Research & reports

Finn Williams, Ruby Johnston, Aiden Campbell · International Journal of Horticulture and Food Science · Germany

At the Christchurch College of Food Technology in New Zealand, researchers compared five growing systems -- rooftop container, raised bed, peri-urban orchard, rural orchard (reference), and heated greenhouse -- for avocado (Persea americana) cv. 'Hass' under simulated Bavarian Plateau conditions, using a randomized complete block design with four replications over three years (2020-2022). The rural orchard yielded highest at 22.3 kg per tree, peri-urban raised beds achieved 18.7 kg per tree using 56% less land, and rooftop containers (200 L pots) produced only 6.8 kg per tree, confirming that container culture is viable but yield-limited; rooftop systems had the lowest weed pressure, peri-urban orchards supported the richest arthropod biodiversity, and ISSR molecular markers confirmed genetic uniformity among grafted plants across systems, ruling out somaclonal variation as a source of the yield differences.

Md. Rafiqul Islam, Syed Anisur Rahman, Tanvir Ahmed · International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science · Asia

Six heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in spinach, amaranth and fenugreek collected from four peri-urban sites around Dhaka, Bangladesh, during January-March 2024, where more than 2,000 hectares of vegetable land are irrigated with untreated industrial and domestic wastewater via canal networks. Lead in amaranth from the industrial-effluent site reached 0.94 mg/kg fresh weight, more than three times the WHO/FAO permissible limit of 0.30 mg/kg, while cadmium, chromium and nickel stayed within permissible limits at all sites and zinc, though highest in absolute terms (8.6-14.7 mg/kg), also remained within safe limits; contamination was highest at the industrial-effluent site and lowest at the borewell-irrigated control site, indicating a localized food-safety risk for consumers of peri-urban leafy greens grown with wastewater irrigation.

Usha Baniya, Sachin Khaniya, Rojan Karki · Nepalese Journal of Agricultural Sciences · Asia

This review paper positions hydroponics—a soilless cultivation technique—as a method of urban agriculture addressing confined land availability, food security, and environmental concerns from urbanization, focused on Kathmandu, Nepal. It synthesizes existing insights on setup costs, operational challenges, and profitability against global trends and local constraints, and, framing setup costs and operational challenges as barriers to adoption, recommends subsidies, training, and integration into urban planning as pathways to foster the uptake of hydroponic farming.

Jennifer Newell, Siobhan Cox, Rory Doherty · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global

A systematic review synthesized literature on the oral bioaccessible fraction (BAF) of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead in vegetables grown on contaminated soils, drawing values from multiple online databases across potentially toxic elements (PTEs), in vitro test methods, and vegetable types. The review starts from the premise that many urban and peri-urban brownfield sites carry a legacy of soil metal and metalloid contamination, so crops grown there may pose human health risks. Median PTE BAFs ranked Cd > Ni > Cr > As > Pb; among in vitro methods, the unified BARGE method (UBM) produced the highest median BAFs (63.0% gastric, 59.6% gastrointestinal); and by crop type, BAFs ranked non-vegetables (e.g., rice, fungi) > legumes > root vegetables > bulb vegetables > leafy vegetables.

Consell de la Generalitat Valenciana · Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV) / BOE · Spain

A decree-law issued by the Consell (Valencian regional government) on 4 February 2025, published 5 February 2025, amending the 2018 Huerta law and its implementing plan (Decreto 219/2018) to simplify administrative procedures for reconstruction following the 29 October 2024 DANA flooding. It abolishes the Huerta Council and chapters on agrarian development planning and farm inventories, and relaxes urban-planning parameters for agricultural buildings.

Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)

A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.

José Luis Chaves, Alexandre Boleira Lopo, G. M. OLIVEIRA, J. F. ARAÚJO, Luciano Sérgio Ventin Bomfim, J. A. CASTRO · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Global

This systematic review investigated the viability of animal production in urban and peri-urban agriculture as a tool for food security, using the PRISMA methodology. The review found that while this practice offers benefits like domestic food security and income generation, it also presents negative aspects such as odors, noise, and the transmission of zoonoses. Public policies are needed to regulate the activity and minimize health risks.

