Research & reports

Hedwig Ajeng Grahani · GeoEco · Indonesia

A 2024 systematic survey of 217 urban farming households in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia, used Stata 19 for hypothesis testing and SPSS 27 for descriptive statistics, running a multiple linear regression of net urban farming income against 22 variables covering sociodemographics, farm structure, input management, biotic stress and institutional support (R2 = 0.7448). Eleven variables had a significant effect, with farm size the most favorable factor, followed by financial support, seed subsidies and technical aid; gender and family size also showed positive effects. Crop type correlated negatively with income, and biotic stress — particularly pest type and severity — substantially reduced income, while training and market access were not statistically significant.

Mugabo Kalisa G. · Idosr Journal of Computer and Applied Sciences. · Sub-Saharan Africa

A review article addresses how, in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where malaria transmission is increasing in urban and peri-urban areas due to rapid urbanization and inadequate infrastructure, urban agriculture — a vital livelihood strategy in peri-urban SSA — often intersects with poor water management practices, creating favorable breeding grounds for malaria vectors, particularly Anopheles mosquitoes. It examines the complex relationship between urban agriculture, water management and mosquito breeding in peri-urban areas, including how irrigation systems, water storage and waste management contribute to malaria transmission, and discusses the implications for malaria control. It also reviews emerging technologies such as remote sensing, GIS and mobile health platforms that can enhance mosquito surveillance and community involvement, and calls for a multi-sectoral approach spanning urban planning, vector control and community-based interventions, along with sustainable urban agricultural practices to mitigate malaria risks in SSA.

Adnan Sirage Ali · Discover Public Health · Ethiopia

A comparative cross-sectional study of 315 urban vegetable-farming households along the Akaki Rivers in Ethiopia used structured questionnaires, multivariable logistic regression, multilevel mixed-effects models and bootstrapped mediation analysis. Two-week diarrhea prevalence was 11.4% (36/315) among children and 8.7% among adults; in this cross-sectional design, which cannot establish causality, wastewater irrigation was associated with more than double the odds of diarrhea (AOR=2.10, 95% CI 1.30-3.40), frequent contact with irrigation water with 80% higher odds (AOR=1.80), and regular raw-vegetable consumption with 60% higher odds (AOR=1.60). Handwashing with soap (57% risk reduction), bathing after farm work (41% reduction) and household water treatment (45% reduction, AOR=0.55) were protective, clustering by irrigation site was modest (ICC about 6%), and hygiene practices mediated 28% of the exposure-outcome relationship.

Candice M. Duncan, Fatemeh Ghezelsofla, Hlengilizwe Nyoni, Jazmin Escobar, Odette Mina · Toxics · United States

A study measuring per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in irrigation water at two organic farms in Maryland, USA, with no known direct PFAS input, and assessing health risk via a Hazard Index (HI). At agricultural site 1 (AG1), the most abundant compounds were PFBS (37 ng/L), PFBA (24 ng/L) and PFHxA (22 ng/L); the HI showed compliance for branched PFHxS (0.39) but non-compliance for linear PFHxS (1.51). At agricultural site 2 (AG2), despite no known industrial or PFAS-related facilities nearby, HFPO-DA (GenX) was detected at 28 ng/L, and the HI exceeded the compliance threshold (HI = 2.83), with GenX accounting for most of the calculated risk. The findings show HI exceedances occurring at small farm sites with no identifiable contamination source.

Paul Emile Tchinda, Thi-Thanh-Hiên Pham · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes 70(3) · Cameroon (one large and one medium-sized city)

Urban agriculture appears in many sustainability agendas yet has been ignored in the public policies of many African countries. Combining multi-scale mapping (city and neighbourhood) with semi-structured interviews in one large and one medium-sized Cameroonian city, this study tests how well those techniques characterise urban agriculture for local decision-making. Mapping from 5-metre SPOT satellite imagery gives a general grasp of the spatial distribution of practices, but crop types, emerging entrepreneurial practices and the temporality of crops are invisible to it and surface only through field mapping and interviews. Echoing critical remote-sensing scholarship, the authors propose a methodological framework for profiling urban agriculture and argue that the choice of research method shapes our understanding of it, so it should be made with each city's specific characteristics in mind.

Kissoly L. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · タンザニア・ダルエスサラーム

An exploratory qualitative case study and policy analysis of urban agriculture's current landscape and possible futures in rapidly urbanizing Dar es Salaam, drawing on targeted literature and document review, a policy and regulatory scan, and 52 key informant interviews with municipal actors, urban farmers and food-system practitioners conducted between April and September 2025. Urban agriculture is valued for household food supplementation, small-scale income and fresh-food provisioning through short-cycle vegetable production close to consumers, but remains shaped by tolerated informality, insecure land access, fragmented regulation, contamination risks, weak institutional coordination and pressure on peri-urban land. Five evidence-informed trajectories are proposed — managed river-corridor cultivation; sacks, buckets and roofs for dense-ward micro-production; institutional land clusters; peri-urban foodshed belts with circular-resource hubs; and small-scale aquaculture with insect-based feed — presented explicitly not as tested feasibility models but as differentiated options requiring further technical, environmental, spatial and economic assessment. The paper argues the future depends not on a single large-scale model but on risk-sensitive, institutionally grounded forms of support.

