Research & reports

Tuyet Truong, Khoirunnisa Khuzaimah, H.T.M. Pham, Ho Ngoc Son, Tuan Van Bui, Long Ha · SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF TAN TRAO UNIVERSITY · Vietnam (Son La Province)

A study surveyed 39 local farmers in Buot village, Son La province, Vietnam, to examine their perception of agrobiodiversity and factors influencing the adoption of syntrophic farming in home gardens. The survey found that most farmers understood the importance of agrobiodiversity and were willing to adopt syntrophic farming. However, challenges in capital, market access, and a lack of irrigation systems were identified as barriers hindering their adoption of syntrophic farming.

Merishca Naicker, Denver Naidoo, Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi · African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies · South Africa

This mixed-methods study surveyed 120 community garden participants in Ward 18, Umdoni Municipality, South Africa, to assess the impact of community gardens on household food security. The survey found that 58.3% of participants did not receive sufficient food from the gardens, and only 15.8% achieved food security, with 40% experiencing moderate food insecurity. Despite their establishment, community gardens appeared ineffective in substantially improving household food security, with challenges including climate change impacts.

Austin Thompson‐Spain, Kyle S. Bunds, Lincoln R. Larson, Bethany B. Cutts, J. Aaron Hipp · Sustainable Development · United States

This scoping review examines funding and financing mechanisms for nature-based solutions and their impact on social equity in the United States. It finds that market-driven nature-based solutions can contribute to an inequitable distribution of urban ecosystem services. The distribution of benefits is influenced by local contexts, decision-making inclusion, and payment mechanisms, suggesting disparities in access for diverse and marginalized populations.

Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Hugo Antonio Fernández, R. Salazar, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, E. Fitz-Rodríguez, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, I.L. López-Cruz, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Uwe Schmidt, Dennis Dannehl · Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua · Mexico (Mexico City)

Yields and water productivity of romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes were investigated in 13 urban gardens in Mexico City. Lettuce yields ranged from 0.10 to 1.20 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.21 to 2.93 kg m-3, while cherry tomato yields ranged from 0.25 to 3.40 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.32 to 5.52 kg m-3. Irrigation in these gardens is empirically done using potable water, showing an excess water supply of 0.27 to 0.4 m3 m-2 for a complete cycle of lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Svetlana Hristova-Vladi · Postmodernism Problems · Bulgaria

The book "Urban Agriculture for Improving the Quality of Life. Examples from Bulgaria," edited by Donna Pickard, explores the real versus potential effects of urban agriculture on the welfare of urban and nearby communities. This multidisciplinary study analyzes the interplay between urban agriculture practices and quality of life through social, educational, economic, spatial, and ecological aspects. It also delves into the historical dimension of urban agriculture in Bulgaria, including examples from Sofia in the 1930s.

Mekonnen Amberber Degefu, Fantu Kifle · Climate Services · Ethiopia

This study examined the impacts of climate variability on vegetable production among 156 randomly selected vegetable farmers along the little Akaki River in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Climate data from 1996 to 2020 and farmer perceptions revealed high coefficients of variation for monthly and annual precipitation. Farmers perceived increased floods/rainfall (44.9%), drought frequency (13.5%), temperature (89.7%), and decreased vegetable productivity (86.5%). High precipitation and temperature variability negatively affect vegetable productivity, with nonadaptation (36.5%) also reported as an adaptation option.

Lena Katharina Mietz, Bárbara Civit, Alejandro Pablo Arena · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Argentina (Mendoza)

This study investigated vegetable consumption patterns, interest in vegetable production, opinions on urban agriculture, and barriers in the metropolitan city of Mendoza, Argentina. Using quantitative research methods and a citizen survey, the results showed strong interest from citizens in urban agriculture, but also identified barriers such as lack of time and resources.

Oekan S. Abdoellah, Indri Wulandari, Kinanti Indah Safitri, Nafa Destri Fianti, Rahma Maulia Fadli Basagevan, Mega Nurul Aini, Rosalina Ilmi Amalia, Mahardhika Puspa Arum Suraloka, Gemilang Lara Utama · Sustainability · Indonesia (Bandung)

Commercialization of urban agriculture (UA) in the Great Bandung region has led to the displacement of small-scale farmers and reduced access to local food, exacerbating food insecurity among low-income residents. Subsistence farmers (48.91%) earned only 7.14% to 14.64% of the 2023 minimum wages, and food insecurity prevalence was predominantly observed after UA practices. The study also found a surplus of vitamin A among urban farmers, while inadequacies in other nutritional aspects were prevalent.

