Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
964 results(17 / 39)
Perspectives of integrated pest management in CDMX urban agriculture and impacts of SARS-CoV-2 health emergency
2021Jessica Cuevas-Castilleja, Armando Martínez-Luz, Marcelo Adán López-Arzate, Itzel Arlette Ramírez-García, Gustavo Mora‐Aguilera, Norma Ávila-Alistac · Revista mexicana de fitopatología(en línea)/Revista mexicana de fitopatología · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on productive activities and the level of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) application among 108 urban agriculture farmers and extensionists in six areas of Mexico City. A digital survey in 2020 revealed that the sanitary emergency reduced extension services, though they continued with digital technologies. During the peak of COVID-19, 14% of farmers declined to sow the summer-fall season, and up to 75% reported 20% losses due to the epidemic. The main pest control strategies were mechanical (67%) and chemical (52%), indicating an intuitive understanding of IPM benefits despite farmers being unaware of its principles.
Economic viabilityHealthEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDynamics of the Nature and Value of Urban Agriculture in Arusha City, Tanzania: The Case of Daraja Mbili and Lemala Wards
2021Pastory Salvatory Thomas, Wilbard Kombe, Aldo Lupala · Current Urban Studies · Tanzania (Arusha)
This study examined factors characterizing changes in the nature and value of urban agriculture in Arusha City, Tanzania, a rapidly urbanizing city, through in-depth interviews with 60 respondents in Daraja Mbili and Lemala wards. Findings revealed that limited access to ideal urban agriculture areas leads some farmers to acquire small plots in unlawful areas, restricting livestock numbers and crop types, and reducing their ability to meet food needs. While uncontrolled agricultural practices accelerate environmental degradation and pollution, they also support the livelihoods of needy farmers; however, the study concluded that urban agriculture cannot thrive without adequate access to agricultural land and a strong institutional framework.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageSTACKED
2021Luuk Graamans · Architecture and the Built Environment · Global
This research investigated the potential and limitations of plant factories (vertical farming) for urban food production. The STACKED method was developed to assess plant factory performance across multiple scales, from leaf to facility to city, analyzing resource requirements including energy, electricity, water, CO2, and land area use for fresh vegetable production. The study found that while plant factories feature extensive climate control, their necessity, effectiveness, and efficiency remain questionable, and their effects on the urban energy balance were also assessed.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsBuilding a food-resilient city through urban agriculture: The case of Ilorin, Nigeria
2021Akeem Ola · Town and Regional Planning · Nigeria (Ilorin)
This study examined the effects of urban planning practices on urban agriculture (UA) in Ilorin, Nigeria, and its contribution to the city's food shock resilience. Findings revealed that UA contributed 16.9% to meat/fish/egg requirements, 4.5% to yam/cassava/potato, 0.58% to vegetables, 0.6% to fruits, and 0.5% to grain requirements. However, the Respondents’ Agreement Index (RAI) indicated that poor access to finance (0.93), limited land area (0.75), and lack of tenure security (0.44) were dominant variables influencing UA's poor contribution to food security.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityThe morphological impact of municipal planning instruments on urban agriculture
2021Ana Mélice Dias, Teresa Marat-Mendes · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Portugal (Lisbon)
This paper investigated the impact of municipal planning instruments on urban agriculture in Lisbon and its surrounding territory, Portugal. It concluded that current planning regulations in Lisbon’s Greater Area are specifically focused on morphological solutions that give preference to urban agriculture uses related to leisure and aesthetic solutions, to the detriment of design solutions that tackle economic growth or ecological diversity.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsRefugee Community Gardens and the Politics of Self-Help
2021Cecilia M. Tsu · Amerasia Journal · United States
This article examines community gardens established for refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the United States during the 1980s. It argues that refugee gardeners perceived a significant disconnect between their rural lives in Southeast Asia and the role of vegetable growing in the U.S., despite advocates emphasizing continuity with their past. The gardens provided a measure of economic empowerment, but highlighted the disjuncture in their resettlement experience.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePerspectivas de la agricultura urbana y periurbana para la seguridad alimentaria en Colombia
2021Sandra Patricia Montenegro Gómez, Yulian Adalberto Sepúlveda Casadiego · Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia eBooks · Colombia
This paper contextualizes relevant experiences and technical tools for implementing urban and peri-urban agroecological orchards in Colombia. It notes that urban and peri-urban agriculture can alleviate food insecurity and create jobs, but currently, Colombia lacks government policies to support these processes. The study aims to transfer knowledge on crops to communities to strengthen food security through vegetable production.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityUrban farmers land injustice: Assessing the impact of land development projects on agriculture in Dar es Salaam City
2021Mkwela Hawa · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Tanzania
This study used a qualitative approach to examine land injustices faced by urban farmers in Mbweni-Mpiji, a sub-urban area of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Findings indicated that farmers experience constant pressure from land insecurity, inferior land rights, informal land access, stiff competition from other land users, degrading land quality, and a continuous decrease in agricultural land size. These factors negatively impact the daily livelihoods, including food security, social status, and income, of those entirely dependent on urban farming.
