches were conducted from 9 databases: Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), Global Health (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), EconLit (EBSCOhost), Web of Science (Social Science Citation Index), Scopus, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ProQuest) to identify studies published between 2000 and 2023 that reported associations between this/these dimensions with diets, nutrition or health outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative studies that were published in English were included. Data extraction and quality appraisal was conducted independently by two authors, before the study findings were collated and summarized through a narrative data synthesis. Results: Nineteen eligible studies were identified from 9 databases covering 11 LMICs. The included studies employed quantitative (n = 12), mixed method (n = 6) and qualitative (n = 1) designs in the neighbourhood food environment. In this review, availability dimension of the external food environment featured most prominently, followed by accessibility, affordability, desirability, and convenience dimensions of the personal food environment. Food availability was positively associated with diet (n = 10), nutrition (n = 7) and health (n = 1). There was good evidence regarding associations between food accessibility, diet (n = 7) and nutrition (n = 3). We identified some evidence that food price and affordability (n = 8) were considered key barriers to achieving healthy diets. Desirability (n = 4) and convenience (n = 2) dimensions were also associated with dietary outcomes, although we found only a few studies. Only one South African qualitative study was identified which highlighted limited availability and accessibility to local supermarkets and surrounding informal fruit and vegetable vendors to be a barrier to expensive, healthy foods consumption. Finally, evidence regarding health outcomes, sustainability dimension, impacts of food environment interventions on relevant outcomes and interactions between food environment dimensions was missing. Overall, seven out of nineteen studies were rated as good quality, six were rated as fair and six were rated as poor. Conclusions: Future interventions should consider improving availability and accessibility of nutritious foods to improve public health nutrition in rural LMICs. Evidence from studies assessing the workplace, home, and school food environments, food environment interventions, sustainability dimension and other key dimensions of the external food environment such as prices, vendor and product properties and marketing and regulation is needed to identify effective interventions to address malnutrition in all its forms characterized by the coexistence of undernutrition, overnutrition, undernutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs)."
CGIAR Research Initiative on Resilient Cities: Annual Technical Report 2024
(Report, 2025-04-15) CGIAR Initiative on Resilient Cities
On the feasibility of an agricultural revolution: Sri Lanka’s ban of chemical fertilizers in 2021
(Journal Article, 2025-04) Drechsel, Pay; Madhuwanthi, Piumi; Nisansala, Duleesha; Ramamoorthi, Dushiya; Bandara, Thilini
Sri Lanka Government’s ambitious decision to ban synthetic agrochemicals, including chemical fertilizers (and pesticides), in April 2021 made it the first nation in the world to embark on a full-scale transition to – as the Government called it—organic farming, and address concerns about human health and the environment. Previous policies had envisioned a gradual shift, but the sudden ban caught agriculture off guard. Declining foreign exchange reserves to import chemical fertilizers and coinciding peak fertilizer prices appeared to support the timing of the move. However, the ensuing rush for organic fertilizers failed to meet the national demand, resulting in severe losses in rice and export-oriented plantation crops. Facing decreasing yields and food insecurity, the government lifted the ban in November 2021. The events raised critical questions about the necessity and feasibility of such a drastic transition and alternative ways. To explore the general feasibility of transitioning toward organic fertilizers, this study considered the actual and potential availability of biomass to “replace” chemical fertilizers at the national scale as was envisioned by the Government. The analysis focused on the four main national crops and showed that in none of the selected scenarios, Sri Lanka’s actual and potentially available organic fertilizer could supply rice- and plantation-based agrosystems with sufficient nitrogen, not to mention other crops or nutrients. The Government will in every scenario, including one that assumes a stepwise transition, remain compelled to spend significantly on importing organic fertilizer to maintain the required crop yields, which would cost the Government more foreign currency than purchasing chemical fertilizer. Even more costly is purchasing rice to close the national production gap, as Sri Lanka eventually did at the end of its nationwide experiment, which resulted in major food security concerns.
From waste to value: key insights and lessons learned from biogas initiatives in the Global South
(Report, 2025-04-02) Somorin, Tosin; Bodach, Susanne; Tripathi, Mansi
Biogas technology offers a promising pathway for circular bioeconomy transitions in the Global South by turning organic waste into clean energy and nutrient-rich byproducts. Through anaerobic digestion, this approach supports climate mitigation, reduces environmental pollution, and enhances energy access and rural livelihoods. However, large-scale implementation remains limited due to complex barriers spanning political, financial, social, and technical dimensions. Drawing on case studies from Asia and Africa, this report identifies key drivers of successful biogas programs—including strong policy support, financing mechanisms, market development, and community engagement—while underscoring challenges such as fragmented governance, high upfront costs, and low public acceptance. Overcoming these requires integrated strategies that promote enabling environments, capacity building, standardization, and investment readiness. Scaling biogas technologies in low- and middle-income countries can catalyze sustainable development by aligning climate action with inclusive waste management and renewable energy.
Resilient Cities urban nutrition profile: Ghana
(Report, 2025-03-07) Margolies, Amy; Amunga, Dorcas; Craig, Hope; Folson, Gloria; Olney, Deanna K.
Ghana’s urban population has grown significantly, and while undernutrition in children has decreased, urbanization and economic progress have led to a shift toward overnutrition. The rise in consumption of poor-quality diets and ultra-processed foods (UPFs), along with more sedentary lifestyles, is contributing to alarming increases in overweight and obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes. The country is facing an emerging double burden of malnutrition (DBM), in which undernutrition coexists with overnutrition. The prevalence of child stunting is declining in rural areas, but child overweight and obesity is rising in urban areas. Increasing rates of overweight and obesity are also concerning among urban women and adolescent girls. Micronutrient deficiencies affect both urban and rural populations. Ghanaians in urban areas have more diverse diets but higher consumption of unhealthy foods, while those in rural areas face food insecurity and nutrient inadequacies. These challenges highlight the need for targeted dietary interventions to address poor feeding practices, healthy diets, and micronutrient deficiencies. Diet-related NCDs, such as hypertension and diabetes, are rising alongside contributing dietary risk factors, with urban areas and women most affected. Urban youth face higher NCD risks, with low diagnosis rates and socioeconomic factors exacerbating urban-rural disparities. Urban nutrition interventions improved child growth, reduced blood pressure in hypertensive adults, increased nutrition knowledge in schoolchildren. However, some strategies had limitations, and urban programs overlook poor diet quality, failing to address the need for double-duty interventions to tackle the double burden of malnutrition (DBM). Nutrition policies, guided by the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, address food security and healthy diets by targeting vulnerable groups such as young children, women, and adolescents. Ghana has made progress in promoting nutrition and healthy diets through multisectoral advocacy efforts, including the implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, social protection programs, and a national NCD policy. However, challenges remain, as few policies directly address the urban poor, and insufficient funding, weak governance, unhealthy urban food environments, food safety issues, and the unaffordability of healthy diets require targeted efforts to improve diets and address multiple forms of malnutrition, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas. Strengthening coordination and focusing on obesity and NCD prevention in urban areas are urgent priorities. Double-duty interventions and programs in social protection, agriculture, health, and education should be designed, implemented, and evaluated to tackle all forms of malnutrition.
Resilient Cities urban nutrition profile: Kenya
(Report, 2025-02-24) Margolies, Amy; Amunga, Dorcas; Pather, Kamara; Craig, Hope; Olney, Deanna K.
Despite progress in reducing child stunting over the past 15 years, Kenya is now facing new nutrition challenges, including overweight and obesity. The double burden of malnutrition (DBM), which is the coexistence of under- and overnutrition within individuals, households, and populations [1], manifests as child stunting and adult overweight (mostly in women) at the population and household levels. Dietary diversity is low and affects different population groups (particularly young children, adolescents, and women), predisposing them to micronutrient deficiencies. However, recent data on micronutrient intake and status are lacking. Households living in urban areas are vulnerable to being overweight, a consequence of increasingly unhealthy dietary patterns. In Kenya’s informal urban settlements, limited dietary diversity, reliance on cereals, and widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contribute to high rates of child stunting, underweight, and the DBM, with affordability and accessibility driving food choices. Compounding factors include food safety concerns, clustering of unhealthy food vendors, and external shocks. Urban nutrition interventions have had mixed results, with some programs improving child health and maternal knowledge, but others showing no significant impact. Kenya aims to eliminate malnutrition by 2027, but national policies focus mostly on rural areas, leaving urban nutrition challenges insufficiently addressed. Programs such as Afya Jiji and the Nairobi City County Food System Strategy target urban health, but gaps in urban-specific strategies, poor coordination, and limited funding hinder progress. The national school meals program serves only a small portion of schools, and urban food policies are still underdeveloped.