Ashagrie 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.

Anila 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.

Pierric 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.

Cavani 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.

Dragana Šunjka, Sanja Lazić, Slavica Vuković, Siniša Berjan, Hamid El Bilali · · Serbia

This chapter examines the food safety of urban agriculture systems in the Republic of Serbia through selected case studies. It highlights that agricultural products from urban production may be contaminated by polluted soil, water, and air, as well as by pesticides, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, nitrate and nitrite, and mycotoxins. The study emphasizes the need for strict control and reduction of synthetic pesticides and other agrochemicals in urban agriculture.

Ivica Petríková, Melvine Anyango Otieno, Gertrude Were, Mahmoud Eltholth, Ana Rodriguez‐Mateos, Seeromanie Harding, Victoria Hall Morán, Odipo Osano, Jennifer Cole · Food Security · Kenya

This study investigated the links between peri-urban households' engagement in agriculture, their dietary behavior, and their children's nutrition outcomes around Eldoret, Kenya. Survey data collected from 518 households indicated that peri-urban households involved in agriculture, particularly crop growing and sales, had more diverse and nutritious diets than non-engaged households. However, a significant improvement in children’s health outcomes in these households was observed only when coupled with improved water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions.

Ronald O. Muchelo, Thomas F. A. Bishop, Sabastine U. Ugbaje, Stephen Akpa · Land · Uganda (Kampala)

This study examined urban growth and agricultural land loss in Kampala (1989-2015) and Mbarara (2002-2016), Uganda, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Kampala's urban area surged from 7.14% to 55.10%, and Mbarara's from 6.37% to 30.95%, while agricultural land decreased significantly in both cities. A substantial portion of urban growth encroached upon agricultural land (66.7% in Kampala, 57.8% in Mbarara), and unsustainable practices also converted wetlands and forests to agricultural land.

Exzolvildres Queiroz Neto, Gilson Brandão de Oliveira Junior, Marcelha Silva de Andrade, Suncar Dabo, Geisiane Michelle Zanquetta de Pintor · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil

This article presents reflections on the practice of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) and its impact on land use and occupation in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The research raised several questions concerning rural-urban dynamics, the specificities of urban family farmers, and the complexity of land use in the municipality. Diagnostic results from a semi-structured research guide will be used as an empirical basis for further reflection, and the abstract does not state specific research findings or critical findings regarding governance.

Sabina Rossini Oliva, Rafael López Núñez · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · Spain (Andalusia)

This study evaluated potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vegetables and topsoils from urban gardens in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and a mining area (Riotinto), Spain, comparing them with market and peri-urban samples. Soils in the mining area and cities generally showed higher contamination with As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn compared to other locations. Despite this, all PTE concentrations in vegetables from the studied urban gardens, including those from As-contaminated soils, were below health-based guidance values and market levels (except lettuce), and human health risk assessments indicated safe consumption.

Hailekiros Tadesse Tekle, Desta Berhe Sbhatu, Gebreselema Gebreyohannes · H2Open Journal · Ethiopia (Mekelle)

A study in Hadnet district, Mekelle, Ethiopia, assessed heavy metal concentrations in wastewater, spring water, and three leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cauliflower). Wastewater samples from four experimental sites exceeded permissible limits for 4 out of 10 heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn), and spring water from a comparison site also exceeded limits for 4 metals (Al, As, Cd, Cu). Leafy vegetables grown in the least contaminated experimental site showed high concentrations for 6-7 out of 10 heavy metals, with lettuce and spinach having elevated levels of As and Al, respectively. The study concluded that the wastewater used for irrigation is not safe, the farm soils may have accumulated significant heavy metals, and the cultivated vegetables are highly contaminated, necessitating regulation of wastewater use for irrigation.

Alisa Sahavacharin, Fa Likitswat, Kim Irvine, Lihoun Teang · Land · Thailand (Pathum Thani)

This study assessed the potential of peri-urban areas for sustainable development, focusing on a pandan farming community in Pathum Thani, Thailand, using the Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) approach. The community identified COVID-19, water quality, and solid waste as their primary disruptive challenges. The study concluded that the community was moderately resilient to hazards, and COVID-19 was the primary disrupting event over the past 10 years.

