Research & reports

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.

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.

Johannes Bhanye, Abraham R. Matamanda, Ruvimbo Shayamunda · Discover Global Society · Zimbabwe

In Lydiate informal settlement in peri-urban Zimbabwe, Malawian migrants mobilize insurgent practices, including informal land seizures, spiritual claims, and communal strategies, to access land for farming. Access to land for urban and peri-urban farming remains a significant hurdle, especially for marginalized migrants. Migrants invoke divine ownership narratives, Nyau cult practices, and witchcraft deterrence as tactical tools for defending seized land.

F. Xavier Medina, José Antonio Vázquez–Medina, Marco Covarrubias · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Mexico (Mexico City)

This chapter discusses the factors linking food production, social and environmental problems, and future challenges in the chinampas of Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage wetland area in Mexico City's peri-urban zone. It examines strategies implemented by stakeholders and their effects to envision future scenarios for sustainable food systems. The insularity of the chinampas imposes a particular character on agri-food production and the life of inhabitants, highlighting existing social and environmental problems.

Tesfay, Hailay, Machethe, Charles · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ethiopia (Tigray)

This paper examines the effect of Ethiopia's land certification program on the land tenure security of rural and peri-urban farming households in the Tigray region. Analyzing cross-sectional data from 500 respondents using logistic regression, the study showed that the program's effect is significantly influenced by the geographic location of farm households. The program produced better results for rural farmers than for peri-urban farmers, with certified households in rural areas being less likely to experience a change in their land tenure (less secure land tenure) compared to certified farmers in peri-urban areas.

James S. Kaba, Joseph Mutungi, Gladys Rotich · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Kenya

This study examined the implications of urbanization-triggered industrial development on food security in Kiambu County, Kenya, neighboring Nairobi. Through mixed qualitative and survey-based data collection and analysis from 400 respondents including farmers, agricultural workers, urban planners, and government officials, the study found an 85% increase in farmland conversion to industries over the last 20 years. This industrialization contributed to a decline in food production, as reported by 65% of respondents who left farming for industrial jobs. Land-use transformations have resulted in fewer farms involved in agriculture and the replacement of old food systems.

Victória Pansani Silveira Maia, Sílvia Aparecida Mikami Gonçalves Pina · Periódico Técnico e Científico Cidades Verdes · Global

This case study analyzed urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) experiences in India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam) and an agroforestry system in Campinas, Brazil, using literature review, document analysis, and participant observation. The study identified common obstacles to agroecological practices, including land tenure insecurity, real estate pressures, lack of specific public policies, and uneven community engagement. It also highlighted potentialities such as care networks and food resilience, emphasizing the need for institutional support and public policies.

S. Pickles, Anita Stefoska‐Needham, Karen Charlton · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global

This scoping review was undertaken to identify factors affecting the economic sustainability and associated viability of soil-based commercial farms located in urban and peri-urban settings within OECD member countries. Following the PRISMA ScR methodology, 170 eligible articles were identified from four scientific databases. This review found that many soil-based urban farms in OECD countries struggle to achieve economic sustainability or organizational viability.

Girma Mulu Alemu, Sophie Schramm, Wilbard Kombe · Cogent Social Sciences · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This qualitative study in peri-urban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, explored the impacts of peri-urbanization on smallholder farmers' socio-economic conditions. The research found that peri-urbanization leads to the erosion of capital assets, with dwindling agricultural land causing tenure insecurity and disrupting livelihoods. This process exacerbates smallholder farmers' marginality by weakening social ties and mutual support systems.

Gabriela Civeira, Florencia Rositano · Conicet · Argentina (Buenos Aires)

This study analyzed the environmental, social, and economic factors of agricultural production in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Region (RMBA) across 28 municipalities, using National Agricultural Census data and an adapted ecosystem services (SE) estimation model. Findings indicated that 97.4% of small and medium-sized horticultural producers use conventional management, with only 2.6% employing non-conventional practices. Structural problems identified include informal labor, limited technical access, and urban pressure, highlighting the need for public policies to strengthen more sustainable production systems.