Equity & displacementPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHorta Comunitária e Quintais Produtivos da Comunidade Coelho Atikum Jurema e os Desafios da Covid-19 / Community Garden and Productive Backyards of the Coelho Atikum Jurema Community and the Challenges of Covid-19
2021Elijalma Augusto Beserra, Vivianni Marques Leite dos Santos, Eva Mônica Sarmento da Silva, Lúcia Marisy Souza Ribeiro de Oliveira, Hesler Piedade Caffé Filho · ID on line REVISTA DE PSICOLOGIA · Brazil
This descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative research, conducted from September to December 2021, investigated how the community garden of the Coelho Atikum Jurema Community in Brazil was affected by Covid-19. The study identified a series of adversities faced by the community in adapting to the market changes resulting from Covid-19 social interaction rules. These rules directly impacted the community's marketing techniques, posing challenges to economic viability.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justicePengaruh Pengetahuan, Sikap dan Perilaku Masyarakat Tehadap Kegiatan Urban Farming
2021Tenri Ulfa, Nurlita Pertiwi · UNM Environmental Journals · Indonesia (Makassar)
This descriptive quantitative and correlational study of 50 respondents in Makassar City examined urban farming behavior and influencing factors. While respondents generally had high environmental knowledge, their environmental attitudes were moderate. 23 respondents with low urban farming activities cited time constraints as a difficulty, despite a significant, strong, and unidirectional relationship found between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.
Limited or null effectCommunityDIYHealthEconomicsMilan's private Vertical Forests vs. horizontal urban greening
2021Lucia Di Paola · · Italy
This paper examines Milan's Porta Nuova re-urbanization project (2004-2015), which features Vertical Forest skyscrapers as symbols of urban greening. Activists and resident groups strongly opposed the project, criticizing the privatization of a public park and high rents, arguing it represents a top-down privatization leading to exclusion and gentrification. In response, these groups developed a public community garden in the same neighborhood as an alternative model for democratic horizontal urban greening.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsImpacts of Agricultural Land Acquisition for Urbanization on Agricultural Activities of Affected Households: A Case Study in Huong Thuy Town, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam
2021Nhung Pham Thi, Martin Kappas, Heiko Faust · Sustainability · Vietnam
This study in Huong Thuy Town, Vietnam, examined the impacts of agricultural land acquisition for urbanization (ALAFU) on 50 affected households. It found that rice cultivation and animal breeding sharply declined, while potted flower plantation grew, becoming the main income for 34% of households. However, all agricultural activities faced challenges due to shortcomings in agricultural land allocation and development plans.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyPotential for Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Practices in Nairobi County
2021Mary Njoki Mwaura, Sabina Mukoya-Wangia, Japheth Ododa Origa, O.L.E. Mbatia, Evans Chimoita · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Kenya
A study of 149 respondents in Nairobi County examined urban and peri-urban agricultural practices, finding composting and open field farming popular but not the most profitable. More profitable practices like cattle rearing and mushroom farming were unpopular due to expensive inputs and specialized skills. The study indicates that popular practices are less profitable, highlighting a need for transformation towards controlled environment agriculture with policy support.
Economic viabilityCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureNo Place to Grow
2021Kristan Majors · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States
"No Place to Grow" is a 2019 documentary film (27 mins) that captures the story of a longstanding LatinX community garden, its farmers, neighborhood protests, and negotiations with government officials in the United States. The film depicts the challenges faced by the community garden, leaving viewers disheartened. It is recommended for libraries collecting on community gardens and urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsKajian Hasil Pendapatan Petani Hidroponik Di Kabupaten Jember
2021Dimas Ganda Permana Putra, Elida Novita, Bambang Herry Purnomo, Diana Nurhayati · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Jember)
A study conducted from May to August 2020 in Jember Regency, Indonesia, investigated the average monthly income of hydroponic farmers. Based on surveys and interviews, the average monthly income ranged from Rp.200,000.00 to Rp. 4,000,000.00. This low income was attributed to most respondents still being in a trial-and-error phase and lacking government assistance.
Economic viabilityEconomicsDIYEconomicsA green new deal for agriculture: for, within, or against capitalism?
2021Benjamin Selwyn · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Global
This article argues that a Green New Deal (GND) for agriculture must actively combat environmental degradation, social inequality, and labor exploitation, rather than merely aiming to restart capitalist economies. It identifies key areas for discussion and political action, including the reorientation of state subsidies, workers' rights, agrarian reform, the decommodification of food, agroecology, urban agriculture, new technologies, and rewilding.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsReview: Potensi Pengembangan Pertanian Perkotaan oleh Lanjut Usia untuk Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan
2021Reni Nurjasmi · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Global
This review examines the potential of urban agriculture by the elderly to support food security. While urban agriculture could produce 180 million tons of food globally per year, representing 10% of total global food production, it is currently insufficient to meet urban food needs, with urban food supply still heavily reliant on rural areas and imports. With an increasing urban elderly population, empowering seniors through urban agriculture technologies like vertical farming is proposed as an opportunity for food security.
