Research & reports

· The MIT Press eBooks · Global

This book examines community farms in Latin America, Australia, and China, highlighting tensions between local identities and global transformation. It finds that while industrial expansion in export agribusiness generates macroeconomic benefits, it incurs micro-level costs such as the replacement of peri-urban farms by plantations, loss of biodiversity, and groundwater contamination from pesticides and fertilizers. The study suggests that food system intermediaries are crucial in connecting rural migrants with urban farms and resources.

Supriya Chandrakant Gaikwad · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · India (Sikkim)

This paper synthesizes six studies to examine Sikkim's organic farming model, evaluating farmer perceptions, productivity, policy gaps, and urban innovations like rooftop farming. While organic farming in Sikkim boosted yields, lowered input expenses, and improved environmental conditions, marketing and scalability remain significant obstacles, and short-term transition costs and limited market infrastructure are economic constraints. Rooftop agriculture in Gangtok was identified as a valuable addition for urban food security.

Jennifer Temmer, Alison Blay‐Palmer, Andrew Spring · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Northwest Territories)

A Participatory Action Research study in Kakisa, Northwest Territories, applied the Community Agroecological Values Framework to food system planning. While the community successfully leveraged extra-regional resources by building relationships with organizations outside the territory, findings indicated that unstable relationships and conflicting perspectives regarding land use and agriculture constrained access to critical regional supports, including gardening knowledge networks, funding, and training opportunities. This study highlights the necessity of both short-term regional support and long-term local capacity building for sustainable food production.

Stella Kasiva Mbiti, Micah Makworo, Brenda Waruinu Githinji, Christine Sabwa · · Kenya

This study explored the inter-linkages of urbanization, climate change, and food insecurity in Kiambu Sub-County, Kenya. Findings show urbanization leads to dramatic land use changes, diminishing agricultural land, and exacerbated climate risks and food insecurity. The study identified institutional weaknesses, poor planning, limited regulatory frameworks, and political interference as key drivers of unsustainable urban growth and reduced food production.

Michela Lenzi, Andrea Scatolon, Luciana Carraro, Margherita Guidetti, Valentina Carfora · Current Opinion in Psychology · Global

This review explored how community connectedness influences sustainable eating, particularly meat consumption. It found that while community ties can encourage pro-environmental behaviors and support plant-based diet initiatives, a strong connection to one's community may also hinder the adoption of environmentally friendly diets by reinforcing meat-heavy culinary traditions. The potential for community connectedness to promote sustainable eating depends on factors like environmental awareness.

Noryana Ahmad Khusaini, Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Global

This review examines the significance of digital record-keeping in urban agriculture, focusing on its impact on efficiency, productivity, market access, economic benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The review identifies challenges such as a lack of digital skills, high implementation costs, inadequate technological infrastructure, limited connectivity, data privacy, and security. These challenges hinder the adoption of digitalization in urban agriculture.

R Mohammadzadeh · Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction · Global

This qualitative secondary study, based on a structured literature review, examined the role of green infrastructure (GI) integrated into buildings for urban sustainability. Findings indicate that GI supports climate change adaptation, improves air quality, promotes urban biodiversity, and enables energy-efficient design. However, the paper also recognizes limitations related to cost, maintenance, and structural requirements for implementing building-based GI.

Abiola Adebunmi Olarinre · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Nigeria

This research surveyed 240 households in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, and Ilesa cities in Osun State, Nigeria, to analyze urban household food security and coping mechanisms. Findings showed that only 17.9% of households achieved food security, with 39.6% experiencing moderate and 16.3% severe food insecurity. Household income, education, household size, credit access, and food expenditure share significantly influenced food security.

Ricardo de Amorim Cini, Juliana Hrycyna · Ágora · Brazil (Curitiba)

This study analyzed the challenges, expectations, and potential of the relationship between urban gardens and chefs, focusing on the "Horta do Chef" project developed by the City of Curitiba. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and February 2023, involving a literature review and semi-structured qualitative interviews with two chefs and one public official. The results indicated that the "Horta do Chef" project was discontinued due to its decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Katja Hombrecher · Gefahrstoffe Reinhaltung der Luft · Germany

A pilot study in Germany investigated the impact of road traffic emissions on food plants grown near roads. Bioindicators like kale, chard, Lollo Rosso, and lettuce were exposed for four weeks at four roadside locations and compared to plants in a garden away from roads. While pollutant levels generally did not exceed background or EU maximum limits, significant traffic-related inputs of PAK 4, antimony, aluminum, chromium, and vanadium, and lesser inputs of copper, iron, and lead were detected compared to the control. The findings indicate a potential contamination risk for certain vegetable plants from road traffic.

Yosra Abduljalel Alajeli, Gunavathy Selvarajh · Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies · Global

This qualitative desk research investigated urban farming's economic, environmental, and societal impacts on sustainable economic development. Findings indicate urban farming enhances local economies, provides fresh produce, strengthens community engagement, and promotes green infrastructure. However, its broader adoption is hindered by limited land access, inadequate legislative support, and low public awareness.

Katuka, Stephen Agire, Magaji, Sule, Ismail, Yahaya · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Abuja)

This study analyzed the impact of rising food prices on the food security of different socio-economic groups in Abuja, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey of 400 households. Findings revealed that only 18% of households were food secure, while 56% experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Food price inflation had a significant negative effect on food security, particularly among low-income households. Rising food prices were shown to increase the likelihood of mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity by 53%, 88%, and 132%, respectively.

José Arturo Méndez Espinoza, Martín Neri-Suárez, Karen Italia Ruiz-López · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Mexico (Puebla)

A case study in Cuautlancingo, Puebla, Mexico, revealed an adverse context for the reproduction of peri-urban family farming. Urban expansion, neoliberal policies, and real-estate speculation have displaced traditional agricultural practices and fostered land-tenure changes. Between 2005 and 2021, over 40% of agricultural areas were lost due to industrial and housing growth. The study concludes that without effective protection and territorial planning, peri-urban agriculture in Cuautlancingo is at risk of disappearing under urban and industrial pressures, with implications for local food security.

Average Chigwenya, Samson Gwamure · Kuveza neKuumba The Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University Journal of Design Innovative Thinking and Practice · Zimbabwe (Masvingo City)

This research examined how urban agriculture has been incorporated in Masvingo City, Zimbabwe. A mixed methods approach, including interviews with key informants and field observations in urban agriculture areas, was adopted. The research found that despite the widespread practice of urban agriculture, Masvingo City is not innovative in including urban agriculture in its development agenda.

Muhammad Kaulan Karima, Erni Erni, Annisa Fitria, Annisa Rahayu, Hikmah Apriasih Riswanti, Njuah Mayatih Lumban Gaol, Siti Sundari Jaya Ningrat, Syalinni Kemala Nur, Salsa Islami Pashya · Jurnal Riset Sosial Humaniora dan Pendidikan · Indonesia

A qualitative study at State Elementary School 2 Metro Timur, Indonesia, explored the use of the surrounding environment as a Social Studies learning resource. While school gardens and community activities were found to be contextual and meaningful, obstacles included time constraints, unpredictable weather, poor student coordination, and limited facilities. The study suggests that environment-based learning has the potential to improve conceptual understanding and social skills, but faces significant limitations.

Ioana Florea · Environmental Sociology · Romania

This paper investigated three collective gardening projects in Bucharest that closed between 2019 and 2021, analyzing what remains of their sustainability capacities and commoning efforts after termination. Findings indicate that while essential commoning aspects like collectivity building and autonomy can endure and transfer to other spaces, cross-class aspects fade away with these transpositions. This reveals that what persists from closed gardening projects is strongly tied to structural historical contexts.

Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri, Claudia P. Romero-Hernández, Sergio Salazar-Galán, María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero · Sustainability · Spain (Valencia)

This article analyzes the impact of urban sprawl on the Valencia Plain aquifer system from 1990 to 2018 using the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI). Results show urban surfaces expanded by 70% and rainfed agricultural areas declined by over 59%, leading to a 9.2% reduction in environmental value (WEI decreased from 44.80 to 40.68). These changes threaten ecosystem sustainability and reduce the capacity to deliver ecosystem services.

Yuanchao Hu, Prajal Pradhan, Haoran Zhang, Zhen Wang, Qianyuan Huang, Qiqi Jia, Xihong Lian, Chao Xu, Rui Yang, Yuxi Tian, Zhibang Xu, Limin Jiao, Jürgen P. Kropp · Resources Environment and Sustainability · China

This study constructed a new dataset of urban productive spaces for 124 large Chinese cities to assess the potential of urban agriculture. It found that approximately 30% of urban vegetable demand could be met by utilizing spaces such as rooftops and open areas. However, urban agriculture showed little potential for greenhouse gas emission mitigation, with an average intensity (0.30 kgCO2e/kg) similar to traditional agriculture (0.31 kgCO2e/kg).

Kyla D. Schulte, Caleb J. Wilson, Anna Tawril, Mary A. Jamieson · Ecosphere · United States (Michigan)

A three-year study across 10 strawberry farms along a rural-urban gradient in Michigan, USA, characterized bee abundance, diversity, and community composition. The study found that urbanization, measured as impervious surface cover, had no consistent effect on overall bee abundance and diversity. While urbanization differentially influenced specific taxa (Halictini positively in year one, Ceratinini negatively in year three), the overall impact was limited, with wild bees, especially native species, being important pollinators in urban agriculture.

Yasin Mohamed Ibrahim · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Somalia (Mogadishu)

A study in Mogadishu, Somalia, used snowball sampling to assess constraints and opportunities for urban horticulture. It found that temperature, wind, pests, diseases, and limited irrigation water significantly restrict production, particularly for open-field farmers who face high irrigation demands, pest infestations, and low-quality yields unattractive to buyers. While greenhouses offer some protection, plastic greenhouses specifically suffer from inadequate gutter height and poor ventilation, requiring farmers to use primitive methods to combat extreme temperatures.

Sara Ramezani, Mahin Nastaran, Homayoon Nooraie, Kei Otsuki · Journal of Landscape Ecology · Iran

A study investigating urban agriculture land use changes in Damavand, Iran, from 1995 to 2022 found a 109% increase in built-up land and declines of 14.34% in barren land and 22.44% in vegetation, including urban agriculture lands. Interviews with 15 participants identified land value changes, attraction to urban livelihoods, management and planning factors, physical-environmental factors, and urban infrastructure availability as primary reasons for these changes. The research highlights the urgent need for effective planning to mitigate threats from extensive urban agriculture transformations.

Tuem Gebre Abraha, Haftom Teshale Gebre · PLoS ONE · Ethiopia

This study assessed the performance and challenges of 373 micro and small enterprises, including 1073 urban agriculture operators, in Fireweyni town, Ethiopia, using a mixed-methods approach and survey data from 5483 operators. The results revealed that financial control, marketing strategy, managerial expertise, government regulations, and business information services significantly affect the performance of these businesses. Many micro and small enterprises in the country face significant challenges and exhibit deteriorating performance, with limited progression.

Alex Barimah Owusu, Collins Adjei Mensah, Clement Kwang, Gerald Albert Baeribameng Yiran, Ronald Reagan Gyimah, Dominic Edem Hotor, Princella Ofori Darko · International Planning Studies · Ghana

This paper analyzed the replacement of green spaces with brown spaces in Accra, Ghana, from 1991 to 2021 using Landsat satellite images. Brown areas increased from 24.5% in 1991 to 81% in 2021, while green areas decreased from 75.5% to 19% during the same period. The study found a significant reduction in green spaces due to urbanization.

Luis Enrique Serrano Ayasta, Josiane Stoessel-Ritz · Anales Científicos · Peru (Lima)

A doctoral research study in three low-income neighborhoods in South Lima, Peru, analyzed power relations within urban agriculture projects. The findings indicate that these projects, despite aiming for empowerment, often mask asymmetric power relations and reinforce preexisting inequalities, particularly for women gardeners. This perpetuates gender hierarchies and limits their participation and agency, reflecting paternalism from promoting organizations and community leaders.

Mattia Andreola · Discover Sustainability · Italy (Trento)

This study conducted three years of ethnographic research, including participant observation, in-depth interviews, and quantitative data analysis, on "NaturalMente in Trentino," a CSA initiative in Trento, Italy. The research revealed multiple lock-in points, indicating that CSA constraints stem from organizational inefficiencies, deeply rooted cultural and behavioral habits such as the use of private gardens or a preference for supermarket convenience, and rigid institutional frameworks like cooperative dominance in the local agri-food regime.