Kalpana Waiba, Alina Maharjan, R Shakya · Journal of Environment Sciences · Nepal

This study investigated the status and impact of urban agriculture on the population in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A structured questionnaire survey of 230 families showed that 51% of respondents had access to growing areas and 76% chose kitchen gardening. The main motivations were economic considerations (50%) and personal satisfaction (20%). Participants reported cultivating 55% of their diet, contributing to good health, though challenges such as plant diseases (40%) were present.

Kelvin Haule, Bupe Kabigi · Ghana Journal of Geography · Tanzania

This study analyzed land markets and their influence on peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies in Tanzania. It found that widespread monetary land markets, including formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing forms, are transforming peri-urban agriculture into non-farm activities. These informal changes are causing a “sendoff” of peri-urban agriculture, and if unmanaged, land markets are suggested to become a blight for indigenous people selling land.

Almou Abdoulaye Alio, Alio Sanda Abdel-Kader, Alio Fody Mahamadou, Chaibou Yaou, Rabiou Mamane Moustapha, Hamidou Djelifa, SOUMANA SOUROUNDA Idé, Mahamane Idi Issa Abdoulahi, Lewamy Mamadou, Haoua Sabo Seini, Hassimi Sadou · Asian Journal of Biology · Niger (Niamey)

This study assessed the impact of irrigation water on the bacteriological quality of lettuce in three market garden sites in Niamey, Niger. Analysis of 18 lettuce and 29 irrigation water samples revealed high contamination across all sites with various bacteria, including total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterobacteria, and E. coli. The irrigation water quality was found unsuitable for irrigation, significantly contaminating the lettuce and posing potential health risks to consumers.

Elliot Buckminster, Charlotte Breckenridge, Thomas Sedgwick · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · United Kingdom

This research quantified soil-to-plant transfer factors for six heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr) in lettuce, spinach, and carrot across 20 peri-urban agricultural sites in Berkshire, UK, from 2021-2022. Cadmium exhibited the highest mean transfer factor (0.31), and at 4 of 20 sites, cadmium concentrations in lettuce exceeded the EU maximum limit of 0.20 mg/kg fresh weight. Soil pH was a strong predictor for Cd and Zn transfer factors, with TFs increasing below pH 6.0.

Jean de Dieu Minengu, Aiko Ikonso Mwengi, Romain Kawanga, Simon Mwengi, Oscar Mangunda Yama · Revue Africaine d’Environnement et d’Agriculture · Africa

Market gardening in Kinshasa's urban and peri-urban areas faces multiple constraints, including land insecurity, low natural soil fertility, the incidence of diseases and pests, weak technical support, climate hazards, poor input supply, and problematic marketing systems. These constraints limit yields in production sites and hinder the development of market gardening activities.

Lee D. Bryant, Roy Maconachie, Bastian Schnabel, Abubakarr Swaray, Howard Gigi, Solomon Gbanie, Kabba Haroun Bangura, Anthony Kamara, Prince Antwi-Agyei · Water Science & Technology Water Supply · Sierra Leone (Freetown)

This paper examined the environmental health status of three urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) sites in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Qualitative and quantitative data revealed heavy metal concentrations significantly exceeding regulatory limits in sweet potato leaves and arable soil. Additionally, soaring levels of faecal coliform bacteria were found in irrigation water, and crops were identified as hyperaccumulators for environmental contaminants.

Alberto Matarán-Ruiz, David Fanfani, Josefa Sánchez Contreras, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · · Central America; Europe

This chapter examines bioregional food systems and territorialization processes in peri-urban agricultural areas, using three case studies from Central America and Europe. It notes that the historical co-evolutionary relationship between cities and surrounding farmlands weakened in modernity due to the global capitalist market, which reduced food to a commodity. The study highlights current problems while exploring how inherited relationships are being revived to adapt urban bioregions to climate emergency and resource scarcity.