Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
418 results(3 / 17)
Factors influencing the economic sustainability and viability of soil-based urban and peri-urban agricultural enterprises in OECD countries: a scoping review
2025S. 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.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureCidade-Campo no Brasil: dinâmicas e contradições
2025Paulo Ricardo Santos Miranda · Revista Mutirõ Folhetim de Geografias Agrárias do Sul · Brazil
A collection of 13 chapters explores the interactions between city and countryside in Brazil, critically examining how capital traverses urban and rural territories, promoting expropriation and spatial reconfigurations. Studies on Uberlândia, Montes Claros, São Paulo, and the North and Northeast regions highlight land conflicts, peripheral industrialization, urban agriculture, and peasant resistance. The work emphasizes the ambiguous role of the State.
Equity & displacementUrban–rural linkageCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyImpact of waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba on plant diversity (Littoral-Cameroon)
2025Yanick Borel Kamga Valerie Njitat Tsama* · Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) · Cameroon (Nkongsamba)
This study assessed the impact of untreated waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, on vegetation by conducting floristic inventories at upstream, near, and downstream sites. Twenty-five 100 m2 plots were established at each site, revealing a total of 105 species from 79 genera and 41 families. The downstream site exhibited the highest species richness with 81 species, 70 genera, and 35 families, but these results showed a dominance of ruderal taxa and pollution bio-indicators like Commelina benghalensis and Tithonia diversifolia, reflecting ecological disturbance of the plant environment.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageUrban African food systems as sites of challenges and opportunities for household food equity and resilience
2025Corrie Hannah, Jordan Blekking, Julia Davies, Jane Battersby, Allan Chilenga, Dorcas Kabuya, Percy Toriro · Ecology and Society · Zambia
This empirical case study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected urban food systems (UFS) in 14 Zambian cities, using household survey data from 2019, 2020, and 2021. Descriptive and regression analyses assessed household food sourcing, including urban agriculture. Households from diverse socioeconomic quartiles faced similar food security challenges but coped differently based on capacities and resources, indicating a lack of equitable outcomes. Smaller and remote cities sourced food from open-air markets, vendors, and urban agriculture, while more connected cities used local shops.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeCommunityPortable X-ray fluorescence as a tool for urban soil contamination analysis: accuracy, precision, and practicality
2025E.N. Jenkins, John M. Galbraith, Anna Paltseva · SOIL · Global
This study conducted a literature review of 84 publications to evaluate the accuracy, precision, and practicality of Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) as a tool for analyzing heavy metal contamination in urban soils. Urban soils often face contamination with heavy metals like lead and arsenic, and PXRF was shown to achieve reliable accuracy when properly calibrated. PXRF emerges as a viable method for assessing urban soil contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageTowards urban food system transformation in South Africa
2025Emmanuel Ndhlovu · Discover Sustainability · South Africa
This article critically analyzed food system policies and actions in four South African cities, drawing from grey and academic documents. It found that the government is failing to achieve food security, with approximately 58 million people facing food insecurity in 2023. The study concludes that transforming South African food systems requires coherent policies, shortened supply chains, integration of food into urban planning, and increased support for farmers, among other actions.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageLe péri-urbain en Afrique : une agriculture en marge ?