Cynthia Nneka Olumba, Eberechukwu Johnpaul Ihemezie, Chukwudi Charles Olumba · Climate and Development · Nigeria

This study aimed to understand urban farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the adaptation constraints they encounter in Anambra Metropolis, Nigeria. Household survey data using structured questionnaires showed that most urban farmers perceived climate change through effects such as increased weed infestation, drying up of streams/rivers, and decreased soil moisture. Principal adaptation constraints were diverse, falling within broader institutional, information, and financial categories. The study revealed that the socioeconomic conditions of urban farmers in developing countries pose a threat to urban agriculture's potential to mitigate climate change.

Maria Sulimma · Ecozon European Journal of Literature Culture and Environment · Global

This article examines "feminist gentrifier memoirs," specifically Anne Elizabeth Moore’s Gentrifier (2021) and Vikki Warner’s Tenemental (2018), focusing on gardening practices. It explores the writers’ conflicted positions in gentrifying neighborhoods and their complicity in processes of displacement and real estate speculation, despite benefiting from urban sustainability measures like urban farms and gardens. The texts engage with complex emotions arising from their white privilege and homeownership.

Marek Hekrle, Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová · Resources · Czechia

This study investigated how ecosystem services (ES) provided by the community garden 'Žížala na Terase' in Czechia are affected during crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased food prices. Results indicated that the importance of social interaction and educational ES significantly decreased in the COVID-19 scenario. Conversely, the role of community gardens as places for recreation increased. In the food self-provisioning scenario, provisioning ES increased at the expense of recreational ES. Economic assessment further showed that cultural ES were the most monetarily valued, followed by provisioning ES.

Mahyuddiin · KnE Social Sciences · Indonesia (Makassar)

This qualitative study analyzed the network structure of sustainable urban farming development policies in Makassar City, Indonesia, using observations, interviews, and documentation with stakeholders. The findings indicate that the network structure is not fully effective due to erratic, uneven, and unclear contact between actors, and a lack of binding written agreements in the trust dimension. However, information sharing and resource exchange dimensions are progressing well.

Seongeun Lee, Seongmin Shin, Hansol Lee, Mi Sun Park · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Global

A systematic review of urban agriculture (UA) case studies identified conditions enabling and constraining UA development across different country income groups. For high-income countries, a lack of farmers' knowledge and urban development are significant challenges to UA implementation. Common requirements for all income levels include motivation, labor, policy, social capital, and arable land.

Agnes Naipospos, Raia Azzura · Journal of Sustainable Development and Regulatory Issues (JSDERI) · Indonesia

Indonesia faces a reduction in vegetable supply due to rapid urban development, and urban farming can be a solution to meet food needs, reduce household expenses, and increase farmer income. Using a normative juridical approach, this study indicates that Indonesia needs an urban farming program, but its current implementation is not optimal. Therefore, the Indonesia Masterplan for Future Urban Farming (IM-for-FUF) is introduced as an innovation expected to better support the implementation of the green economy.

Emelie Larsson, Katarina Giritli Nygren · Journal of Risk Research · Global

This study analyzed strategy documents and municipal website information to examine how municipalities frame urban gardening as a risk-reduction strategy, using critical discourse analysis. It identified two discourses: an eco(no)logical risk discourse addressing ecological risks within a capitalist market logic, and a social risk discourse focusing on gardening for work training. The findings reveal that top-down urban garden initiatives highlight contemporary inequalities in urban spaces.

Mulugeta Chane Wube, Heena Atwal · Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship · Ethiopia

This study, conducted in the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia, examined the integrated effect of the entrepreneurial ecosystem's political-legal subsystem on the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and the mediating role of entrepreneurial competence. A sample of 499 MSE operators engaged in manufacturing, construction, and urban agriculture was selected. While the political-legal aspects significantly impacted both entrepreneurial competency and MSE performance, the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and MSE performance was found to be insignificant. The mediating role of entrepreneurial competency in the relationships between policy and business performance and other business environments and business performance was also shown to be insignificant.

Catharina Any Sulistyowati, Suraya Afiff, Muhammad Baiquni, Mia Siscawati · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

A literature study conducted from October 2021 to June 2022 identified challenges in the development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Farmers face expenses for sustainable practices and labor shortages, while CSA members encounter issues with time commitment, cost, and adapting food consumption habits. Organizational challenges include member recruitment and retention, competition, and CSA sustainability.

Sinan Kordon, Patrick Miller · ArtGRID - Journal of Architecture Engineering and Fine Arts · United States (Roanoke)

A survey in five disadvantaged neighborhoods of Roanoke, Virginia, identified primary reasons for non-participation in community gardening. Using descriptive statistics, T-test, and factor analysis, the study found that "theft and damage," "difficult access," "too much effort," and "no personal interest" were the main deterrents. These findings highlight specific barriers to public involvement in community garden projects.

Diana Hertati · MIMBAR Jurnal Sosial dan Pembangunan · Indonesia

This study investigated the development of urban farming as a strategy to support food security in Indonesia using descriptive and qualitative methods. While the community understands urban farming (P2L), inhibiting factors include perpetrators' lack of technical understanding, insufficient capital, and extreme weather. Local government strongly supports food security policies through urban farming.

Seohyun Kim, Carlos Almeida Peña · Journal of Student Research · United States

This study critically evaluated existing initiatives like SNAP, HFFI, and urban agriculture for addressing food deserts in the United States, which affect approximately 19 million individuals. Through a literature review and interviews, the research found that these programs, while offering some positive impact on food insecurity, largely fail to directly address the fundamental issue of distance and systemic accessibility to supermarkets. The study proposes enhancing public transit and online delivery platforms as comprehensive solutions.

Alioune Badara Dabo · Norois · France (Île-de-France)

This article analyzes how the public land tenure system, introduced in the 2018 "Agricultural Pact" in the Île-de-France region, articulates with local farming systems. Based on a qualitative survey conducted in the Green Belt area, the findings reveal that this land tenure system does not fully align with the strategies of farmers, particularly young people outside family farming who wish to establish themselves in agriculture, as they do not necessarily seek land ownership.

Mareike Schwarz · Street Art & Urban Creativity · Global

This paper analyzes the intersection of urban art and community gardens to explore whether commons can emerge from this collaboration. Through a comparative study of two community garden projects in Berlin and Dakar, the research examines the impact of funding structures, accessibility, artistic concepts, and design on commoning. Findings reveal that the two projects differ significantly in their development context and underlying structures, affecting their ability to function as commons. Furthermore, the paper argues that the dependency of artistic involvement on third-party funding contradicts the principles of commoning.

Yosef Abebe, Mulugeta Gashaw, Asenake Kefale, Tim Brewer · Water Reuse · Ethiopia

A study on wastewater governance in the upstream catchment of the Awash Basin, Ethiopia, found that untreated wastewater discharged from industries is polluting rivers and the surrounding environment. Regulatory bodies have done little to enforce rules and directives for wastewater regulation, and due to poor implementation of laws, urban agriculture is expanding without concern for its negative health and socioeconomic impacts.

Charles Achcar Chelala, Cláudia Maria do Socôrro Cruz Fernandes Chelala · DELOS Desarrollo Local Sostenible · Brazil

This article analyzes the urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil, focusing on existing commercialization channels to identify the relationship between urban food production and city supply. The study aimed to pinpoint difficulties, limitations, and expansion capacity of UPA. It concludes that despite a diversity of accessible channels for UPA, short commercialization channels like direct sales and open-air markets remain the primary outlets for production, indicating challenges in expanding commercialization beyond these traditional methods.

Gareth Haysom, Jane Battersby · Palgrave studies in agricultural economics and food policy · Africa

Based on findings from cities in five African countries, this study argues for a re-framing of urban food system resilience. It contends that the urban system, specifically infrastructure, shapes the functioning of the food system and consumers' ability to use it, and that the agency of urban food system users needs inclusion in understandings of, and efforts to increase, food systems resilience.