Vendor testimonials on Vendor Business School curriculum
(Video, 2024-11) Gimutao, Kaymart; Bertuso, Arma; Ricarte, Phoebe; Labitag, Ralfh Ronnel; Caoile, Ginia Pauline; Prain, Gordon; Heck, Simon; Alonso, Silvia
The Vendor Business School (VBS) is an innovative program of CGIAR Resilient Cites Initiative implemented in Quezon City and Nairobi for piloting. VBS aims to empower small food vendors by providing them with vital knowledge, skills, and resources to overcome the challenges of their daily business operations and improve their food safety measures. The video showcases the testimonials of several stall vendors from private and public markets and hawkers after graduating from the VBS on their learnings in the vendor business school curriculum. This was shared during the Urban Food System Policy Forum organized by the CGIAR Resilient Cities Initiatives and Quezon City Government held last November 6, 2024. Overall, the testimonials show the positive impact of the VBS curriculum and their learning on their business and personal growth.
Food vendor stories on food system and livelihood
(Video, 2024-11) Prain, Gordon; Bertuso, Arma; Ricarte, Phoebe
This video, showed during the Urban Food System Policy Forum organized by the CGIAR Resilient Cities Initiatives and Quezon City Government held last November 6, 2024, highlights the crucial role of market vendors in urban food systems in the city. Two market vendors spoke candidly about their involvement in the food supply chain and the crucial role that food vending plays in sustaining their households. Their testimonies illustrated the challenges they face—ranging from financial instability to the lack of access to formal business training. But they also emphasized the deep sense of purpose they feel in providing affordable food to their communities.
Vendor Business School Empowers Livelihoods in Philippines: Testimonies from Small Market vendors
(Video, 2024-09) CGIAR initiative on Resilient Cities
The Vendor Business School (VBS) is an innovative approach for enhancing the entrepreneurial abilities and business practices of small food market sellers. In this video, hawkers and vendors from both public and private markets testify to the value of attending and finishing the VBS. The vendors emphasized the lessons they had learned about food safety, seasonality, customer relations, and record keeping which helps better their livelihood. In the Philippines, the CGIAR Resilient Cities Initiative VBS was implemented with the Quezon City government.
Vendor Business School: Empowering food vendors in urban Philippines
(Video, 2024-03) Prain, Gordon; Bertuso, Arma; Prain, Marco; Ricarte, Phoebe
The Vendor Business School (VBS) is an innovative program of CGIAR under its Initiative on Resilient Cites. It aims to empower small food vendors by providing them with vital knowledge, skills, and resources to overcome the challenges of their daily business operations and improve their food safety measures. Currently, the VBS program is being piloted in two countries, the Philippines and Kenya. In the Philippines, CGIAR has partnered with the City Government of Quezon City to conduct the program from February to July 2024.
Scoping study of vegetable seedling systems in urban and peri-urban areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
(Report, 2024-12) Adimassu, Zenebe; Coyne, Danny; Legesse, Wubetu Bihon
Ethiopia's urban and peri-urban (UPU) vegetable production has grown significantly, enhancing food security and nutrition in densely populated areas. UPU agriculture reduces dependence on external food sources, lowers transportation costs, and provides fresh produce, thus improving dietary diversity and public health. It also empowers communities, creates jobs, and stimulates local economies. Access to quality seedlings is crucial to sustain urban agriculture and increase its productivity. Quality seedlings ensure vigorous growth and adaptability of vegetables, leading to a better nutrititive value and less use of chemical inputs, such as pesticides. This study assessed the functioning of vegetable seedling systems in UPU areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 36 vegetable seedling producers and other key informants.
Training Empowers Facilitators to Enhance Vendor Business School Curriculum Understanding and Implementation
(Blog Post, 2024-02) CGIAR Initiative on Resilient Cities
In an objective to strengthen the delivery of the Vendor Business School (VBS) program, comprehensive training was conducted to address key objectives aimed at refining the facilitators’ skills and strategies. The activity was held on January 17-19, 2024 at the Business Permits and Licensing Office of the Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD). This training brought together enthusiastic facilitators from MDAD, the Small Business and Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office, and Food Security Task Force committed to providing an enriching VBS experience for vegetable vendors in Quezon City. The first objective of the workshop was to ensure that participants delved deeper into the revised VBS curriculum. To reinforce their understanding, facilitators actively participated in teach-back and coaching sessions of the modules. The interactive sessions aimed to equip the facilitators with the knowledge needed to effectively communicate the content to the vendors attending the Vendor Business School. It also provided a platform for them to practice and refine their delivery techniques. The resource persons and other facilitators provided constructive feedback, fostering a learning environment that aimed to enhance each facilitator’s ability to convey the lessons effectively.
Launch of Vendor Business School Program to Empower Small Food Vendors in Quezon City, Philippines
(Blog Post, 2024-02) Ricarte, Phoebe; Bertuso, Arma
the CGIAR Resilient Cities initiative in partnership with the Quezon City Local Government Unit proudly launched its innovative Vendor Business School (VBS) Program. A total of 140 men and women small food vendors who will participate in the VBS program were recognized during the event. The VBS aims to empower small food vendors by providing them with vital knowledge, skills, and resources to tackle their everyday business hurdles and enhance their food safety measures. The VBS program is designed to guide and support vendors through training sessions and mentorship programs focused on entrepreneurship, business planning, budgeting, marketing, risk management, adapting to technological changes, establishing financial connections, and ensuring food safety. Quezon City stands out as one of the Philippines’ largest and most populous and dynamic urban centers. It is the largest city in Metro Manila by land area and serves as a major entry point for food and distribution across the entire metropolis. As a rapidly growing urban center, the city is dedicated to addressing the challenges of urbanization, including food security, environmental sustainability, and resilience to climate change. A study conducted by the Resilient Cities initiative in two urban centers in Metro Manila including Quezon City and Pasay, sheds light on the significant challenges small food vendors encounters impacting their daily operations and future prospects. Issues such as insufficient capital and limited understanding of essential business concepts lead to inadequate income. Small food vendors are keen on seeking expertise in various aspects of their businesses, including financial management, product quality enhancement, customer engagement, and communication with suppliers. Improving their entrepreneurial strategies catered to their unique circumstances, of the Vendor Business School Program, is crucial in improving their business outlook and achieve financial sustainability. [see further: “Validation Study for the Development of Vendor Business Schools in the Philippines”]
Reporte técnico del desafio de innovación made in agraria 2024
(Report, 2024-12) Fuentes, A.
El desafío de innovación “Made in Agraria 2024: Innovando por un futuro sostenible” es una competencia de emprendimiento e innovación en ciencias agrarias, naturales y alimentarias, organizado por la Incubadora de Empresas de la Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), Incubagraria, en alianza con el Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) y ejecutado en coordinación con el Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la UNALM. En el caso de Incubagraria, este desafío es organizado en el marco del del Proyecto “Hub de Innovación y emprendimiento en cambio climático”, el cual busca identificar soluciones e innovaciones enfocadas en la adaptación y/o mitigación al cambio climático en cinco áreas temáticas: energía limpia, economía circular, economía azul, sistemas alimentarios y soluciones urbanas. En el caso del CIP este desafío es organizado en el marco de la Iniciativa “Ciudades Resilientes a través de Sistemas Alimentarios urbanos y periurbanos sostenibles”, con el objetivo de identificar ideas de negocios y/o soluciones innovadoras para atender las problemáticas de las cadenas agroalimentarias de la ciudad de Lima. Asimismo, esta actividad se desarrolló dentro del paquete de trabajo 5 de la Iniciativa Ciudades Resilientes del CIP-CGIAR. Este paquete de trabajo tiene como objetivo mejorar las capacidades de investigación e innovación de los investigadores y estudiantes de universidades locales. Por su parte, la iniciativa Ciudades Resilientes del CIP-CGIAR es una iniciativa global implementada en 5 países de África, Asia y América Latina y busca fortalecer las capacidades de los sistemas alimentarios urbanos de las crecientes poblaciones urbanas del mundo.
Celebrating women entrepreneurs through vendor business schools
(Blog Post, 2024-03) Britanico, Stella Concepcion R.; Ricarte, Phoebe; Bertuso, Arma
The VBS is a program of CGIAR Resilient Cities initiative that aims to empower small food vendors by providing them with vital knowledge, skills, and resources to overcome the challenges of their daily business operations and improve their food safety measures. Currently, the VBS program is being piloted in two countries, Philippines and Kenya. In the Philippines, CGIAR has partnered with the City Government of Quezon City to conduct the program from February to July 2024. Vendor participants are selected from private and public markets and temporary vending sites. The training and coaching sessions will cover topics on entrepreneurship, business planning, budgeting, marketing, risk management, adapting to technological changes, establishing financial connections, and ensuring food safety
The dynamic nature of community gardens through history: A literature review
(Working Paper, 2024-03) Salters, Miranda; Gonsalves, Julian; Monville-Oro, Emilita; Santos-Anunciado, Ma. Shiela; Hunter, Danny
Around the globe, rapid urbanization has created challenges in ensuring access to nutritious and affordable food, as well as protecting green spaces (Guitart et al., 2012). Community gardens have emerged as dynamic spaces that address these issues while offering promising outlooks for the future of food security and sustainable urban development (Burt et al., 2020; Guitart et al., 2012). Since their inception, community gardens have undergone significant evolution. Today, they are regarded as epicenters for building community capacity, inspiring sustainable food systems, and facilitating social empowerment. However, community and allotment gardens originated as mitigation strategies during times of crisis, rather than as innovative, sustainable solutions for enhancing urban and peri-urban landscapes (Birky, 2009). This literature review aims to highlight the importance of community gardens in urban and peri-urban spaces by examining their roles in food sovereignty, community empowerment, social protection mechanisms, and humanitarian work. It does so by analyzing the literature on the origins, development, and current status of community gardens worldwide.
Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli in urban and peri-urban garden ecosystems in Bangladesh
(Journal Article, 2025-02-06) Pramanik, Pritom Kumar; Hoque, M. Nazmul; Rana, Md. Liton; Islam, Md. Saiful; Ullah, Md. Ashek; Neloy, Fahim Haque; Ramasamy, Srinivasan; Schreinemachers, Pepijn; Oliva, Ricardo; Rahman, Md. Tanvir
In the past decade, there has been a notable rise in foodborne outbreaks, prominently featuring Escherichia coli as a primary pathogen. This bacterium, known for its prevalence in foodborne illnesses and as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance, was isolated from raw vegetables, soil, and water samples collected from rooftop and surface gardens in urban (Dhaka North City Corporation; DNCC and Dhaka South City Corporation; DSCC) and periurban (Gazipur City Corporation; GCC) areas of Bangladesh. In this study, 145 samples including vegetables (n = 88), water (n = 27) and soils (n = 30) from DNCC (n = 85), DSCC (n = 30), and GCC (n = 30) were analyzed to assess the prevalence of E. coli using culture, biochemical tests, and PCR targeting the malB gene. E. coli was detected in 85 samples, indicating an overall prevalence of 58.62% (95% CI: 50.48–66.31). In urban areas (DNCC and DSCC), the prevalence rates were 44.70% and 80.0%, respectively, with surface gardens showing higher contamination rates (70.83%) than rooftop gardens (46.57%). In the peri-urban GCC, overall prevalence of E. coli was 76.7%, with rooftop gardens more contaminated (93.33%) than surface gardens (60.0%). Antibiogram profiling of 54 randomly selected isolates revealed 100% resistance to ampicillin, with varying resistance to ciprofloxacin (25.92%), tetracycline (14.81%), cotrimoxazole (14.81%), imipenem (9.25%), and fosfomycin (1.0%). Notably, all isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, nitrofurantoin, and cefotaxime. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 14.81% of isolates. The blaTEM gene was present in 81.48% of the isolates, while the tetA gene was detected in 3.70%. These findings underscore the urgent global health concern posed by the significant presence of E. coli in fresh vegetables, highlighting the need for improved safety measures and monitoring to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance through the food chain.
Household Vegetable Gardening in Quezon City, Philippines: Practices, Benefits, and Constraints
(Report, 2024-12) Lagdameo, John Luis D.; Dejaresco, Angelica Nicolette B.; Gonzalez, Ma. Cecilia M.; Ignowski, Liz; Schreinemachers, Pepijn; Bertuso, Arma R.
The study collected a wide range of information from respondents. It included details about their identities, such as names, ages, and genders. Additionally, it examined household characteristics, including house size, sources of income, and the number of floors in their homes. The research also explored urban food production and planting practices, identifying the types of vegetables grown, the locations of these planting activities, and the technologies used. Moreover, it investigated food acquisition and meal preparation, focusing on sources of food, safety concerns, and the challenges faced in obtaining these items. Diet diversity was assessed through a one-month recall of food, fruits, and vegetables, where respondents were asked whether they had consumed these items in the past month, how frequently they consumed them, and the approximate quantities. Diet quality was evaluated using a 24-hour recall, detailing the types of vegetables, meat products, and desserts consumed in the last 24 hours. Finally, the study examined food insecurity experiences over a one-month period, noting the preferred foods that respondents were unable to eat due to a lack of resources, the frequency of going to bed hungry, and the reduction in the number of meals consumed per day due to resource constraints.

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