Kejela Gnamura, Michael Akwasi Antwi, A Belete · Land · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This mixed-methods study investigated the effects of urbanization-induced displacement on economic capital security by comparing 223 evicted and 223 non-evicted peri-urban farming households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Logistic regression and thematic content analysis revealed that evicted households are approximately 72.7% less likely to achieve economic security compared to non-evicted households. The study concluded significant differences in household economic capital security between the two groups.

Laxman Barua, YOGITA ADHIKARI, Kuldeep Naik · International Journal of Agriculture and Nutrition · India (Prayagraj)

This research assessed heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils near the Naini industrial area in Prayagraj, India, and evaluated remediation strategies. Lead and cadmium concentrations at 0.5 km from the industrial zone exceeded Indian permissible limits (Pb: 67.8 mg/kg vs 50 mg/kg; Cd: 6.4 mg/kg vs 5 mg/kg). A pot trial showed that Brassica juncea removed 34.7% of Pb and 41.2% of Cd, while lime + biochar reduced Pb by 52.4%. A combined approach reduced bioavailable Pb to below the permissible limit.

Paule Moustier, Jacques Pagès · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Africa

This study examined peri-urban agriculture in Africa, identifying it as a significant income and food source for the urban poor, but subject to constraints, primarily land pressure. Analysis of the vegetable supply chain in Brazzaville showed rural and peri-urban areas are complementary, with different types of vegetables originating from each. Land constraints, transport, access to inputs, and technical assistance are crucial factors determining production location. Historical analysis invalidates hypotheses of linear decline or development through intensification for peri-urban agriculture.

Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil

This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.

Marcus Robinson, Jacky Bowring, Shannon Davis, Sarah Edwards · Landscape Research · Global

This narrative review explored how urban expansion at the rural-urban fringe drives the loss of productive agricultural land, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The review examined how these competing interests can be negotiated spatially, emphasizing the role of multifunctional green infrastructure to integrate both food production and ecological function across the urban-rural continuum.

Letícia Englete de Mello, Dirlane de Fátima do Carmo, Daiane Cecchin, Leonardo da Silva Hamacher, Marcel Carvalho Abreu, R. M. Anjos, Mariana Vezzone · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

This study investigated the profile of 159 urban and peri-urban agricultural producers across 29 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, using quantitative interviews and statistical analysis. Producers were predominantly men over 50 with limited education, cultivating small plots with organic methods but receiving little technical support. Key challenges identified were a lack of assistance and resources, and urban agriculture's potential is hindered by the absence of effective public policies.

Fuchaka Waswa, Duncan Gichabe, Ruth Kahuthıa-Gathu · Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO · Kenya (Ruiru)

This study investigated land use changes in Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya, from 1988 to 2024 using GIS. By 2024, agricultural land had decreased by 45.62%, while urban land use increased by 509%, and bare/rocky areas rose by 133% due to abandoned stone mining. The decline in agricultural land leads to reduced industrial crop areas and a shift to leafy vegetables, with an expected increase in agro-chemical use in intensive peri-urban farming.

Abdul Rahim Mohammed Sabtiu, Isaac Amankona Hinne, Isaac Kwame Sraku, Daniel Kodjo Halou, Richard Tettey Doe, Simon K. Attah, Fred Aboagye‐Antwi, Yaw A. Afrane · Malaria Journal · Ghana (Accra)

A study in Accra, Ghana, investigated mosquito larval habitats and their impact on Anopheles gambiae s.l. larvae density, conducting surveys at 15 locations during 2022's dry and rainy seasons. Of 727 potential habitats, 65.34% were positive for Anopheles larvae, with drainage ditches being the most common type. Irrigated urban farming sites showed the highest abundance of An. gambiae s.l. larvae, particularly during the rainy season, indicating that urban farming contributes to increased mosquito breeding habitats.

Justin B. Richardson, Eric Vukicevich, Eric C. Sirkovich · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · United States

Soils, sap, and maple syrup were collected from four artisanal maple syrup producers in four suburban areas across the northeastern United States to assess nutrient and trace element concentrations. Soil arsenic and lead concentrations approached or exceeded EPA limits. Sap and syrup arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead, and zinc concentrations reached or exceeded FDA limits for food.