Olivier Parfait Bissemb, Rosette Christelle Ndjib, Patrice Brice Mvogo Ottou, Jacques Bruno Ngotta Biyon, Zenabou Ndiang, Georges Maxime Lamy Lamy, Eric Ngansop Tchatchouang, Ivant Stevy Nganmo, Jean Lagarde Betti, Richard Jules Priso · Journal of Environmental Protection · Cameroon (Douala)

This study assessed floristic diversity and agricultural practices around five stormwater drains in Douala, Cameroon, identifying 67 species from 24 families. Floristic diversity, measured by the Shannon-Weaver index (H'= 0.99) and low evenness (E = 0.23), indicated an unbalanced plant community dominated by a few cultivated and ruderal species. The analysis also revealed significant homogenization between drains, suggesting common agricultural practices and environmental pressures in these polluted environments.

Kejela Gnamura, Michael Akwasi Antwi, Abenet Belete · Research of Economic and Financial Problems · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This mixed-methods study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, compared 446 households (223 displaced and 223 non-displaced) to investigate the effects of urbanization-induced displacement on economic capital and food security. Evicted households showed a 72.7% lower likelihood of achieving economic capital security and 93.4% reduced odds of maintaining food security compared to non-evicted households, indicating significant negative differences.

Paula Marques Crelier, Manoel Jerônimo Moreira Cruz, Danusia Ferreira Lima · Seven Editora eBooks · Global

A controlled laboratory experiment cultivated BRS Leila lettuce (L. sativa) in samples contaminated with lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) at concentrations of 150 and 200 mol/L. The study found that lithium correlates with other alkaline and alkaline earth elements in the leaves and roots of the lettuce. This indicates a contamination pathway where lithium is absorbed by the plant.

Firdavs Berdikulov, Iroda Orifjonova, Bekhzod Eshboev, Jumanazar Xolmurzayev, Bakhtiyor Abdusayitov · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Uzbekistan (Samarkand)

This study examined agricultural growth in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's peri-urban regions from 2000 to 2024, using government data and predictive modeling. It found that urban populations surged while arable land declined, and the vegetable surplus, though currently meeting demand, began shrinking around 2015, suggesting a tipping point toward shortages. The research indicates that without proactive measures like smarter land allocation and advanced irrigation, Samarkand risks a structural food deficit within a decade.

Ayari G. Pasquier Merino, Simone Buratti · · Mexico (Mexico City)

This study analyzed the conditions and challenges in the logistics of transporting merchandise from production areas to commercialization spaces, using a case study of Mexico City’s peri-urban agricultural producers. Qualitative research, conducted from 2019 to 2022, involved 60 interviews with production and distribution project managers, a discussion workshop on transportation issues, and visits to production and distribution spaces. Results indicate that infrastructure and logistics for goods transportation are a key issue for the successful integration of small, peri-urban producers into urban markets. It was suggested that transport and logistics must be addressed for these producers to become viable economic actors.

Sadiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Adeel Mannan, Muhammad Ahsan Shaikh, Muhammad Uzair · Memoria Investigaciones en Ingeniería · Pakistan

In Pakistan, an IoT-based solar-powered smart vertical farming system was proposed to address agricultural challenges like water scarcity. A six-week trial cultivating cherry tomatoes showed the system achieved a 60-65% yield increase, 40% energy saving, and 28.57% water consumption reduction compared to traditional methods. However, limitations included the small trial size and lack of long-term environmental impact data, and scalability challenges such as cost, maintenance, and local restrictions need to be addressed for wider adoption.

Moschella Miloslavich, Paola · Portal de Revistas PUCP (N/A) · Peru (Cajamarca)

This study in Cajamarca, Peru, analyzed the expansion of the city onto vital agricultural land, examining perceptions, consequences, and solutions through surveys and interviews. It found that weak regulations and external factors accelerate informal subdivision of rural properties, leading to future urban areas lacking public spaces and services. Despite high regard for agricultural land, comfort and the land market override beliefs in decision-making, and initiatives to protect the valley were unsuccessful due to permissive regulations and a lack of political will.

Meznanat Tame, Kassahun Gashu, Bantayehu Ayalew Workineh · City Territory and Architecture · Ethiopia

In north-west Ethiopia, a study analyzed urban expansion driving factors, compensation, and livelihood coping strategies of displaced farmers surrounding medium-sized towns. Primary data was collected through 350 survey questionnaires, two FGDs, and six key informant interviews. Findings revealed that compensation was mostly cash-based, and social relationships and community values decreased after displacement. The study suggests a need for proper urban land governance with a participatory approach that includes farmers, and for appropriate urban planning and land policy to improve urban land use efficiency.

Doreen N. Meso, Enos W. Wambu, Gelas Simiyu, Shem M. Mwasi, Thomas Munyao · Discover Environment · Kenya (Kakamega Town)

This study assessed heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils, water, and pumpkin leaves from 21 sites across three zones in peri-urban Kakamega Town, Kenya. It found cadmium pollution in all water samples, and lead and nickel pollution in sections of soil and leafy vegetable samples. Lead pollution was linked to vehicular emissions near the town center, while cadmium enrichment in informal settlements implicated inadequate waste management. Sequential extraction showed 31–35% of soil cadmium was in exchangeable fractions, posing a risk of bioavailability, highlighting persistent heavy metal contamination with implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and agricultural productivity.

A. Bayat, H. Govera · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study descriptively investigated the vulnerability to shocks and pressures of the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA), a key urban food-producing region in Cape Town, South Africa. Data were collected through surveys with stakeholders from government, the private sector, NGOs, private individuals, and informal settlers. Key findings revealed insufficient governance commitment, a lack of multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the growing threat of urban development on agricultural land.

Haofan Xu, Peng Hu, Hailong Wang, Peter Croot, Zhiwen Li, Cheng Li, Shaowen Xie, Hongyi Zhou, Chaosheng Zhang · Environmental Pollution · China

This study in Gaoming county, China, integrated PMF and K-means clustering to identify sources and contamination patterns of 8 potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in peri-urban agricultural soils. Average concentrations of PTEs were reported, with PMF identifying geogenic, industrial/traffic-related, and agricultural sources. The highest PTE concentrations were found in urbanized zones, confirming significant human impact and underscoring the dual influences of agriculture and urbanization on PTE contamination.

A. K. Ahmed, Rasheed Abiodun KURANGA, Oluwadara Latifat ISOLA-MUYIDEEN · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Nigeria (Ilorin)

This study assessed the sustainability of environmental management practices among peri-urban rice farmers in Ilorin, Nigeria, using a sustainability index. It found that many practices were less sustainable, with 69.51% of farmers relying on chemical sprays and 69.85% using chemical fertilizers. The overall Environmental Management Practices Sustainability Index (EMPSI) for all farmers was 0.492, placing them in the moderately sustainable category.

Yaw Agyeman Boafo, Bob Offei Manteaw, Philip Antwi‐Agyei, Portia Adade-Williams, Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Kofi Asare, Doreen Larkailey Lartey, Bernard Ayittiah · Discover Cities · Ghana

This study assesses future climate risks and sectoral vulnerabilities in Ghana's Cape Coast Metropolis using meteorological data and downscaled climate projections through 2100. Findings indicate significant warming trends and heightened rainfall variability, which render peri-urban agriculture highly susceptible to crop failure, fishery declines, and water scarcity. Informal economic sectors are also at risk from infrastructure damage and income impacts.

Erwin Wisnubroto, Maurus Barrawiadi · JURNAL PERTANIAN · Indonesia (Batu)

This study in Batu City, Indonesia, evaluated the sustainability of agricultural production in three sub-districts—Batu, Junrejo, and Bumiaji—using the PROMETHEE method. Data were collected through FGDs, interviews with key stakeholders, and secondary statistical sources, analyzing five sustainability indicators including horticultural vegetables, biopharmaceutical crops, ornamental plants, fruit crops, and small farmer labor availability. The results showed that Bumiaji sub-district had the highest net flow value for sustainability, while Batu sub-district showed declining performance.

Marie Claire Uwase, Jean de Dieu Uwimana · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Rwanda (Kigali)

This article develops a theoretical framework to analyze how digital land registries in Rwanda, specifically in Kigali's peri-urban areas, mediate women's access to formal agricultural credit. The framework posits that despite formal legal equality, digitization can paradoxically solidify existing patriarchal biases within credit assessment algorithms. It reveals that digital land governance is not a neutral solution for gendered credit gaps and can entrench barriers to women's financial inclusion in peri-urban agriculture by systematically undervaluing women's communal land use practices as collateral.

Westone Hamwata, Mwendalubi Hazyondo, Victor Daka, Mbanga Muleba, Nzooma M. Shimaponda-Mataa · BMJ Open · Zambia

A cross-sectional study in urban and periurban areas of Ndola district, Zambia, assessed malaria vector behavior and insecticide resistance. Urban agriculture practices created highly productive mosquito breeding sites like irrigation trenches and garden ponds, where Anopheles funestus s.s and Anopheles gambiae s.s coexisted. Anopheles gambiae s.s showed high resistance to pyrethroids, carbamates, and organochlorines, indicating that urban agricultural practices increase the risk of sustaining malaria transmission year-round.

Peter Nixon, Anu Ramaswami · Environmental Research Letters · United States

This paper quantifies environmental benefits and disbenefits from various vegetable farming localization scenarios across 378 US metropolitan areas. While scenarios found few significant land constraints and revealed net environmental benefits to groundwater overdraft and fertilizer-related PM2.5 emissions in 11%–55% of metros, the model also revealed where relocalization would exacerbate existing environmental vulnerabilities. This indicates potential environmental tradeoffs depending on the location.

· 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.

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.