Urban farms represent highly heterogeneous environments, complicating on-farm food safety efforts

Abstract

Urban agriculture is increasingly recognized for its capacity to mitigate food insecurity and to contribute to the development of more sustainable and equitable food systems, yet microbial and chemical pre-harvest food safety risks in urban farms remain underexplored in the United States. To address this gap, we surveyed 43 urban farms across 12 cities in three U.S. growing regions. Semi-structured interviews, field walk-throughs, and follow-up reviews of each farm’s social media presence were used to characterize farm practices and histories as well as grower perspectives on microbial and chemical hazards. Findings revealed substantial heterogeneity between and within farms. Many farms prioritized community empowerment, education, and food access. Growers frequently expressed concern about legacy chemical contamination but reported limited training or awareness of microbial hazards. Structural constraints, such as insecure land tenure, limited resources, reliance on volunteers and donated materials, and staff turnover, further complicated consistent implementation of food safety measures. Improving food safety outcomes in urban agriculture will require flexible, field-specific risk assessment, alongside policies and technical assistance that address both knowledge gaps and structural barriers facing urban growers.