Limited or null effectElderlyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban wastewater for agriculture : farmers’ perspectives from peri-urban Bengaluru
2021Seema Purushothaman, Sheetal Patil, Raghvendra S. Vanjari, A. R. Shwetha · · India (Bengaluru)
A participatory assessment in Byramangala, Bengaluru, explored farmers' perspectives on using wastewater (domestic sewage with industrial effluents) for irrigation. The study found that farmers were adapting to a heavily polluted environment, which resulted in restricted crop choices, lower produce prices, health impacts, and socio-cultural consequences. Despite concerns about water quality, farmers prioritized health-imparting agriculture and were keen to continue farming, but their preference for treated wastewater was overshadowed by its potential diversion for urban use.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthClimate changeEconomicsFeeding the Cities
2021Nancy Karanja, Mary Njenga · · Kenya (Nairobi)
The urban agriculture efforts of Alice Wairimu and her husband Michael Macharia, who migrated to Nairobi, Kenya, are presented. They raised livestock but lost a cow during political unrest and sold the rest for hospital bills. They also attempted wastewater farming on government-owned land, which was repossessed in 2010. Subsequently, they used their meager savings to rent land nearby and continue practicing urban agriculture.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSocial entrepreneurship in obesity prevention: A scoping review
2021Audrey Chia, Junyu Ong, Anjali Bundele, Yee Wei Lim · Obesity Reviews · South Korea
A scoping review of social ventures in obesity prevention identified 512 social ventures across 32 countries, with 93% originating from developed countries, including urban farming among their intervention areas. Social ventures developed diverse business models with multiple revenue streams, offering financially self-sufficient approaches. However, the review did not provide detailed data on specific successful cases or the scale of economic viability for these ventures.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPolicySustainable Social Entrepreneurship Models for Urban Agribusiness Initiatives in Johannesburg
2021Michael Rudolph, Madimetja Antony Mello, Evans Muchesa · Journal of food security · South Africa (Johannesburg)
This study aimed to develop a sustainable social entrepreneurship model for urban farming initiatives in Johannesburg. Through a literature review and qualitative interviews with experts, findings highlighted several important challenges that limited urban smallholder farmers' ability to ensure the financial viability and sustainability of their farming initiatives. These challenges included limited accessibility to farming land, markets, funding, and knowledge regarding setting up and managing small agri-businesses.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPolicyFood educationOffsetting the cost of community-supported agriculture (CSA) for low-income families: perceptions and experiences of CSA farmers and members
2021Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Leah C. Volpe, Marilyn Sitaker, Emily H. Belarmino, Amari Sealey, Weiwei Wang, Florence Becot, Jared T. McGuirt, Alice S. Ammerman, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This study interviewed 24 CSA farmers and 20 full-pay CSA members about their perceptions and experiences with cost-offset Community-Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) models and specific cost-offset mechanisms, to understand the potential of CO-CSA for low-income households. Both farmers and members prioritized ensuring access to healthy food regardless of income level and generally favored member donations for funding CO-CSA. However, a commonly mentioned barrier was the potential time burden on CSA farmers for administering cost-offset programs, raising questions about economic viability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfareCultivating the city for ecosocialism
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George M. Martin · · Global
This chapter examines urban cultivation across diverse global contexts, finding that global South cities often experience declining food production due to displacement by financiers and landowners. It notes that urban cultivation is frequently associated with unacknowledged pollution problems, and its overall ecological impacts are not necessarily positive. Furthermore, urban food production, with the exception of Cuba, does little to reduce social inequality and can sometimes exacerbate it.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyClimate changeA new hope for India to eradicate the problem of hunger and unemployment with its advancement in both urban and rural India
2021Dr.Sumanta Bhattacharya, H. B. Lal, Bhavneet Kaur Sachdev · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · India
India's horticulture industry has grown, contributing to GDP and employing 42% of the population. However, 60% of products rot due to a lack of cold storage, hindering the elimination of food shortages and export amplification. Floriculture has also improved, with women playing a role in rural economy and empowerment.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageFood lossClimate changeEconomicsThe Changing character of the city-food nexus
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George Martin · · Global
This chapter examines the global relationship between food growing and capitalism over 500 years, identifying three profit-seeking formats: mercantilism, industrialism, and global financialization. It argues that capitalism has led to a de-industrialization of cities and a commodification of agricultural products by corporate megafarms, contributing to green gentrification in urban redevelopment. This has incited a food resistance trend, leading to the emergence of community gardens and farms.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunity