Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1138 results(8 / 46)
Urban Agriculture as a Catalyst for Food Security and Sustainability in Ghana's Rapidly Urbanizing Cities
2025Christian Kofi Sarpong, Romanus Dogkubong Dinye, Alex Donbeinaa, Vera Nyarko Amoako · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Ghana
This study assessed the role of urban agriculture in Ghanaian cities through a systematic literature review of publications from 2000 to 2024. Urban agriculture was found to significantly contribute to food security, nutrition, and income, and to bolster environmental sustainability. However, challenges such as land tenure insecurity, unsafe irrigation practices, weak institutional support, and limited policy integration persist.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyCommunityIn full bloom
2025Susanne Berliner · · Global
This narration observes a community garden as a space of social diversity, functioning as a "cosmopolitan canopy" where people from different backgrounds interact. While a cosmopolitan spirit exists, the garden is not neutral; its permeable boundaries and internal segregation indicate it is permeated by power dynamics and control.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyWelfareMotivations and barriers in Huddersfield’s community gardens: exploring experiential social capital and community resilience
2025Sara Mahdizadeh, Yun Gao · Local Environment · United Kingdom
This qualitative study, based on 16 semi-structured interviews, examined motivations and barriers to participation in community gardens in Huddersfield, UK. Key motivations included social interaction, mental well-being, and skill development. Reported barriers were declining volunteer numbers, physical workload, limited institutional support, and accessibility challenges.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicyWelfarePRODUÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS ORGÂNICAS: PROTAGONISMO FEMININO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA VILA GALVÃO, CASA NOVA - BA
2025Suzana 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.
Economic viabilityCommunityPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyProfile of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Rio de Janeiro State: Case Study
2025Letícia 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.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityEconomicsImpulsores 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 linkageGerakan GERAKAN TANAM CABAI UNTUK PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI PANGAN DI KELURAHAN BUMI NYIUR KECAMATAN WANEA KOTA MANADO
2025Citra Dusun, Magie M. Kapojos, Mervina Rondonuwu, Christine Lomo, Rinny Lontoh, Filan Mandang, Yuannita Aida · Jurnal Pengabdian Ibnu Sina · Indonesia (Manado)
A program in Manado, Indonesia, aimed to enhance food security and self-reliance by promoting chili cultivation in home gardens through socialization, counseling, and seed distribution. While it provided positive economic impacts, the program faced challenges including limited access to agricultural inputs and post-program plant maintenance. Further research and continued mentoring were recommended to evaluate its effectiveness and maximize impact.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsExamining Disparities in Walkability, Recreational Places and Aesthetics in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
2025Sabounchi, Saina, Saheb, Anahita Javanmardi, Adhami, Sadaf, Minouei, Alan · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United States (Cambridge)
A study using 2020 U.S. Census data across 87 block groups in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found that higher social vulnerability was positively associated with greater sidewalk presence. However, social vulnerability showed no significant associations with open space acreage, pedestrian ramps, community gardens, or public art landmarks.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareUrban Gardening in Latin America and Panama: A New Strategy for Conservation
2025Belma Soto-Fernández, Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Latin America
A documentary review on the importance of urban gardening in Latin America revealed that urban gardening, when approached through the lens of agrobiodiversity, has become a key strategy for safe food production and environmental sustainability. However, it was found that several Latin American countries lack clear and established laws to regulate this activity. Preliminary evidence of rotavirus was detected in fresh vegetables from an urban garden in Panama, indicating that urban gardens can become infection foci capable of causing diseases of public health and veterinary importance.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicyLifelong learning in sustainability-led initiatives: Exploring their learning potential along the reworked four pillars of education
2025Lena Schmeiduch, Émile Thévenot · International Review of Education · Global
This study explored the potential for lifelong learning within sustainability-led initiatives, such as ecovillages and community-supported agriculture, through the theoretical lens of Noah Sobe's four pillars of lifelong education. While these initiatives offer opportunities to address sustainability-related challenges, their insular nature and limited accessibility have drawn criticism in the literature on sustainability transitions. The analysis suggests that these initiatives and lifelong learning agendas frequently converge in their framing of sustainability issues.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationEconomicsImplementing urban agriculture as nature-based solutions in China: Challenges and global lessons
2024Zhe Zhu, Faith Ka Shun Chan, Gang Li, Mengxia Xu, Meili Feng, Yong‐Guan Zhu · Soil & Environmental Health · China
This review examines urban agriculture in China, identifying three forms: small-scale, capital-intensive, and tourism-type, each with benefits and challenges shaped by local context and government policies. Despite benefits like improved community cohesion and environmental sustainability, urban agriculture in China faces significant limitations including land availability, capital shortage, market access, and insufficient governmental support. Strategies and four recommendations are proposed to address these challenges.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthAnalisis 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 linkageCommunitySchool principals’ practices and their facing barriers to sustainable development in Turkish K12 schools
2024Neşe Börü · International Journal of Leadership in Education · Turkey
This case study investigated school principals' practices and barriers to sustainable development in Turkish K-12 schools under centralized management, using semi-structured interviews. The findings highlighted the need for leadership skills, collaboration with external bodies, public education, reward systems, and school budgets under a centralized management approach. The research identified that the centralized management system itself presents a barrier to sustainable development efforts in these schools.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyMulheres e Agroecologia no Município de São Paulo. Um estudo sobre agricultura em territórios periféricos
2024Clara Camargo · Revista Latino-americana de Geografia e Genero · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigates the socioeconomic profile and agroecological production strategies of female urban farmers in São Paulo's peripheral territories, using Feminist Economy Theory and Ecofeminism perspectives. It highlights that while these women are crucial for food security and green spaces, they remain largely invisible in economic theories and have limited access to public policies due to their non-generation of direct monetary income. The methodology included participant observation in RAPPA meetings, semi-structured interviews, and guided tours of women-led production units.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsEvidence of COVID-19 pandemic influence on well-being produced by urban gardening: a before-after study
2024Laura S. Tuominen, Heikki Helanterä, Patrik Karell, Lauri Rapeli, Timo Vuorisalo, Jon E. Brommer · npj Urban Sustainability · Finland (Turku)
This before-after study in Turku, Finland, examined the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban box gardening from 2019 to 2021. While box gardening's importance for resilience increased and gardeners remained motivated, participants reported receiving fewer benefits from gardening during the pandemic. This suggests a negative influence of the pandemic on well-being, extending to urban gardening outcomes.
Limited or null effectHealthCommunityClimate changeReflections: Lessons Learned, Limitations, and the Way Forward for Urban Agriculture in Public Space
2024Beata Sirowy, Deni Ruggeri · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter reflects on urban agriculture practices in public spaces, emphasizing their unique role in the individual and communal well-being of city dwellers. It concludes with a brief reflection on the future trajectories for urban agriculture practices in compact cities.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicyRénover 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 agriculturePlanning for Equitable Urban Agriculture: Opportunities and Quandaries
2024Samina Raja · Urban agriculture · United States
Urban agriculture initiatives in US cities face complications, including information asymmetry and elite capture, which limit their potential for equitable development. This chapter introduces a volume exploring the opportunities and quandaries in addressing questions of equity in the research, pedagogy, and practice of planning for urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityHealthExploring relations between community gardens and cultural institutions in terms of diverse governance models: A case study of Warsaw and Poznań, Poland
2024Barbara Maćkiewicz, Paulina Jeziorek · Przegląd Geograficzny · Poland
A two-case study in Warsaw and Poznań, Poland, explored the relationship between community gardens and cultural institutions, identifying factors that promote and impede their functioning. The study found that these gardens are characterized by a changing governance model, shifting towards a top-down approach where community members lack influence on strategic decisions. The involvement of cultural institutions, while facilitating longevity, may simultaneously disempower the gardens' viability.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAgriculture and the ideals of urban modernity: the case of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2024Matthijs T. Wessels, Gert Jan Veldwisch, B.J.M. van Vliet, Alphonce Kyessi, Shaaban M. Mgana · Water International · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study examined the policy dynamics of irrigated urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using stakeholder interviews and a literature review. It found that while irrigated urban agriculture is positively received for its productivity, it faces challenges from discourses prioritizing health and modernity. Authorities pursue modern farming models, but most urban farmers operate with informal and insecure access to land and water, highlighting a tension between planning ideals and urban reality.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityMidwestern specialty crop impacts on the environment and health: a scoping review
2024Laura E. Balis, Emily Shaw, Whitney Fung Uy, Katie Nelson, Maryan Isack, Laura Flournoy, Daniele Vest, Jessie Deelo, Amy L. Yaroch · Agriculture & Food Security · United States
This scoping review examined the environmental and health impacts of locally distributed specialty crops in the Midwestern United States, analyzing 9 grey and 19 peer-reviewed sources. While specialty crops positively impacted nutritional intake for diverse populations, the effectiveness of production practices on soil and plant quality and greenhouse gas emissions was mixed. The review concluded that more rigorous study designs with long-term follow-up are needed.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthEconomicsClimate change“We Can Come in Together and Garden”: A Mixed Methods Study of School Connectedness in a Middle School Garden Project
2024Heidi L. Hollingsworth, William D. Giblin · Journal of Research in Childhood Education · Global
This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a middle school garden project on 6th-graders’ school connectedness. Surveys of 46 middle school students indicated that most had home gardening experience and enjoyed the school garden activities. However, pre-post results did not show increased school connectedness following the garden unit, as ratings were moderately high both before and after. Interviews with 25 participants revealed that the garden project facilitated home-school, student-student, and student-teacher connections, serving as a context for engagement and enjoyment for students.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityCultivating Publicness Through Urban Agriculture: Learning from Aarhus and Rotterdam
2024Melissa Anna Murphy, Pavel Grabalov · The Geojournal library · Europe
A study of urban agriculture initiatives in Aarhus, Denmark, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, explored how municipalities facilitate urban agriculture and its performance in public spaces. It identified four public service trajectories: increasing access and animation, contributing to social services, producing and distributing food, and building communities. The study found that food production and social services may be little suited for urban spaces requiring high public access, although benefits can reach a broad public if localized and facilitated appropriately.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyHealthPromising Nature-Based Solutions to Support Climate Adaptation of Arizona’s Local Food Entrepreneurs and Optimize One Health
2024Yevheniia Varyvoda, Taylor Ann Foerster, Joona Mikkola, Matthew M. Mars · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)
This multi-method study in Southern Arizona, USA, explored the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) by local food entrepreneurs (LFEs) for climate adaptation. The findings revealed that existing NbS were primarily introduced through learning-by-doing practices, which were constrained by economic and technological resource limitations. Priority adaptation pathways identified for NbS included funding, financing, and knowledge co-creation, with LFEs likely to adopt NbS based on their ability to address climate issues and generate revenue.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsHealthCommunityCo-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 linkage