2025Paule 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.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSpatial opportunities at the rural-urban fringe: balancing urban growth, food production and ecology
2025Marcus 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.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityClimate changePolicyImpulsores e inhibidores de la agricultura urbana a partir de una aproximación diacrónica desde 1821 hasta 2023: el caso de Xalapa (Veracruz, México)
2025Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Raúl Romero Ramírez · Memorias · Mexico (Xalapa)
This diachronic study analyzed the drivers and inhibitors of urban agriculture in Xalapa, Mexico, through a historical tracing from 1821 to 2023. Drivers included rural immigration, academia, and government programs, while inhibitors were identified as diversification of trades, ejido laws, remittances, health policies, and food markets.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageLa dimensión urbana del patrimonio agrario: el paisaje de la huerta de Nerja, Málaga
2025Mar Loren-Méndez, Celia Chacón-Carretón, Pablo Manuel Millán Millán · ACE Arquitectura Ciudad y Entorno · Spain (Málaga)
This study examines the urban dimension of agricultural heritage, specifically urban orchards, in cities where agrarian activity is deeply intertwined with their origin and evolution. Using Nerja, Málaga, Spain, as a case study, the research highlights that accelerated urban transformation in recent decades has led to a rupture, undermining agrarian logic by abandoning historical growth practices. The study emphasizes the fundamental role of agrarian activity in built environments and advocates for the protection of urban orchards.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyHeirloom & landraceIdentifying priority control factors for heavy metal pollution in urban agricultural soils of the Chengdu Plain: An integrated multi-model approach
2025M. J. Ni, Shuai Yan, Ting Li, Zijun Zhou, Xiaojing Liu, Shirong Zhang, Guiyin Wang, Xiaoxun Xu, Yulin Pu, Yongxia Jia, Lan Li · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · China (Chengdu)
This study investigated heavy metal (HM) contamination in urban and peri-urban agricultural soils of the Chengdu Plain, China, using an integrated multi-model approach. Four major HM sources were identified, including natural (30.0%), mixed agricultural and transportation (29.5%), metal smelting (19.4%), and atmospheric deposition (21.1%). Risk assessments revealed that Cd and Hg posed the highest ecological risks, and human health risk assessment indicated unacceptable health risks for children, with non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk probabilities reaching 4% and 10% respectively.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageUrban and peri-urban agriculture under climate change: A review on carbon emissions and sequestration
2024Abdulhakeem Al-Qubati, Lulu Zhang, Matthias Forkel · Sustainable Cities and Society · Global
This 2024 global review examined 96 studies focusing on methods for estimating carbon sequestration (CS) and emissions in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). The review found significant research gaps: most studies were in the global north, research in the global south is lacking, and there are fewer studies on CS compared to GHG emissions. Additionally, few studies jointly assessed water and carbon cycles, and spatiotemporal analysis, modeling, and remote sensing for GHG emissions are underutilized.
Methodological critiqueClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAnalisis Dinamika Organisasi pada PT Tanikota Agribudaya Edulestari
2024Debora Sihombing, Yayat Sukayat · MIMBAR AGRIBISNIS Jurnal Pemikiran Masyarakat Ilmiah Berwawasan Agribisnis · Indonesia
PT Tanikota Agribudaya Edulestari, an urban agriculture company, has not yet achieved profitability despite business diversification and technology application. This qualitative study analyzed elements of organizational dynamics to identify obstacles faced by the company in its business operations. Results showed that 22 out of 32 sub-variables did not align with organizational dynamics indicators, including organizational goals, member orientation, task-activity balance, conflict resolution, coordination, decision-making, and member participation, indicating that the company's organizational dynamics still face challenges in business operations.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityAssessment of heavy metal pollution on agricultural land in Chengdu city under different anthropogenic pressures based on APCS-MLR modelling
2024Yizhou Peng, Grigorieva Iya Yu · Ecological Indicators · China (Chengdu)
This study assessed heavy metal pollution in rural, urban-rural interface, and urban agricultural lands in Chengdu, China. It found varying degrees of heavy metal pollution across all areas, with arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) being the most severe pollutants. Concentrations of As and Cd in soil samples exceeded risk thresholds, and these elements showed high spatial variability, indicating significant anthropogenic influence. Pollution sources included livestock manure, natural sources, agricultural activities, and industrial activities in urban areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing Cities, Changing Demands
2024Sreejith Aravindakshan, Hage Aku, Michi Tani · · India
This study investigated factors inducing the emergence, sustenance, and sustainability of urban agriculture using primary data from urban farming households in Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh, India. The research indicates that urban agriculture has provided questionable environmental gains and has not significantly improved urban food security, especially among the poorer sections.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthPolicyLand Use/Cover Dynamics and its Implication on the Sustainability of Urban Agriculture in Selected Urban Centers of Ethiopia