Sergi Ventura, J.R. Armengol Miró, David Camacho-Caballero, Enric Casellas, Ricard Segura-Barrero, Alberto Martilli, gara villalba · Urban Climate · Spain (Barcelona)

This study used the Pseudo Global Warming method and WRF model to assess urban heat adaptation strategies in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Three strategies were evaluated: increasing rooftop albedo, implementing irrigated sedum green roofs, and increasing peri-urban agriculture and urban parks. While increasing rooftop albedo provided the greatest daytime cooling (−1.75 °C), and green roofs and peri-urban agriculture showed moderate regulation, none of the strategies fully counterbalanced the projected 6 °C temperature increase by 2100, indicating a limited capacity of these adaptations under severe warming scenarios.

Human Sciences Research Council · Figshare · South Africa

A 2025 study from South Africa's Western Cape used propensity score matching on data from 220 households — those participating in Department of Agriculture-funded backyard garden projects plus a control group — to assess urban agriculture's contribution to household food security. Households engaged in urban agriculture benefited from greater dietary diversity and income from selling produce, but the study found no significant positive contribution of urban agriculture to food security.

Shuang Gan, Wanglin Yan · Applied Geography · Japan

A multi-scale analytical framework examined changing relationships between urban expansion and farmland protection during the transition from population growth to decline, applied to the Odawara region of Japan. Since population decline began in 2010, conflicts between urban expansion and farmland protection have remained concentrated along the urban-agricultural fringe, with farmland loss and fragmentation continuing despite reduced development pressure, and population change was found to indirectly cause paddy field loss via built-up land expansion with a five-year lag. The main driver of farmland loss has shifted from urban development to agriculture-related loss driven by labor shortages and low farming efficiency, and agricultural promotion areas moderately retain paddy fields but offer only limited protection against fragmentation.

Jacek Antonkiewicz, Iwona Paśmionka, Grzegorz Szychowski · Soil Science Annual · Poland

Following a flood that inundated allotment gardens in Nysa, southern Poland, for up to 14 days after the water rose on 14 September 2024, researchers analyzed 12 soil samples collected in early spring 2025 from two allotment garden sites. Most soils were found limed and disinfected, with high organic matter but low total potassium, sodium and sulfur. Zinc and copper concentrations exceeded the average for Polish arable soils, pointing to use of materials enriched with these elements.

Sumit Vij, Vishal Narain · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water · Global

This review addresses a knowledge gap on how peri-urban residents in Asia and Africa adapt to the impacts of urbanization and climate change on water security. As rural-urban boundaries rapidly blur in the global South, peri-urban spaces are characterized by weakening access to water resources, depleting common property institutions and poor civic engagement, and the review presents the persistent marginalization of peri-urban residents from a water security perspective, while also showing that they do develop adaptation measures. Existing literature is found to focus primarily on (1) increased vulnerability of peri-urban agriculture and allied sectors, (2) barriers and enablers to water-security-related adaptation planning, and (3) justice in peri-urban areas, and the review calls for further study of emerging cooperation and collective action that could reduce conflicts between peri-urban and urban inhabitants and improve water security.

Abdul-Salam Ibrahim, Marney E. Isaac, Thembela Kepe · Land Use Policy · Ghana

Focusing on Ghana, where floods driven by urbanization and climate change are destabilizing urban systems in which land tenure is integral, this study drew on political ecology and land-tenure-security frameworks to examine how floods affect the land tenure security of flood victims. Based on semi-structured interviews with flood victims and planning officials, it found that flood-induced rezoning and new planning schemes, tenant insecurity, relocation, loss of land documents, and threats to urban agriculture all affect flood victims' land tenure security; possessing land documents was found to be important for tenure security but not an absolute condition for victims' perceived security. Post-flood land-use planning for flood risk management was found to have dual potential — it can enhance tenure security and bolster community resilience, but when carried out in an exclusionary way that overlooks the urban poor, it can instead perpetuate inequality and tenure insecurity. The study recommends tenure-responsive land-use planning that embeds contextual, procedural, and distributive equity principles into planning responses to urban floods.