2024Ashagrie Gibtan, Wondwosen Abera, Mekuria Delelegn, Molla Maru, Adamu Emiru · Ochrana prírody Slovenska/Ekológia · Ethiopia
Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dynamics were analyzed in four Ethiopian cities—Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, and Adama—over 17 years from 2006 to 2022. SPOT 5 and Sentinel satellite imagery, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were used. Findings revealed a rapid expansion of urban built-up areas, primarily at the expense of peri-urban horticultural lands, which has an adverse impact on the sustainability of urban agriculture.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceLand Use Land Cover Analysis of Peri-Urban Area of Murad Memon Goth-Karachi
2024Anila Kausar, Viola Vambol, Sergij Vambol, Saima Sultana Sharfi · International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology · Pakistan (Karachi)
This study conducted a Land Use Land Cover (LULC) analysis of Murad Memon Goth, a peri-urban area of Karachi, Pakistan, comparing data from 2013 and 2021. The results revealed a 9.6% increase in settlement sprawl, indicating significant encroachment on agricultural lands. Cropland area decreased from 38.86% in 2013 to 26.11% in 2021, highlighting a negative trend for peri-urban agriculture in the region.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureA Smart Hydroponics System for Sustainable Agriculture
2024Supriya Jaiswal, Gopal Rawat, Chetan B. Khadse, Sohit Sharma · BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS eBooks · India
Hydroponic farming, adopted in urban India to meet food demands, faces shortcomings including higher initial costs, complex nutrient discharge, and energy requirements for microclimatic conditions and skilled labor. To address these issues, a smart hydroponic farming architecture is discussed, aiming to reduce human intervention and water wastage using wireless sensor networks and IoT.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban green space use in transition
2024Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityHealthPolicyUrban–rural linkageReinventing Urban Agriculture in Algerian Urban Policies: Stakeholders' Visions and Operational Strategy
2024Meriem Korchi, Ouassila Bendjaballah · Indonesian Journal of Social Science Research · Algeria
This study assessed urban actors' perspectives on urban agriculture in Annaba, Algeria, and mapped agricultural activities to integrate them into urban policy. Interviews with decision-makers and farmers, combined with spatial analysis, revealed that while there is interest in urban agriculture, it is not effectively integrated into institutional and legal frameworks. Agricultural plots in cities are often reserved for future urban development.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCo-designing infrastructures
2024Sarah Bell, Charlotte Johnson, Tse‐Hui Teh, Kat Austen, Gemma Moore · · United Kingdom (London)
This chapter explores co-design in developing urban infrastructures, presenting a six-step "Bottom-Up Infrastructure" model. The method was applied to a rooftop garden on a London social-housing estate, intended to function as drainage infrastructure. The case study revealed the potential for co-design, but also highlighted significant constraints on implementation in cities where communities possess limited power and resources.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCreating and sustaining urban green spaces in Africa under phenomenal urbanisation: residents’ perspectives on home gardens in Wa, Ghana
2024Bernard Afiik Akanpabadai Akanbang, Millicent Awialie Akaateba, Prosper Issahaku Korah · Discover Cities · Ghana (Wa)
This exploratory cross-sectional survey in seven rapidly growing neighborhoods in Wa, Ghana, administered 285 questionnaires to residents to understand motivations, challenges, and constraints of home gardening. Results showed 56% of respondents had gardens, primarily motivated by beautification (56.1%) and food production (52.3%). Limited space (49%) and busy schedules (34%) were identified as main barriers. The study found that while garden ownership aligned with the autonomy need, the relationship need, which correlates with environmental motivations, was notably low among residents. This indicates a limited effect of environmental awareness on home gardening motivation in the surveyed population.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageLand cover changes and management effectiveness of protected areas in tropical coastal area of sub-Saharan Africa
2024Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka, Gengyuan Liu, Hui Li, Wen Zhang, Mingwan Wu, Zhaoman Huo, F. Gonella · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study evaluated land cover change and its drivers using spatial and statistical analysis in 22 designated protected areas (PAs) across the tropical coastal regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicated that food production is prevalent in these protected areas regardless of their designation, and forest loss occurred in most PAs, suggesting weak conservation. Population density was the most significant driver of land cover change, and only 15 out of 22 protected areas showed an increase in their total ecosystem service value.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityUrbanización e industrialización en zonas periurbanas: el caso de una asociación de Carapongo (Lurigancho, Lima)
2024Cavani Guzmán, Pierina · Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (University of Skopje) · Peru (Lima)
This article discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization processes on peri-urban agricultural production in the Nuevo Horizonte de Carapongo association in Lurigancho, Lima, Peru. The research analyzes the development of these phenomena and their relationship with the changes generated in the agricultural production of the area, contributing to the academic discussion on the deagrarianization process of peri-urban spaces.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomics